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Hi Alex,

We have both a Pathology Devices stage top incubator (which we love!)  
for temp, humidity and CO2 control and an OKOLabs microscope  
enclosure on our confocal. We had problems with condensation on the  
objectives (both dry and oil) during time lapse experiments at 37C  
using just the stage top incubator.  In addition to being bad for  
imaging, it also caused the autofocus to fail.   Our policy now is  
that any 37C imaging must be done with both the microscope enclosure  
(set at 35C) and the stage top incubator (set at 37C).  I also feel  
better that people using oil objectives are now actually imaging at  
37C!  Although it's not too difficult to work with the OKOLabs box,  
we remove the front panel to make it easier for folks who are imaging  
at room temp.  The only other thing you have to keep an eye on is the  
room temp - the microscope enclosure pumps a fair amount of heat out  
into the room.

Regards,
Carol


On Jul 24, 2012, at 5:34 PM, Alex Paredez wrote:

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>
> Hello,
> I am looking into a DeltaVision microscope.  The sales rep wants to  
> sell me an
> environmental chamber which controls temp and CO2.  I work on an  
> intestinal
> parasite (Giardia) that needs a hypoxic environment.  The sales rep  
> would like me
> to put a smaller chamber inside their larger cabinet and control  
> atmospheric
> conditions with a gas mixer.  He argues that by heating the entire  
> stage and all
> the objectives there will be less thermal drift and better  
> temperature control.  I
> don't know what the gas system is going to cost yet but list on the  
> Environmental
> chamber is around 11K.  I can get a complete stage top system from  
> Pathology
> Devices for around 5K more than the chamber.  I like the idea of  
> not having a
> giant box in the way when we are imaging fixed samples. Also I am  
> not sure how
> easy it is going to be to load a smaller chamber with samples when  
> it is inside of a
> larger cabinet.  I could use some advice.  I am also not set on the  
> DV or any
> particular environmental system.  That said my department has  
> plenty of confocal
> microscopes and I think deconvolution is probably the best solution  
> for my small
> cells.
> Thanks,
> Alex