For two decades, the cooled CCD was the default detector in chemiluminescence and fluorescence gel and blot imagers. It earned that place with low noise, long exposures and clean quantitation. But the CCD supply that many of these instruments were built around is going away. Instrument makers now face a decision they can't put off: which camera replaces the CCD, and how to make the switch without disrupting customers who depend on the results.
Finger Lakes Instrumentation (FLI) has delivered over 10,000 cameras to OEMs, for applications that include protein analysis, chemiluminescence and fluorescence. Here's how we think about moving a gel or blot imager from CCD to cooled CMOS.
In 2015, Sony announced it would end production of its CCD image sensors. Under the revised plan its distributors published, most parts had last shipments in March 2020, and the high-volume parts were extended to March 2026. That date has now passed. Across the industry, sensor makers have shifted their investment to CMOS.
If your imager still depends on a CCD, every unit you build draws down a fixed stock. Starting the redesign early gives your team time to characterize, validate and document the new camera properly, instead of rushing when the last sensors run out.
Western blot and gel documentation put specific demands on a detector:
Modern back-illuminated CMOS sensors close most of the gap that once favored CCDs for low-light work, and in some areas they go beyond it. Our Revelation cooled CMOS cameras use Sony IMX back-illuminated sensors. Per the published datasheets, these offer 1 e- read noise in rolling mode, dark current of 0.002 e-/pixel/s at -20 °C, a 50,000 e- full well, and air cooling to 50 °C below ambient.
Low read noise lets you split a long exposure into several shorter ones and stack them with little noise penalty. That can help with saturation on strong bands. Faster readout also makes live focusing and sample positioning more responsive for the operator.
Some things do change. CMOS sensors use smaller pixels, so the optical design and any binning strategy need a fresh look. Rolling readout and the way the sensor handles gain are different from a CCD, so plan to recharacterize linearity and noise rather than assume the old settings carry over.
Many imagers were designed around 1-inch-class CCDs. If you want to keep your existing lens and field of view, sensor size is the first thing to match. The RV533 uses the Sony IMX533, a 3003 × 3003 sensor with an 11.3 × 11.3 mm active area and a 16 mm diagonal. Its model page calls it an ideal replacement for 1" format CCDs. The square format also suits square and near-square membranes well.
For larger fields or higher resolution, the RV571 uses the Sony IMX571, a 6244 × 4168 sensor with a 28.2 mm diagonal. Both use 3.76 µm pixels. If your optics were designed for larger CCD pixels, our sales team can help you work through the trade-offs of binning against changing the lens.
Imager cabinets are tight. Revelation shares the electronics and sensors of our Aurora cooled CMOS cameras, but in a form factor optimized for limited front-to-back space. Optional configurations include air cooling, liquid circulation, and mounting to your own housing as a heatsink, which brings the camera to less than 55 mm front to back. Drawings are on each product page, so your mechanical team can check mounting points, the optical interface, airflow and cable routing early in the design.
Revelation cameras don't use a mechanical shutter, because a CMOS sensor doesn't need one to time an exposure. In a closed, light-tight imager, that is rarely a problem: dark frames can be taken with the illumination off and the door closed. Removing a moving part also takes away one of the components most likely to wear out in a camera.
A new detector means new data, so plan the validation work up front:
FLI operates under an AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 quality system, which gives you documented configuration control and traceability to reference in those files.
Your customers use your application, not ours, so the SDK matters most. Every Revelation camera includes our software development kit and customer support for integration into your OEM design. Check early that exposure, cooling, readout mode and triggering can all be controlled from your code, and that your application handles reconnects cleanly. Downloads and manuals are on our support page.
FLI cameras are designed and manufactured in the USA, in Rochester, NY. We machine housings in-house, assemble sensor chambers in our 1,000+ sq ft ISO Class 7 clean room, and test every camera before it ships. See our in-house manufacturing page for the process.
The smoothest CCD replacements start before the optical design is frozen. Share your current sensor, field of view, exposure range and expected annual volume, and our sales team will bring in engineering to recommend a model and configuration. Request a quote or email sales@flicamera.com. You can also see FLI cameras across life-science and OEM work on our applications page.
