Transmission electron microscope

Concepts

• transmission electron microscope
• cardiff
• dementia research institute
• electron microscopes
• low voltage transmission electron microscope
• transmission em
• transmission em modes
• required image brightness
• additional features
• single phase

Location

Cardiff

Description

The Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University seeks to purchase a low voltage transmission electron microscope (TEM) in a benchtop/compact format. We require a system that can be used by a variety of non-expert users and which does not require a dedicated member of staff to operate. The instrument must be compact and able to fit on a regular lab bench, and there must be no requirement for electrical or other infrastructure modifications; i.e. it must operate from a single phase 230V electricity supply and not require dedicated cooling. Transmission EM is essential and must provide 1nm resolution with a total magnification range of ~3500x to ~1,300,000x. The required image brightness and contrast for our intended samples would be provided by a nominal accelerating voltage of ≥25kV. Additional features such as scanning transmission EM modes are desirable but not critical to our intended applications. We will use the system to support our research and applications will include imaging synapses at a resolution and detail far higher than that provided by light microscopy. We propose on purchasing a LVEM25 instrument from Delong Instruments as it meets or exceeds all of our requirements.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 38511200 - Transmission electron microscope
• 38511000 - Electron microscopes

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

: We do not have the infrastructure in place or space for a fully-featured, conventional TEM in the Dementia Research Institute laboratories at Cardiff University; therefore a compact, benchtop configuration requiring no infrastructure modifications is essential. Furthermore, we do not have a dedicated electron microscopist – nor available funds for one – and thus it is paramount that the instrument is operationally accessible to a broad range of researchers with a relatively basic understanding of and proficiency in electron microscopy. We believe that the Delong LVEM25 is the only TEM instrument on the market today that meets all of our requirements; in particular of being able to fit within our existing physical infrastructure and its user interface being accessible to our current staff. The instrument specifications of the LVEM25 will provide us with the required magnification, image brightness, contrast and quality that we require for our research. In our experience, instruments from other suppliers, whilst meeting our performance requirements, will not fit in the space we have available and would require dedicated staff that we are unable to provide at present and the foreseeable future.

Other Information

(WA Ref:121326)