Number One Alternative

Implen NanoPhotometer®, the most advanced microvolume UV/Vis spectrophotometer

Implen is a privately held corporation that is a leading supplier for spectroscopy instruments and consumables for the non-destructive analysis of ultra-low volume samples. The company focuses on biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical laboratories in industry and research. Implen has a strong focus on the customer, taking pride in providing quality products and a high level of customer service to achieve total customer satisfaction. In 2006 we launched the NanoPhotometer® product line to be the first to compete and spearhead the market with cuvette capability and a built-in computer in addition to the micro volume feature. The NanoPhotometer® today is the most trusted #1 alternative.

Implen NanoPotometer® 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance

Implen Uv Vis nanovolume spectrophotometers best nanodrop alternative N120 NP80 N60 N50 C40 vortex cuvette standalone spectroscopy spec

Precision & Lifetime Accuracy Guaranteed

Since 2006 Implen has been pioneering and spearheading the UV/Vis microvolume spectroscopy market by continuously introducing new industry standards in the field. Implen was the first to offer:
  • Microvolume and cuvette option in one instrument
  • Stand-alone operation (built-in computer)
  • 21 CFR part 11 Compatibility
  • Full scan and analysis of 12 samples in 20 seconds
  • Maintenance and recalibration free operation
  • Ability to also measure organic solvents in a drop
  • Integrated blank and sample purity control (help comply with MIQE guidelines for qPCR experiments)
  • Built-in vortex
  • Built-in Web Application Server with REST API for full integration in LIMS systems and lab networks
  • Mobility (battery option)
and more…
Today thousands of users at universities, research institutions, government agencies, hospitals, biotech and pharma companies in more than 100 countries trust the Implen NanoPhotometer® every day with their precious samples in research, quality control and manufacturing for the main applications of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, Oligo), Protein UV, Protein Assays (Bradford/BCA), OD600 and sample purity (260/280 and 260/230 ratios).
More than peer-reviewed scientific articles have been published citing the Implen NanoPhotometer®. A comparison between the NanoDrop™ One, the NanoPhotometer® NP80 and other technologies for the analysis of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples can be found in the following publication from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) “Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples.”

Video Transcript

Implen | Eton Bioscience Video Transcript Tony Chen: We love their service. James Ho: It’s been really helpful in terms of increasing our efficiency in our lab. Tony Chen: Everything worked out perfect. My name is Tony Chen, and I’m the founder of Eton Bioscience. I founded Eton Bioscience in 2003 and the focus at that time was Sanger DNA sequencing. So far we have four locations. We started in San Diego and three branches in the east coast. We measure thousands of DNA samples each day, and in the past we used NanoDrop™. There is one big thing we wanted to accomplish with the NanoDrop™, but we were unable to do, which is to connect a unit with our database so that when we measure the concentration of each sample, the data can be transmitted to our database directly and can be displayed on our order form directly. I was told by NanoDrop™ data, they didn’t provide such a function and they didn’t want to work with us. So I’m extremely happy that Implen wanted to work with us on this feature together. Took us three to four months and we finally accomplished this task. James Ho: Our IT team developed this page to basically record the concentrations that we’re getting from the NanoPhotometer onto our backend right here. Because of the API service that’s included on the NanoPhotometers that can get automatically transferred onto our order forms here, which we use in order to help with our techs when they’re doing their PCR assembly process. Tony Chen: So right now our process is a lot more efficient and all our technician’s lab is featured. James Ho: My name is James. I’m the lab manager here at Eton Bioscience for our Sequencing Department, and we make use of the NanoPhotometers that you guys at Implen have provided for us and they’ve been really helpful for us. Tony Chen: About two years ago I started to look around to find alternatives to NanoDrop™ and I found Implen. I don’t need to do any calibration to the machine and the pricing, and I couldn’t believe it. James Ho: Us being a service company, we do help out a lot of research labs, and the sheer volume of how many concentrations we have to do throughout the day, it doesn’t compare to how much more we’re able to do now with the n50 versus when we were using our old NanoDrop™ lights. Tony Chen: From then on, we purchased more and more NanoPhotometers from Implen. We are about to replace all our NanoDrops™ probably in this year. And right now we have about 13 to 15 units all together. James Ho: Having the option of being able to record eight or 12 readings at once. You know, basically running as if we have like eight or 12 N50’s at a time. Tony Chen: So it’s a big plus for our business. James Ho: Even just having the little idle animation just helps to bring a little bit of life to the lab as well. It’s silly, but like it is something just like, you know, in the mundane times in the lab, it’s just funny to look over, you know?

Compare to Alternative Technologies

* dsDNA tends to precipitate/coagulate at concentrations above 10,000 ng/µl and should be diluted.

NanoDrop™ and NanoDrop™ One are registered trademarks of Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Implen® is not affiliated, sponsored or endorsed by Thermo Fisher Scientific or NanoDrop™.

Implen's Overcoming Limitations of Other Technologies

Have you experienced any of these difficulties with your current technology?

  • Inconsistent protein readings (caused by a drop rupture/low surface tension)
  • Instability of drops (caused by used up hydrophobic condition of pedestal)
  • Costly recalibration/maintenance or decreasing accuracy over time
  • Instrument’s service and support discontinued and software not compatible with Windows10 or Mac OS
  • Low reproducibility (mainly caused by evaporation effects)
  • Device cannot be cleaned with ethanol and/or operated under laminar flow
  • Getting results for more than 40 samples per run is time consuming
  • No user management/21 CFR part 11 compliant software available
  • Waited for weeks to get instrument repaired

How about trying a device that overcomes all of these issues?

implen-nanophotometers-number-one-nanodrop-alternatives

Implen NanoPhotometers® Reviews

“Excellent design and is easy to use”

Rating: 5.0   ★★★★★

Application Area: Neurosciences

“The photometer has excellent design, and is easy to use. Built-in vortex is one of the smartest decisions I’ve seen in lab equipment. Data manipulaton and interface decrease hand-on time, and are user-friendly.”

Olga Starkina
Organization: Melsytech LLC, Russia

“Really impressed with the accuracy, ease of use, and increased sample throughput”

Rating: 5.0   ★★★★★

Application Area: DNA Analysis

“I’ve really been impressed with the accuracy, ease of use, and increased sample throughput with this instrument. All this in such a small and sleek black box. The touch screen interface is a nice feature and very straightforward. You can easily navigate through the applications, load templates, access and analyze your data. I like that you’re given the option to run up to 12 samples at a time but you can also choose to run 1 or 2 samples, customizable to your experiments. Having options is always a plus and you get that with the N120. The pipette guide makes it really easy to apply your samples. I can see that a lot of time, expertise, and careful considerations went into developing the NanoPhotometer.”

Nam Che
Organization: UCLA Department of Medicine, USA

“Accurate Measurements, Solid Device”

Rating: 5.0   ★★★★★

Application Area: DNA Concentration Quantification

“My lab does a lot of molecular cloning work for synthetic biology projects. For the longest time we didn’t have any reliable and simple way of quantifying DNA concentration. This device has been a a life saver. It is accurate (checked samples against other similar devices), easy to use, has lots of extra features that the competitors lack and is cheaper.
If you are just needing to quantify DNA concentration the N50 is a solid choice. But it comes with so many other features you’ll be left wondering how other manufacturers get away with charging more for less. Overall the device is very sturdy and produces accurate results. But beyond just the basics you can do protein and kinetics assays and more. The touchscreen is easy an intuitive. Results are saved directly to the machine as a pdf or spreadsheet and can be retrieved remotely by a tablet/phone or a desktop computer. I prefer to simply copy the pdf directly to my laptop over the network. Another great feature is that the sample pedestal has a visible light shining through it while you load the sample which makes it easier to see what you’re doing. That is something I have not seen on any other microvolume spectrophotometer. My only complaint, if I have to come up with one, is that typing on the touchscreen with my arm extended out in front of my is kind of clumsy. But its a minor inconvenience. I just stick to short samples names.”

Cory Tobin
Organization: TheLab Inc, USA

“Best small volume spec on the market”

Rating: 5.0   ★★★★★

Application Area: Protein/nucleic acid quantitation

“The Implen NanoPhotometer N50 is extremely easy to use (intuitive menus and settings), accurate, and genuinely capable of measuring very small volumes repeatably. The touch screen works well even with gloves. Window configurations are adaptable so you can customize the information you’re looking at while working. The instrument is light and mobile, and since it’s all-in-one, you can literally move it to where you’re working as needed. It’s not stuck in a particular corner of the lab. In my opinion, it’s the best nano-scale measurement device on the market for routine lab sample quantification and spectral reading.”

David Rawling
Organization: Inflammatix, Inc., USA

“Easy use and accurate results “

Rating: 4.7   ★★★★★

“We are using it for nucleic acid quantification. It’s so easy to use, gives accurate results and easy to save data in organized way. Would recommend it.”

Dr. Assala Samad
Organization: University of Oxford, United Kingdom

#1 Alternatives from Implen

If you like to learn more about our technology and get an introduction into our range of cutting edge spectrophotometers and its advantages, please get in touch with one of our team or your local distribution partner.

NanoDrop™ and NanoDrop™ One are registered trademarks of Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Implen® is not affiliated, sponsored or endorsed by Thermo Fisher Scientific or NanoDrop™.

Scroll to Top