CRO Sample Preparation Equipment

The MetPrep 1x is a manual grinding/polishing/lapping station.  The system uses magnetic platens to easily switch between different abrasive grit sizes, diamond lapping films, or napp cloths.  Samples are typically mounted in epoxy before smoothing the exposed face.  This unit is used to prepare a polished surface on a specimen prior to optical or scanning electron microscopy.  In addition, we have a specialty wedge polisher jig that allows users to thin material to electron transparency for TEM analysis.

The Leica RES102 Argon polisher is used to carefully remove dielectric, semiconductor, or metallic material from a sample destined for analysis by electron microscopy (SEM or TEM). 

Critical Point Dryer (CPD) is used for drying of biological samples such as pollen, tissue, plants, insects, as well as industrial samples, for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. Fully automated system, ensuring reproducible and controlled processes to ensure high sample quality with every run.

The Quorum Technologies EMS150T ES is a versatile sputter coater/turbo evaporator for preparing specimens for examination by electron microscopy (EM). It is a combined system with interchangeable inserts for iridium sputter coating or carbon evaporation.

The Leica EM UC7 Ultramicrotome equipped with the FC7 cryo-chamber attachment gives users the ability to collect either ultra-thin room temperature or cryo-sections for observation using electron, light, or atomic force microscopy.

The Leica Cryostat is a semi-motorized (motorized specimen feeding), high-performance cryostat with an option for motorized sectioning. It is used to freeze and section varying human specimen material quickly. 

The glass knife maker provides the ability to manually create glass knives used for ultramicrotomy or histology. Useful in TEM and light microscopy, strips of 25 mm wide glass are scored and broken into squares, which are then broken in half to produce two triangular knives, one with a straight, sharp edge used for sectioning. The balanced break method is used in this machine.

The Leica TXP Microscopy Sample Preparation System is used for precise cutting and polishing of samples before ion milling or ultramicrotomy. The integrated stereomicroscope and ring LED illuminator allow for sample observation and distance measurement during preparation.

This equipment embeds tissue samples and creates paraffin-embedded tissue blocks efficiently and without error to produce better micro-sections of desired sample/tissues. It has a 3-module design that features a Dispensing console, Thermal console, and a Cold plate console . The low work surface with integrated paraffin block de-waxer helps to speed up workflow. 

This equipment is used to mechanically pre-thin Transmission Electron Microscopy samples prior to Ar+ ion beam thinning to electron transparency.  The tools either “flat” or “dimple” the surface(s) of a 3mm dia disc through a series of grinding and/or polishing steps.

The Tergeo Plasma Cleaner generates a plasma of high-purity Argon and/or Oxygen to remove hydrocarbon contamination from TEM sample rods and samples.

The ultrasonic disc cutter is used for producing 3mm diameter disks/rods of ceramic, metal, semiconductor and/or geological specimens for TEM analysis. The titanium cutting tool excursion is driven with a lead zirconium titanate (PZT) crystal at a driving frequency of 26 kHz. Boron or silicon carbide powder slurry is used as the cutting media.  

A thermosonic ball-wedge wire bonder is designed to interconnect wire leads to semiconductor, hybrid, or microwave devices.

The precision endless wire saw is specially designed and equipped with a diamond wire to provide a very smooth cutting for almost all kinds of materials in the presence of an anti-corrosive cutting fluid.