Pneumatic Micro-Manipulator Series A no.354 De Fonbrune Sensaur Aloe

Description

Consists of two principal components, the micromanipulator (1) mechanism and the controller (2). The two are joined by three pieces of narrow clear “Tygon” tubing that have been braided together.
2017.ph.740.1 – The micromanipulator mechanism is a sturdy metal object with a clear plastic cover. The metal frame is finished in black. A microtool–in this case a short metal point–protrudes from the front. Several knurled adjusting knobs protrude from the metal stand beneath the plastic cover. Beneath the plastic cover lie the pneumatic micromanipulator mechanisms. These are “deformable capsules” (capsules déformable) that mechanically actuate the tool tips via metal arms. A small cylindrical piece–a supplementary tool holder–is attached to the front part of the piece outside the plastic cover.
2017.ph.740.2 – The controller (récepteur) resembles a joystick and is mounted on a sturdy metal base with the same black finish and the micromanipulator mechanism. The travel of the handle is bounded by a circular frame that has a silver finish. The controller incorporates three pistons that actuate the microtool along the x, y, and z axes respectively. These pistons are connected to the deformable capsules via narrow clear tubes.
Alternative Name:
Pneumatic micromanipulator
Primary Materials:
Iron Alloy, Plastic, Copper Alloy
Dimensions (cm):
2017.ph.740.1: Length: 22, Width: 12.5, Height: 16. 2017.ph.740.2: Length: 19.5, Width:19.5, Height: 20.5. Rubber tube length: approx. 116.5
Function:
The micromanipulator is used to manipulate microscopic objects. A number of operations can be performed depending on what microtool is mounted in the instrument. Micromanipulation usually takes place on a microscope stage.
Condition:
Very Good: The instrument is works
Associated Instruments:
Manufacturer:
Charles Beaudouin, Paris
Date of Manufacture:
n/A
Provenance:
From Aeronautic company that worked for Boeing
Historical Notes:
The de Fonbrune pneumatic micromanipulator was developed in the early 1930s by Pierre Dussumier de Fonbrune of the Institut Pasteur in Paris. The first prototype instrument was demonstrated in 1932. The instrument was perfected between 1936 and 1938 with the assistance of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the instrument makers Paul Beaudouin and Henri Gondet. This history is briefly described in the introduction to [de Fonbrune,1949].
Paul Beaudouin was the nephew of Charles Beaudouin, who had first established a Paris-based instrument manufacturing enterprise around 1914.
The instrument was ani mprovement over earlier micromanipulators in the sense that the controller permitted easy and intuitive control across three axes.
De Fonbrune and his colleagues at the Institut Pasteur developed a number of related technologies, including a specialized microforge for creating various glass microtools and an oil-based moist chamber that prevented evaporation of the suspension liquid when working with organic samples.