HTRU EquipmentThe HTRU is the most well equipped facility in the country for integrated hard tissue preparation and imaging.
Ground Thin Section Equipment
The HTRU harbors two Buehler Isomet Low Speed Saws for the production of ca. 100µm thick sections. Accessories provide for optimum performance of these instruments in various embedded and unembedded hard tissue applications.
The Buehler Petro-Thin Thin Sectioning System is capable of producing plane parallel sections from mounted blocks (1-5cm diameter) in 1-5 minutes.
The Buehler Handimet 2 Roll Grinder is configured for water lubricated hand grinding through carborundum grit sizes ranging from 250-1200.
The Buehler Ecomet 3 Variable Speed Grinder-Polisher is employed in the production of surface topographies on embedded blocks and their ground thin sections of 1µm and less.
The Buehler Vibromet 2 Vibratory Polisher is capable of producing fine (e.g. 0.01µm) surface finishes on embedded blocks and ground thin sections.
You may wish to visit the Buehler Ltd. web site to learn more about technologies available for specimen preparation in the mineralized tissue sciences.
Other Equipment
A high-speed Lortone Diamond Trim Saw is available for the rough cutting of large specimens.
Custom Misonix Ductless Fume Enclosure and Workstation contain a dehydrating/defatting soxhlet apparatus and permit specimen preparation operations that involve intensive use of organic solvents and embedding polymers.
A high vacuum Savant-Thermoquest Diaphragm Pump facilitates vacuum impregnation of embedding media.
A large capacity Polaron Critical Point Dryer facilitates specialized preparations for scanning electron microscopy.
Other basic laboratory equipment includes an oven for enzyme detergent cleaning, a gast vacuum pump and desiccating units, ultrasonicating devices, digital scale, rotary mixer, specimen mounting equipment, and lab safety equipment.
For imaging purposes at various stages of specimen preparation, the HTRU has an imaging bench configured with a Zeiss Photomicroscope I and an Olympus SZH Stereo Zoom Microscope, both of which are connected via a monochrome electronic Hitachi CCD camera to a Leica Quantimet 500 Image Analysis System for the processing of digital images.
Imaging Equipment
Imaging for HTRU research is undertaken in the Analytical Microscopy and Imaging Center in Anthropology. Click AMICA to learn more about this resource.
A fully digital LEO Stereoscan 440 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) employs various software packages for central computer control of the instrument, including stage movements and image acquisition. The SEM is additionally configured to include a backscattered electron detector for density imaging, and a cathodoluminescence detector for imaging fluorescent objects. An EMITECH sputter coater is included for the metalizing/carbonizing of even particularly large specimens for SEM imaging.
A research-grade Leica-Leitz DMRX/E Universal Microscope combines conventional illumination with various forms of contrast and UV fluorescence imaging. A high resolution automated stage is fitted to this microscope and controlled by the Q600 (below). This is complemented by a Leica MZ APO Stereo Zoom Microscope with 5-400x magnification capability.
An Edge R400 Real-Time 3D Microscopeprovides high resolution (i.e. higher than conventional light microscopy) three-dimensional imaging of microscopic details within histolgical sections observed in transmitted light. An Edge H160 Real-Time 3D Microscopealso allows real-time three-dimensional imaging of microscopic structures, but does so in reflected light (both white light and in fluorescence). These instruments represent the only such microscopal technology in New York State.
A Technical Instrument K2-S BIO Confocal Microscope permits the imaging of sub-micron thick optical sections deep to intact opaque samples in both reflected light and fluorescence.
A Transportable Video-Based Digitizing Computer is configured to provide lightweight macroscopic and microscopic imaging and measuring for use in the field. It includes a 150 MHz Pentium notebook computer accepting input from both a Minolta RD-175 Digital Camera and a Fujix Hi-8 Camcorder. Images are stored for downloading at AMICA upon return, or emailed back to AMICA from remote locations.
The facility also has a unique high resolution non-contact optically-based Video-Based 3-D Digitizer with two micron accuracy in each X- and Y-axis and five micron accuracy in the Z-axis. Digital readout is transferred to 3-D analytical measurement software.
In addition, we have a portable Kramex X-Ray machine for procuring radiographs at museum locations.
The SEM and AMICA's light microscopes are directly addressable by a Leica Quantimet 600 High Resolution Image Analysis System to enhance detail, to improve the visual contrast, and to perform numerous gray/color level analyses and measurement protocols.
Images captured from AMICA's 3D and confocal microscopes are acquired by the 3D Imaging Workstation for image processing and 3D reconstruction proceedures.
The facility has a Geographic Information System Workstation configured to include a large format high resolution CalComp 2-D digitizing tablet and an Exabyte 8 millimeter tape drive for transferring satellite imagery. This workstation is equipped with Internet video conferencing, enhancing AMICA's research connections around the world.
An Image Archiving Workstation supports Iomega and Syquest removable media hardware and writeable CD capabilities.
An Image Recording Workstation is configured with a high resolution Microtek flatbed scanner for acquisition of digital images from hard copy. A Polaroid Digital Palette record unit allows the transfer of images onto 35 mm film. Epson color inkjet and Hewlett Packard laserjet printers allow up to A3 1440 dpi output.
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