An improved valve design from The Lee Company
Neuroscience labs are awash with solenoid valves, and The Lee Company's LHD series is a popular choice for good reason. Compatible with both air and liquid, LHD valves combine a rapid response time with low current consumption at a price point that is effectively unmatched in the industry. Common applications in Neuroscience range from liquid dispensing to odor delivery and air puff reinforcement. We are pleased to share that an improvement to the LHD series has been released, and will replace the original design across our product lines.
The LHDB series (pictured on the right) improves on LHDA with an enhanced endcap, and slightly improved leakage performance with certain seal materials. Small manufacturing optimizations have made it less costly to produce, and we have adjusted our pricing accordingly. The improved part has a marginally higher resistance to fluid flow (1800 lohms, up from 1500). We verified that the change in resistance does not affect the Bpod State Machine's liquid delivery precision after calibration.
Please note that a new 2-way version of the LHD valve has been added to the LHDB series. Unfortunately its coil windings require a spike and hold electrical drive, and the manufacturer notes that duty cycle limitations may be required to ensure solenoid coil temperatures remain within specification. Due to these constraints, we will continue to cap the 3-way valve until a more robust version of the 2-way part becomes available.
We are committed to bringing Neuroscience labs the latest advancements in instrumentation, and it is our pleasure to incorporate this incremental technical advance into our product offerings.
