ALTO 2500 Cryotransfer for SEM

Benefits of Cryo-SEM

Cryo-SEM allows imaging and analysis of biological and other hydrated specimens. Liquids, suspensions, emulsions, polymers and other beam- or vacuum-sensitive specimens may also be easily prepared and examined.

The benefits of Cryo-SEM apply to a wide range of applications areas, including botany, pathology, physiology, mycology, micro-organisms, agro-chemicals, pharmaceutical, healthcare, food, consumer products and industrial processes. See our Image Galleries for more examples of the excellent results that can be produced using ALTO systems.

Penicillium roqueforti	Rinse Aid

ALTO 2500

ALTO 2500 is the ‘performance leader’ in Cryo-SEM and has been specifically designed to allow highest resolution performance together with Field Emission SEMs and FIB-SEMs.



Specimen preparation techniques provided with every ALTO 2500 system include rapid freezing (to preserve hydrated state), vacuum transfer (to prevent contamination), cold fracture (to expose internal microstructure), sublimation (to clarify non aqueous components) and coating (to allow high resolution surface imaging and X-ray analysis).

Excellent visibility and ergonomics ensure that all aspects of specimen manipulation and transfer can be easily and precisely carried out.

A turbo-pumped cryo-preparation chamber is attached to the SEM chamber and following specimen preparation the sample holder is transferred to a gas-cooled module fitted to the SEM stage. Safety interlocks ensure that vacuum conditions and SEM status are correct and anti-contaminator plates ensure that any water vapour is effectively trapped.

The gas-cooled stage module provides highly stable operation allowing high resolution imaging performance.

Typical ALTO installations on a wide range of SEMs and FIB-SEMs are shown in our Image Galleries

Options and accessories

A comprehensive range of options and accessories is available for ALTO 2500. To download a datasheet click here

Applications Support

In addition to checking our Image Galleries, you may download the following Applications Notes:

To download the Application Note,  "Imaging colloids with ALTO cryo-SEM" click here
To download the Application Note, "Visualisation of Surfactants using Cryo-electron Microscopy" click here
To download the Application Note, "The use of cryo-SEM to Study nematodes', click here
To download the Application Note, Cryo techniques using low vacuum SEM', click here
To download the Application Note, "Observation of foods using cryo-SEM ', click here
To download the Poster: "Low temperature scanning electron microscopy of cryo-planed and ion milled block faces", click here
To download the Application Note, "Investigations of Cementitious Materials with Low Temperature SEM', click here 
To download the Application Note, "Cryo_SEM imaging with Gatan ALTO tilting, rotating sample holder', click here

For further expert Applications guidance on Cryo-SEM, please contact our Product Specialist, Marilyn Carey mcarey@gatan.com