MINJ-1000


microINJECTOR™ System Complete w/ Inverted Microscope, manipulator

MINJ-1000:  $11,891.89 † - Special Order

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Tritech Research sells complete microinjection systems that integrate our famous microINJECTOR™, Pulse Length Control Module (PCM), and needle holder with top name brand inverted microscopes and micromanipulation equipment. We take advantage of our status as a fully authorized Narishige dealer and manufacturer of custom OEM solutions for Olympus and other microscope systems to get you great prices and the added convenience of receiving a fully integrated microinjection system from a single source.

     Other features include our custom GlideStage®, which provides a fine level of manual stage manipulation at a fraction of the cost of motorized stage manipulators. When the stage is in use, you can employ a low-cost mechanical joystick-type micromanipulator, to save thousands of dollars over other systems.


Microscope Features:
  • Small Foot Print.
  • Excellent Quality Optics.
  • Includes our custom-made Hoffman Modulation Contrast (HMC) optics for DIC-like images at a significantly reduced price.
  • Trinocular head for photo and video documentation.
  • Available with a fluorescent system for detection of GFP, DAPI, Rhodamine, etc.


Some researchers are curious whether a low-cost dedicated injection station like the MINJ-1000 is going to be a compromise in terms of quality, ease-of-use, or optics. The answer is - no. Great optics are as important to us as they are to you. Just as there can be a "good" DIC image, when the right Wallaston prism is combined with the right numerical aperture objective and the correct polarization, and a poor DIC image when these items are not optimized, we design and choose our HMC optics to work together to get you great images. Don't let a bad experience with a local microscope rep who doesn't know what he is doing, or understand how to optimize a system for your microinjection needs prejudice you.

Here are links to some QuickTime movies showing oocytes and the syncitial gonads of some C. elegans worms under our MINJ-1000 scope. We think you will be impressed with how clear and easy to inject these structures are. Click on these links to watch the QuickTime Movies (it will take a while for them to load completely, and then they will play.) To watch one again, click "Reload" or hit the play button if it is visible:

gonad04.mov (6.2MB)
gonad05.mov (7.3MB)
gonad06.mov (4.0MB, lower res)

And, here are a few still images... Click them to see an enlarged view:

Gonad 14
Gonad 15
Gonad 16

COMPARISON OF HOFFMAN AND DIC VIEWS
OF THE SAME C. ELEGANS WORM


Worm HMC vs DIC Comparison
HMC
Worm DIC Diagram
DIC













If the videos seem unavailable, try refreshing the web page
Here is a video that shows how to mount our standard MN-151 micromanipulator and set up for microinjection:



Here is a video that shows how to assemble with a more complex hydraulic micromanipulator, add the condenser, and our Glidestage™:




FAQ's

Q: What are the dimensions of this system, in terms of being compact and fitting on my injection table?
A: The microscope itself is 21" (54cm) deep from the eyepieces to the back x 9" (23cm) wide; it is 21" (54cm) tall. Our standard joystick-type micromanipulator mounts on the side of stage and adds about 4" (10cm) of width there.

Q: Which exact components are included in the standard MINJ-1000?
A: The MINJ-1000 includes the inverted microscope, the Narishige MN-151 joystick micromanipulator, our Analog foot-pedal controlled microINJECTOR MINJ-1, pulse-length control module MINJ-2, brass straight-arm quick-change needle holder MINJ-4, and custom-made microinjection GlideStage MINJ-GS. The standard optics for the worm version of the MINJ-1000 includes 2 Olympus objectives: a 4x for finding the worms and a customized 40x short working distance HMC objective for optically sectioning the worm to find the z-plane with the gonad of interest.
Some people choose to upgrade to our digital microINJECTOR, a hydraulic micromanipulator, or to add our low-cost anti-vibration bench plate or a camera, or fluorescence capabilities. These are all extra options for additional cost.

Q: What are some other items needed to start injecting procedures immediately using the MINJ-1000 system?
A: 1) 50mm x 24mm cover slips
2) agar for agar pads
3) something like an oven to bake the agar pads
4) halocarbon oil, or at least mineral oil, to cover the agar pads and protect the worms from total desiccation
5) a good non-vibrating table, or our MINJ-AVP
6) a nearby electric outlet for the scope and the MINJ-2
7) a nearby dissecting scope to quickly mount and recover the worms, such as our SMT1 stereo microscope.

Q: How can I adjust the camera/eye piece so that camera and eye piece are both in focus?
A: Since the camera should be parfocal with the eyepieces on the MINJ-1000 by the nature of c-mount optics, perhaps one too many (or possibly one too few) of the threaded adapter rings got moved along with the camera. Please try removing or adding a ring in between the camera and the c-mount for the MINJ-1000 and see if that makes it parfocal. One way that you can tell the needed distance is to remove all of the rings and hold the camera above the c-mount adapter by hand to see how high it needs to be for the image to be in focus. Also, please note the the eyepieces have a diopter adjustment, and parfocality should be near the "0" point on the eyepieces.

Q: Is the inverted scope included in the MINJ-1000 system compatible with all micro manipulators and objectives?
A: Yes, the inverted microscope is made for our company and it is compatible with all of our micromanipulators (we adapt it as needed). Our microscope fits all Olympus brand infinity-corrected objectives.

Q: What is the main difference between microinjection setups for worm labs versus zebrafish labs?
A: The typical setups for worm and zebrafish injections are quite different. C. elegans should certainly be microinjected on a coverslip under an inverted scope like our MINJ-1000. On the other hand, zebrafish are typically microinjected in a petri dish of water or agar under a dissecting stereomicroscope, although it can be done on the inverted scope using long working distance objectives that are able to see up through the dish or a chamber slide. In any case, the same micromanipulators and microinjection pressure controllers apply to both and could be moved from one scope to the other if you decide to get both types of scopes.

Q: What is the main advantage of the MMO-4 hydraulic micromanipulator over the MN-151 mechanical micro manipulator?
A: With a mechanical micromanipulator like the MN-151, the user touches the actual micromanipulator to move the joystick. This can introduce some vibration and some torque during movement. With a hydraulic micromanipulator like the MMO-4, the joystick is separated from the micromanipulator by the hydraulic tubes, so the user doesn't touch it, and so the movement is smooth and well isolated.

Q: What are the magnifications for the inverted scope?
A: The MINJ-1000 can be configured many different ways, but the standard configuration for C. elegans includes 10x wide-field eyepieces along with a 4x and 40x objective. Multiplying eyepiece x objective, you will have 40x for finding and lining up the worms and 400x for performing the injection.

Q: The image does not focus sharply. What are some ways to fix this?
A: The first thing you can check is the camera port selector. It is a black knob on either side of the scope just below the eyepiece head. If it is not all the way in the camera position or the eyepiece position, it could cause problems. Next you can try putting the scope condenser in the bright-field position (open circle, no Hoffman slit). Look at something with high contrast like a piece of paper with small text on it. See if it is really true that the two images are vertically aligned with both the 4x and with the 40x objective. If so, slightly unscrew the objective so as to rotate it while looking at the image. Does the alignment rotate as well, or does it stay the same? You could also remove the objective and shake it. Make sure there is no rattling. Lastly, clean the objective to ensure there is no collected dirt or dust.

Q: If we have an existing MINJ-1000 set up, can it be converted to a tetrad dissection scope?
A: The main and most expensive item that you need to convert your MINJ-1000 into a MINJ-YTD is a 40x or possibly a 20x objective lens that has ultra-long working distance. It will need to focus through the dish and through the agar to the asci on the surface. If it uses phase-contrast, then you will need a phase contrast condenser with a matching phase ring. Another option would be to use a 10x objective and higher magnification eyepieces. Some people also like a mechanical XY stage attachment so that they can move to particular coordinates on the dish, but you can draw a grid on the dishes instead.

Q: What are some important factors to achieve successful injections?
A: An important thing to getting good injections is to insert the microinjection needle into the correct part of the embryo. In order to line up the needle so that it penetrates in the correct Z-axis plane, it is important to have a microscope with appropriate contrast optics such as DIC, our customized HMC, or at least phase contrast. Using microscope objectives and a matching condenser to support one of these contrast methods will allow you to optically section through the embryo. When the plane of interest in the embryo is in focus, then you can bring the tip of the microinjection needle into the same focal plane by adjusting the Z-axis of the micromanipulator that is holding the needle holder. Then, when you advance the needle in the X-axis, you will know that the tip will end up in the desired part of the embryo.

† These are our list prices. If you are paying with an Institutional Purchase Order or by check, you qualify for a 7.5% discount. Click here to change your payment method and see the lower prices.