The LVEM microscopes are very unique in the world of electron microscopes. Although the electron microscope has gone through decades of improvement and change - and continues to do so – no single development has changed the face of electron microscopy more than the introduction of the first LVEM.

The LVEM microscopes provide high contrast by operating at much lower voltages than conventional electron microscopes. Results are acquired from samples in their inherent, natural state, yet still allow for staining as an option. Although there are instances where staining is desirable for diagnostic purposes, the necessity to stain samples in order to generate adequate detailed contrast cannot be viewed as advantageous.

The first LVEM, the LVEM5, operates at 5kV and features a benchtop footprint that is more than 90% smaller than its closest cousin. And the fact that the LVEM5 has TEM, SEM, STEM, Electron Diffraction and digital imaging makes it a technology to be taken seriously. Click here for a chart comparing the LVEM5 to its classical counterparts.

The LVEM25 builds on the LVEM5 platform and is our top of the line offering. It is the only low voltage transmission electron microscope designed to operate at 25kV. This is well below typical accelerating voltage of traditional EM (80-200kV), resulting in increased electron scattering which in turn leads to greater contrast in the TEM image. The LVEM25 can operate at a range of voltage in TEM and STEM modes, and can work with conventionally prepared thin sectioned materials.

The application areas for LVEM can be broken down into two main categories, Life Science and Material Science. In a simplified perspective, the life sciences benefit from the enhanced contrast the LVEM systems provide, while the material sciences benefit greatly from the improved throughput that a compact and high resolution LVEM microscope offers. Of course there is now great number of crossovers between these two main categories, such as biomaterials, which benefits from both aspects of the systems.