I'm doing a repair job on my Philips 501 SEM system (no service contract) and need to locate a supplier of the pneumatic pressure valves.
The valves are actually working, the problem is that the small plungers which do the sealing need replacing. These items can't cost more than $10-20, and replacing the whole valve ~$100 is a bit excessive and overkill.
If any of my UK colleagues can locate a phone/fax/email address for me for the following company I would appreciate it.
MEAD FLUID DYNAMICS ABEX MEAD Ltd
Pneumatic Valve # P05-150-516 14/93
They may be located in Burgess Hill area, but I cannot be sure as the valves on the system are pretty old.
Message-ID: {199609030151.UAA04837-at-IndyNet.indy.net} To: Mike Nicksic {menco-at-azstarnet.com} , Microscopy list {microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com}
Hello fello microscopists,
I need a reliable method for preparing Vorticella slides. I would be most grateful if someone has a good method for making permanent preparations of these delicate protists and would not mind sharing it. I look forward to your response. Thanks
Another list of Commerical Microscopy & Microanalysis Web Sites can be found at:
http://www.amc.anl.gov/Docs/NonANL/ComSites.html
I have just recently updated that list so there are additional firms that buy and sell new and used instrumentation. (Annotations about the various companies will slowly be added). The master lists of EDU, GOV, COM, and Microscopy Society sites can be accessed via the M&M Home Page.
http://www.amc.anl.gov
As usual if your WWW site is missing just send a me a off-line note at: Zaluzec-at-AAEM.AMC.ANL.GOV or Zaluzec-at-Microscopy.Com
I am a student from Argentina, and I am interested in the study of materials and the next items: their mechanical properties, tensile and torsion test in diferents kinds of materials like metals, polymers, ceramics, etc.. All this items refer to use of the scanning electron microscopy.
If any of you know references about this subjet or names of people working on this please send me a e-mail message if possible. I appreciate very much your attention, thanks a lot.
Daniel F. Imbert
Centro Regional de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Santa Fe. Guemes 3450 - 3000 Santa Fe. Argentina.
I am trying to figure out how to let lab users share diamond knives provided by me. If you have an opinion on the shared use of diamond knives, I would be interested in it.
Here is the setup: I oversee a small EM lab, most of our TEM users are undergraduate and graduate students. The glory of molecular biology has turned the heads of most of our faculty so the level of support for student TEM is fairly low. However, we do get students and other users who want to try a project that requires sectioning. As long as there is minimal cost, many students get started and try sectioning using glass knives. Eventually, they run into the limitations of glass knives and want to use a diamond knife.
When I suggest that they purchase a diamond knife, the wind goes out of their sails. Most say they cannot afford even to have an old knife from their lab resharpened, let alone afford to buy a new knife. I would like to help them but feel burdened by the problem of how to distribute diamond knife privileges among semi-beginning users.
To add to the current problem, I have several old diamond knives that need resharpening. Letting users have access to these knives in their current condition is not much help. It will cost us several thousand dollars to get them resharpened. I think we have some money in the lab budget that could be used for sharpening. Of course once they are sharpened, do I want to pass them out to multiple users?
So it boils down to something like this:
I have users who need access to a diamond knife to do their work. They say they are too poor to afford a knife. I have knives and money to sharpen them. Do I play the Sugar Daddy and sharpen the knives and just let them use them? Do you have any sage advice about establishing a policy to help these paupers get their work done?
I struggle with the questions of how to make users borrowing an expensive knife responsible so they are careful and can contribute to replacing the knife if they damage it. I wonder about the need to set up some kind of charge to use the knife when for most practical purposes any single user will (hopefully) leave it as good as new. I wonder if it would be OK to let more than one person use a knife at the same time. It goes on and on.
If you have worked on this problem or just have some personal insights to help me I would appreciate hearing from you.
Jonathan Krupp Microscopy and Imaging Lab University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (408) 459-2477 FAX (408) 429-0146 jmkrupp-at-cats.ucsc.edu
We have a ultra thin EDS detector window. It seems that it is too easy to be broken. We need to analyze C (carbon) in our magnetic samples. Can you tell me which type of EDS detector window I should choose.
} I am looking for magnified images of silicon chips. Does anybody know } where to find such stuff ? }
} Umut Eksi Look in Project MICRO's bibliography (www.MSA.microscopy.com/ProjectMICRO/Books.html) under videotapes : Marshall Space Flight Center. There is nice SEM of real-time voltage contrast.
Caroline Schooley Educational Outreach Coordinator, Microscopy Society of America Box 117 Caspar, CA 95420 Phone/FAX: (707)964-9460 Email: schooley-at-mcn.org Web: http://www.MSA.microscopy.com/Projrct MICRO/Books.html
Applied Precision is moving! We have outgrown our current location on Mercer Island, and are moving to a new location in Issaquah, Washington. Our new building is located a few miles outside of Seattle, and should provide room to grow for many years.
Our new address:
Applied Precision, Inc. 1040 12th Avenue NW Issaquah, WA 98027-8929 Phone: (206)557-1000 Fax: (206)557-1055
Our email and WWW site domain name will remain the same: api.com (or http://www.api.com).
Regards,
Tom Donnelly
Tom Donnelly 206-313-4549 tel DeltaVision Systems 206-557-1055-4184 fax Applied Precision, Inc. tdonne-at-api.com 1040 12th Ave. N.W. Web Site: http://www.api.com Issaquah, WA 98027-8929
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE USING UNICRYL(By BioCell).WE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTIES POLYMERIZING IT.HOW INTENTION IS TO USE IT FOR E.M & L.M. THANKS IN ADVANCE BRIAN
Georg H. Michler has published a review with 37 references about the investigation in situ of the micromechanical mechanisms in polymers by electron microsocpy (TEM and SEM). The reference follows : "Electron Microscopic Techniques for Direct Investigation of Micromechanical Mechanisms in Polymers". Georg H. Michler, TRIP, vol.3, n4, April 1995, pp 124-131
Best regards
Philippe Drouillon Solvay Research & Technology Electron Microscopy Unit
Extra X400 information begins: Originator Name: Philippe (PDU) DROUILLON Org Units: AC : NOH : LC-AN001 Organisation: NOHX400DEC Domain: BE/RTT/SOLVAY Node.Userid: IBMX400.201986
Message Id: 14409040906991/446373 MHS Importance: Normal Sent by Name: Philippe (PDU) DROUILLON Org Units: AC : NOH : LC-AN001 Organisation: NOHX400DEC Domain: BE/RTT/SOLVAY Node.Userid: IBMX400.201986 Free Fmt Name: Philippe DROUILLON Phone Number: 3218 Subject: RE : SEM: TENSILE AND TORSION TESTING IN DIFFEREN T KINDS OF MATER Recipients Name: INTERNET INTERNET Domain: GB/IBMX400/IBMMAIL Node.Userid: IBMMAIL.INTERNET Free Fmt Name: INTERNET INTERNET
I'm trying to thin a cross-section of tantalum by mechanical lapping and polishing, and it's going very slowly. Does anyone have advice on how best to do this? Suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks, Mike Lamvik
I would like to locate a simple image processing program that runs on Windows 3.1. All I want is a program which let me set calibrations for various objectives and make length measurements and possibly do some contrast enhancements. Thanks for your help.
The few students that I have in my lab all use a single diamond knife. Of course they start out with a glass knife and when I feel that they can handle a diamond, I let them use it. Most labs nowadays need to be user friendly and this usually means sharing our most prized possesions, so in the long run, let the folks use a diamond.
Cheers, Ed Calomeni Medical College of Ohio Toledo, OH emlab-at-opus.mco.edu
I do not have experience with Unicryl, but they are considering its use in our lab and I am very skeptical. Would you please pass on the info you receive to all of us on the listserver?
Thank you Cheri Owen Detroit Neurotrauma Institute Wayne STate University Detroit, Mi
On Wed, 4 Sep 1996, Brian Pirie wrote:
} DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE USING UNICRYL(By BioCell).WE ARE HAVING } DIFFICULTIES POLYMERIZING IT.HOW INTENTION IS TO USE IT FOR E.M & L.M. } THANKS IN ADVANCE } BRIAN } } }
Georg H. Michler has published a review with 37 references about the investigation in situ of the micromechanical mechanisms in polymers by electron microsocpy (TEM and SEM). The reference follows : "Electron Microscopic Techniques for Direct Investigation of Micromechanical Mechanisms in Polymers". Georg H. Michler, TRIP, vol.3, n4, April 1995, pp 124-131
Best regards
Philippe Drouillon Solvay Research & Technology Electron Microscopy Unit
Extra X400 information begins: Originator Name: Philippe (PDU) DROUILLON Org Units: AC : NOH : LC-AN001 Organisation: NOHX400DEC Domain: BE/RTT/SOLVAY Node.Userid: IBMX400.201986
Message Id: 10712140906991/446957 MHS Importance: Normal Sent by Name: Philippe (PDU) DROUILLON Org Units: AC : NOH : LC-AN001 Organisation: NOHX400DEC Domain: BE/RTT/SOLVAY Node.Userid: IBMX400.201986 Free Fmt Name: Philippe DROUILLON Phone Number: 3218 Subject: RE : SEM: TENSILE AND TORSION TESTING IN DIFFEREN T KINDS OF MATER Recipients Name: INTERNET INTERNET Domain: GB/IBMX400/IBMMAIL Node.Userid: IBMMAIL.INTERNET Free Fmt Name: INTERNET INTERNET
} DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE USING UNICRYL(By BioCell).WE ARE HAVING } DIFFICULTIES POLYMERIZING IT.HOW INTENTION IS TO USE IT FOR E.M & L.M. } THANKS IN ADVANCE } BRIAN } } } Hello Brian,
We have been experimenting with unicryl in search of of a easy reliable way of doing post embedded immunohistochemistry. We were using LR White for years and still haven't totally switched to unicryl. However we have had some good results.
If the tissue isn't polymerized it may be infiltration or getting all the alcohol out. If the whole block isn't polymerizing, I have found that the polymerization times in the booklet are way too short. I have had to polymerize under UV for a week or more and never had a block polymerize under 4 days. We have also discovered and heard from others that it is impossible to over polymerize.
We keep the resin in alliquots at -20, letting it warm completely befor use. We go directly from 100% EtOH to resin resin 2X 1hr resin overnite resin 2X 1hr orient tissue in polyethelene molds uncovered or beem capsules covered or permanox tissue culture dishes sealed. UV chamber with ice packs about 8 degrees for 2-3 days then let temperature come up to room temp for the remainder.
We still don't have all the bugs worked out but hope this helps.
Bob Underwood Morphology Core University of Washington
Hi, Would it not be possible to assign a diamond knife to a limited number of students and have the cost shared by the supervisors and/or course budgets?
Leo
On Tue, 3 Sep 1996, Jon Krupp wrote:
} Hi: } } I am trying to figure out how to let lab users share diamond knives } provided by me. If you have an opinion on the shared use of diamond knives, } I would be interested in it. } } Here is the setup: I oversee a small EM lab, most of our TEM users are } undergraduate and graduate students. The glory of molecular biology has } turned the heads of most of our faculty so the level of support for student } TEM is fairly low. However, we do get students and other users who want to } try a project that requires sectioning. As long as there is minimal cost, } many students get started and try sectioning using glass knives. } Eventually, they run into the limitations of glass knives and want to use a } diamond knife. } } When I suggest that they purchase a diamond knife, the wind goes out of } their sails. Most say they cannot afford even to have an old knife from } their lab resharpened, let alone afford to buy a new knife. I would like } to help them but feel burdened by the problem of how to distribute diamond } knife privileges among semi-beginning users. } } To add to the current problem, I have several old diamond knives that need } resharpening. Letting users have access to these knives in their current } condition is not much help. It will cost us several thousand dollars to get } them resharpened. I think we have some money in the lab budget that could } be used for sharpening. Of course once they are sharpened, do I want to } pass them out to multiple users? } } So it boils down to something like this: } } I have users who need access to a diamond knife to do their work. They say } they are too poor to afford a knife. I have knives and money to sharpen } them. Do I play the Sugar Daddy and sharpen the knives and just let them } use them? Do you have any sage advice about establishing a policy to help } these paupers get their work done? } } I struggle with the questions of how to make users borrowing an expensive } knife responsible so they are careful and can contribute to replacing the } knife if they damage it. I wonder about the need to set up some kind of } charge to use the knife when for most practical purposes any single user } will (hopefully) leave it as good as new. I wonder if it would be OK to let } more than one person use a knife at the same time. It goes on and on. } } If you have worked on this problem or just have some personal insights to } help me I would appreciate hearing from you. } } } } } Jonathan Krupp } Microscopy and Imaging Lab } University of California } Santa Cruz, CA 95064 } (408) 459-2477 } FAX (408) 429-0146 } jmkrupp-at-cats.ucsc.edu } } }
You won your pint of beer, I have lost the instructions of how to subscrine and unsubscribe. Send these details at your leisure but in the meantine please put Patrick Echlin "pe13-at-cus.cam.ac.uk" back ino the system. There is another pint either at the Free Press in Cambridge or at a bar of your own choosing in Cleveland
Try Visilog from Noesis Vision, we have a new low end version for 2,995.00 which will accomplish what you are looking for, only problem is that it will run only on WIndows 95.
At 08:40 AM 9/4/96 -0500, you wrote: } I would like to locate a simple image processing program that runs on } Windows 3.1. All I want is a program which let me set calibrations for } various objectives and make length measurements and possibly do some } contrast enhancements. } Thanks for your help. } } Rod Rappe } Imation Corporation } RGRappe-at-MMM.com } }
---------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- Luc Nocente Tel: 514 345 1400 Noesis Vision Inc. Fax: 514 345 1575 e-mail: ln-at-noesisvision.com 6800 Cote de Liesse, Suite 200 St-Laurent, PQ H4T 2A7,Canada
Visit our new web site at http://www.cam.org/~noesis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
Are there sites for shareware sources for these softwares. Please respond directly to {fermin-at-tmc.tulane.ed}
1) Ted.Com, a DOS a straightfoward text editor I prefer to others including note pad. Someone told me that there is reasonably decent upgrade out there (even today I use the old version)?
2) Typing Tutor or any other similar share ware for practicing and increasing typing speed (not for me)
********************************************************************* *Cesar D. Fermin, Ph.D \|T|/ Fax (504) 587-7389 * *Tulane Medical School /|M|\ Voice Mail (504) 584-2618 * *Pathology/SL79 \|C|/ Secretary (504) 584-2436 * *New Orleans La 70112-2699 /|*|\ Lab/Techn. (504) 584-2521 * * {Fermin-at-tmc.tulane.edu} ----} Prof. Pathology & Otolaryngology * *http://www1.omi.tulane.edu/departments/pathology/fermin/cdftop.html* *********************************************************************
} We have a nine-year old SEM - a Hitachi S-800 - which we } would like to convert to digital image capture. We would } prefer to do this by buying a complete commercial package, } rather than by putting together a system of our own. } } If you have had such a system installed on your SEM, please } send me your experience and recommendations.
In addition to the SemiCaps and 4pi systems, which take control of the beam, there is a passive capture system called SEMages. It is sold in the US through Advanced Database Systems. They can be reached at jhilton-at-rmii.com.
We have one of these systems on our Philips 505. It has a very simple user interface that doesn't allow many options or problems. All users of the scope who have started using it have stayed with it and abandoned Polaroid film. One of the things I like about the passive system is that it leaves all normal functions of the instrument in tact and uses the calibration and micron bar from the SEM.
If you have further questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Each of the systems mentioned above has its strong points and reasons for selection. The situation where they will be placed will help determine which one you would choose. (Normal disclaimer: I don't have financial interest in any of these companies.)
I have had to "share" diamonds in both research and training labs. When we did it for researchers, we estimated the amount of times it would have to be used before resharpening and calculated the cost per use. Obviously the first time that is done, you have to be sure you get the reshrapening amount out of it. We used a log book for each knife (I have had 10 diamonds for sign out in my past jobs). They always started from the left side and didn't move over until it got dull in that area. They had to draw how the edge appeared in the log book when finished. When they turned it back in usually I had them have it under a stereo scope with a cleaning stick in water, just in case they didn't get it clean and I looked at it. You don't have to monitor it however it tends to stay in better condition if you do - I have tried it both ways. I always had the funds transferred BEFORE they started using the knife. Even with students, when it is monitored it generally cuts lots of tissue before it needs resharpening. For my students I insist on seeing good sections on glass knives prior to their cutting on a diamond. I then have a training diamond, which isn't in the best shape and we use strictly for training. I have them cut on that, to be sure they know how to change the height properly etc. and get sections in ribbons. This lets me know they know how to trim the block and set the diamond knife up. I personally like to have my own diamond for my own research HOWEVER for people that cut for one project for something, loaner diamonds do work - monitoring it seems to be the trick. It takes a bit more time, but not that much and generally means more users get good use of the diamond. Good Luck, Judy M.
Judy Murphy, PhD Microscopy Technology Center San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Phone: 209/474-5284 FAX: 209/474-5600 e-mail: murphy-at-sjdccd.cc.ca.us program web page: http://www.sjdccd.cc.ca.us/ElectMicro/sjdc.html
I am trying to figure out how to let lab users share diamond knives provided by me. If you have an opinion on the shared use of diamond knives, I would be interested in it.
Here is the setup: I oversee a small EM lab, most of our TEM users are undergraduate and graduate students. The glory of molecular biology has turned the heads of most of our faculty so the level of support for student TEM is fairly low. However, we do get students and other users who want to try a project that requires sectioning. As long as there is minimal cost, many students get started and try sectioning using glass knives. Eventually, they run into the limitations of glass knives and want to use a diamond knife.
When I suggest that they purchase a diamond knife, the wind goes out of their sails. Most say they cannot afford even to have an old knife from their lab resharpened, let alone afford to buy a new knife. I would like to help them but feel burdened by the problem of how to distribute diamond knife privileges among semi-beginning users.
To add to the current problem, I have several old diamond knives that need resharpening. Letting users have access to these knives in their current condition is not much help. It will cost us several thousand dollars to get them resharpened. I think we have some money in the lab budget that could be used for sharpening. Of course once they are sharpened, do I want to pass them out to multiple users?
So it boils down to something like this:
I have users who need access to a diamond knife to do their work. They say they are too poor to afford a knife. I have knives and money to sharpen them. Do I play the Sugar Daddy and sharpen the knives and just let them use them? Do you have any sage advice about establishing a policy to help these paupers get their work done?
I struggle with the questions of how to make users borrowing an expensive knife responsible so they are careful and can contribute to replacing the knife if they damage it. I wonder about the need to set up some kind of charge to use the knife when for most practical purposes any single user will (hopefully) leave it as good as new. I wonder if it would be OK to let more than one person use a knife at the same time. It goes on and on.
If you have worked on this problem or just have some personal insights to help me I would appreciate hearing from you.
Jonathan Krupp Microscopy and Imaging Lab University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (408) 459-2477 FAX (408) 429-0146 jmkrupp-at-cats.ucsc.edu
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Greetings, I recently made up some K4M where I left out the crosslinker. I was expecting that without the crosslinker this resin, like other mixtures of methacrylates, would be extractable with acetone after sectioning. To my surprise, the sections were not extracted at all with acetone.
Now, unlike other kinds of methacrylate that I have used, the K4M is made with methacrylate monomers with hydroxyls on their side chains. Do free radicals form at these hydroxyls and in this way effectively crosslink the resin? Or, do the hydroxyls give the resin a chemical character that makes it less soluble in acetone? If the latter is the case, can anyone suggest a solvent that might successfully extract the K4M where the acetone failed? I might mention that I am wanting to do immunocytochemistry after extraction, so I would rather not go to a really extreme solvent.
} Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 08:01:50 -0700 (PDT) } From: Robert Underwood {underwoo-at-u.washington.edu} } To: Brian Pirie {B.Pirie-at-unsw.edu.au} } Cc: Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com } Subject: Re: UNICRYL } } } } On Wed, 4 Sep 1996, Brian Pirie wrote: } } } DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE USING UNICRYL(By BioCell).WE ARE HAVING } } DIFFICULTIES POLYMERIZING IT.HOW INTENTION IS TO USE IT FOR E.M & L.M. } } THANKS IN ADVANCE } } BRIAN } } } } } } } Hello Brian, } } We have been experimenting with unicryl in search of of a easy reliable } way of doing post embedded immunohistochemistry. We were using LR White } for years and still haven't totally switched to unicryl. However we have } had some good results. } } If the tissue isn't polymerized it may be infiltration or getting all the } alcohol out. If the whole block isn't polymerizing, I have found that the } polymerization times in the booklet are way too short. I have had to } polymerize under UV for a week or more and never had a block polymerize } under 4 days. We have also discovered and heard from others that it is } impossible to over polymerize. } } We keep the resin in alliquots at -20, letting it warm completely befor } use. We go directly from 100% EtOH to resin } resin 2X 1hr } resin overnite } resin 2X 1hr } orient tissue in polyethelene molds uncovered or beem capsules covered or } permanox tissue culture dishes sealed. } UV chamber with ice packs about 8 degrees for 2-3 days then let } temperature come up to room temp for the remainder. } } We still don't have all the bugs worked out but hope this helps. } } Bob Underwood } Morphology Core } University of Washington } Hi, Can you please enlighten me as to why you went to Unicryl with all its inherent problems? Is there better staining/ultrastructure??? We use L. R. Gold whch polymerizes overnight at -20 with uv light. What am I missing? Sara}
Sara E. Miller, Ph. D. P. O. Box 3020 Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710 Ph: 919 684-3452 FAX: 919 684-8735
Keith --- Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, Oldbury House, 121, St. Michael's Hill, Bristol, BS2 8BS, England Telephone: +44 (0)117 925 5666 | Facsimile: +44 (0)117 925 5646 | URL: http://www.phy.bris.ac.uk/research/iac/home.html
HBsAg is usually found in serum in very high concentrations, therefor a 1:10 dilution with PBS is usually sufficient to reduce background proteins. I have always used 1% ammonium molybdate as the negative stain.
Best of Luck, Ed Calomeni Medical College of Ohio Toledo, OH 43699 emlab-at-opus.mco.edu
First let me thank all of those who replied to my question about interfacing MAC's to PC's.
We have a different problem today. I've recently installed an EDS detector on my SEM. After filling with LN2, allowing 24 hrs to cool, then topping off, I powered up the analyzer. There is a symptom of a problem, i.e. the count rate is high even with no xray source.
It's a pulsed optical type preamp, and a check of the test point on the preamp revealed a +/- 1V sawtooth approx 10 mS in duration. The documentation indicates that with no xrays present this ramp should ascend very slowly.
While looking for the cause, I noticed that the detector is "hissing". It's been 36 hrs from the LN2 top off, and the detector has used about 20% of the LN2. I don't think this a necessarily high usage rate, but when listening near the top of the dewar, I can still hear something hapenning in there!
What do you think? Contamination in the dewar? Ice? I'm thinking of pouring out the LN2, blowing the detector out with Argon and refilling it. Any suggestions? Is there a cleaning procedure?
Thank You most kindly in advance for any and all consideration of this matter.
Regards, John.
-- John W. Best ELMDAS Co. Email: jbest-at-vicon.net P.O. Box 355, Alexandria, PA, USA 16611 Voice: 814-669-4474 WWW: http://www.vicon.net/~jbest
you mention that your students run into the difficulties of glass knives and therefore want to use diamonds. I accept that there are some exceptionally hard materials about that actually require diamond but most typical animal and a lot of plant material can be cut better on a good glass knife. I worked for over 5 years in a pharmaceutical company and we only ever routinely used glass for all of our cutting.
If the difficulties are really due to the specimens then there is no choice but to work out a method of sharing diamonds. Another alternative could be to make glass knife making as easy as possible for instance if you are using tape to seal your water baths try using plastic disposable water baths and a proper wax heater because this makes it much easier to make a good knife especially for students (we use LKB 'TRUF's and the appropriate hot plate wax dispenser - LKB 2208 multiplate). If your glass knives aren't very good is it the source of glass, the quality of knife maker or a need for service or upgrade of knife maker?
If students still need to cut with diamond then I have always given them a lot of supervision, particularly when setting up and cleaning/removing the knife from the microtome. Then I have to assess individual ability, needs and frequency of use to decide how much supervision will be needed. If you can't give this level of supervision then maybe you should consider limiting the sharing of the knives. It's much easier to instil in someone the need for care of a diamond if they know they are the only one, at a particular time, using it. They feel more responsible and can't blame anyone else.
Finally after all of the above you may just have to accept that most users can't or won't pay and so the investments or losses may have to be borne by you.
I hope that I haven't just told you stuff you already know and good luck when you decide.
Malcolm Haswell e.m. unit University of Sunderland U.K. e-mail: es0mhs-at-environment.sunderland.ac.uk
----------
Hi:
I am trying to figure out how to let lab users share diamond knives provided by me. If you have an opinion on the shared use of diamond knives, I would be interested in it.
Here is the setup: I oversee a small EM lab, most of our TEM users are undergraduate and graduate students. The glory of molecular biology has turned the heads of most of our faculty so the level of support for student TEM is fairly low. However, we do get students and other users who want to try a project that requires sectioning. As long as there is minimal cost, many students get started and try sectioning using glass knives. Eventually, they run into the limitations of glass knives and want to use a diamond knife.
When I suggest that they purchase a diamond knife, the wind goes out of their sails. Most say they cannot afford even to have an old knife from their lab resharpened, let alone afford to buy a new knife. I would like to help them but feel burdened by the problem of how to distribute diamond knife privileges among semi-beginning users.
To add to the current problem, I have several old diamond knives that need resharpening. Letting users have access to these knives in their current condition is not much help. It will cost us several thousand dollars to get them resharpened. I think we have some money in the lab budget that could be used for sharpening. Of course once they are sharpened, do I want to pass them out to multiple users?
So it boils down to something like this:
I have users who need access to a diamond knife to do their work. They say they are too poor to afford a knife. I have knives and money to sharpen them. Do I play the Sugar Daddy and sharpen the knives and just let them use them? Do you have any sage advice about establishing a policy to help these paupers get their work done?
I struggle with the questions of how to make users borrowing an expensive knife responsible so they are careful and can contribute to replacing the knife if they damage it. I wonder about the need to set up some kind of charge to use the knife when for most practical purposes any single user will (hopefully) leave it as good as new. I wonder if it would be OK to let more than one person use a knife at the same time. It goes on and on.
If you have worked on this problem or just have some personal insights to help me I would appreciate hearing from you.
Jonathan Krupp Microscopy and Imaging Lab University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (408) 459-2477 FAX (408) 429-0146 jmkrupp-at-cats.ucsc.edu
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"Phililps Electron Optics and FEI Company to combine global operations: Philips Electron Optics BV (Eindlven, The Netherlands) and FEI Company (Hillsb oro, Oregon, USA) have today signed a letter of intent to enter into an agreemnt to integrate their global operations. To accomplish this, FEI will acquire substantially al of the assets of the Philips Electron Optics business. In exchange, Philips will acquire approximnately 55% of the common stock of FEI. The balance of the FEI common stock will be held by the present FEI shareholders. FEI will continue to be publicly traded on Nasdaq. Closing is currently expected at end 1996."
For full description of the arrangement, see the September issue of Microscopy Today. Don Grimes Microscopy Today
In response to your question about why we are going to Unicryl if it has some problems to work out?
The main reason is to find a simple method that increases our immunolabelling potential and retains good ultrastructure. Wether unicyl is the answer I'm not so sure yet. But, at this point the alternative is freeze substitution to increase our antigen yield. I'm hoping for a simpler way.
By the way do know a Ms Lara Muffley? We hired her in our lab here in Seattle. She is wonderfull !!!!!
The "hissing" detector is somewhat less mysterious now. It seems I have a vacuum leak! The hissing was the LN2 bubbling. I was able to see this by lowering a small flashlight into the dewar, just above the surface of the LN2.
Apparently (comments please) an increase in the activity of the bubbling after venting the chamber is an indicator of the integrity of the cold finger, BE window, seals, etc.
Many thanks to Claudio Tarquinio of EVEX.
Also a special thank you to Harry Crossman who was kind enough to give me a call and some very valuable advice.
Regards All, John.
-- John W. Best ELMDAS Co. Email: jbest-at-vicon.net P.O. Box 355, Alexandria, PA, USA 16611 Voice: 814-669-4474 WWW: http://www.vicon.net/~jbest
`We have a different problem today. I've recently installed an EDS `detector on my SEM. After filling with LN2, allowing 24 hrs to cool, `then topping off, I powered up the analyzer. There is a symptom of a `problem, i.e. the count rate is high even with no xray source. ` `It's a pulsed optical type preamp, and a check of the test point on the `preamp revealed a +/- 1V sawtooth approx 10 mS in duration. The `documentation indicates that with no xrays present this ramp should `ascend very slowly. ` `While looking for the cause, I noticed that the detector is "hissing". `It's been 36 hrs from the LN2 top off, and the detector has used about `20% of the LN2. I don't think this a necessarily high usage rate, but `when listening near the top of the dewar, I can still hear something `hapenning in there! ` `What do you think? Contamination in the dewar? Ice? I'm thinking of `pouring out the LN2, blowing the detector out with Argon and refilling `it. Any suggestions? Is there a cleaning procedure?
John, A short ramp without any x-ray flux usually means leakage current in the detector. This could be caused by a warm detector, which could happen because 1) the dewar has a poor vacuum, 2) the detector assembly has a thermal short to the snout, or 3) the strap connecting the cold finger to the LN2 tank has come loose. All of these problems would cause the window, snout, or other external surfaces to get cold--frost will form, etc.
Other, less likely, causes are contamination on the detector, damage to the detector-fet assembly, etc. Some old detectors had an extra LED that illuminated the detector in order to get the detector leakage current higher than the JFET. There is a trim pot to adjust this, which may have been tampered with.
Lastly, if the feedback connection between the external part of the preamp and the dewar is not connected the whole thing will freak out, but you probably wouldn't be getting a good (but fast) ramp. best regards mark
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I know mechanical vibration (tapping the side of the dewar) can generate counts. Also, the chamber light can also flood the preamp with signal. But the hissing sound... I have heard tell of something like that when the window goes, but probably worse.
We had a few panes of the many on our window fail. When there was atmosphere behind that window (i.e., after venting the sample chamber), we had a flood of counts. After it pumped down (several minutes if not hours), we could operate. As long as we used the airlock, we were okay.
Careful examination of the window revealed the failed panes the size of pinholes. We sent the detector in for a replacement window. It might be worth a check.
feAt 08:52 AM 9/5/96 -0700, you wrote: } Hello All, } } First let me thank all of those who replied to my question about } interfacing MAC's to PC's. } } We have a different problem today. I've recently installed an EDS } detector on my SEM. After filling with LN2, allowing 24 hrs to cool, } then topping off, I powered up the analyzer. There is a symptom of a } problem, i.e. the count rate is high even with no xray source. } } It's a pulsed optical type preamp, and a check of the test point on the } preamp revealed a +/- 1V sawtooth approx 10 mS in duration. The } documentation indicates that with no xrays present this ramp should } ascend very slowly. } } While looking for the cause, I noticed that the detector is "hissing". } It's been 36 hrs from the LN2 top off, and the detector has used about } 20% of the LN2. I don't think this a necessarily high usage rate, but } when listening near the top of the dewar, I can still hear something } hapenning in there! } } What do you think? Contamination in the dewar? Ice? I'm thinking of } pouring out the LN2, blowing the detector out with Argon and refilling } it. Any suggestions? Is there a cleaning procedure? } } Thank You most kindly in advance for any and all consideration of this } matter. } } Regards, } John. ---------------------------------------------------- Warren E. Straszheim 270 Metals Development, Ames Lab/ISU, Ames IA, 50011 Phone: 515-294-8187 FAX: 515-294-3091
} } Suggestions please on how best to deal with a mercury lamp blow-out. } Dear Frieda, When I was using a 1 kW high-pressure Hg lamp, one blew out just as I reached out to adjust the air flow--it made quite an im- pression. When I called the company about repair of the housing, they told me that this was the usual method of failure. The solu- tion I used was to turn on the lamp and leave it on for the duration of the experiment (and to run the experiment 24 hours a day). Since I was doing a series of photochemistry experiments at different ex- posures and wavelengths, this was feasible, although I had to come into the lab at odd hours. Having the lamp on continuously extended its lifetime by a large factor. After the experiment was done and the lamp was shut off, it was discarded--before it blew. This may not be a practical solution for you, but the key is not to subject the lamp to more thermal stress (by turning it on and off) than ab- solutely necessary, and to discard it before it explodes. Good luck. Yours, Bill Tivol
Does anybody have, or know where I can obtain the following military standard?
MIL-STD-1246C Product Cleanliness and Contamination Control Program
Thanks in advance,
Harold J. Crossman OSRAM SYLVANIA INC. Lighting Research Center 71 Cherry Hill Dr. Beverly, MA 01915 Phone: (508) 750-1717 E-mail: crossman-at-rd.sylvania.com
Our web sites: www.sylvania.com www.osram.de www.siemens.com
} Suggestions please on how best to deal with a mercury lamp blow-out. } } Thanks in advance, } } Frieda Christie } Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh We had one explode about four months ago. The user of the instrument was very concerned about the exposure to mercury vapor. Since we are in a university setting, I called our Health Protection Office for advice. They said to consult the manufacturers data that accompanies replacement bulbs. The data sheet says to clear the area, and allow the ventilation system to exchange the air in the room. HPO didn't think that there would be enough liquid mercury to warrant trying to wipe down the area. Consult the manufacturer of the lamp in question.
At 12:18 PM 9/6/96 BST, you wrote: } Suggestions please on how best to deal with a mercury lamp blow-out. } } Thanks in advance, } } Frieda Christie } Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh } } Frieda,
I have had this happen two or three times. Once it was due to using past the rated life of the burner and I had two 200W lamps explode due to a faulty power supply.
WHAT TO DO:
1) Close off the room immediately. This is mercury vapor (a small amount, but mercury vapor is highly toxic (it has been known to kill careless gold amalgamators). You want the mercury to return to liquid form. It is going to be in a few places.
2) call your institutional safety officers and find out what they do for a mercury cleanup. This is not a great amount of mercury, but they may want to deal with it according to your local environmental laws.
3) After that, you're going to have to check the condition of your lamp housing. If you have a lamp housing with a parabolic mirror, it may have been shattered by the explosion and you will have to send it back to the manufacturer for repair.
4) Determine the cause of the blowup. Posible ones are:
a) use beyond rated life. This is the most common cause of lampo blowout. The glass inside the burners gradually gets coated inside with a gray or black film, even with proper use. This will lead to the lamp burning hotter as it nears the end of its rated life. Eventually, booom! As I understand it rated lives are as follows:
50W HBO 100 hrs 100W HBO 200 hrs 200w HBO 400 hrs (Anyone please correct me if I am misinformed on this point).
b) improper alignment of the burner. If there is a parabolic mirror in your lamp housing, it is important that you do not overlap the mirror image of the arc with the real image. This can easily lead to oveheating of the high pressure bulb. Refer to the manual for your lamp housing for arc alignment instructions.
c) Faulty power supply. Occasionally, a power supply may overload the burner. As I stated, I have had this happen a couple of times. Get the power supply either replaced or repaired.
I hope this helps you and others on the list. Please add any other useful commments.
Matt Schibler Matthew J. Schibler, Ph.D.
Cell Imaging Facility The Burnham Institute (La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation) 10901 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla, CA 92037
P (619) 455-6480 x3206 F (619) 646-3197 E-mail: schibler-at-ljcrf.edu
Hi Fellow Microscopists: I am trying to set up an image analysis operation and would like to get acquinted with the NIH software. Please help me with the following problems. 1. How do I access the software? 2. I have been warned that it is only usable on Macs. Is this true? My PC is an IBM compatible, 100 MHz, 32 Mbyte RAM, 500 Mbyte Winchester. Do I have any chance to run the NIH program on it? All help would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance Peter Please reply directly to: molnarp-at-lib.dote.hu
Periodically we see posts of used SEMs for sale, but I haven't saved any of them. I am gathering info for a colleague who is interested in purchasing a reliable used SEM including an EDS detector, and can spend up to 50K. Please e-mail me directly if you have a candidate, or know of someone who does.
Look on {li} {a href="http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/ladic/executor.html"} Using NIH Image on a PC {/a} {li} {a href="http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/"} NIH-Image home page {/a} and {a href="http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/manual/contents.html"} online manual {/a} {li} {a href="http://corn.eng.buffalo.edu/www/ConfocalList/readme.html"} Confocal Mailing List {/a}
I'm just wondering what people's opinions are of the Pinkel polychroic filter set. Is it easy to use? Is it really any better than using a slider cube? My lab has need of several new filters, and it appears that the Pinkel set may fill our needs. Any observations, suggestions, etc. are welcome.
TIA
Eugene Krueger GI Research Mayo Foundation krueger.eugene-at-mayo.edu
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Look on {li} {a href="http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/"} NIH-Image home page {/a}
There is a program called ImagePC which is based on NIH Image but rewritten for 32bit WIN95. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks to have all the same functions as the MAC version. Give it a whirl. ******************************************************* David F. Teter Los Alamos National Laboratory Materials Science and Technology: Metallurgy (MST-6) Mail Stop: G755 Los Alamos, NM 87545 ph: (505)665-9975 fax: (505) 667-8021 e-mail: teter-at-lanl.gov *******************************************************
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow Position in Transmission Electron Microscopy for Corrosion Chemistry Corporate Research Laboratories, Exxon Research & Engineering Company
The Corporate Research Laboratories of Exxon Research and Engineering Company has a Postdoctoral opening in the area of characterizing films formed on steel and alloy surfaces. Specifically, we are seeking candidates having Ph.D. degree in Materials Science or a related discipline, and having expertise in the use of TEM techniques to investigate the microstructure and microchemistry of inorganic surface films. Capability in diffraction and high resolution imaging techniques will be an added asset. The selected candidate will work in the Corrosion Chemistry Group at the Laboratories.
Exxon's Corporate Research Laboratories are located in scenic, rural western New Jersey, about an hour west of New York City and 45 minutes northwest of Princeton. The laboratories perform basic and applied research in support of Exxon Corporation's worldwide scientific, technological, and business needs.
Applicants for this position should send a resume, a publication list, a summary of major research interests, and three letters of reference to:
Dr. Shiun LING Exxon Research & Engineering Company Corporate Research Laboratories Room LA 388 Route 22 East, Clinton Township Annandale, NJ 08801-0998 FAX: (908) 305-3355 E-mail: sling-at-erenj.com
Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/H/V
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Best Regards, Shiun LING LA 388, Exxon Research & Engineering Co., Annandale, NJ 08801 Tel: (908) 730-2337; FAX: (908) 730-3355
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Dear colleagues:
Everyone knows about Rheinberg illumination, which was supposedly eclipsed in the 1950's by Zernike's Nobel-prize-winning phase-contrast approach but keeps cropping up, perhaps becuase of the beautiful results it produces. I'm doing some historical research on Julius Rheinberg for a book I'm writing on schlieren and shadowgraph techniques, which features a chapter on the close connection between these techniques and microscopy. If anyone has ever seen a photo of Royal Microscopical Society Fellow Julius Rheinberg or any biographical information on him, I'd sure appreciate hearing about it.
Thanks!
------------------------------------------------------------------ Gary S. Settles Professor of Mechanical Engineering Director, Gas Dynamics Lab phone: (814) 863-1504 Penn State University fax: (814) 865-0118 301D Reber Bldg. email: gss2-at-psu.edu University Park, PA 16802 USA http://www.me.psu.edu/psgdl/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------
Does anyone have a utility to/from convert NIST DTSA spectral binary data files to EMSA/MAS Standard File Format ?
---| Steven D. Majewski (804-982-0831) {sdm7g-at-Virginia.EDU} |--- ---| Computer Systems Engineer University of Virginia |--- ---| Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics |--- ---| Box 449 Health Science Center Charlottesville,VA 22908 |--- [ "The grass is always greener, except at t=0" - Stan Kelly-Bootle ]
A customer of ours has a selection of brand new, never used Olympus = objectives he wishes to sell. They are all 160 tube length and suitable = for the CH2, BH2, AH2, CK2 and IMT2 series of scopes and anything else = that uses the 160 TL. The prices shown are today's recommended lists. = Any offers for one or all of these will be seriously considered. If = there is any interest, please contact me on the e-mail address below.=20
Objective List Price AUD$ D Apo 40X UV /RIO NA 1.3 oil WD 0.12 UV Corrected $1,440 D Apo 100X UV/RIO 1.3 oil 0.12 UV Corrected $1,570 D Plan Apo 100x UVPL/R 1.3 oil 0.16 UV Corrected, Phase cont. = $2,770 LWDCDPL20X NA 0.4 cover slip corrected 0-2mm long working Plan $985 LWDCDPL40X NA 0.55 cover slip corrected 0-2mm long working Plan $1,755 SPL10X NA 0.3 WD 7.5 corrected for DIC $467 ED10X NA 0.25 WD 6.3 Good quality student achromat $97 x6
Eyepieces GWH10X-CD Widefield with cross hair for SZ, SZH etc. $275 GWH10X-D Focussable match for above $199
Misc. BH2-DMB "Blue" fluorescence cube for BH2 with BP490 filter $2,000
Thanks and regards,
Roger Wallis General Manager Optiscan P/L Confocal Imaging PO Box 1066 Mt. Waverley MDC Victoria 3149 Australia Tel: (61) 3-9562 7741 Fax: (61) 3-9562-7742 Mob:(61) 0412-004-252 e-mail: rogergm-at-ozemail.com.au Web Site: http://www.optiscan.com.au =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
I would be most grateful if you would bring the position below to the attention of potential candidates.
Many thanks,
Steve Pennycook
JOINT POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF SUPERCONDUCTORS
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY/UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, CHICAGO
An outstanding candidate is sought for a program on correlating superconducting transport properties to grain boundary atomic structure and chemistry by combined Z-contrast microscopy and EELS, using thin films grown on bicrystal substrates and also wire samples. This is a joint program between ORNL (S. J. Pennycook) and UIC (N. D. Browning), using the VG Microscopes HB603 300 kV scanning transmission electron microscope with a 1.26A probe size, and the HB501UX 100 kV microscope with a high sensitivity parallel EELS capability, both located at ORNL. Based on recent success in using the structural unit model to explain the exponential decrease in critical current with increasing grain boundary misorientation, we anticipate this program will make substantial progress in understanding the link between grain boundary atomic structure and the macroscopic transport properties of thin films and wires.
Successful candidates will be recent Ph.D. graduates in physics, metallurgy, or materials science with a sound background in the relevent materials issues and a burning ambition to develop a forefront area in materials physics. If this is you, send your resume and publication list to Dr. S. J. Pennycook at the address below. Prior experience using transmission electron microscopy is essential. Positions are for one year initially, normally renewed for a second year and possibly a third. ORNL is a multipurpose national laboratory managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation for the U.S. Department of Energy. ORNL is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse work force.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------Stephen J. Pennycook Corporate Fellow and Electron Microscopy Group Leader Oak Ridge National Laboratory Solid State Division PO Box 2008 Oak Ridge TN 37831-6030
To: Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com (Microscopy Listserver U.S.A.)
Dear Microscopists,
I am looking for OSIRIS, image processing freeware, which enables to input calibration and manually measure features using a mouse. As far as I remember it was designed for medical applications.
I would appreciate your help in locating it. Also, if you know other free/shareware programs running on PC (DOS or Windows 3.1) with the same capability, could you please let me know.
Alexander Titkov
SCM Chemicals Ltd. PO Box 245 Bunbury WA 6231 Australia Ph (097) 808 505
} Everyone knows about Rheinberg illumination, which was supposedly eclipsed } in the 1950's by Zernike's Nobel-prize-winning phase-contrast approach but } keeps cropping up, perhaps becuase of the beautiful results it produces.
Well I am not everyone because I do not know about Rheinberg illumination.
Could anyone explain it to me because I am interested in any light microscopy techniques which might help me to identify Dinoflagellate cysts?
Thanks.
Helen McCall (PhD Student) Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB Great Britain
} Dear Microscopists, } } I am looking for OSIRIS, image processing freeware, which enables to } input calibration and manually measure features using a mouse. As far as } I remember it was designed for medical applications.
http://expasy.hcuge.ch/www/UIN/osiris.html
} I would appreciate your help in locating it. Also, if you know other } free/shareware programs running on PC (DOS or Windows 3.1) with the same } capability, could you please let me know.
Try to find something at: http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/ladic/softibm.html http://www.ee.princeton.edu/~icip95/iplink/index.html
regards, -Dietmar-
*** Dietmar Reiter {dietmar.reiter-at-uibk.ac.at} **************** *** Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25 *** *** A - 6020 Innsbruck, Austria *** fax: (+43)512-507-2930 ***
On Tue, 10 Sep 96 15:40:35 GMT makroczy-at-ccsun.tuke.sk wrote: } Does anybody know about image conversion utility (sharware, freeware or } commercial product) to convert images from/to Link AN10000 EDX system (*.IM) } and IBM PC computer (e.g. *.pcx, *.tiff, *.jpg...)? Thank you very much. } } } Peter Makroczy } Technical University of Kosice } Dept. of Materials Science } Park Komenskeho 11 } 040 01 Kosice } Slovak Republic } E-mail: makroczy-at-ccsun.tuke.sk } I had the same problem. For some reason whenever I asked the Link people, they denied all knowledge of a solution. There is however, a solution. Provided you have a reasonably late version of the Link operating system (Rev 5.22 for the setup and rev 5.25 utilities), you can convert the image to a PC format version, still .IM. PC Image from Foster Finlay Associates, Newcastle Technopole, Kings Manor, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6PA england, can read .IM files and convert them to a number of formats. It is commercial software. I have found it to work reasonably well, although the instruction manual is not particularly helpful.
Good luck with your quest,
Dr Eric Lachowski University of Aberdeen Department of Chemistry tel +44 1224 272934 fax +44 1224 272921
On Tue, 10 Sep 96 15:40:35 GMT makroczy-at-ccsun.tuke.sk wrote: } Does anybody know about image conversion utility (sharware, freeware or } commercial product) to convert images from/to Link AN10000 EDX system (*.IM) } and IBM PC computer (e.g. *.pcx, *.tiff, *.jpg...)? Thank you very much. } } } Peter Makroczy } Technical University of Kosice } Dept. of Materials Science } Park Komenskeho 11 } 040 01 Kosice } Slovak Republic } E-mail: makroczy-at-ccsun.tuke.sk } I had the same problem. For some reason whenever I asked the Link people, they denied all knowledge of a solution. There is however, a solution. Provided you have a reasonably late version of the Link operating system (Rev 5.22 for the setup and rev 5.25 utilities), you can convert the image to a PC format version, still .IM. PC Image from Foster Finlay Associates, Newcastle Technopole, Kings Manor, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6PA england, can read .IM files and convert them to a number of formats. It is commercial software. I have found it to work reasonably well, although the instruction manual is not particularly helpful.
Good luck with your quest,
Dr Eric Lachowski University of Aberdeen Department of Chemistry Old Aberdeen, Scotland tel +44 1224 272934 fax +44 1224 272921
OSIRIS has a web information page at 'http://expasy.hcuge.ch/www/UIN/UIN.html' or you can just get the software by ftp by to expasy.hcuge.ch using username "anonymous" and password of your e-mail address. Good luck.
I am looking for OSIRIS, image processing freeware, which enables to input calibration and manually measure features using a mouse. As far as I remember it was designed for medical applications.
I would appreciate your help in locating it. Also, if you know other free/shareware programs running on PC (DOS or Windows 3.1) with the same capability, could you please let me know.
Alexander Titkov
SCM Chemicals Ltd. PO Box 245 Bunbury WA 6231 Australia Ph (097) 808 505
ten days ago I've sent a message to all of you asking for references about mechanical properties, tensile and torsion test by SEM. Since I've got just two messages about the subject, I try again in case someone else can help me.
Thanks again. The old message follows......
Daniel F. Imbert
...................
I am a student from Argentina, and I am interested in the study of materials and the next items: their mechanical properties, tensile and torsion test in diferents kinds of materials like metals, polymers, ceramics, etc.. All this items refer to use of the scanning electron microscopy.
If any of you know references about this subjet or names of people working on this please send me a e-mail message if possible. I appreciate very much your attention, thanks a lot.
Daniel F. Imbert
Centro Regional de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Santa Fe. Guemes 3450 - 3000 Santa Fe. Argentina.
On our QX-2000 system (which is later than the AN10000) there is a small program called DEMON/TIFF Convert. This will convert the .IM file to a .TI file (only two character extensions allowed by Link) and dump it to a 720K DOS formatted disk. It's a bit fussy to use and the conversion takes about 5 min. per 512x512 file. You'll have to rename the file for the .TIF extension. The image comes out as a negative so I have invert it in a viewer program. The other problem I found was that many viewers would not read this TIFF file for some reason. I can only view them with Paint Shop Pro. Once I've got it in there I can change it to a positive image and resave it as whatever format I like. I don't know if the conversion program will work with an AN10000 but it might be worth a try to see if Link can supply it to you.
A company in Finland called Picomega, Ltd. was also offering a program called 'Linker' to read .IM files. I'm afraid I don't have the address. The fellow at the company is Esa Wainio.
-------------------------------------------------------- John Hudak hudakjm-at-mcmaster.ca Electron Optics Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
} Dear colleagues; } } Prof. Gary Settles writes: } } } Everyone knows about Rheinberg illumination, which was supposedly eclipsed } } in the 1950's by Zernike's Nobel-prize-winning phase-contrast approach but } } keeps cropping up, perhaps becuase of the beautiful results it produces. } } Well I am not everyone because I do not know about Rheinberg illumination. } } Could anyone explain it to me because I am interested in any light microscopy } techniques which might help me to identify Dinoflagellate cysts? } } Thanks. } } Helen McCall (PhD Student) } Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science } The Laboratory, } Citadel Hill, } Plymouth PL1 2PB } Great Britain } } E-Mail: H.McCall-at-pml.ac.uk } Hi Helen,
It is a technique similar to darkfield, but you replace the darkfield stop with a color filter and the outside ring (,that would normally be the only illuminating light that bounces off the specimen),to another colored filter. Opposite colors work nice. So the backround of your field is the color of the inner filter and any specimen capable of diffracting light will be the color of your outer filter. We use to make these filters out of kodak gelatin filters. Also you must make the inner disk much darker than the outer, using nuetral density and you must match the inner disk size to the NA of your objective just like darkfield. It can give trully beautiful results.
I regret to inform you that Professor David A. Smith died suddenly of heart attack early on Sunday morning. He was fifty two. He is survived by his wife Carol Smith-Nichols, a daughter Anna, eighteen months, a son Griffin, to be born in November, and Howard, Patrick and Rosalind in Somers, New York.
The will be a funeral service at Lehigh University's Chapel on Thursday Septemeber 12 at 4:10 pm.
Donations to the Anna and Griffin Smith Fund are being accepted at the Lafayette Bank Rt. 512 and Crawford Drive, Bethlehem PA 18017.
If you need any further information, please contact me directly. I can fax a map if you wish to attend the funeral.
Dave Williams
PS. Please accept my apologies if you receive this message via several email listings.
There is an option to export to TIFF and BMP in our Link Isis software. Isn't there such an option in yours? The difficulty is in getting the job done. It represents a few keystrokes for each file, and we have lots of files.
Therefore, we are in the process of writing a program to convert Link Isis *.IM files to TIFF format in bulk. That is, we would like to do it outside of the Link program structure and be able to select multiple files and to automate the process. I don't know how long it will take. I am guiding a student in the project helping him with what I know of TIFF and decoding the IM format as we can. I think we will be able and glad to share the result when we are finished.
I would suppose the AN10000 files would be the same. Perhaps you can send me one with whatever description you have of it, e.g., 512x400, 8 bit image file. You may wish to send both an image and an x-ray map set (at least a couple of elements). We would be glad to play with it.
Of course, if this has already been done, I would be glad to find out too.
At 03:40 PM 9/10/96 +0000, you wrote: } Does anybody know about image conversion utility (sharware, freeware or } commercial product) to convert images from/to Link AN10000 EDX system (*.IM) } and IBM PC computer (e.g. *.pcx, *.tiff, *.jpg...)? Thank you very much. } } } Peter Makroczy } Technical University of Kosice } Dept. of Materials Science } Park Komenskeho 11 } 040 01 Kosice } Slovak Republic ---------------------------------------------------- Warren E. Straszheim 270 Metals Development, Ames Lab/ISU, Ames IA, 50011 Phone: 515-294-8187 FAX: 515-294-3091
} } Does anyone have a utility to/from convert NIST DTSA spectral } binary data files to EMSA/MAS Standard File Format ? } } ---| Steven D. Majewski (804-982-0831) {sdm7g-at-Virginia.EDU} |--- } ---| Computer Systems Engineer University of Virginia |--- } ---| Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics |--- } ---| Box 449 Health Science Center Charlottesville,VA 22908 |--- } [ "The grass is always greener, except at t=0" - Stan Kelly-Bootle ] }
Version 2.5 of NIST Desktop Spectrum Analyzer (DTSA) includes a plug-in for reading and writing of the MSA/MAS standard file format. This version should be available from the NIST Standard Reference Data office (301-975-2208) in about a month (its in the mail...)
Eric B. Steel, Leader e-mail: eric.steel-at-nist.gov Microanalysis Research Group Office: 301-975-3902 N.I.S.T. FAX: 301-216-1134 Bldg. 222/Rm A113 Gaithersburg MD 20899
{Text_1} Helen McCall asked about Rheinberg illumination. A good how to guide can be found in Kodak's "Photography Through the Microscope" book. The following description is taken from the Molecular Expressions web page at: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/primer/setup.html
Another method of contrast enhancement was developed by microscopist Julius Rheinberg in 1896. Rheinberg illumination is often referred to as optical staining, and lends an exciting spectrum of color and highlights to conventional microscopy techniques. It is especially useful for amorphous and unstained samples which lack sufficient detail for successful photomicrography. Rheinberg illumination is similar to conventional darkfield illumination except that the central opaque light stop at the base of the substage condenser (Figure 3) is substituted for a colored central stop. A sample viewed with the colored central stop will appear white on a background the color of the stop. Addition of a colored transparent annular filter will add color to the sample. A variety of materials can be employed for constructing the colored stops and annular rings. Colored cellulose acetate or gelatin filters are probably the most convenient, and many graphics supply houses sell, or sometimes give away, small sample books of these materials. By experimenting with a variety of different colored stops and annular filters, a wide spectrum of different images can be obtained.
One stain that you might try is Alcian blue (Ingrain blue). It is very specific to negative surface charges and carbonyl groups, and might do the trick for you. I recently had success using it as a 0.05% aqueous solution to identify glycerol monostearates. Staining time was only about 10 minutes at room temp.
Regards,
-Bob *********************************** Bob Citron Chiron Vision 555 W. Arrow Hwy Claremont, CA. 91711 USA ph: (909)399-1311 email: Bob_Citron-at-cc.chiron.com ***********************************
What is the difference between EELS (electron energy loss spectroscopy) and ESI (electron spectroscopic imaging)? Is ESI with deltaE } 0eV the same as EELS? And when one speaks of "energy filtering" on TEM, is one refering to ESI only, or is EELS included?
Confused in Honolulu, Tina
www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/bemf/microangelo.html *************************************************************************** * Tina (Weatherby) Carvalho * tina-at-pbrc.hawaii.edu * * Biological Electron Microscope Facility * (808) 956-6251 * * University of Hawaii at Manoa * http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu * ***************************************************************************
EELS is spectroscopy of an area or point. You get a "spectrum" just similiar to an X-ray spectrum when you select an area using scanning or fixed spot analysis.
ELSI is an imaging technique where you form an image with a fixed energy window, similiar to X-ray Mapping. You select the energy window you want to image and form a "energy filtered" image. If the window surrounds the zero loss peak then you have a pseudo-elastic image. If the window is on a specific energy loss then you have an inelastic image corresponding to the energy loss you have selected. If you want to form an image of a specific "element" in ELSI, you must do some processing as the background (unlike XEDS) is highly non-linear so you must have windows before, at and after each energy loss edge. With suitable processing you get elemental and/or chemical images.
There is also the Spectrum Imaging modality, which was pioneered by Trebbia and Colliex Group in Orsay and has been since developed a great deal by multiple groups. Here you record a spectrum at each point of an image (if you are running in STEM mode). Or multiple Energy Filtered Images in the EFTEM mode. You can then interrogate the 3D data set and get the best of both worlds (spectroscopy and/or imaging).
Look at the books by Egerton( EELS in the Electron Microscope) Plenum Press, or Reimer (Transmission Electron Microscopy) Springer Series. Or the article by Hunt and Leapman in JMSA Volume 1 Issue #3 (http://www.msa.microscopy.com/JMSA/JMSA1995/Vol1-3.html)
Nestor Your Friendly Neighborhood SysOp
} Aloha, Microscopists! } } What is the difference between EELS (electron energy loss spectroscopy) } and ESI (electron spectroscopic imaging)? Is ESI with deltaE } 0eV the } same as EELS? And when one speaks of "energy filtering" on TEM, is one } refering to ESI only, or is EELS included? } } Confused in Honolulu, } Tina } } www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/bemf/microangelo.html } *************************************************************************** } * Tina (Weatherby) Carvalho * tina-at-pbrc.hawaii.edu * } * Biological Electron Microscope Facility * (808) 956-6251 * } * University of Hawaii at Manoa * http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu * } ***************************************************************************
Oxford Instruments (LINK) AN10000 *.IM images can be readily converted to TIFF images using NIH Image on Macs. There is a facility for stripping the 512byte header from the *.IM image. I think it is necessary to invert the LUT to generate a positive image which can then be saved as TIFF and transported to PC if necessary.
I do not know if ImagePC - referred to in Dave Teter's message a couple of days ago - will accomplish the same conversion without the need to use a Mac.
Only problem with this route is that I don't think there is a way of translating a LINK generated LUT at the same time - but most of the time this is probably not relevant.
Cheers, Stu
-- ************************************************************************** Stuart L. Kearns Electron Microbeam Laboratories Dept. Of Geology tel: +44 (0)117 928 8204 University of Bristol fax: +44 (0)117 925 3385 Bristol UK BS8 1RJ e-mail Stuart.Kearns-at-bristol.ac.uk ***************************************************************************
I scan my negatives on a LaCie Silverscanner III fitted with an Epsom Transparency Adapter. With a good digital printer the results are closing in on photographic quality . Kate Connolly
I have a PolaronE5400 sputter coater with a Polaron E5500/07 film thickness monitor. I can't get the thickness monitor to zero and I can't find any instruction book. Can anybody out there help me with either instructions or a phone number to Polaron?
I am currently helping to arrange program sessions for the Pittsburgh Conference in Atlanta on March 16-21, 1997.
I am looking for a volunteer who will be attending the Conference to preside at a session titled: "Microscopy/Bioanalytical Microscopy". The session includes a variety of microscopies and many are applied to bioanalytical research. The session will be on Wednesday afternoon, March 20, 1997.
Please direct your responses to me by September 23rd at baltrus-at-petc.doe.gov
Charles McLaughlin has asked me to post this message:
I have been told that Zerostat anti-static guns (for removing static during sectioning and cryosectioning) are no longer commercially available. Has anyone found an alternative method of eliminating static during cryoultramicrotomy?
Thanks in advance,
rich
Richard Lander South Campus Electron MicroscopeUnit c/- Pathology Department Otago Medical School P.O. Box 913Dunedin N.Z. Tel. National 03 479 7301 Fax. National 03 479 7254
Fostec, Inc. 62 Columbus Street Auburn, NY 13201-0275 315-255-2791 FAX 315-255-2695
They produce fiber optic devices including what you are asking about.
Louie Kerr
At 10:54 AM 9/11/96, cxhx-at-MUSICA.MCGILL.CA wrote: } Would anyone be able to relay the coordinates of a supplier for a } } miniature fiber-optic ring illuminator } } that fits around a microscope objective (objective ~ 20 mm diameter) with } fosuses 3.8 to 14 mm. } } For the purpose of creating darkfield on an inverted microscope. } } Paul Heroux } McGill Medicine
Louie Kerr Research and Education Support Coordinator Marine Biological Laboratory 7 MBL Street Woods Hole, MA 02543 508-289-7273 508-540-6902 (FAX)
Charles McLaughlin has asked me to post this message:
I have been told that Zerostat anti-static guns (for removing static during sectioning and cryosectioning) are no longer commercially available. Has anyone found an alternative method of eliminating static during cryoultramicrotomy?
Thanks in advance,
rich
Richard Lander South Campus Electron MicroscopeUnit c/- Pathology Department Otago Medical School P.O. Box 913Dunedin N.Z. Tel. National 03 479 7301 Fax. National 03 479 7254
I am starting a Macs in Science and Engineering - Mailing List
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The combinations of equipment used for digital processing of EM negatives will vary greatly from lab to lab. We have obtained excellent results with the following combination:
1. Scan the EM negatives with a Leafscan 45 scanner (Leaf Systems, Inc., 250 Turnpike Rd, Southboro, MA 01772; (508) 460-8300 -- however I think they were bought out by some parent company). This can give very high resolution (with consequent large files), taken up directly in Adobe Photoshop on a Power Mac 8500. We learned about the Leafscan 45 from Martin Muller's lab in Zurich.
2. Work with the EM files on the Mac with Adobe Photoshop 3.0 (crop, brightness, contrast, size, resolution, grouping, labeling, and so forth to infinity).
3. When the micrograph is exactly as you want it, print it from the Macintosh on a Kodak XLS 8600 PS Printer. The results are glossy prints that can rival anything you could do in the darkroom. The printer can print B&W or color with very good quality. The "printing paper", however, is quite expensive.
Kent
A. Kent Christensen Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology University of Michigan Medical School {akc-at-umich.edu}
--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 11 Sep 1996, yuhui xu wrote:
} Dear Colleages: } } I will appreciate it very much if anyone of you could tell me whether there } are photo scanners on the market that can be used to scan EM negatives into } the computer? I was told by a person from an image processing company that it } is possible to do this by using a transparency device. But I need to know if } there are people who are actually using those products for this purpose. I am } also interested in knowing the softwares, and printers that use photographic } paper. I do know there have been similar products that can be used for light } microscopy, e.g.,for flurescence microscopy, where the resolution of the } image is not a big concern. I do not know whether they can be used for } electron microscopy. } } Thanks. } } Yuhui Xu,MD,PhD } DFCI Core EM Facility } Harvard Medical School }
I would like to make contact with those of you that are close observers or actually involved with service of your microscope with particular emphasis on vacuum conditions and high voltage stability.
Useful tips on conditioning methods would also be helpful.
Mr-Received: by mta SRVR05.MUAS; Relayed; Wed, 11 Sep 1996 15:18:05 -0400 Mr-Received: by mta SRVR05; Relayed; Wed, 11 Sep 1996 15:18:05 -0400 Mr-Received: by mta SRVR01; Relayed; Wed, 11 Sep 1996 15:21:48 -0400 Disclose-Recipients: prohibited
IMHO,
For photographic quality of a digital image, the only way to go for output is the Fujix Pictrograph 3000 digital printer (~$25K). With a top notch electronic image, you'dswear it was a photo.
Best regards,
Walt Bobrowski Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research
Purdue University is offering an intensive, four-day workshop in the basics of cryo-electron microscopy. The course will run from November 3 through November 6 and will include theoretical discussions and hands-on demonstrations in preparing vitrified samples of biological macromolecules. Students will also learn low-dose, phase-contrast imaging procedures and image recording on both film and CCD cameras. An introduction to the methods of image analysis and three-dimensional image reconstruction will also be given. For registration information contact: Susan Umberger, 7136-U, Purdue University, Division of Conferences, 1586 Stewart Center, Room 116, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1586. Phone: 317-494-7217. For course content information see the web site at http://bilbo.bio.purdue.edu/~workshop/ or contact workshop-at-bilbo.bio.purdue.edu. The workshop fee is $1200 US or $1350 after September 15 and includes course materials, lunches, a banquet and lodging.
In an effort to aquire a research grade photomicroscope on a spartan budget, I puchased a 70's vintage Vanox model S (I am assuming this since there is no model number on the scope.) It came with a fully functional PM 10 CBAD and a 4x5 camera body. The auction purchase price was about $3K and it came with a full array of Neo S Plan optics.
The scope is great but it is set up for reflectance microscopy. This has worked very well for reflectance work but most of our needs are for transmission. I thought that we could purchase the transmission optics with little difficulty. This has not been the case. Olympus no longer supports the scope and efforts to find the needed parts have not yeilded any leads.
Does anyone know where I might obtain the substage components for standard light field/ darkfield. Phase would be nice too but the former (at a reasonable price) would save the day.
As an alternative we would certainly entertain liquidiating this scope for something that is closer to our needs. The scope is in superb condition!
Any leads would be greatly appreciated.
Jay Jones **************************************************************************** Jay H. Jones Internet: jonesj-at-ulvacs.ulaverne.edu Professor of Biology and Biochemistry Biology Dept. University of La Verne 909 593-3511 x4040 office La Verne, CA 91750 909 593-3511 x4604 lab ****************************************************************************
} We have Microtek scanners: } A 45 T for negatives up to 4x5 inches, 30 bit color or B&W } A Scanmaker III for refection scanning; 36 bit color or B&W } a 35 t for fast scanning of 35 mmm size transparencies } } We scan in the images so they are at least one megabyte (say 1024x1024). We process the digital images in Photoshop 3.0 on a 100 mHz Pentium with 128 Mb of RAM and a 1.6 Gb disk. } } For advanced enhancement we use a PiXision workstation. } } But most of our images are now recorded digitally from the start. We archive them on CD ROM. } } For page makeup we mostly use CorelDraw. } } For output we use a 600 DPI HP Laserjet for draft quality and a Tektronix 440 dye sublimation printer for photorealistic output. It does excellent monochrome and briliant color, Cost AU$3.00 a page for mon o and AU$5.00 for color. } } The system has been very well received by our users. The final result is very professional and takes much less skill than conventional photography. } } Mel Dickson. }
Could anyone help me with the following reference details for a colleague?
Bates, A. and Buthala,? (1987). Biological specimen preparation for SEM by a method other than CPD. Proceedings of the 45th American EM Society of America, 1987. pp?????
Thanks Marilyn
Dr. Marilyn Henderson CEMMSA The University of Adelaide South Australia 5005
Hi. Are there lectures presented at the workshop :"Advanced Imaging Techniques Applied to Catalyst Characterization", Baltimore 1996, available in printed or electronic form?
Leszek Kepinski
==================================================================== | Address: Dr. Leszek Kepinski, | | Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, | | Polish Academy of Sciences, | | ul. Okolna 2, P.O. Box 937, | | 50-950 WROCLAW 2, Poland. | | phone: 48(71) 3435021 ext. 153; fax: 48(71) 441029. | | e-mail: kepinski-at-highscreen.int.pan.wroc.pl | | www: http://www.int.pan.wroc.pl | ====================================================================
Regarding your problem with the film thickness monitor, firstly, the crystal for the film thickness monitor may be saturated or be shorting. An extract from the instruction book reads:
"Quartz crystal: .. it will function normally until the total thickness of deposited material causes the oscillation frequency to be outside the range of the measuring system. At this point, which corresponds to about 11 microns of aluminium or 2 microns of gold, the digits on the display will no longer alter during deposition. The crystal must then be changed."
Secondly, the density setting could be wrong. The setting for gold is 19.4 g/cc, Au/Pd is 18.0 g/cc.
I hope this solves your problem. I could fax you the important parts of the instruction manual if you can't obtain one from someone nearer to you.
Regards
Robin
Robin Cross Director : EM Unit, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa eurc-at-giraffe.ru.ac.za (tel: +27 461 318168 - fax: +27 461 24377)
Dear friends, I would greatly appreciate your help in choosing an optimal configuration for an image aquisition and storage system that I am trying to finalize. I am presently using a single CCD camera (Optronics ZVS-47E) with a 2:1 interlaced 525 lines, 30 frames/sec, resolution. I perform image acquisition through a Kontron framegrabber and I am using KS400 software for my analyses, using a 486 66MHz, 16Mb ram PC. I am not happy with the resolution of the images that I store (I do mostly histology and immunohistochemistry). I would like to move to a 3CCD camera a better framegrabber and a Pentium PC. Could you please give me some advice on the following items I've been examining in the market? 3CCD cameras: JVC KY-F55E or KY-F30BE Panasonic GP-US502 Hamamatsu C6157 most of the above have 1/3" CCDs framegrabber: Matrox Millenniun with 2 or 4 MB Pentium PC 133MHz with PCI structure. Thank you for your time and advice. You may either answer in the list or privately at the address: Ghiara-at-sienanet.it bye Paolo
The "Polaron" products are now manufactured by an English company called VG Microtech, who purchased the product line from BioRad about 4 years ago. We (Energy Beam Sciences) are the authorized Polaron distributors in the United States. We can supply instruction manuals for any Polaron product. We also have trained service engineers on staff. Please contact me by e-mail or toll-free telephone (800-992-9037).
Best regards Steven E. Slap, Vice-President ******************************** Energy Beam Sciences, Inc. Adding Brilliance To Your Vision ebs-at-ebsciences.com http://www.ebsciences.com/ ********************************
} Oxford Instruments (LINK) AN10000 *.IM images can be readily converted to } TIFF images using NIH Image on Macs. } There is a facility for stripping the 512byte header from the *.IM image. There is also the import capability on Visilog 4.
} I think it is necessary to invert } the LUT to generate a positive image which can then be saved as TIFF and } transported to PC if necessary. You could do that under Visilog 4. Create an image with the same size as your image, with the grey level 255 inside and subtract your image to this constant image create("a",255,...); subtract("a","YOUR_IMAGE","RESULT");
} I do not know if ImagePC - referred to in Dave Teter's message a couple of } days ago - will accomplish the same conversion without the need to use a Mac. I don't know.
} Only problem with this route is that I don't think there is a way of } translating a LINK generated LUT at the same time - but most of the time } this is probably not relevant.
Do you really want the Pseudo Color LUT, or just to invert the image ? I think you can import Oxford images directly into Visilog.
PS: Just for your information, Visilog 5 is able to read Oxford Image format, but it does not yet take LUT into account.
Hi, Our lab has a Durst Laborator 138S enlarger. I called Durst for info on replacing the bulb - for an Atlas 110-120V, 300W, Opale their price is $63.00. Anyone know of a better deal out there?
Thanks for your help,
Beth Richardson EM Lab Coordinator Botany Department University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602
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Hello,
I am trying to contact the JEOL service representatives in Canada but unfortunately, the number I have doesn't seem to work anymore. If anyone could pass along the number, I'd be grateful.
I too have the Fujix and our pictures really are excellent (if I say so myself). Nina Allen
On Wed, 11 Sep 1996, Walt Bobrowski (313) 996-7814 wrote:
} IMHO, } } For photographic quality of a digital image, the only way to go for output is } the } Fujix Pictrograph 3000 digital printer (~$25K). With a top notch electronic } image, you'dswear it was a photo. } } Best regards, } } Walt Bobrowski } Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research } }
Hi Richard, For regular ultra-microtoming I use a anti-static gun which is manufactured or supplied by Chapman of Portland, Maine.
Leo Marin
On Thu, 12 Sep 1996, Richard Lander wrote:
} Charles McLaughlin has asked me to post this message: } } I have been told that Zerostat anti-static guns (for removing static during } sectioning and cryosectioning) are no longer commercially available. Has } anyone found an alternative method of eliminating static during } cryoultramicrotomy? } } Thanks in advance, } } rich } } } } Richard Lander } South Campus Electron MicroscopeUnit } c/- Pathology Department } Otago Medical School } P.O. Box 913Dunedin } N.Z. } Tel. National 03 479 7301 Fax. National 03 479 7254 } } "Southernmost EM Unit in the World!" } } }
Fellow Microscopists, need your help for following puzzle:
We operate a scanning electron microscope (make and model withheld), tungsten filament, turbomolecular pump mechanically backed, with EDS beryllium window, about one year old. The instrument is overnight on vacuum. A few days ago when arrived in the lab in the morning found that chamber door wide open. The opening was evidently very violent: the plastic latch was broken, and the door had swung 180 degrees against a stop, severely bending and damaging detector and stage motor housings, and putting the door out of alignment. This would indicate an internal explosion, yes?
We have not yet determined if damage to column or EDS window occurred. When the turbo pump (which seems to be undamaged) was disassembled, found that the wire protection screen was thoroughly wetted with a liquid which feels and smells as alcohol. The pump support had an oily film mixed with a gritty material. This material is currently being analyzed. The only place where there is oil in the system is in the mechanical pump. The hose from this pump is clean, indicating no back leakage.
The operation routine of the instrument is very careful, mostly geological samples, no open access, no alcohol used anywhere in the routine of the lab.
Does anyone recall a similar experience or have any clues? Thanks to all Prof.Walter A.Mannheimer Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Federal University of Rio de Janeiro POBox 68505 21945 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Voice +5521 280-7443 (Dept.office) +5521 590-0579 (direct) Fax +5521 290-6626 Email: wamann-at-metalmat.ufrj.br
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I have a PolaronE5400 sputter coater with a Polaron E5500/07 film thickness monitor. I can't get the thickness monitor to zero and I can't find any instruction book. Can anybody out there help me with either instructions or a phone number to Polaron?
For JEOL service and sales in Canada, you should contact Soquelec Ltee. Ltd. in Montreal. Their telephone number is 514-482-6427 and their fax number is 514-482-1929. I'm sure that Jean-Pierre Slakmon and his staff will be able to help you.
Best regards, Steven E. Slap ******************************** Energy Beam Sciences, Inc. Adding Brilliance To Your Vision ebs-at-ebsciences.com http://www.ebsciences.com/ ********************************
Thanks for the input on where to obtain MIL-STD-1246C. I haven't received it yet but will report later.
I bought a copy ($12 plus postage) from:
Document Center Inc. 1504 Industrial Way- Unit 9 Belmont, CA 94002 (415) 591-7600
http://www.service.com/doccenter/home.html
------------------------------------------------- Harold J. Crossman OSRAM SYLVANIA INC. Lighting Research Center 71 Cherry Hill Dr. Beverly, MA 01915 Phone: (508) 750-1717 E-mail: crossman-at-rd.sylvania.com
Our web sites: www.sylvania.com www.osram.de www.siemens.com
Richard, You may want to try the Static Line II made by diatome. It is an anti static line that can be used during sectioning and for cryoultramicrotomy. We bought ours through Electron Microscopy Sciences. Linda Iadarola Center for Cell Imaging Yale University, New Haven, CT
--------------------------------------
Leo Marin
On Thu, 12 Sep 1996, Richard Lander wrote:
} Charles McLaughlin has asked me to post this message: } } I have been told that Zerostat anti-static guns (for removing static during } sectioning and cryosectioning) are no longer commercially available. Has } anyone found an alternative method of eliminating static during } cryoultramicrotomy? } } Thanks in advance, } } rich } } } } Richard Lander } South Campus Electron MicroscopeUnit } c/- Pathology Department } Otago Medical School } P.O. Box 913Dunedin } N.Z. } Tel. National 03 479 7301 Fax. National 03 479 7254 } } "Southernmost EM Unit in the World!" } } }
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After being off maintenance contract for two years on our JEOL 2000FX (200kV) TEM, we've returned to the fold. I've just found out that JEOL refuses to guarantee my gun under the maintenance contract if I don't use filaments that they specify as OK. If their is a problem with the gun that they can prove arises from the filament, they won't fix it. The filaments they support are about a factor of three times more expensive than what I have in stock. I would like to use up my supply of cheaper filaments. Am I taking a big risk? Does a lower quality filament really risk the health of a gun? I've always been satisfied with the brightness, stability, and life span of these filaments in the past.
} } Fellow Microscopists, need your help for following puzzle: } } We operate a scanning electron microscope (make and model withheld), } tungsten filament, turbomolecular pump mechanically backed, with EDS } beryllium window, about one year old. The instrument is overnight on } vacuum. A few days ago when arrived in the lab in the morning found } that chamber door wide open. The opening was evidently very violent: } the plastic latch was broken, and the door had swung 180 degrees } against a stop, severely bending and damaging detector and stage motor } housings, and putting the door out of alignment. This would indicate } an internal explosion, yes? } Dear Walter, Yes, and the two types which come to mind would be chemical and sudden evaporation/sublimation of a liquid/solid. In the first case, there would have to be both an inflammable material and a reactant (usually an oxidising agent) which would mix in the chamber. Had this happened, I would expect that there would be residue from incomplete combustion; i.e., there would be more than an alcohol-like residue on the TMP screen. It is possible that hydrogen and oxygen somehow got into the chamber, in which case there would be no residue; this is unlikely barring sabotage, but oxygen can condense at 77 K, so there is a conceiv- able mechanism for getting liquid oxygen into the system. LN2 does not evaporate suddenly, but perhaps other cryo-liquids do. In this case, the sudden expansion would cause an increase in pres- sure without leaving a residue. Failure of a valve on a compressed gas tank would also do this, but that would have left obvious clues. Yours, Bill Tivol
(Assuming a N2 line exists) Is the chamber vented with N2 through a pressure reduction stage? I'm wondering if there could have been a failure in the pressure reducer allowing high pressure gas to fill the chamber. This would have given the appearance of an explosion and would have stirred things up a bit, maybe even adding some of that debris you describe. Gas lines can have traps for oil, pipe grit, etc. even when they're not supposed to need them. A sudden rush of gas could have blown stuff downstream. Stranger things have happened.
Was there any maintenance being performed on the N2 plumbing? Was the reservoir being filled? Emptied? What is/was the line pressure? Does the valve/pressure reducer have a handle that can be turned easily?
Could the oil have been from the bearing lubrication system if the turbo did not shut down immediately? If the turbo controller has a power supply with a fault indicator, was it lit?
------------------------------------------------- Harold J. Crossman OSRAM SYLVANIA INC. Lighting Research Center 71 Cherry Hill Dr. Beverly, MA 01915 Phone: (508) 750-1717 E-mail: crossman-at-rd.sylvania.com
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Fellow Microscopists, need your help for following puzzle: ...snip...This would indicate an internal explosion, yes?
We have not yet determined if damage to column or EDS window occurred. ...snip...
Does anyone recall a similar experience or have any clues? Thanks to all Prof.Walter A.Mannheimer Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Federal University of Rio de Janeiro POBox 68505 21945 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Voice +5521 280-7443 (Dept.office) +5521 590-0579 (direct) Fax +5521 290-6626 Email: wamann-at-metalmat.ufrj.br
} Date: Fri, 13 Sep 96 12:55:14 EDT } From: "MARK DARUS (216) 266-2895 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO." {darus-at-cle.dnet.ge.com} } Subject: Fumed Silica sample prep. } } Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can prepare fumed silica for } analysis under an SEM. My problem is that the silica won't stick to } carbon tape, only as small particles. I would like to get a fairly even layer.
You might try collecting the particles on a Nuclepore filter.
Message-Id: {199609132246.SAA12406-at-mime2.prodigy.com} X-Mailer: Prodigy Internet GW(v0.9beta) - ae02dm02sc04
-- [ From: Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. * EMC.Ver #3.0 ] --
Mark Darus wrote: } ==================================================== } } Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can prepare fumed silica for } } analysis under an SEM. My problem is that the silica won't stick to carbon } } tape, only as small particles. I would like to get a fairly even layer. } ==================================================== } This might sound a bit involved and drawn out, but this is a procedure that we } have used for particles in this range, including fumed } silica, where the basic particles really are on the order of nm sizes. I } publicized this method about a year go, it was taught to me by Robert P. Schatz } who is now deceased, when we were both working at the DuPont Experimental } Station in the late 1960's and sharing a laboratory, I am not sure if the } method was his own innovation, but he sure did know how to recognize a system } that could benefit from this method. } } Mix up some camphor (60%) and napthalene (40%) which is then heated to melting } (which occurs not too far above room temperature) where the two compounds form } a very interesting (for EM people) eutectic. The freezing point is just a few } degrees above room temperature, so the idea is to make the liquid solution of } the two compounds, then add some of the powder to be studied, and then with an } eye dropper, put a few drops onto a glass slide or cover slip. The liquid of } course instantly freezes, and at the same time, immobilized fine particles in } 3D space. } } Then put the substrate with the thin layer of solid eutectic into a vacuum } evaporator and let it pump with mechanical pump vacuum over night. The solid } sublimes away, so that by morning, the colloidal particles of silica (or } whatever else one might be studying) is uniformly dispersed on the substrate. } If the dispersed particles are of SEM size, then they can be studied directly } by SEM. If more apprpriate for TEM observation, then the particles are all } ready to be Pt/C replicated and then studied. If one sees "doublets" then they } were probably doublets to begin with and were not dublets that were formed } during sample preparation. } } Any ordinary camphor or naphthalene will do, nothing special otherwise is } needed, they can be purchased from any reputable scientific supply house. } } Chuck } ====================================================== Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. Ph: 1-(610)-436-5400 President 1-(800)-2424-SPI SPI SUPPLIES FAX: 1-(610)-436-5755 PO BOX 656 e-mail: GVKM07A-at-prodigy. com West Chester, PA 19381-0656 USA Customer Service: spi2spi-at-2spi. com
Look for us! ############################ WWW: http://www.2spi.com ############################ =====================================================
The clues you gave also point to the possibility of a high pressure compressed air line failure. Do you use "house" compressed air to for example operate any pneumatic valves on your SEM.
Frequently these air lines contain "oil" and other oily fluids. Certainly, the compressed "house" air lines that we use here at ANL to operate all valves and provide several Atmospheres of pressure. I think I would investigate the (slim ) possiblity of one of your pneumatic valves failing internally with a subsequent dump of the high pressure into the pumping lines. This would overpressurize the colum and certainly cause the door to fling open. But you should have heard the air line releasing pressure into the room when you walked in, unless the compressor died too. I guess my message is to check your Pressurized piping and all valves too.
Your method for dispersing particles on a surface using a 60% camphor/40% napthalene particle suspension eutectic is equivalent to freeze-drying except you don't need the fancy cold stages and high vacuum apparatus. Both camphor and napthalene will sublime at room temperature on the bench or in a vacuum system leaving the particles behind on a selected surface.
Hey Mike, Thanks for the mail forwarding, especially the first regarding 2000 filament/SC policy. I'll forward same to Pat on Monday, hopefully someone in SSG has intercepted same message. The context that this was presented (I'm back in the S/C fold and being "extorted into high priced filaments") has to be followed with a phone call to customer with a more understanding and practical discussion/solution. Thks & Have a good weekend ! Craig
PS I'll be in Boston on Tueday - I'll find out more about above.
On Fri, 13 Sep 96 12:55:14 EDT "MARK DARUS (216) 266-2895 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO." {darus-at-cle.dnet.ge.com} wrote: } Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can prepare fumed silica for } analysis under an SEM. My problem is that the silica won't stick to } carbon tape, only as small particles. I would like to get a fairly even layer.
I've had some success with the following method. Make a very thin suspension in an inert liquid such as 2-propanol and dry a drop on a smooth glass surface (e.g. a microscope slide or cover slip). You will find that with particles as small as silica fume the surface forces are strong enough to hold them on the glass. The effect is stronger than if you just dry-dust the material onto the substrate.
Dr Eric Lachowski University of Aberdeen Department of Chemistry Aberdeen, Scotland tel +44 1224 272934 fax +44 1224 272921
MAMAS (Mid-Atlantic Microbeam Analysis Society) and the Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, NIST
Meeting at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD on Monday, October 7, 1996 10:30 am- 3:00 PM Lecture Room D, Administration Bldg.
10:30 Coffee and Doughnuts
10:45 Wilbur Bigelow, MAS Tour Speaker, Prof. Emeritus, U. Michigan "Some Fundamental Reasons Why it Takes So Long to Pump Down to a High Vacuum"
12 noon Lunch
1:00 Gene Jarosewich, Department of Mineral Sciences, Smithsonian Institution
"Standards for Geological Analysis" 2:00 Wilbur Bigelow " Why and How Oil Diffusion Pumps are being Replaced in Electron Beam Instruments"
For more information, contact Ryna Marinenko (301)975-3901, FAX(301)216-1134, email:ryna.marinenko-at-nist.gov
I have not hear of a SEM exploding but I could conceive of it happening. If Liquid oxygen, a carbon source and a metal catalysis are mixed together an explosion could occur. If your EDS system was cold enough to cool O2 to a liquid. The liquid O2 could come in contact with vacuum grease and there is plenty of different metals to act as a catalysis. Although, very rare, I have hear of this happening on other LN2 cool instruments.
Mike
=========================================================== Michael Dunlap lab (916) 752-0284 Facility For Advanced Instrumentation fax (510) 422-2282 University of California mrdunlap-at-ucdavis.edu Davis CA, 95616 http://carbon.ucdavis.edu ============================================================
Originally, I had called Durst for a replacement bulb for a 138S enlarger. I told them I had an Atlas 110-120V, 200W bulb. I was told that I needed a 300W bulb for that enlarger (even though it says max200W on the enlarger? go figure) anyway, and that it would cost me $63.00.
I want to thank everyone who replied with names and numbers of their favorite bulb companies.
Results - The favorite place to bulb shop is PSC Lamps, Inc., (800) 772-5267.
They have a new address: PSC Lamps, Inc. 1 Fishers Rd. Pittsford, NY 14534
and a web site - http://www.roccplex.com/psclamps and they had the cheapest price - $2.61
Other companies:
Bulbs Only - very nice and helpful 954 Queen St Southington, CT 06489 (203) 621-0213
Bulbman, Inc. - very nice and helpful sorry forgot to get their address Reno, NV (800) - 648-1163
Bulbtronics - nice, except they promised to call back with info and didn't 31 Willow Park Ctr PO 306 Farmingdale, NY 11735 (800) 654-8542
Again, thanks for the helpful suggestions. I don't know if the person I spoke to at Durst made a mistake or if they are just price gouging. I'll use PSC.
Best regards, Beth
Beth Richardson EM Lab Coordinator Botany Department University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-7271
I need some information... I have a few microtome knives (15-25 cm long) that need sharpening but I don't know where to send them in the states...anybody know who does this sort of stuff??? please reply to: RonMervis-at-aol.com
We would appreciate information and advice on upgrade options for the JEOL 733 microprobe. I am aware that many have been upgraded, some more successfully than others. We would like to avoid the problems that others may have experienced!
Thanks
Robin Cross Director : EM Unit, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa eurc-at-giraffe.ru.ac.za (tel: +27 461 318168 - fax: +27 461 24377)
I have been using C.L. Sturkey, Inc. They are fast and good at a fair price.
C.L. Sturkey, Inc. 1549 Joel Drive Lebanon, PA 17046 800-274-9446
Good luck, Louie Kerr
At 6:43 PM 9/16/96, RonMervis-at-aol.com wrote: } I need some information... } I have a few microtome knives (15-25 cm long) that need sharpening but I } don't know where to send them in the states...anybody know who does this sort } of stuff??? } please reply to: } RonMervis-at-aol.com } } thanks in advance.... } } Ron Mervis, Ph.D. } NeuroMetrix Research, Inc.
Louie Kerr Research and Education Support Coordinator Marine Biological Laboratory 7 MBL Street Woods Hole, MA 02543 508-289-7273 508-540-6902 (FAX)
We have a Philips 420 TEM and always has a DENKA lab6 filament. It always seem that we never get enough life out of the DENKA because the solder joints housing the crystal always crack a bit. Our acuum system is good. Are there other types that are better? I heard that Kimbell is a good one.
I'm looking for a source of black and white digital cameras (preferably those companies offering GSA, i.e., government, contracts) to use with a light microscope image analysis system. I plan to use the camera to collect images using an ordinary lens as well. If anyone can be of help, please email back with suppliers or recommendations. Thanks in advance.
Delilah W. Irving tel: 510-559-5653 USDA - ARS - WRRC fax: 510-559-5777 800 Buchanan St. email: dirving-at-pw.usda.gov Albany, CA 94710
I'm sorry if this is a duplicate mailing. I think my original message yesterday didn't make it out.
} } I have been told that Zerostat anti-static guns (for removing static during } } sectioning and cryosectioning) are no longer commercially available. Has } } anyone found an alternative method of eliminating static during } } cryoultramicrotomy?
I just checked with Sigma Chemical Company about availability of Zerostat guns. As of this morning, they have 52 in stock for US$51.95. The Catalog Number is Z-3000. When these are gone, they will discontinue the item.
In regards to the query from Ron Mervis about microtome knife sharpening:
One of the technicians in our lab has sent knives to the following reconditioners and was satisfied with the results from both. She doesn't have current info on prices or turnaround times.
C.L. Sturkey, Inc. (215) 754-7296 646 Kulp Rd., Perkiomenville, PA 18074
Dorn & Hart (708) 832-3843 135 Home Ave., Villa Park, IL 60181
C.L. Sturkey also sells new knives (I'm not sure about Dorn & Hart).
Helpfully,
Jaclynn Lett
Central Institute for the Deaf St. Louis, MO jm_Lett-at-cidmac.wustl.edu
To: Microscopy ListSer {Microscopy-at-MSA.Microscopy.Com}
Raj,
We found those brazed (M3, I recall), Denka tips need to be heated and cooled slowly. If you are doing that, they should last per Denka's literature. The brightness drops as they get old.
No more than about a 0.2 amp per 20 second increase is what we use when firing up or shutting down.
Message-Id: {1.5.4.32.19960917203926.0067e0b0-at-biotech.ufl.edu} X-Sender: klv-at-biotech.ufl.edu X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Does anyone know of a fixative called Iodoplatinate?
I am interested in looking at phospholipids in mammalian tissue. Any other suggestions for a fixative?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- Karen Vaughn Tel.(904) 392-1184 EM Technician University of Florida Fax.(904) 846-0251 Electron Microscopy Core Laboratory Email. KLV-at-biotech.ufl.edu Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/~emcl/ 214 Bartram Hall Gainesville, Fl 32611
We have a Philips 420 TEM and always has a DENKA lab6 filament. It always seem that we never get enough life out of the DENKA because the solder joints housing the crystal always crack a bit. Our acuum system is good. Are there other types that are better? I heard that Kimbell is a good one.
} We have a Philips 420 TEM and always has a DENKA lab6 filament. } It always seem that we never get enough life out of the DENKA because the } solder joints housing the crystal always crack a bit. Our acuum system is } good. Are there other types that are better? I heard that Kimbell is a } good one. } } Raj
I prefer FEI or Kimball Physics. FEI in particular has given us good customer service. Phil
&&&&&&&&&&& Illigitmi non carborundum &&&&&&&&&&&
Philip Oshel University of Illinois Rm 74 Bevier Hall 905 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 244-3145 oshel-at-ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (217) 355-1143 home
I would like suggestions for a method and/or procedure for analyzing the diffusion gradient of sodium and chloride ions that are transported into a 0.25" thick polymer under cathodic protection (a negative potential of -1.0 V vs. saturated calomel). Ion contents most likely will be less than 1% of the polymer content (only C, O, H in chains)
David A. Shifler NSWCCD Bldg. 60, Code 613 Bethesda, MD 20084-5000 USA
We have been using a Kimball Physics LaB6 filament in our JEOL JSM-840 SEM with very good results. It uses a carbon mount. Life time has been at least as good as the DENKA and we were instructed by Kimball to not use the preheat function. In other words the filament is brought up from cold each time we use it. There is some wandering for about 15 minutes but then it settles down. On our first Kimball the carbon split post burned through because of our overheating the filament. I have dealt with Barry Scientific for purchasing (800-348-2257).
Hope this helps, Louie Kerr
At 11:51 AM 9/17/96, Rajesh Patel wrote: } We have a Philips 420 TEM and always has a DENKA lab6 filament. } It always seem that we never get enough life out of the DENKA because the } solder joints housing the crystal always crack a bit. Our acuum system is } good. Are there other types that are better? I heard that Kimbell is a } good one. } } Raj
Louie Kerr Research and Education Support Coordinator Marine Biological Laboratory 7 MBL Street Woods Hole, MA 02543 508-289-7273 508-540-6902 (FAX)
A colleague at UCLA is looking for a TEM with a cryo stage that she can use to look at vitreous films containing a million Dalton protein to try to work out the 3-D structure. Coming to Hawaii to use our cryostage seems rather out-of-the-way (unless you're looking for a tan), so we would like to know if there is one nearer to southern Calif., including the Pacific NW or the SW. Oh, and a freezing device with cryo-transfer, as well, of course. If you can reply to me, I'll forward messages to her.
Alternative approaches to this problem would also be welcome. Any ideas out there?
Thank you all in advance!
Mahalo, Tina
*************************************************************************** * Tina (Weatherby) Carvalho * tina-at-pbrc.hawaii.edu * * Biological Electron Microscope Facility * (808) 956-6251 * * University of Hawaii at Manoa * http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu * ***************************************************************************
We use Sanyo B/W CCD cameras type VC-2524. They come with C-mount adaptors to mount on microscopes. Resolution is 800x600 picture elements. They need a 24 V ac supply. CCIR standard 625 TV lines. Output 1.0 vp-p 75 ohms, composite, BNC connector. They just plug into a frame grabber. Very satisfactory. They are commonly used for building security surveillance systems. About US $1000
A colleague at UCLA is looking for a TEM with a cryo stage that she can use to look at vitreous films containing a million Dalton protein to try to work out the 3-D structure. Coming to Hawaii to use our cryostage seems rather out-of-the-way (unless you're looking for a tan), so we would like to know if there is one nearer to southern Calif., including the Pacific NW or the SW. Oh, and a freezing device with cryo-transfer, as well, of course. If you can reply to me, I'll forward messages to her.
Alternative approaches to this problem would also be welcome. Any ideas out there?
Thank you all in advance!
Mahalo, Tina
*************************************************************************** * Tina (Weatherby) Carvalho * tina-at-pbrc.hawaii.edu * * Biological Electron Microscope Facility * (808) 956-6251 * * University of Hawaii at Manoa * http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu * ***************************************************************************
Does anybody have or know of a diffusion/turbo pumped evaporation unit suitable for carbon coating either gathering dust or available for purchase. We are currently using a rough pumped 'flash coater' which we find wholly unsuitable for microanalysis.
Ideally, an Edwards 306 unit or something similar would suit our requirements but anything will be considered. In addition to SOME cash (times are hard you know) we can offer WDS analysis in return.
Thaks for your cooperation
Cheers, Stu
-- ************************************************************************** Stuart L. Kearns Electron Microbeam Laboratories Dept. Of Geology tel: +44 (0)117 928 8204 University of Bristol fax: +44 (0)117 925 3385 Bristol UK BS8 1RJ e-mail Stuart.Kearns-at-bristol.ac.uk ***************************************************************************
} We have a Philips 420 TEM and always has a DENKA lab6 filament. } It always seem that we never get enough life out of the DENKA because the } solder joints housing the crystal always crack a bit. Our acuum system is } good. Are there other types that are better? I heard that Kimbell is a } good one. } } Raj
I used a number of Philips 400 series TEMs with Denka filaments over a number of years and had no serious problems - in fact the results were excellent. Four points (sorry if I state the obvious, or tell you something you already know):
1. You MUST, especialy with a new filament or one that has recently been up to air, increase the filament heating SLOWLY. For the first few times, I would recommend taking perhaps 15 minutes to reach saturation point. After the filament has been run in for 10 hours or so, you can increase the heat-up rate, but I would still recommend taking 5 minutes.
2. I always used to run the filaments slightly undersaturated. The saturation point is not as well defined, in my experience, with LaB6 filaments as with W and users familiar with W tend to increase the filament current until all structure disappears from the filament image. I my opinion, this is too high (and sometimes much too high) and there is minimal loss in brightness by operating with structure (perhaps quite a lot) still apparent in the filament image - this position will generally be about 3-4 steps lower on the filament control.
3. Check the saturation carefully when changing the gun emission. Even with W, the saturation point will vary as the bias is changed. This is more pronounced with LaB6 and more critical. If you turn the emission up, this is obvious, as the filament de-saturates. The problem usually arises when users reduce the emission, and forget to reset the filament saturation (if you follow my suggestion above, this is a less significant issue).
4. Problems also arise if STEM mode is used frequently and the user does not check the filament image - DO NOT rely on brightness levels to determine the saturation point, as you will get it wrong. Saturate in TEM mode first, where you can carefully check the filament image, then switch to STM.
I would also note that filament alignment is much more critical with LaB6 - you MUST do it with a stereo microscope.
Also, make sure you are using the correct LaB6-compatible wehnelt assemblies and wehnelt caps - the caps are much larger than earlier types, with extra holes to ensure good vacuum near the tip and the wehnelt may also have additional holes. If you try using the earlier type of wehnelt (no holes), you will certainly get early failure.
The mode of failure I experienced was exactly as you describe. You don't actually say what lifetime you are getting. From what I remember, Denka specify a rather broad range of lifetimes - I would not expect to get anywhere near the upper end doing analytical TEM. You will only achieve these very long life times with the filament well back from the wehnelt, low emission and careful operation - for example, low magnification work on a SEM. I guess for routine analytical TEM, I would be happy with 500 hrs.
I also remember that when Denka first brought out LaB6 filaments for TEMs, they did have some quality control problems, and a few filaments only lasted 50-100 hours. I think I sent two back. So, if you are doing everything else right, go back to your supplier - there might be a real problem with the filament.
I am trying to assess the degree of periodicity and in greyscale images with vertical stripes, so to this end I am using NIH-image to extract the pixel values of horizontal lines in an image. I then load these into Excel to obtain a 1D FFT,the idea being to average over all the lines in the image.
However I'm not sure how to:
(i) Obtain the spacial frequency of the FFT:- for every pixel brightness value along the line the result of the FFT is an imaginary number so how is the amplitude at a particular spacial frequency determined? And indeed what is the range of spacial frequencies over which the FFT has been performed?
(ii) Is there any easier way to perform a series of 1D FFT's over each line of the image and obtain a resulting 'Amplitude vs' spacial frequency plot' for the image that detects vertical periodicity?
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I have used the Nikon correction lens for looking at WORM pits on glass substrates. I would suggest stacking up glass or polycarbonate sheets until you are within the Nikon's range best regards mark Mark W. Lund, PhD Director } } Soft X-ray Web page http://www.moxtek.com { { MOXTEK, Inc. ************************************************* Orem UT 84057 **"Soft x-rays in the 21st Century" conference ** 801-225-0930 ** 8-11 January 1997, Midway Utah ** FAX 801-221-1121 ** http://volta.byu.edu/xray/info.html ** lundm-at-xray.byu.edu *************************************************
"Let me commend a great truth to you which has been one of the supports of my life: 'The Gods send threads for a web begun.' Andrew Carnegie
Greetings, And appologies: a few weeks ago in the discussion about sharing diamond knives, someone commented on a great system for making boats on glass knives. It was supposed to be much easier that the good old silver tape method. I lost that post, and can't find it in the "Tips and Tricks" archive. If the original poster is listening, I would appreciate a reprise, or if someone else has it, or a suggestion, that would be great too. Many thanks, Tobias Baskin
At 09:51 AM 9/18/96 -0400, you wrote: } The idea is to use a particular color, rather than white, to represent the } presence of an element in an EDS dot map. Is there a way to convert a B/W } digital image to B/color image using either Photoshop or NIH-Image? Thanks } for any input. } } Michael Cinibulk
It may not be easy, but it can be done in PhotoStyler. I suppose PhotoShop has a similar feature.
It is possible to do an Edit/Fill/Color-Only operation where the chosen color replaces the gray value. E.g., bright white becomes bright red while black remains black. However, it is first necessary to convert the image to a true color (i.e., 24-bit image).
I also was able to convert the white-on-black to color-on-white, but that took a few more steps which I don't recall off hand. But I could find them if you need them. I know it involved at least one negative operation. ---------------------------------------------------- Warren E. Straszheim 270 Metals Development, Ames Lab/ISU, Ames IA, 50011 Phone: 515-294-8187 FAX: 515-294-3091
to all who sent me info regarding knives...thanks much...I received a nice sample of folks who do this and if anyone would like the names of companies who perform the service please feel free to contact me.... thanks again.. & bravo for e-mail !!! Ron Mervis, Ph.D. NeuroMetrix Research, Inc. "...assessing the neuroanatomical correlates of neuroplasticity, neurodegeneration, neurotrauma, ischemia, and cognitive dysfunction...." RonMervis-at-aol.com tel: 614-486-6080 fax:614-486-6020
We have a JEOL 2000FX which is routinely tested for X-ray's with a geiger counter by our radiation officer and for the last ten years has essentially shown no radiation above background. Occassionally there is a signal in the area between the gun and the condenser lens (something we have never been able to explain because of the heavy shielding in the column in that area) but never at a level of concern. At our last inspection the area around the condenser apertueres showed up with a level above the min. dose. We found that at large beam conditions with Pt apertures this was an issue. It was curious that we "suddenly" had this problem for no explained reason. The vendor came in and replaced the shielding around the condeser aperture fixture. This did not decrease the X-ray signal. Our solution has been to replace the Pt apertures with Mo. The signal is now 10 fold less. Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas what's going on?
Photoshop should do this fine. Bring the image in (probably as a PICT file) then change to RGB color under the Mode menu. Go to the Select Menu and choose "Color Range". You can either select Highlights (for the white pixels) or "Selected Color" which you can then select (by clicking the cursor on a representative pixel). One problem, if you have light areas on the gray scale image that are not part of what you want to change to color, you may have to be selective about how you do this. Once your pixels are selected, pick a foreground color you want the pixels to become (use the Picker pallette). Then choose Fill from the Edit menu and select "foreground color". The program will then fill everything selected with the color you chose.
If these directions are too confusing, let me know off line and I could walk you through it on the phone.
I imagine NIH Image will also do something like this but I'm not as familiar with that program.
Cheers,
John Vetrano _______________________________________________________________________________
The idea is to use a particular color, rather than white, to represent the presence of an element in an EDS dot map. Is there a way to convert a B/W digital image to B/color image using either Photoshop or NIH-Image? Thanks for any input.
Michael Cinibulk UES, Inc. at Wright Laboratory Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
I have a project which requires that I look through .6mm of polycarbonate with a 100x objective. In the past I have been looking through 1.2mm of polycarbonate and used a 100x Nikon PC objective with the correction collar that goes from .9mm to 1.5mm. The microscope I am using is a Zeiss Axioplan. Does anyone know of a microsope objective with correction in the .6mm range.
} I would like suggestions for a method and/or procedure for analyzing the } diffusion gradient of sodium and chloride ions that are transported into a } 0.25" thick polymer under cathodic protection (a negative potential of -1.0 V } vs. saturated calomel). Ion contents most likely will be less than 1% of } the polymer content (only C, O, H in chains) } Dear David, How much spatial resolution are you looking for, and do you want the 3-D distribution of the ions, or are these distributions uniform over the area of the polymer (perpendicular to the direction of diffusion). If the latter, cut thin cryosections--the resolution will be the thick- ness of the section--and use something like atomic absorption spectro- scopy to get the concentration for each section. If there is a non-uni- form source (e.g., a point on the top surface of the polymer where the ions diffuse from), cut thin cryosections and use either wavelength- dispersive x-ray microanalysis or electron energy-loss spectroscopy. You will be pushing hard at the sensitivity limits for these techniques, but for a reasonable fraction of 1% ion concentrations, you will prob- ably get useful results. The spatial resolution will depend on such factors as beam size, incident electron energy and section thickness. Having only low-z materials in the matrix will cut down brehmsstrahlung background, and this is favorable. Good luck. Yours, Bill Tivol
} I am trying to assess the degree of periodicity and in greyscale images } with vertical stripes, so to this end I am using NIH-image to extract the } pixel values of horizontal lines in an image. I then load these into Excel to } obtain a 1D FFT,the idea being to average over all the lines in the } image. } } However I'm not sure how to: } } (i) Obtain the spacial frequency of the FFT:- for every pixel brightness } value along the line the result of the FFT is an imaginary number so how } is the amplitude at a particular spacial frequency determined? And indeed } what is the range of spacial frequencies over which the FFT has been } performed? } If you have 2N pixels along each line, you can get spatial frequen- cies from 0 to N. The FFT in particular will give values for this frequen- cy range. The algorithm for the FFT produces a complex amplitude for each of the spatial frequencies, and the squares of the moduli constitute the power spectrum. The FFT does not give a value "for every pixel brightness value along the line"; the "amplitude at a particular spatial frequency" depends on the brightness values at all the pixels and how these values change from one pixel to the next.
} (ii) Is there any easier way to perform a series of 1D FFT's over each } line of the image and obtain a resulting 'Amplitude vs' spacial frequency } plot' for the image that detects vertical periodicity? } Peaks in the power spectrum will correspond to periodicities in each line. You should be aware that these need not be vertical features. If there are features at, say, 45 deg, each line will have a peak at the same spatial frequency; however, the phase of the amplitude will vary from line to line.
In order to get strictly the vertical features, you should perform a 2-D Fourier transform and look at the horizontal compon- ents. That is, if x is horizontal and y is vertical, a vertical feature does not vary with y, so the Fourier transform--which has components de- pending on (hx/2pi + ky/2pi) will be represented by amplitudes for which k = 0. Yours, Bill Tivol
Microscopists: The Campus Committee on Microscopic Imaging and Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is pleased to announce a half day symposium on Energy-Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy. The symposium will be held on October 3, 1996 room 140 Bardeen Hall 1215 Linden Drive, Madison. Two world renowned scientist in this field will give lectures containing introductory information and demonstrating how this emerging technology may be useful for a wide range of applications in the biological and physical sciences. There will be a short demonstration of the new LEO EM912 Omega Filter TEM in room 146 before the lectures. Investigators willing to present and discuss their result can contact organizers to schedule short, contributed presentations. For parking arrangements please contact organizers. Admission is free.
The schedule is as follows:
The 3rd of October 1996.
Exhibition in room 146 Bardeen Hall 1 PM Demonstration of the EFTEM 912 Omega.
Lectures in room 140 Bardeen Hall 2 PM Energy filtered electron microscopy. Perspectives into the past and future. Prof. Peter Ottensmeyer, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Canada. 3 PM Performance and applications of integrated EFTEM. Dr. Wolfgang Probst, LEO Electron Microscopy, Oberkochen, Germany. 4 PM Contributed Lectures. 5 PM Reception.
If you would like any further information, please contact Marek Malecki by email: malecki-at-macc.wisc.edu, Grayson Scott by email: glscott-at-facstaff.wisc.edu or phone 608 262-2993, or Tom Kelly by email: tfkelly-at-engr.wisc.edu or phone: 608 263-1073.
Marek Malecki, Chairman. Energy Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy Committee.
Energy Beam Sciences is the North American distributor for Denka LaB6 cathodes. I want to take this opportunity to clear up a common misperception about these filaments. In the Denka Model 3 (M-3) design, the LaB6 crystal is placed into a tantalum "cup" and held to the tungsten wires by a ceramic binding. There are two different binding materials used in this process, and they cool at different rates. The interfaces between the two binders exhibit a characteristic vertical "crack." These cracks are *not* manufacturing defects, and are not stress points or the cause of premature filament burn-out or other failure.
In a good vacuum, the Model 3 cathode lifetime varies between 500 hours (minimum) and well over 1000 hours. Any cathode which does not give at least 500 hours life should be returned to us for failure analysis. On the rare occasions where premature burnout can be attributed to a manufacturing defect, the returned cathode would be cheerfully replaced.
I do not want to comment on competitive products, except to say that, to my knowledge, none of them guarantee a minimum lifetime (in hours).
Steven E. Slap, Vice-President
******************************** Energy Beam Sciences, Inc. Adding Brilliance To Your Vision ebs-at-ebsciences.com http://www.ebsciences.com/ ********************************
} I would like to built a digital archive (CD ROM) in my angiographic } cathlab. } The outgoing video signal is a grayscale S-Video PAL. } What PCI based digitizing board do you suggest? } Is there anybody who faced with this argument.
Some time ago on the microscopy listserver {Microscopy-at-MSA.Microscopy.Com} someone wrote the following:
The Scion LG-3 frame grabber is about $900 and does an excellent job digitizing images with the NIH Image software. One caveat - make sure you have a full-size (12") PCI or NuBus slot in your PowerMac (the 6100, for example, has a 7" slot). Be sure to specify video format (US video = NTSC/RS-170, European video = PAL/CCIR).
The LG-3 framegrabber is limited to about 20 frames/sec on a decent Powermac using NIH Image. Scion may also have other framegrabbers that are of interest.
Scion Corporation 152 West Patrick St. Frederick, MD 21701 USA
phone: 301-695-7870 fax: 301-695-0035
-Kirk ___________________________________________________ This message was created and sent using the Cyberdog Mail System ___________________________________________________ Kirk Rogers E: rogers-at-er6.eng.ohio-state.edu Office: (614) 688-4067 FAX: (614) 292-1537 Materials Science and Engineering The Ohio State University 477 Watts Hall, 2041 College Ave. Columbus, OH 43210
In photoshop, load your image, go to MODE, select INDEXED COLOR . The program will change the image to indexed mode. Go to COLOR TABLE and choose CUSTOM. You will see a matrix of 256 color patches. Click on the top left patch, which represents white. You are presented with a color square. Pick red (if you like red!) or in the RGB boxes, set R =255 B=0, G=0. Click OK. Top left square should turn red. Click OK on table menu. All white areas should turn red. Non X-ray dots that are red can be edited. Of course if you know in advance you will make sure no detail in the underlying image goes into white.
Although we use the colour lookup tables supplied with our Oxford Instruments EXL EDS package, I've been playing with Adobe Photoshop to try and improve some of the LUTs (or palettes as they're referred to in Photoshop and most other packages).
The method I use for adding colour is to convert the 512x512x16bit (but only 8 bits contain data) image to "indexed colour mode" and then apply palettes as required. The advantage of this method is that you can customise the palette easily, save palettes from images you like (I've converted the EXL lookup tables to Windows palettes in this way) and it works really well and is very very easy.
Although Photoshop is expensive, a "lite" version (Photoshop LE) comes bundled with many scanners so there may be a copy available to you?
If anybody else out there knows of any sources for palettes files I'd like to know - I'm getting a bit bored with Thermal colour schemes!
} The idea is to use a particular color, rather than white, to represent the } presence of an element in an EDS dot map. Is there a way to convert a B/W } digital image to B/color image using either Photoshop or NIH-Image? Thanks } for any input. } } Michael Cinibulk } UES, Inc. at } Wright Laboratory } Wright-Patterson AFB, OH } } cinibumk-at-ml.wpafb.af.mil
You can, in principle, do it in NIH-Image but it is tricky - at least, I can't work out a straightforward way to do it. Also, NIH-Image doesn't like images that aren't either 8 or 16 bits deep, so you would first have to may sure your B/W x-ray dot map was converted to 8-bits.
I don't know but guess that it can be done more easily in Photoshop.
However, my preference would be Graphic Converter (I'm assuming you're Mac based in all this). I would say anyone working with images should have this application (I have no interest in the programme, or anyone connected with it). Simply, it allows images to be switched between all sorts of formats, Mac, PC, and others. There are something like 50 formats it can open and about 35 it can save. There are a number of useful features but one is fairly comprehensive LUT editing, including sorting, minimising and direct editing of any value. I often use it for reducing the size of image files - read in a 24bit image which only really has useful information in a few levels, select the levels I want and save as a 4 bit image.
Message-Id: {1.5.4.32.19960919085911.0066f638-at-mailhost.ultra.net.au} X-Sender: pns-at-mailhost.ultra.net.au X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Lynne wrote on the 18 Sept.96: We have a JEOL 2000FX which is routinely tested for X-ray's with a geiger counter by our radiation officer and for the last ten years has essentially shown no radiation above background. Occassionally there is a signal in the area between the gun and the condenser lens (something we have never been able to explain because of the heavy shielding in the column in that area) but never at a level of concern. At our last inspection the area around the condenser apertueres showed up with a level above the min. dose. We found that at large beam conditions with Pt apertures this was an issue. It was curious that we "suddenly" had this problem for no explained reason. The vendor came in and replaced the shielding around the condeser aperture fixture. This did not decrease the X-ray signal. Our solution has been to replace the Pt apertures with Mo. The signal is now 10 fold less. Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas what's going on?
Thanks, Lynne ************************************** It's obvious (if you know)Lynne: Mo is element 42 and it's highest energy X-rays are 19999.5 eV. Pt is element 78 and it's highest energy X-rays are 78394.8 eV. The Pt X-rays are much more energetic and will penetrate more material and in turn generate more X-rays from the materials along the way. By definition, it is impossible to generate X-rays of greater energy than the accellerating voltage used. Maximum fluorescence requires about 1.8x greater voltage than the X-rays generated. Your FX2000, at full voltage has plenty of "boot" to generate at lot of powerful Pt K alpha X-rays. Cheers Jim Darley
Probing & Structure } (Microscopy Supplies & Accessories) PO Box 111, Thuringowa QLD 4817 Australia } } Phone +61 77 740 370 Fax: +61 77 892 313 } A great microscopy site http://www.ultra.net.au/~pns/
Fellow microscopists, thanks to all who contributed so far to our dilema. We are still awaiting a position from the manufacturer service. I will be away from the office abroad, and will post our conclusions when I return. Regards to all Prof.Walter A.Mannheimer Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Federal University of Rio de Janeiro POBox 68505 21945 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Voice +5521 280-7443 (Dept.office) +5521 590-0579 (direct) Fax +5521 290-6626 Email: wamann-at-metalmat.ufrj.br
Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com (MICROSCOPY MSA list messages) Message-ID: {1996Sep19.121700.1814.61427-at-missgate.sunderland.ac.uk} X-Mailer: Microsoft Mail via PostalUnion/SMTP for Windows NT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Organization: University of Sunderland
Tobias
it sounds like a reply I made (unless anyone else did, when I wasn't looking).
The glass knife boats were made by LKB (I don't know who markets their stuff in the States). They are 'disposable' plastic water troughs called LKB TRUFFS and can be attached to a slightly warmed glass knife, using molten dental wax. LKB also manufactured a special hot-plate/wax dispenser called an LKB 2208 multiplate which makes the process much easier (although any suitable hot-plate at about 60-70 deg. C should do). All you do is keep a reservoir of wax hot then warm up knives (not the very cutting edge) for a few seconds, put a thin layer of molten wax onto the edge of the TRUF and attach it to the knife. It's usually advisable to go around the outside of the TRUF with a warmed spatula and a bit more wax to make sure of the seal.
The big advantage is that with a little practice you can easily produce large rigid water baths in seconds. The disadvantage is that they cost about 0.15 to 0.2 UK pound each but even a thousand would be cheaper than ay diamond
If you can't find a cheap LKB supplier you could try AGAR SCIENTIFIC, BALZERS, BIO-RAD, SPI because some of these probably still sell the hot-plates.
Malcolm Haswell University of Sunderland U.K.
DISCLAIMER: I have no personal interest in any of the above companies. ----------
A Good Day to All,
Would anyone be so kind as to send me a sample of a diatomaceous sand? I'm playing around with 3D image capture from the SEM, have seen some outstanding 3D diatomes, and would like to digitize same.
Does anyone have any comments about color purity on various SVGA monitors , quality of 3D viewing glasses, or techniques in general for capturing 3D images that jump right off the screen?
Regards, John.
-- John W. Best ELMDAS Co. Email: jbest-at-vicon.net P.O. Box 355, Alexandria, PA, USA 16611 Voice: 814-669-4474 WWW: http://www.vicon.net/~jbest
Actually is is simple in NIH Image, load your grey scaled image then select "density slice" from the "options" menu. Use the lut tool to slide the top and bottom of the red up and down until your white pixels are red and all else is black. Scott Wight
} } The idea is to use a particular color, rather than white, to represent the } } presence of an element in an EDS dot map. Is there a way to convert a B/W } } digital image to B/color image using either Photoshop or NIH-Image? Thanks } } for any input. } } } } Michael Cinibulk } } UES, Inc. at } } Wright Laboratory } } Wright-Patterson AFB, OH } } } } cinibumk-at-ml.wpafb.af.mil } } You can, in principle, do it in NIH-Image but it is tricky - at least, I } can't work out a straightforward way to do it. Also, NIH-Image doesn't like } images that aren't either 8 or 16 bits deep, so you would first have to may } sure your B/W x-ray dot map was converted to 8-bits. } } I don't know but guess that it can be done more easily in Photoshop. } } However, my preference would be Graphic Converter (I'm assuming you're Mac } based in all this). I would say anyone working with images should have this } application (I have no interest in the programme, or anyone connected with } it). Simply, it allows images to be switched between all sorts of formats, } Mac, PC, and others. There are something like 50 formats it can open and } about 35 it can save. There are a number of useful features but one is } fairly comprehensive LUT editing, including sorting, minimising and direct } editing of any value. I often use it for reducing the size of image files - } read in a 24bit image which only really has useful information in a few } levels, select the levels I want and save as a 4 bit image. } } Regards, } Larry
Scott Wight e-mail: SCOTT.WIGHT-at-NIST.GOV NIST - Microanalysis Group W voice: 301-975-3949 Bld 222, Rm A113 | fax: 301-216-1134 or 301-417-1321 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 \|/ disclaimer: Any opinion expressed is my own and does not represent those of my employer.
} The glass knife boats were made by LKB (I don't know who markets their stuff } in the States). They are 'disposable' plastic water troughs called LKB. The } disadvantage is that they cost about 0.15 to 0.2 UK pound each but even a } thousand would be cheaper than a diamond
We reuse our Trufs. We scrape off the old wax, rinse them in alcohol, and throw them back in the drawer. Occassionally we get "scuzzy" water in a re-used Truf (probably from a dirty Truf) but the problem is not very frequent or serious. We just throw that knife away.
Bob
Robert R. Wise, PhD Director, UWO Electron Microscope Facility Department of Biology University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI 54901 (414) 424-3404 tel (414) 424-1101 fax wise-at-uwosh.edu
We have two Hummer Sputter Coaters , which need repaired. We are offering these for sale. The cost would only be paying for the shipping and handling. They come with gold/palladium targets; however, other targets are available . If anyone is interested please let me know. Thanks Cathy Kelloes
Attention All Electrochemists/ Scanning Probe Microscopists.
Molecular Imaging is soliciting nominations for the "Young Electrochmical Scanning Probe Microscopist of 1996". The winner of this award will receive a PicoSPM from Molecular Imaging configured to the winner's specifications.
A ballot for nominations may be found on Molecular Imaging's Web page {www.molec.com} . Please, only one nomination per person. The winner will be selected by peer review using a panel of renowned electrochemical scanning probe microscopists. Complete rules are posted with the ballot.
Thank you
Steve Pfeiffer Director of Sales and Marketing Molecular Imaging steve-at-molec.com
Message-Id: {9609191928.AA1613-at-pho903.sbphrd.com} To: microscopy {microscopy-at-sparc5.microscopy.com} {Beverly_E_Maleeff-at-sbphrd.com}
Question-- can you measure a loss in resolution after processing a digitized image? For example, if we have an image of a single virus particle and perform a 2D-FFT on all or part of the image, can a measurement of resolution difference (loss) be made, and if so, how? It seems logical just to do a point-to-point measurement before and after processing, but are there any other ways that are used to determine resolution differences?
TIA- Bev Maleeff
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals Toxicology-US, UE 0462 709 Swedeland Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 610/270-7987 610/270-7202 fax Beverly_E_Maleeff-at-sbphrd.com
On Thu, 19 Sep 1996 wise-at-vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu wrote:
} } } We reuse our Trufs. } } Bob } } } Robert R. Wise, PhD
Instead of wax, we buy cheap finger nail polish that the local Osco drugstore discounts because it wouldn't sell (ugly colors, etc.). You don't have to have the equipment to keep molten wax handy. Also, when reusing the Truf, rather large gaps can be filled with polish.
I am looking for a palette / LUT editor that might make the editing a bit easier than what can be done with a standard spreadsheet program.
The programs I am using are among other PaintShop pro and ImageTool and their LUT-files are plain ASCII files with one column for each of the Red/Green/Blue colors and one line for each grey value (0-255).
Thank you for your attention.
ChR
_________________________________________________________________________ Christophe Roos Dr.Sc., doc. | Institute of Biotechnology | & Dept. of Biosciences Phone: +358 0 7085 9367 | Division of Genetics Fax: +358 0 7085 9366 | P.O.Box 56, Viksbagen 9 E-mail: Christophe.Roos-at-Helsinki.FI | FIN-00014 Univ. of Helsinki X-400: /G=Christophe/S=Roos/O=Helsinki/ADMD=fumail/C=Fi Finland {A HREF="http://www.helsinki.fi/~roos/index.html"} WWW Home Page: Roos {/A} -------------------------------------------------------------------------
} We have a JEOL 2000FX which is routinely tested for X-ray's with a } geiger counter by our radiation officer and for the last ten years has } essentially shown no radiation above background. Occassionally there } is a signal in the area between the gun and the condenser lens } (something we have never been able to explain because of the heavy } shielding in the column in that area) but never at a level of concern.
You should ascertain whether your shielding might not have small spaces between lead pieces. Sometimes these spaces allow beams of radiation to pass through. Electrons can scatter several times at large angles from lead atoms and thereby go around corners etc., so if there are possible pathways around the shielding, this could account for the signal.
} At our last inspection the area around the condenser apertueres showed } up with a level above the min. dose. We found that at large beam } conditions with Pt apertures this was an issue. It was curious that we } "suddenly" had this problem for no explained reason. The vendor came } in and replaced the shielding around the condeser aperture fixture. } This did not decrease the X-ray signal.
Slight changes in beam conditions can possibly illuminate high-Z material in the column, producing a sudden appearance of x-rays for no explained reason. The changes in the shielding would not be expected to fix things in that case.
} Our solution has been to } replace the Pt apertures with Mo. The signal is now 10 fold less.
Brehmsstrahlung production goes as Z^2, which gives a factor of ~4. The remaining difference could arise from differences in geometry of the two types of aperture, but that may be stretching things. I don't know how the effects of other processes (e.g., scattering of electrons from the aperture and subsequent x-ray production) vary with Z, but any relevant process must obviously involve interaction with the aperture. We use an aluminum aperture at the top of our lens column (it doesn't define the beam, so the oxide coating the aluminum is no bother) and we have tried berylium apertures in the second condenser lens. These give a ragged- looking beam, but seem to be OK otherwise. We have never seen any prob- lems with x-rays. We have monitors permanently mounted to the column in addition to inspections by the safety office. Yours, Bill Tivol
Sandra K. Masur, Ph.D. masur-at-inka.mssm.edu Box 1183 Depts of Ophthalmology,and Cell Biology/Anatomy Mount Sinai School of Medicine phone: 212-241-0089 or 6544 1 Gustave Levy Place Annenberg Building 22-20 New York NY 10029-6574 fax: 212-289-5945
Microscopists, We would like to buy for less than $3000.- an inverted light microscope (used or demo model) equipped with a port for a camera (C-mount). It will be used for routine cell culture work. Ph-c optics with long working distances preferred. 160 tubus length also acceptable. Marek Malecki. Email: malecki-at-macc.wisc.edu Phone: 6082638481
Microscopists, We would like to buy for less than $3000.- an inverted light microscope (used or demo model) equipped with a port for a camera (C-mount). It will be used for routine cell culture work. Ph-c optics with long working distances preferred. 160 tubus length also acceptable. Marek Malecki. Email: malecki-at-macc.wisc.edu Phone: 6082638481
Sandra K. Masur, Ph.D. masur-at-inka.mssm.edu Box 1183 Depts of Ophthalmology,and Cell Biology/Anatomy Mount Sinai School of Medicine phone: 212-241-0089 or 6544 1 Gustave Levy Place Annenberg Building 22-20 New York NY 10029-6574 fax: 212-289-5945
Can anyone in our Wisconsin area help this guy? Please reply direct to "al-at-execpc.com" he is not a member of the Listserver subscribers group
Nestor Your Friendly Neighborhood SysOp ===========================================================
Hi. I recently aquired a Nikon binocular microscope that needs allignment. I'm having trouble finding services in the Milwaukee area. Would any of your members know of an optics lab that can do this for me? Thanks! Sincerely, Al (al-at-execpc.com)
LKB USED to sell, and Baltec still sell, metal (brass?) boats which you can wax onto glass. The nice thing being that after the first waxing, which involves a bit of thrashing around with dental wax and a hot micro spatula, the baths crack cleanly off the glass, taking the wax with them.
Then you need only clip the bath back on a fresh knife and warm the bottom where the wax is over a small (eg spirit lamp) flame. The wax melts and capillarity makes it run into and seal all the cracks twixt boat and knife. A little dabble with a warm spatula in the bottom at the back and you have a guaranteed leak proof boat. The boats cost $$$ but they last .
I have question I was hoping somebody could answer. Does anybody know what average percentage of a cell's volume is aqueous versus solid (organelles, ect.)??? I'm trying to estimate intracellular K concentration in lobster hepatopancreas E-cells.
Thanks and aloha, Jeff.
Jeff Duerr University of Hawaii - Zoology jduerr-at-zoogate.zoo.hawaii.edu 808-956-4718 jduerr-at-uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu 808-956-4723 WWW access coming soon.
Message-ID: {199609192317.SAA00434-at-IndyNet.indy.net} To: C Bower {paxcb-at-unix.ccc.nottingham.ac.uk} , Microscopy list {microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com}
Just to add to Malcolm's reply: LKB was swallowed by Leica and I expect that they provide those glass knife boats as do EMS and Pelco in the USA and we (P&S) do in Australasia. The trufs can be re-used after very minor cleaning. Yet many people still use (prefer) "silver tape".
Jim Darley A great microscopy site http://www.ultra.net.au/~pns/ *********************************************************
Tobias
it sounds like a reply I made (unless anyone else did, when I wasn't looking).
The glass knife boats were made by LKB (I don't know who markets their stuff in the States). They are 'disposable' plastic water troughs called LKB TRUFFS and can be attached to a slightly warmed glass knife, using molten dental wax. LKB also manufactured a special hot-plate/wax dispenser called an LKB 2208 multiplate which makes the process much easier (although any suitable hot-plate at about 60-70 deg. C should do). All you do is keep a reservoir of wax hot then warm up knives (not the very cutting edge) for a few seconds, put a thin layer of molten wax onto the edge of the TRUF and attach it to the knife. It's usually advisable to go around the outside of the TRUF with a warmed spatula and a bit more wax to make sure of the seal.
The big advantage is that with a little practice you can easily produce large rigid water baths in seconds. The disadvantage is that they cost about 0.15 to 0.2 UK pound each but even a thousand would be cheaper than ay diamond
If you can't find a cheap LKB supplier you could try AGAR SCIENTIFIC, BALZERS, BIO-RAD, SPI because some of these probably still sell the hot-plates.
Malcolm Haswell University of Sunderland U.K.
DISCLAIMER: I have no personal interest in any of the above companies. ----------
I received several interesting replies to my question on JEOL 733 upgrades. Anyone wishing to receive a summary of these is welcome to email me directly.
Robin Cross Director : EM Unit, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa eurc-at-giraffe.ru.ac.za (tel: +27 461 318168 - fax: +27 461 24377)
For several years we have used only the plastic LKB "trufs". However, having read Mel Dickson's message about the brass boats I realised that there may be people now looking for these. We had several at one time so I am sure if there is a need I could find them.
Robin Cross Director : EM Unit, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa eurc-at-giraffe.ru.ac.za (tel: +27 461 318168 - fax: +27 461 24377)
Many thanks to all who suggested trying swimming pool sand as a source for diatoms. It's even the end of the swimming season here in Pennsylvania, so I'm likely to get it cheap!
Regards, and have a nice weekend. John
-- John W. Best ELMDAS Co. Email: jbest-at-vicon.net P.O. Box 355, Alexandria, PA, USA 16611 Voice: 814-669-4474 WWW: http://www.vicon.net/~jbest
} Question-- can you measure a loss in resolution after processing a digitized } image? ... It seems logical just to do a } point-to-point measurement before and after processing, but are there any } other } ways that are used to determine resolution differences? *********
Hi Beverly,
Yes, that's easy if you know what where to measure. Often, image components do not have sufficient contrast to be accurately measured, have varying intensity background or are obscured by noise.
We do such measurements for image processing (conventional image processing, and various image compression algorithms) routinely by quantitative segmentation before and after processing of the contrast ranges of image components in question, i.e., your virus particles. We use contrast segmentation by differential hysteresis processing (DHP) that generates output images of 8-bit with continuous intensity distribution.
Since DHP does not change any spatial image properties you may use it before your processing to more easily access a component's property and after processing for their measurement, i.e.,, full width at half maximum, max. extension above noise, gravity center of particles, area loss of components etc. Loss in contrast in proportion to raw data is available if you can include a reference component that is unaffected by the processing, This procedure is quantitative and provides really useful inside into the processing characteristics of the analyzed procedure in regard to spatial resolution and the contrast resolution.
We used this approach also for R&D by quantitatively analyzing image reconstruction approaches for PET, performances of amplifiers, transducers of stylus imaging systems etc.
Best regards Klaus
****************************************************************************** * Klaus-Ruediger Peters, Ph.D. :Molecular Imaging Laboratory * * Director, Molecular Imaging Laboratgory : http://panda.uchc.edu/ * * Biomolecular Structure Analysis Center : htklaus/index.html * * University of Connecticut Health Center : * * 263 Farmington Ave. :F r e e Access to Differential * * Farmington, CT 06030-2017; U.S.A :Contrast Software at * * e-Mail: Peters-at-BSAC.UCHC.EDU : http://panda.uchc.edu/ * * Tel: (860) 679-3977; Fax: (860) 679-1989 : htklaus/DHP-Img.html#Software* ******************************************************************************
I would appreciate info on a U.S. source for Hyrax or Naphrax Mounting Media or other high refractive index media for use in mounting Diatoms. Thanks in advance for your help.
I am considering to install a high voltage Field Emission microtip in an Amray 1830 SEM chamber equipped with EDX in order to investigate the FE on niobium sample. The highest voltage will be ~30Kv, and the tip-sample gap would be tens of micron. Will the vacuum of ~1E-5 --} 1E-6 Torr in the chamber be a problem of this work? Such as the unstable emission possibly caused by adsorbates or the residual gas plasma would help to process away the Field Emitter during the scanning? And anyone has experience in upgrading the SEM vacuum? I appreciate your information.
Would appreciate any information regarding the NanoLab 7 SEM. Would be interested in determining if there are some of these out there in use or available for parts. Also would like to know the resolution, I'm guessing 100-250=C5.
Thanks in advance for any information, and you can reply off line.
I would like to communicate with french researchers that work with confocal microscopy. Could anyone help me?
Thank you _____________________________________________________________________________ Francisco Javier Hernandez Blazquez * Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524 Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia * 05508-900 Sao Paulo Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas * e-mail fjhblazq-at-spider.usp.br Universidade de Sao Paulo * fjhblasq-at-biomed.icb2.usp.b __________Brasil_____________________________________________________________
I am interested in finding out about getting unit cell dimension information in the z direction. I have some patterns and have not been successful due to limited tilt to index multiple zone axis patterns. In CBD I do get a nice pattern at the K intersection with the rings for the first and second laue zones. I am looking for references/advice on how I may index the pattern based upon this information. Specifically how do I use the Laue ring??? Thank you in advance for your advice. Dave
I am in the process of setting up a university-wide user facility that includes TEM, SEM, as well as RBS, SIMS, microprobe, and Auger. I would like to know from those who run, or are familiar with centers, the following types of things:
Does your center support itself (or make money)?
What percentage of the operating budget does the university contribute to?
How much of the budget is run on user fees?
What percentage of your equipment is on service contracts?
Are full-time or part-time technicians (students, post-docs?) used instead of or in addition to service contracts?
Any other information would be helpful.
Thank you, Lucille Giannuzzi
************************************************************************* Lucille A. Giannuzzi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor
Dept. of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Eng.
University of Central Florida phone (407) 823-5770 PO Box 162450 fax (407) 823-0208 4000 Central Florida Blvd. email lag-at-pegasus.cc.ucf.edu Orlando, FL 32816-2450 USA *************************************************************************
} I am interested in finding out about getting unit cell dimension } information in the z direction. I have some patterns and have not been } successful due to limited tilt to index multiple zone axis patterns. In } CBD I do get a nice pattern at the K intersection with the rings for the } first and second laue zones. I am looking for references/advice on how I } may index the pattern based upon this information. Specifically how do I } use the Laue ring??? } Thank you in advance for your advice. } Dave
A number of books on electron diffraction cover this method - try, for example, 'Practical Analytical Electron Microscopy in Materials Science' by David Williams, ISBN 0-9612934-0-3, or 'Introduction to Analytical Electron Microscopy' eds Hren, Goldstein and Joy, pub Plenum Press, New York.
Basically, the equations are:
G1 = square root(2KH), for 1st HOLZ ring
G2 = 2 x square root(KH), for 2nd HOLZ ring
and so on.
(If you do a standard Ewald sphere construction, you can easily work these out yourself)
where Gn is radius of nth HOLZ ring, K is reciprocal wavelength and H is lattice spacing perpendicular to plane of diffraction pattern.
Knowing this value, H, and the UVW beam direction, you can then use standard crystallographic equations to work back to the basic a, b, c lattice paramenters.
A couple of points to check:
1. The value you get will be no more accurate than any other electron diffraction method, and possibly worse.
2. The first VISIBLE HOLZ ring may not actually be the first order Laue zone ring. The FOLZ may be kinematically forbidden (as may be others), so if you seem to be getting some unexpected values, try sticking in an extra root(2).
3. There may be distortions in the electron optics such that for large spacings in the diffraction pattern (as in this case, where you are measuring the radius of the 1st HOLZ), the camera length is significantly different from that near the centre of the pattern. That is, to stand a reasonable chance of getting a good measurement, you need to calibrate the whole diffraction plane with a known specimen.
4. Often, a HOLZ will spread over several reciprocal lattice spacings, making measurement of G (the radius of the ring) difficult. If you can, try to relate a sharp, bright line in the 1st HOLZ ring to its appropriate deffect line in the bright field disc, preferably one that is not involved in any dynamic diffraction. Iddeally, use a C2 aperture that give you CBED disks just smaller than the smallest reciprocal lattice spacing.
Regards,
Larry
--------------------------------------------------------------- Dr L. P. Stoter Techical Editor, MICROSCOPY & ANALYSIS Technesis 17, Rocks Park Road email: Larry-at-teknesis.demon.co.uk Uckfield, E. Sussex Phone: +44 (0)1825 766911 TN22 2AT Fax: +44 (0)1825 766911 United Kingdom ---------------------------------------------------------------
To all subscrubers who were interested in our Hummers:
Thank all of you who showed an interest in our Hummers. They have been acquired, and I appreciate the great response I received. Thanks again, Cathy Kelloes
To: Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com (Microscopy Listserver U.S.A.)
Dear All,
I have two electron microprobe standard mounts of metals that need to be repolished. Some of the metals are very chemically reactive so the mounts have been kept under vacuum in a dessicator. One mount includes Mg, Al, si, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr,Nb, the other includes Zn, Ge, As, Se, Cd, In, Sn,Te,Tl,Pb,Bi,Th,U,Ag,Au,ru,Rh,Pd,Os,Ir,Pt. Any advice on how to go about polishing them would be sincerely appreciated.
Fangqiong Lu Analytical laboritories Department of Geological Sciences The University of Texas at Austin voice:512-471-5847 fax:512-471-9425
} The idea is to use a particular color, rather than white, to represent the } presence of an element in an EDS dot map. Is there a way to convert a B/W } digital image to B/color image using either Photoshop or NIH-Image? Thanks } for any input. } } Michael Cinibulk
I am a vender replying to this inquiry. Since you mentioned NIH-Image, I presume you are interested in viewing your image as a 3D reconstruction. Our volume visualization software allows full control of color and opacity. With VoxBlast's Palette Editor, you can asign any value of each of the three primary color to any portion of the image's histogram. In other words, you can asign any color to any portion of the image's gray scale.
Furthurmore, you get full control of the image's opacity. This means that you can make selected portions of the image transparent in order to view a component inside.
I hope this is helpfull.
Regards
Patrick Guerin Technical Support Engineer VayTek, Inc. Suite 109 305 West Lowe Avenue Fairfield Iowa 52556
Tel : 515 472-2227 Fax : 515 472-8131 E-Mail :pguerin-at-vaytek.com
} The idea is to use a particular color, rather than white, to represent the } presence of an element in an EDS dot map. Is there a way to convert a B/W } digital image to B/color image using either Photoshop or NIH-Image? Thanks } for any input. } } Michael Cinibulk
I am a vender replying to this inquiry. Since you mentioned NIH-Image, I presume you are interested in viewing your image as a 3D reconstruction. Our volume visualization software allows full control of color and opacity. With VoxBlast's Palette Editor, you can asign any value of each of the three primary color to any portion of the image's histogram. In other words, you can asign any color to any portion of the image's gray scale.
Furthurmore, you get full control of the image's opacity. This means that you can make selected portions of the image transparent in order to view a component inside.
I hope this is helpfull.
Regards
Patrick Guerin Technical Support Engineer VayTek, Inc. Suite 109 305 West Lowe Avenue Fairfield Iowa 52556
Tel : 515 472-2227 Fax : 515 472-8131 E-Mail :pguerin-at-vaytek.com
} The idea is to use a particular color, rather than white, to represent the } presence of an element in an EDS dot map. Is there a way to convert a B/W } digital image to B/color image using either Photoshop or NIH-Image? Thanks } for any input. } } Michael Cinibulk
I am a vender replying to this inquiry. Since you mentioned NIH-Image, I presume you are interested in viewing your image as a 3D reconstruction. Our volume visualization software allows full control of color and opacity. With VoxBlast's Palette Editor, you can asign any value of each of the three primary color to any portion of the image's histogram. In other words, you can asign any color to any portion of the image's gray scale.
Furthurmore, you get full control of the image's opacity. This means that you can make selected portions of the image transparent in order to view a component inside.
I hope this is helpfull.
Regards
Patrick Guerin Technical Support Engineer VayTek, Inc. Suite 109 305 West Lowe Avenue Fairfield Iowa 52556
Tel : 515 472-2227 Fax : 515 472-8131 E-Mail :pguerin-at-vaytek.com
Greetings, Does anyone know if liquid propane and copper can interact to cause a precipitate of some kind? I have a device for plunge freezing in which propane is liquified in a well formed by a copper pipe, sealed at one end. Between runs, when the unit is at room temp and the propane has evaporated, I have found a conspicuous amount of blackish brownish powder left in the well. Is it possible that the propane and copper are reacting in some way? Does anyone out there have a similar unit in which copper and propane do not cause any powdery residue? Is there reason to think that some common impurity in copper could be the culprit? Any advice here welcome. The powdery residue seems to damage knives, so we need to prevent its forming. Thanks very much, Tobias Baskin
Alternate-Recipient: allowed Auto-Forwarded: prohibited Content-Return: allowed Disclose-Recipients: prohibited Conversion: allowed Importance: normal Priority: normal Sensitivity: Company-Confidential +ml_all_all-at-ml.wpafb.af.mil Message-Id: {960923130952.5250-at-cliff.ml.wpafb.af.mil.0}
I would appreciate input from the those of you out there doing HRTEM image simulations concerning the following problem. I am running simulations using the Cerius HRTEM image simulation package on a Sr-Co oxide structure. In the zone axis projection I am working on there is a "high projected potential" atomic column where Sr and Co are exactly on top of one another, and adjacent "lower projected potential" columns where these cations do not quite line up. For the first broad CTF interval beyond Schertzer where the CTF is supposed to produce "white" atoms everything is fine: the high-potential column shows up as the brightest (white) atomic column of the bunch.
However, at or near Schertzer where the contrast reverses and atoms are supposed to be black, the high-potential column is not the "blackest" of the bunch but rather persists as a fairly bright white spot, even though other lower-potential columns in the same atomic row are now black. Why didn't the contrast for the high potential column "reverse" like the others? I have checked my convergence parameters, e.g. slice thickness, # beams etc. and they seem fine. The effect is most noticable for a thickness of 85 A, but is still there for thicknesses below this. What gives? Is there some thickness effect here that I'm not aware of? Am I guilty of some naive notion about HR imaging? Any thoughts from you image simulators out there? Thanks in advance.
Roy Christoffersen Texas Center for Superconductivity 3201 Cullen Houston, TX 77204-5932 roy-at-bayou.uh.edu (713) 743-8273 FAX: (713) 743-2787
However, at or near Schertzer where the contrast reverses and atoms are supposed to be black, the high-potential column is not the "blackest" of the bunch but rather persists as a fairly bright white spot, even though other lower-potential columns in the same atomic row are now black. Why didn't the contrast for the high potential column "reverse" like the others? I have checked my convergence parameters, e.g. slice thickness, # beams etc. and they seem fine. The effect is most noticable for a thickness of 85 A, but is still there for thicknesses below this. What gives? Is there some thickness effect here that I'm not aware of? Am I guilty of some naive notion about HR imaging? Any thoughts from you image simulators out there? Thanks in advance.
Roy Christoffersen Texas Center for Superconductivity 3201 Cullen Houston, TX 77204-5932 roy-at-bayou.uh.edu (713) 743-8273 FAX: (713) 743-2787
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.: Michael A. O'Keefe, Deputy Head National Center for Electron Microscopy Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory University of California Berkeley, California 94720 tel: (510) 486-4610 fax: (510) 486-5888 email: maok-at-lbl.gov http://ncem.lbl.gov/ :.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
To: Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com (Microscopy Listserver U.S.A.) Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com
} Greetings, } Does anyone know if liquid propane and copper can interact to } cause a precipitate of some kind? I have a device for plunge freezing in } which propane is liquified in a well formed by a copper pipe, sealed at one } end. Between runs, when the unit is at room temp and the propane has } evaporated, I have found a conspicuous amount of blackish brownish powder } left in the well. Is it possible that the propane and copper are reacting } in some way? Does anyone out there have a similar unit in which copper and } propane do not cause any powdery residue? Is there reason to think that } some common impurity in copper could be the culprit? Any advice here } welcome. The powdery residue seems to damage knives, so we need to prevent } its forming. } Thanks very much, } Tobias Baskin
I don't have any specific experience of this problem, but a point that may be relevant is that there are a huge number of copper-based 'alloys', many of which appear to be copper only.
I came across this problem with a low temperature TEM holder which would not cool down properly. After a lot of time, it turned out that for reasons on better machining properties a previously un-tried 'copper' had been used in the construction. It did have good machining properties but its thermal conductivity was alomost as bad as stainless steel.
I guess the point is, that your copper may not be quite what you think it is and the propane is reacting not with the copper but an alloying component, so among other things, I check exactly what is in your 'copper' pipe.
Regards, Larry
--------------------------------------------------------------- Dr L. P. Stoter Technical Editor, MICROSCOPY & ANALYSIS Technesis 17, Rocks Park Road email: Larry-at-teknesis.demon.co.uk Uckfield, E. Sussex Phone: +44 (0)1825 766911 TN22 2AT Fax: +44 (0)1825 766911 United Kingdom ---------------------------------------------------------------
To: Microscopy ListSer {Microscopy-at-MSA.Microscopy.Com} *** Reply to note of 09/24/96 04:37
Tobias,
I'd say you probably have a corrosion problem, with condensed moisture, but there must be an additional corrodent present, unless your pipe is made from some strange alloy which is not very corrosion resistant. Is there a way you can check for moisture about the time all the propane has evaporated out? I'll bet you'll stop the problem if you can backfill with a dry gas, or otherwise keep the pipe dry.
Message-Id: {9609241706.AA7020-at-pho903.sbphrd.com} To: microscopy {microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com} {Beverly_E_Maleeff-at-sbphrd.com}
PHILADELPHIA SOCIETY FOR MICROSCOPY MEETING NOTICE October 1996
DATE: Tuesday, October 8, 1996
PLACE: Laboratory for the Research of Science and Materials (LRSM) Building, 33rd and Walnut Street. Parking is available behind the LRSM Building after 5:00 PM.
TIME: 5:30 - 7:30 PM Social hour Dinner will be informal and available throughout the social hour.
7:30 PM Speaker
Basic Principles and Industrial Applications in Atomic Force Microscopy
Dr. Ray Eby FocalPoint Instruments Glen Gardner, NJ
The main functions of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) will be discussed, including: (I) the primary components of the instrument; (ii) some of the various scan modes that are available; (iii) the types of data that are available; (iv) a variety of mainstream applications for this relatively new technology.
The AFM is primarily a high resolution surface imaging tool. It is a lensless microscope that profiles the surface with a sharp stylus. A 3D image is constructed from a series of parallel rastered line scans. Surface roughness, frictional coefficients and magnetic domains are some of the properties that can be imaged with this tool. The AFM is also a tactile tool for probing elasticity and adhesion.
Reservations will be taken by Ms. Pat Overend at the University of Pennsylvania, 215/898-8337. Deadline for reservations will be Friday, October 4. Cancellations must be received by Ms. Overend no later than 5:00 PM, October 4, 1996.
DINNER:
Members $12.00 Student members $6.00 Non-members $15.00
Menu: Mexican beer Salsa, chips, pretzels, etc.
Vegetarian chili Taco shells, crispy or soft Sauteed ground beef or chicken Shredded lettuce Grated cheese Diced tomatoes Sour cream Guacamole Refried beans Tortilla chips
Fresh fruit salad
Coffee, decaf or tea
If you have any questions regarding the meeting please feel free to contact Rollin Lakis of the Executive Council at 215/898-8718 or lakis-at-lrsm.upenn.edu
We (Energy Beam Sciences) represent MicroAnalytical Consultants in the United States. They (MAC) can repolish old microanalysis standards and return them to their original condition. The cost is very reasonable.
Best regards, Sonja L. White, Sales & Marketing Secretary ******************************** Energy Beam Sciences, Inc. Adding Brilliance To Your Vision ebs-at-ebsciences.com http://www.ebsciences.com/ ********************************
Hello! I would like to convert images aquired by our Noran I2 system (i.e. from Fabled Flextran!) to Tif format. Can anyone tell me how to do it? Helen
HI! If your the proud owner of a H-300 with the H-3010 SEM accessory, will you please reply! I have a few quick questions. Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FALL BUFFET DINNER & TOUR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1996
TOUR: Cryo EM & B.I.P.L. 5:45 - 7:00 PM JACKSON HALL, U. of M, Mpls. East Campus
BUFFET DINNER CAMPUS CLUB, 7:00 - 8:30 PM Mpls. East Campus, UM
SPEAKER: Paul Walther, Zurich TOPIC: High Resolution Cryo Field Emission SEM - New Applications & Methods?
MMS will hold its eighth annual Fall Buffet Dinner on October 3, 1996, at the University of Minnesota's Campus Club, 401 Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Avenue S.E., Minneapolis Campus(see map below). We hope to provide a pleasant evening during which microscopists will be moved to renew or begin memberships in MMS, MSA and/or MAS.
Different this year is a tour from 5:45-7:00 to begin the evening. The buffet dinner and program follow from 7:00-8:30. The Campus Club sets up one of the finest food lineups in the world. The dinner affords an excellent opportunity to meet microscopists from many disciplines, talk shop, and to have a pleasant time together. The talk is from 7:30-8:30. Parking is available behind the Union in the East River Road Ramp (connected by walkway to Union) for $2.50 (per day rate), and at other Minneapolis Campus locations(see map inside).
Our featured speaker, Paul Walther, is from the ETH, Laboratory for Electron Microscopy 1, Institute for Cell Biology, Zurich, Switzerland.
Before the Campus Club Buffet, the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy will host an open house from 5:45 to 7:00pm with demonstrations of CryoSEM in Stan Erlandsen's lab, CryoTEM in Ed Egelman's lab, Cryo-sectioning by Tom Groppoli and a tour of the Biomedical Imaging Processing Laboratory (BIPL). People should come to room 2-164 in Jackson Hall (basement level) at 5:45pm where we will do the microscopy demos after which we will see the imaging lab on the fourth floor. The tour will last about 60 minutes and we'll proceed directly to the Campus Club upon its conclusion.
We will hold a short business meeting just before the talk. The Buffet Dinner is $12.00 per person payable at the door. (non-member $22.00, includes new membership), $8.00 for current student members (non-member student $13.00, includes new membership).
In order for us to provide an accurate head count to the Campus Club, please make an advance reservation by contacting Mike or Stuart. Deadline: Monday, September 30.
Buffet head counters: Mike Coscio (612)569-1331, 569-1284 FAX, mike.coscio-at-medtronic.com Stuart McKernan, (612)626-7942, 626-7530 FAX, stuartm-at-maroon.tc.umn.edu
Delta Microscopy Society and Northern California Microscopy Society Meeting Announcement
When: October 3, 1996 from 8 am -9:30 pm
Where: San Joaquin Delta College, Microscopy Technology Center Stockton, California
Deadline to let us know: Call by September 27, 1996 Friday at 5pm Contact Judy Murphy, numbers and e mail below.
Cost: $15 for daytime workshops (Make check out to Delta Microscopy Society and send to Judy Murphy, address below) $12.50 for dinner (Make check out to Northern California Microscopy Society (NCSM), and send to Judy Murphy $6.25 for dinner for students.
Overall Times 7:30-8:00 am Registration, Holt Lounge 8:00-4:45 Workshops/Lectures listed below, Reservations Required 4:45-6:15 Hosted Bar 6;15-7:30 pm Dinner, Reservations Required 7:30-9:15 pm Presentations, listed below in West Forum
Contact for further information and reservations: Dr. Judy Murphy Microscopy Technology Center San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207 Phone: 209/474-5284 FAX: 209/474-5600 e mail: murphy-at-sjdccd.cc.ca.us
PROGRAM Microwave Workshops: 2 repeat sessions 8:00-11:00am 1:30-4:30pm Lectures Microwave Experiences and Applications 11:00-12:15 (These lectures will be given only once) Applications of Microwaving in Biotechnology: Linda Rangell, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA Experiences with Microwaving in EM Preparations: Dr. Kent McDonald, UC, Berkeley Applications of Microwaving in the Clinical Setting: Bob Munn, UC, Davis Challenges in Microwaving for Immunocytochemistry: Greta Fry, UC, Davis
Virtual SEM Demo: in Microscopy Lab, Holt: (2 repeat sessions) 9:30 am and 4:00 pm
Tripod Polishing Including the Anatomy of the Integrated Circuit Shane Roberts, South Bay Technology 8:00-9:00: Lecture 9-11:30 Hands-on Tripod Polishing with your own samples 1-2:00 Repeat Lecture 2:00-4:00 Repeat Hands-on Tripod Polishing
Acoustic Microscopy: How it works, appropriate samples, information output and applications. Marti McCurdy, Sonix Labs 9:00-10:00 Lecture 10-11:30 Hands-on acoustic microscopy 2-3:00 Repeat Lecture 3:00-4:45 Hands-on acoustic microscopy
Atomic Force Microscopy, AFM, How It Works and Applications Gary Williams, Topometrix 9-10:00 Lecture 10-11:30 Hands-on AFM. Try your own samples. 1:30-2:30 Repeat lecture 2:30-4:30 Hands-on AFM
Focused Ion Beam, FIB Demo on FEI 611 FIB in Microscopy Lab 9-11:00 am and 3:45-5 pm
Lectures 10:00-10:45 Characterization of Multi-layered Films by EM, Mark Wall, Lawrence Livermore National Lab 10:45-11:30 Digital Imaging and Control in TEM: Dr. Jim Mancuso, Advanced Microscopy Techniques 11:30-11:55 Vacuum Systems in EM, Ron Vane, XEI, Inc.
LUNCH 12-1
Lectures 1-1:45pm Focused Ion Beam Technology: Peter Carleson, FEI Corp., Hillsboro, OR 1:45-2:15 FIB Techniques in the Semiconductor Industry: Ken Faulk, Intel, Folsom, CA 2:15-2:45 Applications of FIB in the Disk Drive Industry: Russell Stearns, Read-Rite, Inc., Fremont, CA 3:00-3:30 FIB and Mask Design in the Semiconductor Industry: Sutton Faulk, Intel, Folsom, CA 3:30-3:45 TEM Stage Compatibility with FIB System: Mike Sherrill or Louis Dawang, Hitachi Instruments, Mountain View, CA
Lectures 7:30-8:00 pm 5D Microscopy Using Widefield Deconvolution, Practical Considerations, Wallace Marshall, UC, San Francisco 8-8:30 pm Colorization of MIcroscopy Images Without Losing the 3D Effect: Practical Aspects of How To Do It, Dr. Bob Anderhalt, Philips Electronics, Mahwah, NJ 8:30-9:15 3D Reconstructions and the Space Program: Dr. Kevin Montgomery, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Would anyone be able to suggest a method of preparing a TEM cross-sectional sample of Tin coated Aluminium discs. The tin coatings range from approximately 0.2 - 1 micron in thickness. We are interested in the Sn phase chemistry at the interface, and therefore temperature variations are critical. I have had no success with low angle ion milling techniques, as the tin coating tends to melt.
Would tripod polishing, or microtoming be the answer?
I would like to know the speed of Edwards pump of Model EDM 6 (Serial No. 05460). Our engineers want to make sure if it can replace another Edwards pump (Model RV8, speed is 8 m3/hr).
Thanks in advance.
Z.Q. Liu (Ph.D) zqliu-at-pku.edu.cn EML, Peking Uni. Beijing China Tel: 86-10-6275-1427(office) 86-10-6275-3727(home) Fax: 86-10-6275-1615(office)
Good morning all, Does anyone know of a reference for information on carbon contamination rates in microanalysis (i.e. effect of current, accelerating voltage, spot size etc. )? I'm going to try to do some semi-quantitative analyses of carbon in steel and am trying to find analytical conditions which minimize contamination. Also, if anyone knows of a technique(s) for cleaning samples before carbon analysis could they share it with me.
Message-Id: {199609251326.IAA07082-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com} To: Microscopy messageslistserver {Microscopy-at-sparc5.microscopy.com}
Hi All,
I am relaying a message from a colleague below;
--------------------------------------------
} Our TN5500 monitor bit the dust. Please contact me at the address that follows if } you have or know of a used 5500 RGB monitor for sale." } } Leonard Smith } CIF Department, Tulane University } New Orleans, LA } 504-865-5173 } leonards-at-i-way.net
--------------------------------------------
Thanks in advance for your help in locating a monitor for him.
Owen P. Mills Michigan Technological University Metallurgical & Materials Engineering Rm 512 MME Building Houghton, MI 49931 906-487-2002 906-487-2934 FAX opmills-at-mtu.edu
To anyone near to the Raleigh Vicinity. LEO Electron Microscopy in collaboration with Oxford instruments, will be displaying the LEO 435 Variable pressure sem and Oxford Isis microanalysis system, Both systems work in The "Microsoft Windows" operating system enviroment. The venue is the Brownstone hotel, adjacent to NC state University. in downtown Raleigh. If anyone is interested in a introductory demonstration, please reply either by e-mail or toll free # to: Mike Webber LEO Electron Microscopy 1-800-356-1090 Ext 708. The instruments will be available for viewing by appointment on Tuesday Oct 8th from 9:00am to 6:00pm, and Wednesday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Thursday and Friday will be dedicated to the Southern Area Forensics meeting Thank You Mike Webber
ANNOUNCEMENT ****************************************************************************** Prince of Songkla University and the Electron Microscopy Society of Thailand will hold the "XIVth Annual Conference on Electron Microscopy" on Dec 11-13, 1996 at the J.B. Hotel, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand.
Several nationally and internationally renowned electron microscopists are invited to give lectures in life science and materials science. Invited Lectures delivered by: Materials Science: Dr. H. Hashimoto - Okayama University of Science, Japan Dr. K. Yada - Aomori Public College, Japan Dr. J. Mansfield - University of Michigan, USA
Life Science: Dr. M. Nakai - Osaka Medical College, Japan Dr. H. Suzuki - Nihon University Surugadai Hospital, Japan Dr. M. Osumi - Japan Women's University, Japan Dr. R. Hori - Ogaki Women's College, Japan
Some world-wide companies will be introducing their new advanced technologies in electron microscopy and accessories at the conference.
RMC, USA - Cryo UltraMicrotome for Immunocytochemistry at the EM level. Sample Preparation Techniques for the Ultramicrotomy of materials science specimens.
Gatan, USA - TEM Sample Preparation, Digital Imaging.
JEOL, Japan - Field Emission Electron Microscopy and Analytical Electron Microscopy.
Oxford Instruments, U.K. - OPAL System ***************************************************************************** For Enquiries and Correspondence
Submission of Paper, please contact: Dr. Prapee Sretarugsa, Dept of Anatomy, Faculty of Science Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400 Tel:(662)-246-1320, (662)-246-0063-Ext. 4072. Fax: (662)-247-9880, (662)-247-7075
Deadline: Abstracts must be received before October 31, 1996
For Registration and Hotel Accommodation, please contact Mr. Paiboon Nuannin, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University Tel:(66)(74)-211030 Ext.2617 Fax: (66)(74)-212817, (66)(74)-212920 Ext.104 E-mail: emstconf-at-ratree.psu.ac.th ******************************************************************************
I believe two general methods have been used to control contamination. One involves inserting a very cold surface (usually cooled with LN2) into the specimen chamber as near to the specimen as possible to condense out volatile organic vapors before they reach the specimen. The second involves directing a fine jet of oxygen onto the region of the surface being analyzed, so that organic materials are 'burned' up, forming volatile compounds such as carbon dioxide and water that are readily removed by the vacuum pumps.
The matter is discussed, with references, by Heinrich on p. 17 of his book 'Electron Beam Microanalysis', Van Nostrand-Reinhold, 1981. The book bybGoldstein,et. al. 'Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Micro Analysis' also containd a dozen or so references to the contqmination problem.
--------------------------------------
TIA
Glenn
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In reply to my earlier display on glycogen I received an e-mail which indicated to me that there is still great confusion among microscopists about glycosomes. The basic points of this e-mail are presented below in quotation marks.
First: "The original question was whether glycogen can be contrasted in tissue for transmission electron microscopy".
Glycogen, a polymer made up of glucose units, can be shown in TEM, by the use of histochemical, or negative staining techniques. However, glycogen does not react with ionic compounds such as osmium, uranium, and lead salts, or with the ferrocyanides as used by DeBruijn. All these salts react with the proteins which are associated with glycogen and which together with glycogen make up the structures called glycosomes; but they do not stain glycogen itself. This protein component was misinterpreted in early EM studies as glycogen and this misinterpretation persists in textbooks, in research articles, and in diagnostic pathology.
Second: "Why this is such an issue".
Serious problems eventually appear in research when one thing is mistaken for another. In this case, when a complex protein component visible in TEM is believed to represent glycogen. This misunderstanding has, in fact, led to a dead end in the TEM studies on glycogen. Also, in the last 20 years there have been almost no TEM studies on glycosomal proteins whereas biochemical research has made enormous progress in the identification of these proteins and the mechanisms of their activity.
Third: "...people still refer to glycogen as granules instead of glycosomes, ....it may be simply a matter of semantics".
The problem is more than a matter of semantics. When we fail to recognize the true nature of glycosomes as complex organelles which undergo constant metabolic turnover and interprete them as simple, deposits of a stored carbohydrate (still confusing the enzymatic complex in these organelles with glycogen) we overlook very important aspects of cell organization, metabolism, and function. For example, the existing data show that some glycosomes are intimately associated with different cellular structures whereas others are free in the cytoplasm. The meaning of this observation has yet to be explored. The size and the staining intensity of the protein component of glycosomes can vary depending on the metabolic state of glycosome; but, do larger, or more densely staining glycosomes indicate that there is more glycogen in the cell? In pathology alterations in tissue glycogen are used as a diagnostic feature in a number of diseases. Is there more to be learned about disease processes by understanding the nature and functions of the glycosome?
In order to begin to study all aspects of glycosomes as functional cellular units, we first have to correct the existing confusion in the TEM interpretation. The realization that we are dealing with an organelle opens a vast field for research on the cellular metabolism of glycogen with the use of modern molecular and cellular biology techniques.
Readers interested in the subject are referred to a review article: K.K.Rybicka, Glycosomes-the Organelles of Glycogen Metabolism, Tissue & Cell 1996, 28,(3) 253-265.
Comments: Authenticated sender is {vaihihbt-at-mailhost.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de}
Hello to all,
I am seeking for inputs how to handle small delicate pieces of tissue during the preparation/fixation/embedding process for TEM. There must be something beside using fine forceps, spoons or toothpicks. What about agar-embedding? How good is fixative penetration through agar? Any suggestions will be welcome!
Hans-Martin
************************************************************** Hans-Martin Vaihinger Ruhr-University of Bochum Comparative Endocrinology Research Section Building ND 5/37 44780 Bochum GERMANY ********************************************************* phone ++49 234 700 4329 fax ++49 234 709 4551 email Hans-Martin.Vaihinger-at-RZ.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de
Cooling the specimen also helps alot more. In the AEM if you cool the sample in LN2 stage to at least -30 C you will virtually eliminate contamination. The H20 parital pressure, in the vicinity, is the factor which helps. As the H20 molecule is broken up by the interaction with the beam, the freed O reacts with C and forms CO2 and is pumped away, just as Will Bigelow'shas suggested, but it is more efficient as you are now forming the O closer to the area that you want to keep clean. However if you have a very dirty vacuum system this may not be sufficient. I have used this method for years in TEM's (actually come to think of it since ~ 1978 ) and it works well, unless you have a lot of carbon in your sample. The problem here should be obvious, the O will also react with your sample and you will "remove" it. I've drilled some nice holes in diamond with a 100 kV electron beam in a JEOL 100 C! There are a variety of manufacturer's of EM cold stages so this might be a quick solution if you have access to such a stage.
Lists of commerical manufacturers of Microscopy related equipment and accessories can be found at:
If your contamination is specimen borne, then an alternative is to condition/clean the specimen AND the stage with a reactive gas sputtering system. The gas reacts any residual organic material on the surface of the specimen which was left by any sample prep procedures (polishing, washing, solvent cleaning etc..) or poor storage conditions (gelatin capsule storage, dirty stages....) . I have also used this method for awhile in AEM work (on Steels as well as lots of other materials ) and it works well for me. You will need to chooze the correct gas but an Argon/Oxygen mixture usually works for most materials.
There are no publications on this that I can give you as ANL submitted a patent application (a few years ago) and hence put a hold on any publications related to the technique as applied to AEM. The patent was recently granted #5510624, and there are now a few commerical EM accessory firms that have licensed the technology and are making a unit which should work well. If you are trying to do TEM-based work then this may be another route for you. At least two of the model designs that I am familiar with will also handle specimens which are SEM size and could additionally help in that area.
If it is not obvious, I should state that my employer (ANL) has a financial interest in the latter technique as they hold the patent. It would be inappropriate for me to post the names of any specific manufacturers because of that fact, but they are US companies so you should have no problems also finding them on the WWW at the addresses listed above.
Beaman and Isasi (ASTM STP 506) looked at C contamination rates and its = causes in 1972. Borile and Garulli (X-Ray Spectrometry, v. 7, 1978) = discussed various mods to improve/allow C measurement in Fe-Ni alloys. = Presumably there are more recent studies as well. Goldstein et al.'s = Scanning Electron Microscopy & X-Ray Microanalysis book should have some = info. -Jim McGee
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.* James J. McGee (jmcgee-at-sc.edu) Dept. of Geological Sciences University of South Carolina (803) 777-6300 (Office) Columbia, SC 29208 (803) 777-6610 (Fax)
**************************original = Message***************************************** Does anyone know of a reference for information on carbon contamination=20 rates in microanalysis (i.e. effect of current, accelerating voltage,=20 spot size etc. )? I'm going to try to do some semi-quantitative=20 analyses of carbon in steel and am trying to find analytical conditions=20 which minimize contamination. Also, if anyone knows of a technique(s) = for=20 cleaning samples before carbon analysis could they share it with me.
Alfred Kracher asked whether or not there is a need to use direct methods to control contamination problems in systems that are pumped with oil-free pumps such as turbomolecular or cryogenic pumps.
I guess my answer would be, 'if it aint broke don't fix it. Certainly a well designed and properly managed oil-free system should allow analyses to be performed without problems arising from carbon contamination - - -} UNLESS! the contaminating materials are introduced into the situation on or by the specimen itself. This is a matter that is discussed at some length in Section 2.10.4d, p. 74, of my book, 'Vacuum Methods in Electron Microscopy', and so I will not go into details about it here except to comment that it can cause significant contamination problems, even in the best of vacuum systems.
I've done a lot of ultramicrotomy (UM) of metals and find soft ones like Sn and Al fairly straightforward. Naturally, I'm trying to show the advantages of UM in general and UM with a diamond knife specifically.
We are called upon periodically to demonstrate the feasibility of ultramictomy of various materials in our lab here. We would be happy to work with your sample and (hopefully!) provide a grid for you.
Just send a small bit with whatever instructions you think are appropriate to the address below. We should have some preliminary results in a few days.
Regards, Joe Tabeling Delaware Diamond Knives 3825 Lancaster Pike Wilmington, DE 19805 800-222-5143 302-999-8320:FAX http://www.ddk.com
We routinely embed culture cells in agarose, dehydrate and embed. We do this to hold them together during the embedding process, but i am sure it would work to protect delicate tissues also. Let me know if you would like a more detailed protocol.
Cheri Owen Detroit Neurotrauma Institute Wayne State University Detroit, Mi
On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, Hans-Martin Vaihinger wrote:
} Hello to all, } } I am seeking for inputs how to handle small delicate pieces of tissue during } the preparation/fixation/embedding process for TEM. There must be } something beside using fine forceps, spoons or toothpicks. What about } agar-embedding? How good is fixative penetration through agar? } Any suggestions will be welcome! } } Hans-Martin } } ************************************************************** } Hans-Martin Vaihinger } Ruhr-University of Bochum } Comparative Endocrinology Research Section } Building ND 5/37 } 44780 Bochum } GERMANY } ********************************************************* } phone ++49 234 700 4329 } fax ++49 234 709 4551 } email Hans-Martin.Vaihinger-at-RZ.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de }
We use low melting point agar for EM processing. The concentration varies depending on the tissue-- usually between 2-7%. We fix first and then embed in agar. The tissue then is run up as standard blocks of tissue.
Patty Jansma Tel:602-621-6671 plj-at-manduca.neurobio.arizona.edu Arizona Research Labs Division of Neurobiology University of Arizona
On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, Hans-Martin Vaihinger wrote:
} Hello to all, } } I am seeking for inputs how to handle small delicate pieces of tissue during } the preparation/fixation/embedding process for TEM. There must be } something beside using fine forceps, spoons or toothpicks. What about } agar-embedding? How good is fixative penetration through agar? } Any suggestions will be welcome! } } Hans-Martin } } ************************************************************** } Hans-Martin Vaihinger } Ruhr-University of Bochum } Comparative Endocrinology Research Section } Building ND 5/37 } 44780 Bochum } GERMANY } ********************************************************* } phone ++49 234 700 4329 } fax ++49 234 709 4551 } email Hans-Martin.Vaihinger-at-RZ.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de }
Does anyone know of a supplier for the special paper for an old dry silver printer? My old vendor has vanished and I need to get a fresh supply of paper. Thanks for any help anyone can lend.
VCR GROUP 250 East Grand Avenue Ste. 70 415 875-1000 Incorporated South San Francisco, CA 94080 800 536-1827 Fax 415 875-7111
September 25, 1996
TO: Mike Colella
FROM: Vince Carlino
TOPIC: Sn/Al XTEM
Dear Mike,
If you send your address I will forward a procedure to dimple your samples with D500i, DIMPLER. A DIMPLER user has very successfully dimpled Pb/Sn and copper specimens to near electron transparency. In a few instances he did not even ion mill samples. Therefore no heat. Your specimens will work just as well.
I "handle" small pieces of tissue by cutting off the tip of a plastic dispopipet, and pipeting the samples from vial to vial, or from cutting petridish to vial etc.
I have a little microcentrifuge. If samples go into suspension, just before any chemical change, I gently centrifuge down the sample and then change the chemical. And, then resuspend the sample. So the entire processing is done in a 1.5 or 2.0 ml microcentrifuge tube.
At the end, we place small beam capsules inside clean 1.5 ml centrifuge tubes, spin well, and polymerize the whole assembly as one. Taking it apart when the blocks are hard.
This works for us.
Lou Ann
} Hello to all, } } I am seeking for inputs how to handle small delicate pieces of tissue during } the preparation/fixation/embedding process for TEM. There must be } something beside using fine forceps, spoons or toothpicks. What about } agar-embedding? How good is fixative penetration through agar? } Any suggestions will be welcome! } } Hans-Martin } } ************************************************************** } Hans-Martin Vaihinger } Ruhr-University of Bochum } Comparative Endocrinology Research Section } Building ND 5/37 } 44780 Bochum } GERMANY } ********************************************************* } phone ++49 234 700 4329 } fax ++49 234 709 4551 } email Hans-Martin.Vaihinger-at-RZ.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de
*********************** Lou Ann Miller Microscopic Imaging Laboratory College of Veterinary Medicine University of Illinois 2001 S Lincoln Ave Urbana, Illinois 61801 217-244-1566 lamiller-at-ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
Microscopic Imaging Lab Home Pages: http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/MicImagLab/MicImagLab.html
Central States Microscopy Society http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/Homepages/LouAnnMiller/CSMS/csms.html
Personal Home Pages: http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/Homepages/LouAnnMiller/LAM.html ***********************
Hello friends, I would like to study live interaction between mammalian cells and bacteria by time-lapsed video microscopy. Does anybody can give me a hint on how and where I could find details to build or buy a chamber for mantaining cells and bacteria alive under the microscope? thanks for help. P.Ghiara
Message-Id: {199609261531.LAA16406-at-mime2.prodigy.com} X-Mailer: Prodigy Internet GW(v0.9beta) - ae02dm02sc04
-- [ From: Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. * EMC.Ver #3.0 ] --
In response to the following: ========================================= } } Would anyone be able to suggest a method of preparing a TEM cross- sectional } sample of Tin coated Aluminum discs. The tin coatings range from } approximately 0.2 - 1 micron in thickness. We are interested in the Sn } phase chemistry at the interface, and therefore temperature variations are } critical. I have had no success with low angle ion milling techniques, as } the tin coating tends to melt. ===========================================
This can be done, quite easily in fact, if experienced, with diamond knife ultramicrotomy. The Al is "soft" and unless the Sn layer is extraordinarily thick, one should not have difficulty sectioning the system. While one might think of using a "blunter" knife angle (e.g. 55 deg. was suggested), remember that compression and other undesirable effects are more likely, and we therefore recommend a more "normal" angle, such as 45 deg. Also, with the blunter angle, it would be more likely that the Sn layer would separate during the sectioning. But you do not have to spend big bucks for a so-called "life science" diamond knife, save money buy using a "materials science" diamond knife, which comes standard with a 45 deg. angle (SPI knives). After all, for those who believe a life science knife is more desirable even for this kind of work, remember that after the first "slice", the edge is now no better than an SPI materials science diamond knife would have been anyhow!
After the thickness of the Sn layer exceeds some point, then it becomes more difficult to section. However, that cut off point will be a higher number in thickness with the smaller angle knife.
There are a few other "problems" you might encounter such as separation of the Sn layer from the Al substrate. Sometimes it is better to embed the top surface, and then positioning the sample in the microtome so the cutting is 90 deg. to the surface instead of cutting along the surface. But in the end, you should be able to get a very excellent view of the structure of the Sn coating, including precise grain size measurements.
If you are looking for signs of possible pin-holes in the Sn layer, then before embedding, do a Pt sputtering (Au will work as well but is smears easier). Then from the micrographs, you can follow that metallization layer and see if it actually "goes" down into what could be a pin hole, because there could always be the danger otherwise that what was being interpreted as being a pin-hole would have been just where the knife pulled out a piece of the coating (e.g. an artifact).
Information about SPI Materials Science Diamond Knives is available from the SPI website given below.
Chuck
PS: One other comment: I am surprised to hear that melting occurred during ion milling, and while we believe thin sectioning is the better way to do this kind of sample, consider the following:
Maybe the answer is as simple as using a more conductive kind of adhesive to be sure the sample is in good thermal contact with the cooling effect of the sample holder. Two possiblities here, one being our SPI Silver Paste Plus and the other being a new product that is about to be introduced, namely a diamond support ring (and also a slot for smaller samples). Diamond has heat conduction characteristics about four times higher than copper.
====================================================== Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. Ph: 1-(610)-436-5400 President 1-(800)-2424-SPI SPI SUPPLIES FAX: 1-(610)-436-5755 PO BOX 656 e-mail: GVKM07A-at-prodigy. com West Chester, PA 19381-0656 USA Customer Service: spi2spi-at-2spi. com
Look for us! ############################ WWW: http://www.2spi.com ############################ =====================================================
We have an Hitachi HU 11B Transmission Electron Microscope in need of a new home. The microscope is in working order, and has MANY spare parts. For additional information, please contact me.
Heather A. Owen, Director Electron Microscope Laboratory Department of Biological Sciences University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (414)229-6816
I am seeking for inputs how to handle small delicate pieces of tissue during the preparation/fixation/embedding process for TEM. There must be something beside using fine forceps, spoons or toothpicks. What about agar-embedding? How good is fixative penetration through agar? Any suggestions will be welcome!
You may find the following reference of use: B. Cribb & J. Zhu. A simple filter system for processing small or transparent specimens. 1994. Journal of Microscopy, 173: 83-86.
We discovered that it was possible to add a TEM grid to the end of a plastic pipette by heating the end of the pipette. This enabled us to process small samples without loosing them or damaging them. We also refer to most of the literature on handling small samples in the paper. I hope this is of some use to you.
Cheers Bronwen Cribb
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Bronwen Cribb Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis & The Department of Entomology The University of Queensland Phone: +61-7-3365 3025 Fax: +61-7-3365 2199 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
} Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 09:37:28 +0000 } From: Hans-Martin Vaihinger {Hans-Martin.Vaihinger-at-rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de} } To: Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com } Subject: Tissue handling for TEM fixation/embedding } } Hello to all, } } I am seeking for inputs how to handle small delicate pieces of tissue during } the preparation/fixation/embedding process for TEM. There must be } something beside using fine forceps, spoons or toothpicks. What about } agar-embedding? How good is fixative penetration through agar? } Any suggestions will be welcome! } } Hans-Martin } } ************************************************************** } Hans-Martin Vaihinger } Ruhr-University of Bochum } Comparative Endocrinology Research Section } Building ND 5/37 } 44780 Bochum } GERMANY } ********************************************************* } phone ++49 234 700 4329 } fax ++49 234 709 4551 } email Hans-Martin.Vaihinger-at-RZ.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de
What is it you're examining?
We use agar all the time for keeping up with cell pellets (bacterial and tissue culture) that don't stick together by themselves. After encasing in agar, we then handle the sample as we would a piece of tissue.
Penetration of 1% agar is fine. One secret is that you have to glutaraldehyde-fix, THEN add the agar. If you fix the agar with the glutaraldehyde, further fixation, dehydration, and infiltration are poor.} After osmium fixation, the whole thing will be dark, but when excess osmium is washed out, the cells are black, and the agar is clear so that you can see where the sample is.
Feel free to ask if you have further questions. Sara
Sara E. Miller, Ph. D. P. O. Box 3020 Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710 Ph: 919 684-3452 FAX: 919 684-8735
A colleague of mine has asked about removing integrated circuits from their plastic moulded packaging and still having them operational. Has anyone done this? or know how to do this? what solvents etc..
Thanks.
Alan Wilson alan.wilson-at-dsto.defence.gov.au
Senior Research Scientist Ship Structures and Materials Division Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory Defence Science and Technology Organization 506 Lorimer St Fishermens Bend 3207 Victoria Australia ph 61 3 9626 7508, fax 61 3 9626 7816 or 61 3 9626 7087
On Thu, 26 Sep 1996 Paolo Ghiara {ghiara-at-sienanet.it} Wrote:
} Hello friends, } I would like to study live interaction between mammalian cells and } bacteria by time-lapsed video microscopy. Does anybody can give me a } hint on how and where I could find details to build or buy a chamber for } mantaining cells and bacteria alive under the microscope? } thanks for help. } P.Ghiara
My company Bioptechs, develops and manufactures live cell microscopy environmental control systems. Our systems are based around several patented technologies. 1. Microaqueduct perfusion, used in closed system chambers to provide compatability with all modes of microscopy, uniform temperature control and near laminer perfusion as well as end user defined volume and flow characteristics. 2. Objective temperature control through the use of a heating device that attaches to the objective and is electronically controlled to within 0.2C. (Requred when using high N.A. objectives on any chamber) 3. A closure system that requires no tools or special skill to operate, does not leak, break coverslips or produce uneven strain on the glass surfaces. 4. First surface thermal transport heating that provides thermal control to the cells through a conductive coating on the bottom side of the coverglass surface. The thermal response of this coating technique is on the order of 0.1degree/sec. Therefore we can include a confocal setting to the controller to eliminate the Z axis drift that occurs due to thermal expansion.
Biotechs also provides perfusion suport for developmental and induced change experiments on cell culture, tissue slice, and artificial membrane experiments.
Please visit our web site for more information.
www.bioptechs.com
Dan
|\ /| _|\\ //|_ |_|\\\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~///|_| |\\\\ Daniel Focht ////| |\\\\\_in hot water again_/////| (____) / \ /______\ | HI N.A.| | |
Bioptechs, Inc. 3560 Beck Rd. Butler, PA 16001 Voice 412-282-7145 Fax 412-282-0745 dan-at-bioptecs.com Live-Cell Microscopy Environmental Control web site www.bioptechs.com
We have recently been experiencing occasional difficulty with our infiltration into various biological tissues such as Liver, Muscle etc. In our post fixation step, we are using Potassium Ferrocyanide with OsO4 to get enhanced contrast, and we have a vague idea that we have had infiltration problems with potassium ferrocyanide post-fixed tissues in the past.
Other users, not using Pot Ferro + OsO4 , have had no difficulties at all.
Has anyone else had these sort of problems with Pot Ferro before?
Look forward to hearing from you,
rich
Richard Lander South Campus Electron Microscope Unit c/- Pathology Department Otago Medical School P.O. Box 913 Dunedin N.Z. Tel. National 03 479 7301 Fax. National 03 479 7254
} Good morning all, } Does anyone know of a reference for information on carbon contamination } rates in microanalysis (i.e. effect of current, accelerating voltage, } spot size etc. )? I'm going to try to do some semi-quantitative } analyses of carbon in steel and am trying to find analytical conditions } which minimize contamination. Also, if anyone knows of a technique(s) for } cleaning samples before carbon analysis could they share it with me. } } TIA } } Glenn
Glen,
I've never specifically undertaken semi-quantitative C analysis in steel. However, I am more generally fairly experienced with EM microanalysis, so a few thoughts (apologises if I'm telling you things yoalready know),
1. I'd say that C contamination rates were almost entirely instrument dependent, both to the specific instrumental set up and the history of usage.
2. Specimen contamination (as opposed to the build up of a contamination spot at the point of analysis) is probably only dependent on the level of hydrocarbon contamination inside your vacuum and the time for which your specimen is exposed. Electron optical conditions will not affect the build of of contamination.
3. The development of a contamination spot at your point of analysis occurs mainly by SURFACE diffusion of hydrocarbons across the specimen, into the electron beam, were they are cracked down to carbon by the electron beam. Thus those electron beam factors which maximise the interaction of the beam with the hydrocarbons will speed up the development of the carbon spot. In which case, lower kV and higher beam current will both increase the rate at which the C contamination spot builds up. Adjusting the electron probe size will (I guess) simply distribute the same volume of C over different areas.
4. Because surface diffusion is involved, the use of cryo-traps does not directly have as much effect on specimen contamination as you might hope. HOWEVER, cryo-trapping can help reduce the overall level of hydrocarbon contamination in your system.
5. Knowing the above, a nice trick if you are having really big C contamination problems is to 'flood' the specimen. That is, expose a relatively large area of the specimen to plenty of beam current for perhaps 20-30 minutes. This cracks, and thus immobilises a very thin layer of C contamination over the large area. The rate of surface diffusion is such that you will get not get a C contamination spot start to build up again for a significant period (20 minutes) of time.
6. Another approach worth trying is cryo. As with flooding, by freezing the specimen, you immobilise the C.
7. Having said all the above, the best approach is to get the EM vacuum system as clean as possible. With modern EMs this should not be too difficult but with olders instruments it is a lengthy (and expensive) process. Basically, you need to replace all oils and greases with fluorocarbon (i.e fomblin) based materials.
Hope that helps,
Regards,
Larry
--------------------------------------------------------------- Dr L. P. Stoter Technical Editor, MICROSCOPY & ANALYSIS Technesis 17, Rocks Park Road email: Larry-at-teknesis.demon.co.uk Uckfield, E. Sussex Phone: +44 (0)1825 766911 TN22 2AT Fax: +44 (0)1825 766911 United Kingdom ---------------------------------------------------------------
We do that here on a daily basis. Generally, without knowing the exact type of "plastic" you have, red fuming nitric acid is the etchant. First, grind a shallow depression in the center of the top of the package (we use dremmel tool) to create a puddle area for the acid and to ensure minimal exposure to lead wires when etching begins. After the depression is formed, place the package on a hot plate at 85c, then use a dropper to place a drop-at-a-time red fuming nitric acid at 55 to 85c. When foaming stops, immediately rinse with acetone, then repeat the droplet-rinse procedure until the die is exposed, probably 4 to 5 iterations. If you don't have access to red fuming nitric, white fuming will work but it will more quickly attack aluminum pads. If you discover copper wires inside, use a 9:1 ratio of fuming nitric to fuming sulfuric. With this mixture the cooper will remain at the expense of the aluminum pads. In any case, metals will be attacked, it's just a matter of getting some experience on quickly exposing only as much die as you need, then stop.
********************************************************** Jake Schaper Product Analysis Lab Advanced Digital Consumer Division Motorola, Inc. Chandler, Arizona Phone 602-814-4756 **********************************************************
--------------------------------------
Thanks.
Alan Wilson alan.wilson-at-dsto.defence.gov.au
Senior Research Scientist Ship Structures and Materials Division Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory Defence Science and Technology Organization 506 Lorimer St Fishermens Bend 3207 Victoria Australia ph 61 3 9626 7508, fax 61 3 9626 7816 or 61 3 9626 7087
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THE NORTH CAROLINA SOCIETY FOR MICROSCOPY AND MICROBEAM ANALYSIS
presents their
15TH. ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON ADVANCES IN MICROSCOPY
*THE NEW MICROSCOPIES IN BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES*
Blockade Runner Resort, Wrightsville Beach North Carolina, USA October 25 - 27, 1996
Phone: 1 800 545 5494 *Mention Group 6665 for special discount rates*
Contact: Peter Ingram - ingram-at-rti.org Ann LeFurgey - ann_lefurgey-at-cellbio.duke.edu or phone: 919 684-3534 for additional information
SYMPOSIUM SYNOPSIS
The meeting has several purposes, not the least of which is to draw attention of the scientific community to emerging developments in the practical and basic research aspects of exciting new fields, and to bring people together from diverse disciplines to discuss how innovative techniques will be relevant to the future direction of microscopy and microbeam analysis. continuing with the tradition of the symposium, the guest lecturers are composed of both nationally and internationally distinguished scientists
The symposium also offers the opportunity for interested participants to submit abstracts for poster display.
This year THREE SPECIAL WORKSHOPS/TUTORIALS will be offered at NO COST to participants in the symposium. They are: *PRACTICAL DIGITAL IMAGING AND PRINTING* John Mackenzie, NC State University
* CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY* Jim Pawley, University of Wisconsin
*ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING EM* John Mansfield, University of Michigan
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM
Friday October 25
4 pm Registration
6.30 pm Poolside Reception - courtesy of AMRAY
7.00 - 9.30 pm BARBECUE ON THE BEACH - courtesy of JEOL and GATAN
Saturday October 26
8.30 - 11.30 am WORKSHOPS/TUTORIALS
POSTER SESSIONS
EXHIBITORS DISPLAYS
11.30 am NCSMMA ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
12 noon LUNCH
1.00 pm Welcome
1.15 pm *AFM as a Complement to SEM and TEM in Materials Science* - BARRY CARTER
2.00 pm *What can Atomic Force Microscopy do in Biology?* - ZHIFENG SHAO
2.45 pm *Low Voltage Lensless Microscopy in Biology And Materials Science, and The Atom Probe* - JOHN SPENCE
3.30 pm BREAK
4.00 pm *Z-Contrast Imaging in Materials Science* - STEVE PENNYCOOK
4.45 pm *Z-Contrast Imaging in Biology* - JOE WALL
5.30 pm POSTER SESSION, EXHIBITORS DISPLAYS
7.00 pm EVENING BUFFET - Al fresco, poolside Supported by OXFORD INSTRUMENTS and LEO
Sunday October 27
8.30 am Student Awards and Presentations
9.00 am *Confocal Microscopy: Present Capabilities and Future Directions* - JIM PAWLEY
9.45 am *Imaging Deeper, Better and Longer with 2-Photon Microscopy* - SCOTT FRASIER
10.30 am BREAK
11.00 am *Laser Microsurgery on Living Cells* - CONLY RIEDER
11.45 am *Advances in Trace, Molecular and Isotope Imaging using Ion Microscopy* - RICH LINTON
I have a researcher who wants to perform in situ hybridization of DIG-labeled rRNA probes to mouse liver ultrathin sections. The protocol is as follows: (taken from a paper by D. Fischer, D. Weisenberger and U. Scheer in Procedures for In Situ Hybridization to Chromosomes, Cells, and Tissue Sections: ISH to Tissues)
All steps on ice: condensed version (1) fix in 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS, 0.5% glut plus 4%PFA in PBS. (2) dehydrate in ETOH (30%-100% series) at -20C (3) infiltrate and embed in Lowicryl K4M
The question is the researcher wants to use LR White, LR Gold or Unicryl instead of Lowicryl K4M. Has anyone had any experience doing this type of preparation? I have used the LR White, etc. but not with the purpose of performing in situ hybridization.
Thank you for your assistance in advance,
Ginger R. Baker EM Lab Manager
Dept. of Anatomy, Pathology, and Pharmacology 250 Veterinary Medicine Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078
Post Doctoral Postion TEM in Physical Metallurgy Corporate Research Laboratory, Exxon Research & Engineering Co. Clinton Township, Annandale, NJ 08801
A post doctoral position is available immediately in the Advanced Materials Section of the Corporate Research Laboratory, Exxon Research and Engineering Company.
The position requires demonstrated expertise and experience in the analytical and high resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization of microstructures and fine precipitates in ferrous and other alloy systems. A broad physical metallurgy background, including structure-property relations, phase transformations, and phase stability is also required. The person is expected to contribute to the development of new high strength steels tailored for applications in oil and gas industries. In a multidisciplinary and cooperative research environment, the candidate should be able to work effectively in a team and should have good interpersonal and communication skills.
Exxon's Corporate Research Laboratory is located in scenic, rural western New Jersey, about an hour west of New York City and 45 minutes northwest of Princeton. The laboratory performs basic and applied research in support of Exxon Corporation's worldwide scientific, technological, and business needs.
For more information, please write to us at the above address or contact:
Dr. N. Rao V. Bangaru, (Tel) 908-730-2950, (Fax) 908-730-3355
Dr. Jay Koo, (Tel) 908-730-3358, (Fax) 908-730-3355, e-mail: jykoo-at-erenj.com
Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/H/V Best regards,
Jay Koo Exxon Research & Engineering Company Annandale, NJ 08801
I have a question regarding cryoultramicrotomy of moisture- sensitive polymers for TEM. My usual technique for cryo sectioning is to collect sections with a wire loop and sucrose solution, transfer the sections to a TEM grid, and float the grid, section-side down, on water so as so to dissolve the remaining sucrose. I now want to section ionomers, to which I would like to minimize exposure to water. Could anyone suggest a method for collecting sections without water?
Thanks in advance,
Len Radzilowski
Dept. of Materials Science & Engin. M.I.T. Cambridge, MA 02139
It appears that a local non-profit laboratory is about to open their doors to everyone at very reduced rates. Their equipment was not bought using NSF funds. Do you know of any legal [not political or ethical] reasons this cannot be done? If so, please state statutes.
Thank you for your input.
Anne Esposito E.M.C., e-mail: Silverstf-at-aol.com
To further the contamination discussion.... During the past three years I have concentrated a great deal of effort in addressing possible sources of TEM contamination and developing technology to reduce, if not eliminate contamination (hydrocarbon).
We have discovered that the major source of hydrocarbon contamination is either the specimen or the specimen holder. Some of the possible causes are diffusion pumped or mechanical rotary backing pumped ion mills, failure to fully remove cleaning chemicals such as acetone and alcohol from the specimen, and adhesive residue on the specimen (popular adhesives for attaching specimens during dimpling/tripod polishing can be hydrocarbon based). Additionally, inadvertent touching of the specimen or specimen holder in front of the vacuum sealing o-ring is also a major cause of contamination.
The technology that we have found to be extremely effective is a low-energy, , high frequency oxygen/argon plasma. The plasma is created in a vacuum chamber which is designed to accept the specimen and the specimen holder. The specimen holder is exposed to the plasma from the o-ring forward. Pumping is achieved by an oil-free vacuum system in order to eliminate any possibility of backstreaming oil from the vacuum system into the plasma chamber. This is a critical aspect of the technology.
Ion energies are very low and the contamination is removed by means of a chemical reduction of hydrocarbons by the oxygen radicals created within the plasma. All of the above mentioned technology has been incorporated into our Model 1400 Plasma Cleaner.
We have found that the vacuum systems of the newer TEM's are actually quite clean and that the best means for high-quality microanalysis is to subject the specimen to plasma cleaning before conducting TEM. Cleaning times are on the order of one or two minutes for most specimens. This process results in maintaining both microscope vacuum cleanliness and specimen integrity. It has also been found that once a carbon spot has been created by the electron beam it is very difficult to remove.
The effectiveness of plasma cleaning is realized in TEM's with high- brightness guns (LaB6 and FEG). Contamination can also be a factor in TEM's with W filament sources, however, the high current density of the FEG often times can result in unacceptable levels of contamination when conducting fine-probe microanalysis (EDS or PEELS).
Cryo-technology and flooding of the specimen with the electron beam are acceptable techniques to work around the problem. It is far better to eliminate the problem at the source.
I hope this helps.
Best regards,
Paul
Paul E. Fischione, President E.A. Fischione Instruments, Inc. 9003 Corporate Circle Export, PA 15632 U.S.A. Phone (412)325-5444 FAX (412)325-5443 e-mail paul.fischione-at-internetmci.com
To further the contamination discussion.... During the past three years I have concentrated a great deal of effort in addressing possible sources of TEM contamination and developing technology to reduce, if not eliminate contamination (hydrocarbon).
We have discovered that the major source of hydrocarbon contamination is either the specimen or the specimen holder. Some of the possible causes are diffusion pumped or mechanical rotary backing pumped ion mills, failure to fully remove cleaning chemicals such as acetone and alcohol from the specimen, and adhesive residue on the specimen (popular adhesives for attaching specimens during dimpling/tripod polishing can be hydrocarbon based). Additionally, inadvertent touching of the specimen or specimen holder in front of the vacuum sealing o-ring is also a major cause of contamination.
The technology that we have found to be extremely effective is a low-energy, , high frequency oxygen/argon plasma. The plasma is created in a vacuum chamber which is designed to accept the specimen and the specimen holder. The specimen holder is exposed to the plasma from the o-ring forward. Pumping is achieved by an oil-free vacuum system in order to eliminate any possibility of backstreaming oil from the vacuum system into the plasma chamber. This is a critical aspect of the technology.
Ion energies are very low and the contamination is removed by means of a chemical reduction of hydrocarbons by the oxygen radicals created within the plasma. All of the above mentioned technology has been incorporated into our Model 1400 Plasma Cleaner.
We have found that the vacuum systems of the newer TEM's are actually quite clean and that the best means for high-quality microanalysis is to subject the specimen to plasma cleaning before conducting TEM. Cleaning times are on the order of one or two minutes for most specimens. This process results in maintaining both microscope vacuum cleanliness and specimen integrity. It has also been found that once a carbon spot has been created by the electron beam it is very difficult to remove.
The effectiveness of plasma cleaning is realized in TEM's with high- brightness guns (LaB6 and FEG). Contamination can also be a factor in TEM's with W filament sources, however, the high current density of the FEG often times can result in unacceptable levels of contamination when conducting fine-probe microanalysis (EDS or PEELS).
Cryo-technology and flooding of the specimen with the electron beam are acceptable techniques to work around the problem. It is far better to eliminate the problem at the source.
I hope this helps.
Best regards,
Paul
Paul E. Fischione, President E.A. Fischione Instruments, Inc. 9003 Corporate Circle Export, PA 15632 U.S.A. Phone (412)325-5444 FAX (412)325-5443 e-mail paul.fischione-at-internetmci.com
G'day Len, The following reference outlines a method that we have found very useful and easy to use. Tsuji, S. et al., 1992, Cryoultramicrotomy: Electrostatic transfer of dry ultrathin frozen sections grids applied to the central nervous system, Arch. Histol. Cytol. 55: 423-428. Regards, Gerald Little.
Dr. Gerald J. Little, The Neuroscience Group, Discipline of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia, 2308. Ph (61 49) 21 5618 Fax (61 49) 21 8667 Email ANGJL-at-Medicine.Newcastle.edu.au Dr. Gerald J. Little, The Neuroscience Group, Discipline of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia, 2308. Ph (61 49) 21 5618 Fax (61 49) 21 8667 Email ANGJL-at-Medicine.Newcastle.edu.au
I have no experience in your particular method, but for many years we have cut dry sections at ambient temperature of resin embedded material for x-ray microanalysis. This entails manipulating the sections onto carbon-coated formvar-filmed grids with the old eyelash probe. Once on the formvar, they can be gently tacked down with the probe, normally at the corners and along the edges. They are then carbon coated again for STEM work. Maybe you could try something similar. Manual dexterity is required!
I have a question regarding cryoultramicrotomy of moisture- sensitive polymers for TEM. My usual technique for cryo sectioning is to collect sections with a wire loop and sucrose solution, transfer the sections to a TEM grid, and float the grid, section-side down, on water so as so to dissolve the remaining sucrose. I now want to section ionomers, to which I would like to minimize exposure to water. Could anyone suggest a method for collecting sections without water?
Thanks in advance,
Len Radzilowski
Dept. of Materials Science & Engin. M.I.T. Cambridge, MA 02139
Does anyone know of a supplier for the special paper for an old dry silver printer? My old vendor has vanished and I need to get a fresh supply of paper. Thanks for any help anyone can lend.
I have "opened" a moulded case IC once, but it was already dead and I cannot say if thie following process will damage the chip....
The case can be dissolved by reacting, one drop at a time, with red fuming nitric acid near its' boiling point. Add one drop of nitric, wait until the obvious reaction ceases, then rinse with acetone (squeeze bottle) and blow dry. Continue until the plastic is removed.
The chip (usually SiO2 passivated) was not etched.... good luck with the wires!
A colleague of mine has asked about removing integrated circuits from their plastic moulded packaging and still having them operational. Has anyone done this? or know how to do this? what solvents etc..
Thanks.
Alan Wilson alan.wilson-at-dsto.defence.gov.au
Senior Research Scientist Ship Structures and Materials Division Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory Defence Science and Technology Organization 506 Lorimer St Fishermens Bend 3207 Victoria Australia ph 61 3 9626 7508, fax 61 3 9626 7816 or 61 3 9626 7087
I'm looking for 5 .tif file SEM images of common objects for a contest at the Prince George Science and Technology week. These micrographs will be published in the paper 1 at a time for 5 days and then the kids will guess what they are and a prize will be given to those with the most correct.
I volunteered to give the Sci and Tech week committee these micrographs. Our machine was down at the time and now I've found out that the repair parts will not be in until after the deadline so I can't produce them. I know that there are lots of image pages on the web. However, since I need free micrographs that can be published in the local paper I thought asking in this way would be preferable.
Thank you very much for helping me out. Please attach files to e-mail as jpg or tif and e-mail me directly. There is no money for any of us in this, it's just for fun and education.
I have recently been using a Hitachi S-570 SEM. I wanted to use Polaroid 53, but this being an older machine it does not have a setting for 800 speed film. I was considering using the recommended setting for 400 ISO film and close the lens aperture down one stop. Does anyone know if this is feasible or can they recommend a better method.
Does anyone know of a vendor for a replacement heater for an LKB Multiplate apparatus that heats wax for sealing boats to glass knives. I put a thermometer into the one we have, and it only reads 62 C in the wells and the same on the knife warming deck (the instructions indicate that the temperature should be about 80 C). The wax (pink dental) is barely melted, and we have a very short window of opportunity before the wax solidifies. I'd appreciate any information.
Heather A. Owen, Director Electron Microscope Laboratory Department of Biological Sciences University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (414)229-6816
The main responsibilities of the person will include solution preparation, sample registration, routine EM supply maintenance, processing of biological samples for TEM, microtomy and ultramicrotomy. Some darkroom printing of photomicrographs for analysis and data filing as well will be required.
The person should have a college degree in biology, some knowledge of mammalian anatomy, histology, and cell biology, with basic training, and at least 1 year working experience in biomedical electron microscopy. The work environment is in a very competitive research lab.
Please contact: Dr. Q.C. Yu The University of Chicago 5841 South Maryland MC 1028 Rm. N350 Chicago, Illinois 60637
Please include your resume, a letter of intent, and a list of 3 references. The University of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Sincerely, Linda Degenstein ldeg-at-midway.uchicago.edu
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