Innovative instruments for a wide spectrum of laboratory applications to be launched at the Arab Lab and Instrumentation Show 2004

The launches will further strengthen the position of the show as the regional forum for laboratory and instrumentation related technology launches.

'The Arab Lab and Instrumentation Show has become an ideal platform for introducing new technologies targeting the Middle East region. The 2004 show will be packed with innovative products from pioneering manufacturers across the globe,' said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E. 'The show will also provide a forum for analysis and dialogue, both of which are important for the optimal adoption of new technology by the user. The event will focus on the medical laboratory field as well as mainstream sectors such as public services, manufacturing, environment, petrochemicals and education. The new technologies to be launched will be of interest to over 6,500 practising laboratory professionals and decision makers from more than 50 countries that visit the show every year.'

Among the innovative devices to be launched will be a pair of digital handheld pocket refractometers that offer a +/-0.2 per cent of testing accuracy. Manufactured by ATAGO Ltd. Japan, the PAL1 and PAL2 refractometers are suitable for testing of fluids, such as juices, honey, marmalades and jams, to pre-processing fruit concentrate testing to determine its suitability for induction into ready juices. With a +/-0.2 per cent of testing accuracy, the devices can be used for testing sugar content in fluids including juices and soft drinks on the one hand, and the density of industrial fluids on the other. In the Middle East, the new refractometers will provide a more accurate tool to food importers and food inspectors to test quality. They can also be used to measure the quality and density of cutting oils used in many industries.

The PAL1 refractometers have won the year 2003 Good Design Award in the category of product design. Instituted by Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO), the award honours innovation in design. The PAL2 refractometers which are identical to the PAL1 but have a measurement range of Brix 45.0 to 93.0 per cent, as compared to a range of Brix 0.0-53.0 per cent for PAL1.

'The Good Design Award seeks out and recommend to the public superiorly designed products, architecture and environments. Good design indicates overall superior quality, an element encompassing the basic demands such as functionality, product quality and safety that set apart a product from others in the same field,' said Majid Hussain, Executive Manager, Glomar Trading, exclusive distributors of the PAL refractometers in the Middle East region. 'We expect industry-wide interest in the new refractometers. At Arab Lab and Instrumentation Show we hope to provide hands-on analytical inspection to potential users.'

Also to be launched will be a whole range of products for measuring surface tension and contact angles from the portfolio of the German manufacturer Kruss GmbH. The contact angle measuring systems, DSA100 and DSA100L, feature high-speed camera, high-temperature devices, manual and electrically powered axes, software-controlled sample tables as well as a wide range of drop depositing systems for up to 8 test liquids.

Another German manufacturer, Wissenschaftlich-Technische Werkstätten GmbH (WTW), will showcase two handheld multi-parameter instruments, the Mulit350i and ConOx, which offer the highest degree of accuracy, and flexibility. The multi-functional, compact instruments, with all the necessary electrodes and accessories clearly arranged in a professional transport case, can be used as a complete small field laboratory. WTW will also launch its waterproof, handheld pH/mV meter, the Vario pH, which provides keyless, touch screen functionality.

The Arab Lab and Instrumentation Show will also see the Middle East launch of a range of multi-disciplinary biomedical analysers manufactured by Maxmat SA, a leading European diagnostic technology provider based in France. With applications that include Spectrophotometry, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Diseases and Haemostasis, the analysers will be of interest to a wide range of diagnostic facilities.

Arab Lab will also showcase a range of new benchtop analysers from Oxford Instruments, which include the compact and versatile SRF Spectrometer, the Twin X, - a unique elemental analysis system for rapid, non-destructive measurement of solids, liquids, powders and pastes. The device permits optimum performance over a wide elemental range. A unique 10-position auto-sampler, integrated PC with powerful resident software, method template wizard and online bubble help, allow for a degree of versatility that makes the Twin X suitable for a wide variety of laboratory applications. Oxford Instruments is a UK based manufacturer of laboratory equipment and is represented in the UAE by SANCO Middle East Ltd.