New Azure Sapphire FL vs. Cytiva Amersham® Typhoon®
The new Sapphire FL from Azure Biosystems is ahead of other brands like Cytiva and the Amersham Typhoon because it is backed by the most innovative technology on the market. The Sapphire FL does MORE (and does it better). See how innovative technology can improve your gel and Western blot workflow today.
One system for:
- NIR Fluorescence
- Visible Fluorescence
- Phosphor imaging
- Chemiluminescence imaging*
*available with optional Chemiluminescent Module
the leader in laser scanning
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Thinking about buying a new laser scanning imager for your lab?
Why NOW is THE RIGHT TIME TO MAKE THE CHANGE
It’s time to consider a new idea, an innovative system with proven results! Instead of taking the easy path and sticking with the same vendor, make the switch to a company that fully supports your research. Azure Biosystems recently launched the new Sapphire FL, which delivers more than the Cytiva Typhoon. The Sapphire FL offers:
Visible Fluorescence 
NIR Fluorescence
Phosphor Imaging
Chemiluminescence*
Fluorescence Detectors: APD + PMT
Automatic Z-plane Imaging Tool
Fluorescence imaging area: 25 x 25 cm
Laser diode lifespan: 40,000 hours
Resolution: 5-1000 µm
Non-proprietary Image Formats
Dynamic Range: > 6 logs
What Your Peers are Saying about the Sapphire
"The Sapphire is highly recommended for anyone who routinely uses electrophoresis, cell-based, or slide-based analyses with fluorescent or chemiluminescent detection."
We purchased the Sapphire Imager to replace our obsolete Typhoon Scanner and could not be happier with the performance and ease of use. Equipped with multiple lasers, it is possible to probe for many proteins at high resolution and with great sensitivity. We primarily use the system for western blotting and fluorescent slide scanning and have had clear, publishable results. The software is easy to use and has many practical features. Customer service is amazing – they are always available, informative, and as scientists, they assist with troubleshooting experimental design and optimizing results.
It’s Time to Take Control of your applications
Our dedicated Applications Scientists are ready to answer your questions and provide best practices.
READY TO Improve your gel and blot workflows?
As scientists, we like to pride ourselves on objectively evaluating data before coming to any conclusions, and staying open to new ideas if they are better supported by new information. Purchasing a new piece of lab equipment should be no different, especially when it comes to instruments we entrust to make measurements and record data for our critical studies.
The new Sapphire FL offers customizable and user-changeable optical modules, 5–1000 μm resolution scans, a Z-plane range from -1.0 to +6 mm, 5 anesthesia output ports for imaging living animals, chemiluminescence detection through an optional Chemiluminescence Module and much more.
More than Phosphor Imaging
With support of wavelengths between 375 – 900 nm, the Sapphire FL’s patent-pending design enables true dye and application flexibility. This versatility permits research-driven, rather than instrument-dictated, experimental design.
In addition to fluorescence, the Sapphire FL also excels at imaging phosphor screens. The flexibility of the Sapphire FL guarantees you the freedom to confidently choose the best dyes and chemistry for any experiment.
The Sapphire FL Z-plane ranges from -1 mm below to +6 mm above the glass imaging surface, providing the flexibility to image any sample with optimal focus. Additionally, easily create Z-stacks and GIFs to quickly visualize and share data across a range of focal planes.
Sapphire FL Applications
Southern blots | Northern blots | Western blots | Multiplex Westerns | Quantitative Westerns | Total Protein Normalization | In-cell Westerns | Agar plates/Clonogenic assays | Multi-well plate imaging | Protein arrays | Microarrays | ELISAs | Immunohistochemistry | Lateral flow immunoassay development | Thin layer chromatography imaging | Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) | 2D DIGE | Densitometry | Gel documentation | In-gel imaging | DNA gel imaging | RNA gel imaging | Protein gel imaging | Coomassie imaging | Silver-stain imaging | Fluorescent gel stain imaging | Gel autoradiography | Membrane autoradiography | Tissue section autoradiography | Tissue section imaging | Plant bioluminescence imaging | Phosphoprotein studies | Glycoprotein assays | Reporter gene assays | GFP expression in model organisms | Small animal imaging
| Sapphire™ | Amersham® Typhoon® | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| NIR Fluorescence |  | | |
| Visible Fluorescence | | | |
| Phosphor Imaging | | | |
| Software-controlled, fine z-axis | | ||
| Ability to switch between sequential and simultaneous scanning | | ||
| True chemiluminescence imaging using a CCD with the same sensitivity as film | | ||
| Resolution | 10µm | 10µm | |
| Dynamic Range | > 6 logs | > 5 logs | |
| Price | $ | $$ |
Comparing Sapphire FL vs. Cytiva Typhoon
product specs
Azure Sapphire FL
Fluorescent Detection Method
APD + PMT
NIR Fluorescence
✅
Visible Fluorescence
✅
Phosphor Imaging
✅
Chemiluminescence
✅
Automatic Z-plane Imaging Tool
✅
Maximum resolution
5µm
Non-proprietary Image Formats
✅
Dynamic Range
> 6 logs
Cytiva Amersham Typhoon
Fluorescent Detection Method
APD only
NIR Fluorescence
✅
Visible Fluorescence
✅
Phosphor Imaging
✅
Chemiluminescence
❌
Automatic Z-plane Imaging Tool
❌
Maximum resolution
10µm
Dynamic Range
> 5 logs
Available Lasers by system
Azure Sapphire FL
375
450
488
532
638
658
685
784
Cytiva Amersham Typhoon
488
532
635
685
785
Table 1. The Azure Sapphire FL Biomolecular Imager offers the greatest variety of excitation wavelengths of the instruments in its class.
Amersham Typhoon™ is a registered trademark of Cytiva. No endorsement is implied by the use of these marks. All rights reserved. The Azure Biosystems logo, Azure Biosystems™ and Azure Sapphire™ are trademarks of Azure Biosystems, Inc.
more reasons to make the change to Sapphire FL
- Easily swap lasers and filters for expanded dye flexibility
- Compatible with all third party dyes
- >6 log dynamic range in a single acquisition without the use of image or data manipulating algorithms, so your raw data is truly raw
- 5 outlet ports for anesthesia to enable imaging of small animals
- Complete control of the z-axis and focal plane from -1.0 to +6 mm, at 0.01mm increments for more precise focus and signal to noise ratios
- Multiplex fluorescence scanning of both visible and NIR wavelengths, phosphor imaging, and the option to add true chemiluminescence imaging
- Optional Chemiluminescent Module that surpasses film
- Higher sensitivity for lower limits of detection (femtograms)
- Broad linear dynamic range for accurate quantitation
- Ease of use with intuitive control software
