Provides improved environmental control and ease of use with the Vitrobot.
The Igloo aims to better control the manual transfer process when preparing samples with the Thermo Fisher Vitrobot. A more enclosed environment provides protection from contaminating ambient humidity, while various system features transform the manual transfer process into a user-friendly experience. The Igloo is beneficial for all users, but less experienced users in particular will be able to prepare viable grids sooner.
The 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 LN2 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.
The Cobra is integrated into the top surface of the Igloo and flips up to provide a slot into which tweezers can be placed. When resting in the slot, the tips of the tweezers remain submerged in liquid ethane. The Cobra slot is compatible with the Plunge Freezing Cryo-EM Tweezers (EMS Cat. No. 71167-71) and other Vitrobot tweezers. The Cobra engages with magnets in the Plunge-Clamp of the Cryo-EM Tweezers, providing a more secure attachment. The Cobra provides freedom for the user to focus both hands on holding the dewar when moving it from the Vitrobot.