Universal MicroVice Sample Holder for Microscopes

The MicroVice sample holder provides a unique solution for placing and holding your samples for analysis with IR, Raman microscopes, stereoscopes and light microscopes.  Individually shaped samples, such as minerals, tablets and pills, but also multilayer films, fibers, hair samples can be easily positioned and analyzed in the desired position. It may tilt the sample for correcting oblique sample orientation and may also be used to stretch fibers and polymer films. It is customized to fit stages of various microscope manufacturers.

Also replacing the normal clamp with unique attachment SliceIR can enhance the cross section cutting for optimal microscope analysis.  Cutting & analyzing films, paper, multilayers can be sometimes very challenging.   The sample holder MicroVice with the SliceIR clamps helps you to hold even the thinnest films with ease.  As shown in below image, you can firmly hold your films in either a 30° or 15° angle and then easily slice off cross sections with a razor blade.  Holding the sample in 15°/30° will provide you a two/four times larger cutting surface optimized for the further analysis with the FTIR- or Raman microscopes. 

Sample Preparation Process

A typical sample process is shown below, and an application video can be found here. 

Typical Applications

The micro-vice sample holder is customized to fit stages of various microscope manufacturers and helps several typical applications as follows: 

• Facilitates positioning of samples for examination with FTIR- and Raman microscopes, stereoscopes & microscopes
• Supports FTIR-Microanalysis in pharmaceutical research and polymer analytics
• Ideal for mineralogical and gemological studies with Stereo Microscopes
• Facilitates forensic analysis of hair and fibers
• Support thin film holding and cross section cutting 
• Multilayer laminates, paint chips, packaging material analysis and identification using Microscopes, FTIR- and Raman Microscopes 

An application note from Agilent describes a new approach to use micro-vice sample holder and the FTIR microscope with Focal plan array (FPA) detector for chemical imaging of polymer laminates analysis.  Multi layers as thin as a few microns can be clearly observed in 50-micron thick polymer laminates without sample preparation. 

For more product details please visit our website and contact us at sales@auroraprosci.com.