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Utermoehl (Phytoplankton) Sedimentation Chambers

Inverted Microscope Method (Utermö Technique)

• Phytoplankton enumeration and identification
• Designed for use with most inverted microscopes
• Settle large volume samples*

Utermö Sedimentation Chamber Unit Includes:

• four polycarbonate settling chambers (75 mm x 75mm)
• specify volume (ml): 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100
• eight polycarbonate slides (75 mm x 25 mm) with Carl Zeiss glass bottom plates (0.17-0.19 mm thickness)
• broken bottom plates replaced for a nominal charge
• polycarbonate settling table
• bubble level
• adjustment knobs
• wastewater draining tubes
• and nylon hardware

General Procedure:

1. level settling table
2. lubricate baseplates of settling chambers with silicone gel
3. compress microscope slides and overlying settling chambers to table
4. pour samples into tubes and settle for 24 hours
5. remove thumb screws and slide settling chambers over wastewater evacuation ports
6. remove slide from settling table and place on inverted microscope stage

Phase-Contrast Microscope Method:

• Phytoplankton enumeration and identification
• Designed for use with most light microscopes
• Settle large volume samples
• Archive preserved samples for future analysis

Unit Includes:

• polycarbonate slide-holding assembly; nylon hardware, and rubber "O" rings
• 12 Corning(r) plain micro slides; (25 mm x 75 mm; 0.96-1.06 mm thickness)
• four polycarbonate settling chambers
• specify volume (ml): 5, 10, 25, 50

General Procedure:

1. insert precleaned slides into slide-holder baseplate
2. carefully compress the overlying chamber plate, with integral "O" rings to the slide-holder baseplate with nylon thumbscrews
3. lubricate bottoms of sedimentation chamber baseplates with silicone gel
4. slide sedimentation tubes into chamber plate slots
5. fill chambers and settle for 24 hrs
6. slide chambers off plate to safely dump overlying water
7. allow slides to dessicate before examination or preservation

Phase-Contrast Sedimentation Chambers

A. normal filling and settling,

B. filling for nonturbulent rinse and C. dumping overlying water

STANDARD UTTERMOHL CHAMBER UNIT

• Clear polycarbonate construction
• 12-ea microscope counting chambers (35mmx 70 mm x 28 mm diam., 0.177 mm thick Carl Zeiss bottom plates)
• four-ea settling chambers (specify volumes, 5, 10, 25, 50,75, 100 ml)
• leveling table with evacuation ports and tubing, nylon hardware, complete: $455
  

      

GENERAL PROCEDURE:

Microscope counting chambers are compressed between settling chambers and leveling table by knurled thumbscrews. Hence, vacuum grease is generally not needed when settling volumes less than 75 ml.

Settling chambers are filled with sample water and allowed to settle for 24 hours. Carefully remove thumbscrews while applying downward pressure on settling chamber base. Slide settling chamber forward towards evacuation hole to drain contents safely.

Underlying microscope counting chamber remains undisturbed and ready for examination with inverted microscope.

MICROSCOPE COUNTING CHAMBER AND SETTLING CHAMBER

Constructed from clear polycarbonate. Carl Zeiss bottom plates (.177 mm thick x 28 mm diam.) are carefully adhered to counting chamber with a special epoxy. In case of glass breakage, bottom plates can be replaced free of charge.