1. Organization and Management of an
Electron Microscope Laboratory
1.1. Laboratory Layout
The requirements for an electron microscope laboratory can be quite
accurately defined if it is to be used almost exclusively for tissue work.
There must be a microscope room which can be darkened, a photographic
darkroom as well, and a preparation room. Although an office area may
be combined with the latter, it is highly desirable to have an additional
separate room for paper work.
Electron microscope manufacturers will supply a customer with detailed specifications of the requirements for their product. The minimum
shape and size of the microscope room depends partly upon the shape of
the microscope, and also upon the clearances that are required to open
the instrument for service. The latter are apt to be overlooked or forgotten by one without experience. For this reason a microscope ordinarily
cannot be backed up against a wall or be placed in too narrow a closet.
It will probably have to stand more or less in the center of a modest sized
room. Some microscopes have power supplies in separate cases which must
not stand close to the microscope because of their magnetic fields. Under
these circumstances the power supply ordinarily is put in an adjoining
room, but access to it must be maintained.
Most manufacturers stress the need for a stable base for their product,
although instruments differ in their sensitivity to vibration. This is the
reason why so many electron microscope laboratories are to be found in
basements. Elevator shafts in the vicinity are to be avoided particularly.
Large transformers, generators, motors, and the like have powerful magnetic fields about them that exert their influence for many feet. They
may disturb the operation of an electron microscope in an adjoining
room.
The manufacturer will specify what special utilities must be brought
into the room. These will probably include water to cool a diffusion
pump, as well as one or two extra electrical circuits. Some microscopes
use massive voltage stabilizers in their power line. These have powerful
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Electron Microscope Laboratory
1.1. Laboratory Layout
The requirements for an electron microscope laboratory can be quite
accurately defined if it is to be used almost exclusively for tissue work.
There must be a microscope room which can be darkened, a photographic
darkroom as well, and a preparation room. Although an office area may
be combined with the latter, it is highly desirable to have an additional
separate room for paper work.
Electron microscope manufacturers will supply a customer with detailed specifications of the requirements for their product. The minimum
shape and size of the microscope room depends partly upon the shape of
the microscope, and also upon the clearances that are required to open
the instrument for service. The latter are apt to be overlooked or forgotten by one without experience. For this reason a microscope ordinarily
cannot be backed up against a wall or be placed in too narrow a closet.
It will probably have to stand more or less in the center of a modest sized
room. Some microscopes have power supplies in separate cases which must
not stand close to the microscope because of their magnetic fields. Under
these circumstances the power supply ordinarily is put in an adjoining
room, but access to it must be maintained.
Most manufacturers stress the need for a stable base for their product,
although instruments differ in their sensitivity to vibration. This is the
reason why so many electron microscope laboratories are to be found in
basements. Elevator shafts in the vicinity are to be avoided particularly.
Large transformers, generators, motors, and the like have powerful magnetic fields about them that exert their influence for many feet. They
may disturb the operation of an electron microscope in an adjoining
room.
The manufacturer will specify what special utilities must be brought
into the room. These will probably include water to cool a diffusion
pump, as well as one or two extra electrical circuits. Some microscopes
use massive voltage stabilizers in their power line. These have powerful
1