Controller Features

Hinged Perfusion Adapter

The Bioptechs Hinged Perfusion Adapter provides Delta T users with a convenient and inexpensive method of supporting perfusion needles in the culture dish. The typical application is to maintain low-volume perfusion over cells during long term-experiments. Perfusion adapters are sold in pairs. One hinge and needle is a supply, the other is a drain. The balance between supply and drain can be maintained continuously with the use of the Micro Perfusion Pump*. Additional supports can be added to hold gas jets, pH probes, cooling apparatus, or other items which do not require critical positioning.

* Bioptechs recommends the use of the Micro Perfusion Pump with the double tubing set for closely regulated micro-perfusion.

Download a PDF of the Perfusion Configuration (360 K).

Benefits

• Needles compatible with 1/16" tubing

• User adjustable friction for reliable positioning

• Repeatable positioning flips out when replacing dishes

• Adjustable pick-up tube to control level of media in dish*

• Perfusion assembly translates with the stage adapter and dish

• Eliminates the need for expensive micro-manipulators for low precision positioning

Coverglass Lid

Coverglass Lid Half Section Drawing

The Coverglass Lid is a cover for the Delta T Culture Dish to be used when imaging to create an optical surface onto the liquid in the dish. This eliminates the optical effect of fluid motion at the air to liquid surface above the cells that causes the contrast of the image to change. Therefore, when acquiring a series of images in a transmitted light, contrast enhancing mode of microscopy, all images will have a uniform contrast.

Forming an optically flattened glass to media surface on the top of the cells eliminates this problem. The Coverglass Lid fits loosely on the Delta T Culture Dish and supports a 1 mm x 22 mm coverglass in the center of the field 3mm above the specimen. The Coverglass Lid is reusable and helps the Delta T bridge the gap between an open dish and a closed system environment. The Coverglass Lid is made of 304 stainless steel, autoclaveable, and available with or without perfusion. This item and/or the Heating Culture Dish Cover are nearly essential for multi-user facilities.

Heated Lid

The Bioptechs Delta T Heated Lid is a device which will provide a condensate free optical surface on the top of a Delta T Dish through which specimens can be perfused and trans-illuminated on an inverted microscope. It is reusable and powered by a 2.5 volt source from either a battery or the optional auxiliary power supply in the Delta T Controller. A CO2 port is included.

The Bioptechs Delta T Heated Lid w/ Perfusion is a device which will provide a condensate free optical surface on the top of a Delta T Dish through which specimens can be perfused and trans-illuminated on an inverted microscope. Specimens can be perfused by attaching perfusion tubing to the ports provided. It is recommended to use the Bioptechs Micro-Perfusion Pump with the dual perfusion tubing for this purpose.

Delta T Cooling Ring

The Bioptechs Cooling Ring is an immersion device which absorbs heat from the specimen by providing a thermally conductive physical barrier between chilled fluid passing through the ring and the fluid surrounding the specimen. This cooling ring is made of autoclaveable 304 stainless steel and provides the microscopist with a convenient and inexpensive method of reducing the temperature of specimens in Delta T culture dishes. The cooling ring is supported on the stage adapter and translates along with the dish. It is easily flipped out of the way to enable easy exchange of dishes in the stage adapter

Tissue Slice Adapter

The Delta T Tissue Slice Adapter is designed to allow observation of a tissue slice in the Delta T system. Delta T takes care of the fluid, thermal, and optical environment. Therefore all you have to do is place the specimen on the adapter.

The Delta T Tissue Slice Adapter includes an aperture device (Radel threaded insert) which mates to an internally threaded metal mounting ring and five autoclaveable silicon O-rings. Perfusion ports are included to enable separate perfusion of both sides of the specimen.

The specimen is placed on the aperture and supported by a Silastic band. This defines a plane for the specimen. The specimen is then lowered into the Delta T dish where the height of the specimen can be adjusted relative to the focusing distance of the objective.

Special configurations are available for a variety of specimen consistencies.

Tissue Slice Adapter Half Section Drawing

Artificial Membrane

The Delta T environment is easily adapted to accommodate many of the artificial membrane culturing products on the market. The device shown supports a Costar Transwell membrane. The bottom surface of the membrane is observable on an inverted microscope and adjustable in the "Z" axis to enable accommodation of higher numeric aperture lenses. Perfusion ports can be used to perfuse the basil surface of the specimen. Both surfaces of the membrane can be perfused separately.

• Tubing connections 1/16"

• Fits only Delta T Dishes

• Reusable

• Autoclaveable

•  When ordering this device, Bioptechs requires a sample of the insert to be used.

Artificial Membrane Adapter Half Section Drawing (Falcon Membrane Shown)

Brain Slice Adapter

The Bioptechs Brain Slice adapter is designed for the observation of temperature controlled specimens that have to be maintained in a perfusable micro-observation environment on an inverted microscope.

Brain Slice Adapter Half Section Drawing

Media Depth Reducer Half Section Drawing

Atmospheric Control Barrier Ring (ACBR)

The Atmospheric Control Barrier Ring (ACBR) for Water "Dipping" Objectives on Upright Microscopes. The ACBR is made of borosilicate glass, autoclaveable and available in several sizes to fit most popular water "dipping" lenses. It is placed around the barrel of water "dipping" lenses on upright microscopes to reduce ambient contamination and evaporation, thereby increasing humidity above the specimen and helping to retain the pH during long-term time lapse imaging.

Yeast Slide

The Bioptechs Yeast Slide provides an optically transparent, temperature controlled surface on which to place specimens on an upright microscope. It is a glass slide with an ITO coating on its bottom surface measuring 50mm X 75mm. It is placed on the stage of an upright microscope and mechanically constrained by conventional means. It accommodates a standard 25 x 75mm slide having yeast or other specimens under a coverslip. Its temperature is maintained by an electronic controller that reads temperature from the slides integral thermal sensor and heats by passing a current through the ITO coating on the underside of the slide.

Culture Cylinders

Culture Cylinders are used to barricade cells or suspended specimens in a Delta T dish; or to restrict and concentrate the growth and location of cells plated on a coverslip. They are 5mm high and available in a variety of inside diameters including, 1mm, 2mm, 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, and 14mm. Custom size geometries are available. The outer diameter is always two mm greater than the inside diameter due to the 1mm wall thickness. The cylinders are made of Pyrex glass and are heavier than plastic cloning rings to eliminate floating. They are optically polished on the bottom surface to mate with and form a tight seal with other glass surfaces without grease such as coverslips and Delta T dishes. Culturing Cylinders can be autoclaved for reuse.

Delta T Application

When using Culturing Cylinders with Delta T, select the appropriate size cylinder for the protocol and place the cylinder into the center of the dish. Pipette the specimen into the cylinder. Then pipette media around the cylinder to a depth equal to the depth in the cylinder, thereby equalizing hydrostatic forces. Make sure to maintain a minimum 2ml of media in the dish to maintain its thermal properties. Several cylinders can be used at the same time in a single dish for multiple specimens.