Chamber Slide or coverglass products allow cell culture on a microscope slide or coverglass. A plastic upper structure mounted on a slide is removable after culture. Cells can be grown, fixed and stained on the same slide. Chamber Slide products are ideal for microscopic analysis of cells in culture.
Growth Surfaces: Chamber Slide products are available with a soda lime glass, Permanox® plastic or polystyrene plastic slide. Chambered Coverglass products incorporate a #1.0 borosilicate coverglass as the growth surface. Slide surfaces are not coated with any biological or chemical reagents. Both Permanox plastic and polystyrene slide surfaces are cell culture treated for optimal cell performance. The polystyrene SlideFlask™ has a surface identical to other Nunclon® products.
Fluorescence: Both glass and Permanox plastic slides may be used with most fluorescent labels. The polystyrene slide of the SlideFlask can be used with fluorescein with a blocking filter to remove red autofluorescence.
Fixation: Permanox plastic is compatible with many standard fixation protocols (i.e., 3:1 Methanol: Glacial Acetic Acid, 3:2 Acetone: PBS, 2:3 Acetone Ethanol, 100% Methanol).3 Note: Permanox plastic slides will float when submerged in stain solutions. Weigh the slides or use a holder to keep them submerged during staining procedures. Cover slipping: Permanox slides are not compatible with non-aqueous mounting media containing xylene or toluene. For permanent storage, Permanox slides can be cover slipped with many aqueous mounting media.
Manufacturing: Gasket is medical grade silicone. Permanox plastic and polystyrene are virgin materials. All components are non-toxic. All products are carefully tested to assure quality and sterility.
Permanox® Plastic: Permanox plastic is a plastic material, resistant to many acids, bases and some inorganic solvents. It has good transmission in the UV range and >70%T at 400nm. Flask Styles: The Flaskette® Chamber (white cap) has a glass slide sealed with a gasket. It is useful with Lowicryl K4M embedding resin, where air inhibits polymerization of embedding resin.1 The SlideFlask (black cap) features a polystyrene slide growth surface. A special sonic weld seals the slide to the upper structure without a gasket. The upper easily snaps away after culture. Do not use 100% acetone fixation with SlideFlask. The polystyrene slide is compatible with diluted Acetone, 3:2 Acetone: PBS and 2:3 Acetone: Methanol.3 Chambered Coverglass: This is a cell culture vessel with a #1.0 borosilicate coverglass as the growth surface. The very thin glass allows high magnification microscopy with inverted microscopes.
Media structure of the Chambered Coverglass is not removable.
References:
- Bou-Gharios, G. et al. J. Microscopy, 150, pt2, 161-163, 1998.
- NUNC™ TechNote: Compatibility of Different Mounting Media on Permanox® Slides.
- NUNC A/S: NUNC SlideFlask™ Procedures, August, 1986.
- NUNC Brand Product, Bulletin No. 13, 'Cell Adhesion And Growth on Coated or Modified Glass or Plastic Surfaces', 1998