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NanoSoft's Foam Vitrification Dewar and Metal Parts are compatible with the Vitrobot, and can also provide a robust and easy option for custom, home-made Cryo-EM sample preparation systems. Furthermore, these parts are interchangeable with FEI parts, i.e. the foam dewar works with FEI metal parts and these metal parts work with the FEI foam dewar. The foam dewar provides a well-priced, easy to acquire, robust dewar for Cryo-EM sample preparation. The design provides an improved interface, when used in conjunction with the Igloo (#47000-710) to create a better seal on the foam dewar. This combination facilitates boiled, cold nitrogen gas in the head space above the dewar, allowing for safer grid transfer to the grid box.
The Grid Box Ring (#47000-701) sits at the same height as the Vitrobot version (so grid boxes sit at same depth into dewar), but is slightly thicker and remains in contact with liquid nitrogen longer if the nitrogen level gets low. The ethane cup dimensions mimic those of the Vitrobot ethane cup, and the spider as well. These parts perform just as well or better with the Vitrobot system, but at a more affordable price than other options.
NanoSoft's custom designed ethane condenser tightly interfaces with Metal Spider (#47000-702) as well as the spider from the FEI/Thermo Fisher styrofoam dewar set. The user places the spider normally and inserts the condenser. The user does not need to handle an ethane nozzle and can instead focus solely on the liquid ethane level, using just one hand to control ethane flow rate, making the process much easier and ergonomic. Furthermore, the condenser should reduce wasted ethane gas and the time required to fill the cup with liquid ethane.
NanoSoft’s Igloo is a nearly enclosed cover that sits atop the Vitrobot dewar, with an opening large enough for comfortable grid button access and grid transfer. The volume enclosed by the Igloo fills with cold gaseous nitrogen, creating a dry space with improved protection versus the ambient environment. The Igloo is designed to fit comfortably over the floating styrofoam ring, minimizing the time that the styrofoam ring is exposed to ambient humidity and significantly reducing the potential for ice particulate contaminating the liquid nitrogen. The Igloo material is compatible with liquid nitrogen temperatures, allowing for easy refill with the Igloo on the dewar. Furthermore, the top surface of the Igloo remains comfortable to the touch, providing a convenient surface upon which the user can rest their hands for steady transfer.
A tweezer holder is integrated into the top surface of the Igloo providing a slot into which the Vitrobot tweezers can be placed. When resting in the slot, the tips of the tweezers remain submerged in liquid ethane. This provides freedom to the user to not have to hold the tweezers submerged in liquid ethane during transfer of the dewar, focus both hands on holding the dewar when moving it from the Vitrobot, fill the dewar with liquid nitrogen, etc.
The Ethane-Temperature Controlled Vitrobot Dewar enables control of the temperature of your liquid ethane for plunge freezing. Cryo-EM practitioners have always relied on very rough control of the ethane temperature during vitrification from empirically derived methods, which has resulted in a lack of consistency in Cryo-EM sample preparation. With this system, sensors and heaters are built into the brass ethane cup such that the temperature of the ethane can be precisely controlled, providing reliability and consistency in one more variable in your Cryo-EM sample preparation process.
The temperature control box also includes a tool warming pad, with a warming plate and air flow to dry your Cryo-tools quicker during vitrification.
System features:
Standard blotting filter paper for the Thermo Fisher/FEI Vitrobot and Leica Automatic Plunge Freezer.
Complete replacement tweezers assembly for the FEI Vitrobot Mark IV-I.
Includes ultra fine points DUMONT #5 tweezers mounted on dovetail. Available with either a standard slide-clamp (#47000-500) or self-closing tweezer handle (#47000-505).
The new self-closing Vitrobot tweezer enables one-handed operation when picking-up/releasing a grid and eliminating the often frustrating sliding clamp that requires a 2nd hand to lock the tweezers closed. The self-closing tweezers hold the grid securely in their resting state and release when applying a small amount of pressure.
Overall length 100mm x Ø4.5mm at widest point, with a Ø1mm tip.