
- pE-300ultra
Overview
The CoolLED pE-300ultra is a highly controllable fluorescence microscopy Illumination System which offers intense, broad-spectrum LED illumination for imaging most common fluorophores. Fast events can be captured with microsecond switching via multiple TTL inputs, and the ability to mount inline excitation filters allows fast, flexible filter configurations. This, when paired with today’s high-performance multi-band filter sets, facilitates imaging traditionally done via a white Light Source and a filter wheel, with all the benefits of LEDs.
LED technology is quickly evolving, and since 2017 our new generation has double the irradiance at the sample plane, and for even higher irradiance is available as a direct fit model (which also reduces the cost to buy and run thanks to fewer consumables). With ACT Label certification, it’s even an environmentally friendly option for illumination.

The pE-300ultra is the most controllable member of the pE-300 Series for LED microscope lighting. In addition to the many features of the pE-300lite and the pE-300white, the system offers precise control over wavelength irradiance and shuttering. Until now these benefits have only been accessible to users of high end, highly flexible LED microscope illumination systems such as the CoolLED pE-4000.
It allows adjustment of output in 1% steps, giving precise control. The broad spectrum covers everyday fluorophores: DAPI, CFP, Aqua, FITC, TRITC, TxRed, Cy5 and many more.
Direct fit or liquid light guide
There are two pE-300ultra configuration options: direct fit or liquid light guide. The direct fit variant delivers higher irradiance and reduces the cost to buy and run thanks to fewer consumables.
For confocal microscopes, the liquid light guide variant offers the ideal replacement to a metal halide light source, minimising photobleaching and phototoxicity when viewing samples before scanning. More information on the available variants can be found under specifications.
Capturing high-speed events
The pE-300ultra offers triggering from multiple TTL inputs which, coupled with the ability to mount inline excitation filters, provides microsecond switching of pre-filtered excitation light. When paired with today’s high performance multi-band filter sets, this facilitates imaging traditionally achieved using a white light source and a filter wheel, with all the benefits of LEDs – and most excitingly at speeds not previously so affordable. For live cell imaging applications, events can now be captured that might previously have been missed. Read our white paper to compare the benefits and trade-offs of different possible illumination configurations.

Fast multi-channel imaging
Fluorophores can be viewed either individually or in combination, without filter cube changes. This makes the pE-300ultra ideal for use with multi-band filter sets as the screening process can be simplified when fewer filter cubes are used. Independent control of the three LED channels means that the user can control the level of excitation of each fluorophore independently on a multi-stained sample, potentially removing the need for single-band filter sets altogether.
Sequence runner for multi-channel excitation
It is now possible to run through a sequence of excitation channels using a camera or other external hardware which has only a single TTL-out, thanks to the Sequence Runner mode. Complex illumination protocols can now be run at high speeds and without the need specialised and costly hardware. The order of each fluorophore to be captured is defined via the simple Control Pod, with the pE-300ultra Light Source accepting a single TTL output from the experiment set-up’s camera to initiate the step-through of a sequence of excitation channels. This feature is independent of the individual channel TTL inputs on the Light Source. Find out more about this useful feature in our Sequence Runner tutorial video.
Energy efficiency for cost-saving sustainability
When it comes to making labs safer and more sustainable, LED microscope lighting is an attractive option when compared to old toxic mercury or metal halide lamps. All three channels of the pE-300ultra at full power use just 60 Watts, which is even lower than other LED technology which uses 120 to 350 Watts. “Green Grants” are even sometimes available from establishments, providing financial support owing to the reduction in institutional energy usage.
Award winning technology
CoolLED’s pE-300 Series was the 2017 winner of the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) “Go Beyond Award” for “Excellence in sustainability in laboratory and other high technology facilities”.
The pE-300ultra offers:-
- Clean bright illumination across the spectrum – excites common fluorescent stains
- Specify for existing single and multi-band filter sets – no need to buy new filters
- Instant on/off – No shutters required, no warm up or cool down
- Simple to fit, simple to use – no alignment, a once only adjustment
- Stable & repeatable – reliable and consistent results
- Wide range of microscope adaptors – fits most microscopes
- Precise irradiance control in 1% steps (0-100%) – no ND filters required
- Excellent uniformity over field of view – fixed and stable, no alignment necessary
- Long lifetime
- Removable inline excitation filter holders – no moving parts
- Individual channel triggering via TTL in microseconds
- Sequence Runner – sequenced excitation from a single TTL-out
The system comprises a pE-300ultra Light Source, Control Pod, set of three Excitation Filter Holders and Power Supply.
Control
Control pod for operation and access to settings and usage history.
Manual:
Manual control for instant on/off and irradiance control in 1% steps from 0 – 100%
Individual bands can be selected/deselected and controlled independently as desired
Remote:
Via global and individual channel TTL for on/off control of selected channels using a BNC connection on the Light Source.
Triggering speed <20 µs at full power
Connectivity:
Remote via USB (B type) for imaging software control (see Imaging Software)
Sequence Runner:
Single TTL input to step through user defined sequence.
Triggering speed <20 µs at full power
Choosing configurations
There are two pE-300ultra configuration options:
Direct Fit: Higher irradiance is possible when directly connecting to a microscope. Select from a range of microscope adaptors which covers all current and most older models. A simple once-only adjustment will allow optimisation to the optical path of the microscope.
Liquid Light Guide: If there is a need to keep the source of illumination remote from the microscope, the Liquid Light Guide variant is available for use with a 3 mm diameter Liquid Light Guide. An optional pE-Universal Collimator and microscope adaptor can also be selected. We now include a Light Source stand for the pE-300ultra Illumination Systems ordered for light guide delivery.
Choose single-band or multi-band variant
DAPI can be excited at either 365 nm or 400 nm and microscopes typically have a filter set which allows one or other of these wavelengths to be transmitted. To accommodate this, the pE-300ultra can be specified in one of two waveband configurations to match existing filter sets within the microscope.
A microscope which is populated with a number of single band (“SB”) filter sets will typically have DAPI excitation at 365 nm and a microscope with multi-band (“MB”) filter(s) has excitation at 400 nm. The user can specify the configuration which is appropriate for their microscope.
Specification
Power requirements
100-240 V a.c. 50/60 Hz
Power consumption
pE-300 Series | At the wall (includes power supply unit consumption) | |
Standby | 3.3 W | |
1 band (GYR) | 24.4 W | |
2 bands (BLU & GYR) | 44.3 W | |
Full white irradiance (3 bands) | 56.4 W |
Dimensions
pE-300ultra Light Source: 77 mm(w) x 186 mm(d) x 162 mm(h) – Weight 1.4 kg
pE-300ultra Control Pod: 88 mm(w) x 125 mm(d) x 37 mm(h) – Weight 0.32 kg
pE-300ultra Power Supply: 167 mm(w) x 67 m(d) x 35 mm(h) – Weight 0.62 kg
pE-Universal Collimator: 44 mm(w) x 86 mm(d) x 44 mm(h) – Weight 0.17 kg
Environment and Safety
LED products are more sustainable and energy efficient than conventional illuminators. CoolLED’s products have the following benefits:
- Mercury-free and laser-free
- Energy Efficient
- Long lifetime
- No bulb replacements
- Reduced risk of eye damage
- Quiet operation
- No special disposal regulations or issues
Warranty
Industry-leading 36 months. Read more here.
All data correct at time of publication
We are often asked about the power, intensity or irradiance of CoolLED Illumination Systems. The answer is not as simple as you might believe from many websites and data sheets, and it can be difficult to compare data from these sources as measuring set ups differ.
Photons are also lost as light travels from the light source to sample plane. The only way to objectively compare light sources is by measuring irradiance at the sample plane. To understand why we use the term irradiance and how to measure and compare light sources with accuracy and precision, download our white paper. Or please contact us if you have further questions.
For performance data, please contact us
CoolLED designs and manufactures LED illumination for microscopy and is ideally placed to deliver OEM illumination requirements.
- Streamlined development using proven off-the-shelf technology
- Professional expert support
- Market-leading warranty
- ‘Try before you buy’ option
- Trusted experts in LED illumination technology since 2006
The pE-300ultra is available in the Amora Series: our proven off-the-shelf product range adapted to offer unparalleled customisation opportunities.
Click the button to find out more.
The scientific community is driving change across academia, industry and government to make laboratories more sustainable. When it comes to fluorescence microscopy illumination, switching to the pE-300 Series can help laboratories meet their sustainability targets, by consuming less energy and avoiding the use of toxic mercury.
Our CoolLED pE-300 Series is also ACT label certified, which stands for accountability, consistency and transparency. Introduced by My Green Lab, this provides an easy way for scientists to measure and compare the environmental impact of a product by reviewing the product itself, its manufacturing process, packaging and disposal. Visit our environment page to find out more.
“It’s great to see how My Green Labs and CoolLED are helping to move things ahead in the area of laboratory sustainability”. – Todd Lynch, UCLA Capital Programs
I’m always surprised at the brightness of LED light sources these days. Most people think that the brighter the excitation light is, the brighter the signal will be, and they are used to setting the irradiance to 25, 50 or even 100%. But for both the pE-300ultra and the pE-800, I constantly need to recommend starting at 1 or 2%, which will produce plenty of signal, and can always be increased.
Sam Duwé, Microscopy Specialist, Advanced Optical Microscopy Centre, Hasselt University, Belgium (pE-300ultra)
I'm glad we were able to demo the pE-300ultra because our application is so specialised, and now I’m wondering why you don't have CoolLED systems everywhere because these light sources are awesome!
Imala Alwis, Senior Research Fellow and Microscopy Manager, University of Sydney (pE-300ultra)
CoolLED Illumination Systems are fantastic, and I really want to highlight how easy they are to use, which is great from a training perspective. In terms of microscopy, the flexibility of selecting and tuning individual channels is beneficial to prevent photobleaching. LED microscope lighting has improved so much in the last few years, and every layer of extra capability makes the microscope setup more interesting to use.
Alfonso Schmidt, Bioimaging Specialist, Hugh Green Cytometry Centre, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research (pE-300 Series)
We needed an easy to install, triggerable, intensity-modulated light source. An LED is by far the easiest and cheapest solution. Furthermore, small latencies between triggered light pulses are crucial for the analysis of the kinetics of measurements. We used the CoolLED pE-300ultra, which meets these requirements. Another great advantage of this product lies in its versatility for use in upcoming experiments covering different wavelengths. Its flexibility allows the performance of very complex experimental protocols.
Dr Max Anstotz, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute of Neuroanatomy (pE-300ultra)
We chose the CoolLED light source with our live cell imaging system because we need a fluorescence light source that is efficient, easy to use and has a very bright and robust signal for fluorescence – but is also incredibly gentle on cell samples. Our system is designed around a lack of phototoxicity, so when using fluorescence with holotomography, we really need the ideal excitation that keeps cells happy, but shows exactly what is labelled.
Paul Carman, Nanolive (pE-300ultra)
Research Papers
- Structure-based rational design of an enhanced fluorogen-activating protein for fluorogens based on GFP chromophore
- The relative binding position of Nck and Grb2 adaptors impacts actin-based motility of Vaccinia virus
- Tight junction channel regulation by interclaudin interference
- Infectious Bronchitis Coronavirus: Genome Evolution in Vaccinated and Non-Vaccinated SPF Chickens
- Pacsin2 is required for endocytosis in the zebrafish pronephric tubule
White Papers
- CRISPR-Cas9 screen for the identification of pathways involved in the modulation of Ccl17 expression in mouse dendritic cells
- Energy consumption and cost: LEDs vs Mercury
- Using Optogenetics to analyse neuronal circuits – Dr Max Anstotz
- LEDs in Microscopy – Improved imaging with reduced impact on the environment
- Nanolive’s 3D Cell Explorer
Light Source | Application | Type | CoolLED LED | Chroma | Semrock | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
pE-300ultra SB, pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | 365 or 400 | 49053 CoolLED DAPI | ||||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Single | 365 | 39000 AT Dapi | 49000 ET Dapi | LED-DAPI-B | ||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Single | 460 | 49001 ET eCFP | 49013 ET Teal | LED-CFP-A | LED-mTFP-A | |
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Single | 460 | 49002 ET eGFP | 39002 AT eGFP | GFP-4050B | GFP-A-Basic | |
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Single | 460 | 49054 CoolLED GFP | ||||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Single | GYR (525-660) | 49004 ET Cy3 | 49005 ET dsRed | TxRed-4040C | LED-TRITC-A | |
pE-300ultra SB, pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | GYR (525-660) | 49055 CoolLED mCherry #1 | 49056 CoolLED mCherry #2 | |||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Single | GYR (525-660) | 49008 ET mCherry | 39010 AT Tex. Red | YFP-2427B | LED-mCherry-A | |
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Single | GYR (525-660) | 49006 ET CY5 | 39007 AT Cy5 | Cy5-4040C | ||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | 400 | 49021 eBFP2 | 49028 ET Dapi 395 | LED-DAPI-B | ||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | 460 | 49001 ET eCFP | 49013 ET Teal | LED-CFP-A | LED-mTFP-A | |
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | 460 | 49054 CoolLED GFP | ||||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | 460 | 49002 ET eGFP | 39002 AT eGFP | GFP-4050B | GFP-A-Basic | |
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | GYR (525-660) | 49004 ET Cy3 | 49005 ET dsRed | TxRed-4040C | LED-TRITC-A | |
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | GYR (525-660) | 49008 ET mCherry | 39010 AT Tex. Red | YFP-2427B | LED-mCherry-A | |
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Single | GYR (525-660) | 49006 ET CY5 | 39007 AT Cy5 | Cy5-4040C | ||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 400, 460, GYR (525-660) | 69401 – ET Triple Multi LED | LED-DA/FI/TX-A | |||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 365, 460, GYR (525-660) | 69401 – ET Triple Multi LED | LED-DA/FI/TX-A | |||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 460, GYR (525-660) | GFP/DsRed-A | ||||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 460, GYR (525-660) | 59022 ET eGFP/mCherry | FITC/TxRed-A | |||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 400, 460 | 59001v2 ET DAPI/Green FISH | ||||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 400, GYR (525-660) | 59002v2 ET DAPI/Orange | ||||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Pinkel | 400, 460, GYR (525-660) | 89084v2 ET DAPI/Green/Orange FISH | LED-DA/FI/TX-3X-B | |||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Pinkel | 460, GYR (525-660) | 59222 ET eGFP/mCherry | GFP/DsRed-2X-A | |||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 400, GYR (525-660) | 59003 v2 ET DAPI/Red FISH | ||||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Pinkel | 365, 460, GYR (525-660) | LED-DA/FI/TX-3X-B | ||||
pE-300ultra SB | Fluorescence | Pinkel | 460, GYR (525-660) | 59022 ET eGFP/mCherry | GFP/DsRed-2X-A | |||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 460, GYR (525-660) | GFP/DsRed-A | ||||
pE-300ultra MB | Fluorescence | Multiband | 460, GYR (525-660) | 59022 ET eGFP/mCherry | FITC/TxRed-A |
pE-300-UT-D-SB-YYY-ZZ: | pE-300ultra direct fit Light Source, exchangeable microscope adaptor to customer-specified microscope, remote manual control pod, set of three excitation filter holders (25 mm diameter) and power supply. Single band filter set configuration |
pE-300-UT-D-MB-YYY-ZZ: | pE-300ultra direct fit Light Source, exchangeable microscope adaptor to customer-specified microscope, remote manual control pod, set of three excitation filter holders (25 mm diameter) and power supply. Multi-band filter set configuration |
pE-300-UT-L-SB-ZZ: | pE-300ultra Light Source for use with 3 mm Liquid Light Guide. Single Band filter configuration. Includes Light Source, control pod, set of three excitation filter holders (25 mm diameter) and power supply |
pE-300-UT-L-MB-ZZ: | pE-300ultra Light Source – Multi-Band. For use with 3 mm Liquid Light Guide. Multi-band filter configuration. Includes Light Source, control pod, set of three excitation filter holders (25 mm diameter) and power supply |
pE-1906 | 1.5 m long, 3 mm diameter liquid light guide |
pE-10400-YYY | pE-Universal collimator for use with a single liquid light guide. Includes customer-specified adaptor |
To specify microscope code (YYY) see Adaptors
To specify power cable (ZZ): 10 = Australia, 20 = Europe, 30 = UK, 40 = USA
More information is available on the Accessories tab.
- CoolLED pE-300 Series Leaflet
- CoolLED pE-300 Series Leaflet (Spanish)
- CoolLED pE-300 Series Leaflet (French)
- CoolLED pE-300 Series Quick Start Guide
- CoolLED pE-300 Series Quick Start Guide (Spanish)
- CoolLED pE-300 Series User Manual
- CoolLED pE-300ultra Optogenetics Leaflet
- CoolLED pE-300ultra Exploded Diagram
- CoolLED pE-300white & pE-300ultra Improved Multi-stain Testing
- CoolLED pE-300 Series Troubleshooting Guide
- CoolLED pE-300 Series and pE-340fura Declaration of Conformity
- LED Microscopy Illumination for Neuroscience
The CoolLED pE Driver is first required for software integration, and can be downloaded here.
Contact CoolLED for further information.
The award winning pE-300 Series is a range of LED Illumination Systems for Fluorescence, Optogenetics, Electrophysiology and high speed microscopy applications. It comprises 3 systems providing a solution that covers a range of everyday fluorescence microscopy; from the simple pE-300lite through the classic pE-300white to the highly controllable pE-300ultra.
The table below is a quick reference guide to the features offered by the pE-300 Series systems.
Features | pE-300lite | pE-300white | pE-300ultra |
---|---|---|---|
Broad spectrum | |||
Simple to fit and use | |||
Instant on/off | |||
No bulb replacement | |||
Direct or Light Guide delivery options | |||
Long lifetime | |||
Stable & Repeatable - 10-100% intensity control | |||
Filter set compatibility | |||
Mercury free | |||
Individual channel intensity control | |||
Individual channel selection | |||
Integration with imaging software | |||
Global remote triggering (TTL, microsecond) | |||
Individual channel triggering (TTL, microsecond) | |||
Removable inline filter holders | |||
Sequence Runner |