ThermoFisher Vitrobot Mark IV

The ThermoFisher Vitrobot (Vitrification Robot) Mark IV is a fully PC-controlled cryo-plunger for vitrification (= rapid cooling) of aqueous samples used later in cryo-electron microscopy (typically in our ThermoFisher Glacios cryo-TEM system). The process of plunging, blotting and vitrification is fully automated and uses liquid ethane. It performs cryo-fixation under constant physical and mechanical conditions (temperature, relative humidity, blotting conditions and freezing velocity). This ensures reproducible high quality cryo-fixation results and sample preparation throughput for the following cryo-TEM observation. Subsequently, the specimens are typically transferred to liquid nitrogen environment and placed into a Cryo-TEM-holder (for instance, our Gatan CT 3500). The Controller (Gatan ITC 502S) will allow temperature setting down to approx. -185 oC. Operational parameters are reproducible and the result is strictly PC controlled, enabling a high throughput of vitrified samples, with an easy and straightforward control of the vitrification process.