Particle size analysis and elemental mapping company with MicroVision Laboratories, Inc.? Approach: MicroVision Labs’ staff consulted with the client, and determined that, unfortunately, there could be a number of potential sources of a white material. Even before the bottle with the suspended material arrived, it was determined that there was less than 50 mL of water remaining, and likely less than a gram of material suspended in the water. The client was aware that this material could represent precipitated minerals from the source water, a polymer residue from the bottles, some form of biological tissue that might have formed despite sterilization procedures, or could very well represent some completely unforeseen foreign material. The issue facing the client is how to have the material tested, as most tests that they might request for one or the other of these known potential sources would destroy or alter the sample. Choosing a test was therefore something of a gamble, because if they tested for calcium (mineral precipitate) and it came up negative – that didn’t actually tell them what the powder was, just that it didn’t have any calcium. Based on this conversation, the non-destructive, specialized testing at MicroVision Laboratories was chosen as the best choice.
SEM is a powerful surface microscopy method which allows for high resolution images to be obtained on a wide range of samples. A focused beam of electrons sweeps across a sample surface and an image is created from the scattered electrons. The electron beam allows for the accurate imaging of features below the resolution limit of visible light. The acquired pictures retain good depth of field, resulting in excellent three-dimensional images. Variations in beam parameters can be made in order to highlight variations in density in the target sample, show extremely fine surface features, and illustrate texture in sample surface coatings. MicroVision Labs has multiple fully-operational SEMs, Bruker X-Flash EDS detectors and mapping technology, backscatter electron (BSE) imaging, and large chamber capabilities. These provide a full suite of microscopy services for all of your analytical needs.
Do you do any animal testing? No. Do you analyze any tissue samples or blood samples? No. We do not do any blood analyses and we are not set up to prepare tissue samples. What are some of the cool samples you have looked at under the scanning electron microscope? We have seen 10,000 year old Wolly Mammoth hair, meteorites, an artificial heart valve, civil war bullets, insulin pumps, rare colonial coins, a kidney stone, and a few things we can’t talk about. But some of the more mundane samples, like wood or salt crystals, have proven to be extremely interesting subjects to image. Explore even more info on web link.
Also, the color EDS map highlights the iron particles in the mineral filled PVC floor. These iron particles were concentrated in areas were the tile showed signs of impact which indicated some metallic object impacted the tile leaving behind small particles and over time the materials oxidized which created darker spots in the tile. The data indicated that a significant portion of the dust was from the insulation in the attic. The contractor had replaced a portion of duct work running to the master bedroom. During this replacement, fiberglass insulation was knocked into the ducting. The small glass insulation fibers were spread through the AC ducts and settling out of the air throughout the house. The client was relieved to know what was causing their skin irritation and the significant dust build up. Using the results garnered from the analysis from MicroVision Labs they were able to have the contractor clean out the duct work and act to prevent further spread of the insulation fibers and properly clean up the settled dust in the house that was the cause of the homeowner’s skin irritation.
MicroVision Laboratories, Inc. has been providing businesses, consultants and other testing laboratories with expert microscopy and analytical services since 2003. Our client base covers a broad spectrum of industries including semi-conductors, aerospace, electronics, biomedical, ceramics, optics, pharmaceuticals, mineralogy, metallurgy, thin films, environmental, membranes filtration and industrial hygiene.
The client was contacted with the results, and was curious as to what the source of these particles might be. After consulting with the office manager, it was determined that some pieces of furniture present had relatively significant amounts of direct water exposure, and were subsequently dried a number of times during remittance construction. Inspection of these pieces of furniture showed that they had high density, close packed foam cushions of a type similar to the particles observed in the surrounding area, which had been broken down by the repeated wet/dry cycle. See more info at https://microvisionlabs.com/.
