MODEL 2550

Cryo Transfer Tomography
HolderCryo transfer and tomography of thin-film
frozen-hydrated/vitrified specimens for lowdose imaging and analysis

CRYO-ELECTRON TOMOGRAPHY
Cryo-electron tomography is awell know technique used for theevaluation of biological specimens.
Structural details are imaged in three
dimensions in a transmission electron• Ideal for specimens that require liquidnitrogen cooling for transfer to thetransmission electron microscope(TEM) for imaging and analysis• Base temperature less than -175 °C• Advanced mechanism for frost-freetransfer• Integrated cradle clamp for tool-free
specimen mounting

microscope at cryogenic temperatures• Extended field of view at high tilt up
to 80°

to reveal information from specimens• Resolution better than 0.18 nm

such as proteins and viruses.

• Low drift rate of 1.5 nm/min-1• Rapid cool-down to operatingtemperature

M O D E L 2550 Cr yo Tra nsf e r To m o gra p hy H o l d e r

Liquid nitrogen cooling for the transfer
of frozen-hydrated/vitrified specimens
The Cryo Transfer Tomography Holder isan advanced single-tilt holder that provides
cryogenic specimen cooling with an extended
field of view at high-tilt angles up to 80°.
Tomographic data can be acquired in TEMs with
pole-piece gaps of approximately 5 mm.
Included with the Model 2550 Cryo Transfer
Tomography Holder is a Cryo Work Station, aTemperature Controller, a Model 9010 Vacuum
Storage Container, and a specimen tool.

Simple specimen loading and transfer
The innovative design of the specimen tip makes
loading and unloading of the specimen very easy.
To load a specimen, the holder is inserted into theCryo Work Station or the TEM to cool down.
The holder dewar and the Cryo Work Station
are both filled with liquid nitrogen. The modular
design of Cryo Work Station’s grid box allows
you to reposition the reservoirs to enhance easeof-use for both right- and left-handed operation.

Once a temperature of less than -175 °C isachieved, a specimen is loaded from the grid box
into the holder tip. The holder accepts a 3 mmdiameter TEM specimen grid, which is securedby the holder’s one-piece, integrated cradle clamp.
The clamp automatically closes when the holder
tip is retracted. Optionally, the cradle clamp
can be closed with forceps or with the supplied
specimen tool. The thin profile of the clamp
maximizes specimen visibility, even at high-tilt
angles.
The specimen holder tip retracts inside an actively
cooled cryo shield located within the holder.
This shield prevents any atmospheric water fromcondensing on the specimen during transfer to orfrom the microscope.

Rapid cool down, extended hold time
The Cryo Transfer Tomography Holder rapidly
reaches a working temperature of less than -175 °C
in either the Cryo Work Station or a TEM. Holdtimes in excess of 4 hours are readily obtained withthe 200 ml dewar capacity. A zeolite absorption
medium enhances dewar vacuum.

HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE 1(HSV‑1) KOS C-CAPSID
The capsids are icosahedral, 1250 Å
in diameter and the sample includes
DNA-filled C-capsids, as well as
empty A-capsids and B-capsidsthat retain some component of
the scaffold structure used in theirassembly. The background includes
strands of double-stranded DNA(dsDNA) that has been lost fromsome capsids. Taken by FEI TF20
TEM (magnification 50000x at 200keV, electron dose of ~20-25 e-/Å2)
using the Model 2550 Cryo Transfer
Tomography Holder at -178 °C.
Sample prepared using FEI Vitrobot
Mk III on Quantifoil R2/1 grid.
Image courtesy of Alexander
Makhov, Jamie Huffman, Fred Homa,
and James Conway, University ofPittsburgh School of Medicine.

E.A. FISCHIONE INSTRUMENTS, INC.

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M O D E L 2550 Cr yo Tra nsf e r To m o gra p hy H o l d e r

The Temperature Controller connects directlyto the specimen holder dewar and displays theholder tip temperature.

Regenerating the zeolite
The dewar zeolite must be regenerated periodically.
This process is made easy with the one-touch
Zeolite Regeneration button on the Temperature
Controller. Fischione recommends the Model9030 Turbo Pumping Station to evacuate thedewar during regeneration.

Plasma cleaning
Prior to freezing thin films, TEM carbon support
grids should be cleaned to remove hydrocarbons
and to make the grids’ surface hydrophilic.
Fischione recommends that you clean the support
grids with the Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner orModel 1070 NanoClean.

Collision protection
TOOL-FREE SPECIMEN LOADINGThe one-piece, integrated cradle clamp
automatically closes when the specimen tip isretracted.

E.A. FISCHIONE INSTRUMENTS, INC.

Fischione’s advanced tomography holders arecompatible with the TEM’s touch alarm thatstops goniometer movement if a pole touchoccurs. Follow the microscope manufacturer’srecommendation for operating the goniometer at
high-tilt angles.

4M O D E L 2550 Cr yo Tra nsf e r To m o gra p hy H o l d e r

CRYO WORKSTATION
The modular reservoirs in the cryowork station can be repositioned toaccommodate left- or right-hand use.

SIMPLE SPECIMEN LOADING AND
TRANSFER TO TEM
The Model 2550 Cryo Transfer
Tomography Holder inserted into atransmission electron microscope (bottomimage).

E.A. Fischione Instruments, Inc.
9003 Corporate Circle
Export, PA 15632 USA
Tel: +1 724.325.5444
Fax: +1 724.325.5443
info@fischione.com
www.fischione.com©2016 E.A. Fischione Instruments, Inc. All rights reserved.
Model 2550 Cryo Transfer Tomography Holder is subject
to U.S. patent numbers 8,336,405 and 9,010,202.
Document Number PB2550 Revision 05 11/2016