Posted by
Guy Cox on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Multi-user-Imaging-room-plans-tp2264638p2266577.html
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I have to agree with that. We've had multiple
confocals and widefield systems
in one room without too much trouble (independent lighting
controls of course)
but multiphoton scopes really need darkroom
conditions. You're going to
have real trouble with just curtains when one user is
trying to take images
and another is turning lights on to adjust their live-cell
incubation equipment.
Guy
Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
by Guy
Cox CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
______________________________________________
Associate
Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building
F09,
University of Sydney, NSW
2006
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We did a bit of that when we moved to our new lab, with one large
room subdivided with curtains, and one with actual walls and doors to make
minilabs within. Our experience seems to be that the walled rooms,
although more expensive, are routinely used for independent experiments, while
the curtained room is less easily used for independent experiments. One
issue is separate lights for each area. Depending on how much input you
have into construction, if you should aim to have separate and independent
control of the lighting for each subdivided area, you might be able to make it
practical for separate users. We also often wish we had separate light switches
in each area as well as by the main door. It is also harder to separate
one's self from conversation and so on within a curtained area. Minimize
traffic if possible. You also need to have a path to walk or move things
between areas without disturbing the others. Some microscopes need access
to the rear and not just the front (for lasers and so on), and that needs
to be thought though. Plus curtains are not as noise-damping as walls. Nor
as light excluding.
So, I would recommend really thinking through
the daily use of a subdivided area, and, if possible, to actually subdivide with
walls and (large) doors, with independent light and power and air supply for
each mini-room. And you do not want the air supply vents to be sending air
at the microscope, but have a way to direct it away. Or at least
independently lit curtained areas.
With that many nice
microscopes, you will get a lot more out of them if they are separated by real
walls.
A nice problem to have!
Tim O'Brien
CISMM, UNC
Chapel Hill
Milton Charlton wrote:
We are
contemplating building a multi-user imaging room containing 3
confocals, 2 2-photon confocals, 1-2 widefield scopes. We
would isolate parts of the room with curtains.
Has anyone
constructed such a room and can send plans and/or recommendations about
construction, utilities, etc? Photos might help too.
Thanks for your
help.
Milton
Charlton
Milton P. Charlton, Professor
Physiology
Department
Medical Science Building #3308
University of Toronto
1
King's College Circle
Toronto, ON, M5S1A8
Canada
tel:
416-978-6355
fax: 416-978-4940
[hidden email]
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