ICnano Overview
ICnano provides a simple, robust and reliable system for scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) - the ideal technique for high resolution imaging of
- living cell membranes
- soft or fragile surface features
- any surface, whether organic or inorganic, that is immersed in electrolyte
breakthrough technology
Differential Mode SICM - developed by a team at Imperial College London and Cambridge - enables ICnano to map surface topography at high resolution without any surface contact whatsoever. The scan control system automatically protects the nanopipette tip from damage or contamination, whether from the target surface or from floating debris. Scanning may be performed by moving either the scan probe or the sample.
hybrid techniques
ICnano may be integrated with other laboratory systems for a range of unique hybrid techniques, including steered patch clamping, ion and agonist delivery, surface confocal microscopy, SNOM and nano-scale deposition.
mounting
The ICnano scan head may be mounted on an inverted microscope, or it can used be as a stand-alone scanner forming an ultra-compact scanning station where its low size and mass make it easier and cheaper to protect against vibration
pipettes
ICnano uses an easily replaceable borosilicate glass pipette tip, pulled to the required diameter.
Tips may be purchased from ionscope or prepared in-situ using a standard puller.
