Nikon Metrology JCM-6000 NeoScope benchtop scanning electron microscope supports medical marvel development

Employing new technologies such as ceramic injection moulding has allowed Morgan to produce a commercially available, high precision ceramic tip for microwave ablation of tissues to remove tumours, which, due to its micro design, sees patient trauma following surgery significantly reduced. While the extremely fine structure of the material imparts high strength and toughness, critical for the demanding application, due to the material's small grain size, its microstructure cannot be analysed using the company's standard 50x optical microscope, so SEM techniques were required. Dr Tim Clipsham, technical manager, Morgan Advanced Materials, said: "The JCM-6000 was essential to enable our scientists to develop a material with advanced properties to suit this medical customer's specification. "Previously, when our inspection requirements fell outside the capabilities of optical microscopy, we used to subcontract SEM analysis. In recent years, the need for such analysis has steadily increased, making it critical to our on-going business activities to install this facility in house. "Having the benchtop SEM from Nikon Metrology on-site also allows us greater control over the equipment and the outcome from the analyses. Our material scientists, with their high level of expertise in our materials, are able to optimise and focus the analysis to our requirements better than the microscopists working at sub-contracting companies. "As a result, time can be saved with in-house SEM analysis, as previously preliminary analysis sometimes had to be carried out externally and then submitted to our technical team for advice before full in-depth analysis of the samples could be undertaken." As a direct consequence, the technical support provided by Morgan's material scientists and engineers to production functions and customers has been optimised."