Skip to main content
Analytical Instrumentation Facility

Leica EM AFS2 Freeze Substitution System

The Leica EM ICE high pressure freezing system enables users to preserve samples in a near native state and capture and resolve highly dynamic processes at the nanometer scale with millisecond precision. The system is equipped with light stimulation to enable photosensitive experiments. Once preserved, high-pressure-frozen samples can be analyzed with AIF’s cryo-EM.

Location: MRC room 303F

The Leica EM AFS2 freeze substitution system is able to progressively lower temperature and low temperature embedding and polymerization of resins. This is typically used in conjunction with high pressure freezing.

  • Supply voltage: 200-240 V / 50/60 Hz
  • Power consumption: max. 1400 W (at stand-by 160 W)
  • Current: max. 6 A for 230 V
  • LN2 consumption during cool down: 8 liter
  • LN2 consumption in operation (incl. cooling down): 30 liter / day
  • LN2 consumption per freezing process: 80 ml
  • Noise level during pressure build-up: 60 dB(A)
  • Nitrogen gas emission: 50 m3 /day
  • Volumetric capacity of the LN2 dewar: 15 liter
  • Max. noise level during freezing process: 75 dB(A)
  • 89 (width) × 151 (depth) × 155 (height) cm, 510 kg (Instrument packed)
  • 116 (width) × 79(depth) × 1285 (height) cm, 380 kg* (Main body plus working station)
  • *NB! Additional 12 kg should be considered when the instrument is filled with LN2
  • Working pressure: 2100 bar – 2300 bar
  • Rise time: 4 ms – 7 ms
  • Shift p/T: 0 ms – 3.0 ms
  • hp Dwell: 250.0 ms – 400.0 ms
  • Cooling rate: 12 000 K/s – 25 000 K/s
  • LED spot illumination: 8600 lx built in
  • Observation: M80 + 16x eyepieces
  • Magnification: 3x to 10x (S6E); 6x to 48x (M80)