Siskiyou submits articles to many industry publications, sometimes in collaboration with researchers or end-users, to demonstrate applications where our products solve challenging problems. Please feel free to browse below, read the brief and then visit the publication to read the entire article. We're happy to answer any questions that may arise as you browse, simply send us a note at tech@siskiyou.com and we'll be happy to respond.
Laboratory Mechanicals
For over five decades, Siskiyou Corporation has provided its diverse range of micromanipulators, microscope sample positioners, motion control systems, and modular opto-mechanical mounts and positioners to life science and photonics researchers and OEMs. The company is dedicated to offering its exceptional products at economic prices and delivering an unparalleled service that supplies life science and photonics research communities with the superior equipment and technical expertise necessary to complete their important work. Siskiyou Corporation has won a Small Business Award for this year’s Best Lab Equipment Manufacturers - Western USA.
Precision and reliability are two significant pillars of scientific research. This is especially true in electrophysiology research, where measuring the electrical activity of living cells, including neurons, muscle cells, and cardiac cells, is categorized as a delicate process. For five decades, Siskiyou, a name synonymous with precision and innovation, has been crafting tailored equipment for life science and photonics that redefines the boundaries of scientific research.
The firm’s success is rooted in its deep understanding of the hurdles encountered by electrophysiology research scientists. The interference caused by electronic noise, a persistent challenge in experiments, is effectively countered by the firm’s choice of DC servo technology, which uses DC motors and control systems to achieve precise and controlled movement. DC servo motors facilitate uninterrupted experiments, allowing scientists to delve deeper into the intricate details of cell communication without the typical electronic interference associated with AC powered devices. DC servo devices play a central role in the firm’s laser-based technologies, providing precision and finesse in manipulating mirror mounts and fiber positioning.
Siskiyou Corporation has introduced new models of lab jacks to lift heavy loads. These lab jacks provide researchers with the ability to vertically position heavy payloads including lasers, manipulators and entire optomechanical assemblies with precision and rigidity.
Lab jacks from Siskiyou Corporation offer an unmatched combination of stability, platform parallelism (over their full range of travel) and large adjustment range. This makes them an ideal solution for applications that require height adjustment of heavy components, such as large lasers, or vertical positioning of entire optomechanical sub-assemblies.
Traditional lab jacks employ either pantograph or scissors adjustment mechanisms, both of which exhibit diminished mechanical rigidity and stability as they are expanded. The Siskiyou approach utilizes three thick hinges, one placed orthogonal to the other two. This innovative configuration actually becomes more stable as it is expanded (since it becomes a box), and also tightly constrains the top platform motion so that it always remains parallel to within 1 milliradian) to the bottom plate.
A new motion controller system from Siskiyou features LabView control, a simplified virtual interface and the ability to automatically create scripts. Specifically, the new MC2010 is motion controller that enables both manual and programmable operation of up to 10 linear and/or rotary actuators based on DC servo technology. The system, which is supplied in a standard, 19-inch rack mount housing, is compatible with Siskiyou 7000 series, 840 series, 100cri, 200cri and RSAi series stages and actuators. This closed-loop system delivers unidirectional linear motion in increments as small as 0.1 µm, with a bidirectional accuracy of ±2 µm.
Life Science
Electrophysiology provides a unique means to study the response to actual chemical signaling agents at neurologically relevant speeds. This is achieved by combining electrophysiology with theta glass and fast solution switching technology. Siskiyou's MXPZT-300 Series combines a stable 4-axis micromanipulator with a piezo-electric flexure guided nanopositioner and controller. Of note is the patented Input Shaping circuit based on a digital signal processer which effectively eliminates ringing and resonances in the pipette, nanopositoner and micromanipulator.
8/17/2015 - Although product miniaturization can confer numerous practical advantages, it may create significant design issues - hurdles that need to be overcome to make the miniaturization a reality. Siskiyou Corp., a supplier of positioning equipment for life sciences and which specializes in building hardware for space- and access-restricted applications, has just solved such an obstacle. The company has rectified thermal management issues associated with the miniaturization of flow cytometers.
A cytometer manufacturer recently had attempted to miniaturize such a system, the impetus for which was fueled by the desire to reduce the length, complexity and cost of beam setup, thus improving instrument stability and reliability. The desired miniaturization also aimed to allow for such a system’s laser excitation modules to be placed in closer proximity to the flow cell.
Flow cytometers have inherent trade-offs between speed and sensitivity. Higher sensitivity is achieved by restricting the diameter of the core stream to just a few microns through a process called hydrodynamic focusing. The excitation laser beam is then focused down to a similar diameter, resulting in a very bright (i.e., strong) signal from each cell. However, a narrower core stream reduces the rate at which the sample passes through the flow cell. For example, this slower speed can be particularly problematic when counting very rare blood cells. This makes it critical that this higher-sensitivity configuration involves no further performance trade-offs or compromises. Furthermore, since micron shifts in a focused beam position affect overall detection efficiency, proper laser alignment is more critical in a narrow core system.
Photonics
The new MMF.sd “optical mount flipper” from Siskiyou Corporation is a motorized platform that enables optical components to be rapidly moved in and out of a free space beam path on an optical table, or when embedded within an instrument. Their unique, zero-wobble pivot design ensures positioning repeatability of under 50 µrad, and can handle loads of up to 1.0 lb (0.45 kg), having a maximum height of 2 inches (50 mm). Flipper movement can be triggered either manually with a keyfob having a range of up to 100 feet (30 meters), or automatically through TTL input.
IVM Series kinematic optical mounts from Siskiyou utilize a patented, spring-loaded pivot construction to deliver two-axis tilt adjustment with zero crosstalk and longterm mechanical stability (absence of drift). These mounts are available for use with 0.5", 1.0" and 2.0" diameter components.
IVM Series mounts feature top adjustment, which makes them useful in space constrained applications or where mechanical access to the mount is limited.
A new series of single axis platform flexures from Siskiyou Corporation offer highly stable, economical mounting of optical components, along with single axis tilt adjustment. Specifically, these IXF series platform flexures contain a matrix of both threaded and clearance holes (8-32 or M4) on both sides, enabling them to be mounted directly to Siskiyou crossed roller or dovetail translation stages, as well as Siskiyou baseplates; optical components or other optomechanical accessories can then be attached to the reverse side.
Lee Laser (now part of Coherent) built a successful business featuring lamp-pumped and then diode-pumped (i.e., DPSS) solid state lasers, with powers up to 100 watts. In a field with multiple low-cost competitors, Lee Laser was able to effectively differentiate their brand as a supplier of affordable industrial lasers featuring “workhorse” reliability. Prior to the company’s acquisition by Coherent, Lee saw this brand image threatened when some of their side-pumped DPSS lasers failed to work to specification when received by the customer. Because of the importance of reliability to their industrial customers and to Lee’s market leadership, the company set out to identify and eradicate the source(s) of these failures.
3/16/2015 - Siskiyou Corporation has expanded their Class 1000 cleanroom manufacturing space to encompass approximately 20% of their Grants Pass, OR< production facility, enabling the company to better meet the needs of OEMs incorporating Siskiyou's products into high value optical assemblies. Specifically, the new cleanroom facilities, which also include laminar flow hoods for achieving Class 100 particulate levels, enhance Siskiyou's ability to produce contaminant free opto-mechanical assemblies, such as are used in vacuum compatible applications, or with high power or ultraviolet lasers.
"The new assembly clean room complements other low contamination production processes that Siskiyou already has in place," notes Siskiyou President Robert Hodge. "This includes our own, in-house anodizing facility, where we do a final, thorough pre-cleaning of machined or anodized parts, including acid baths and deionized water rinsing, before they head into the assembly clean room. These protocols are particularly important to OEMs working with high value optics, such as in blood analysis equipment, eye surgery instrumentation, and high energy physics research. It's imperative to the to protect their investment in optics by preventing contamination from other system components, and our protocols save them time and expense of having to perform extensive cleaning of our product when they first receive them."
Siskiyou Corporation (Grants Pass, OR) provides a diverse range of micromanipulators, microscope sample positioners, motion control systems and modular opto-mechanical mounts and positioners to life science and photonics researchers and OEM's. The goal of the company is simple - to offer the highest quality product at an economical price, and to support customers with superior service. Founded in 1972, Siskiyou is a vertically integrated company, performing all design, manufacturing, anodizing and assembly in-house.
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