Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Two New Microscopes RCA INTRODUCES IMPROVED UNIVERSAL MODEL AND CONSOLE INSTRUMENT AT MEETING OF AMERICAN BACTERIOLOGISTS By Perry C. Smith Manager, Electron Microscope Design Section, RCA Victor Division AX HISTORICAL date was set , in December, 1940, when RCA sold the first commercial electron microscope produced in this hem- isphere. It is doubtful that the pos- sibilities of this new tool for science were fully realized at the time of the original installation. Many pre- dictions wei-e made but little did anyone imagine what the electron microscope would and did accomp- lish in so many research fields in so short a time. Although many workers in various endeavors were revealing new wonders daily with the electron microscope, it was shortly after World War II began that electron microscopy received an impetus which advanced the art at an unbelievable pace and which permitted its name to become synonomous with the science of the war effort. The headline news which the RCA electron micro- scopes are making daily, unfortu- nately may not be told until the War is over. However, it can be said that fifty-eight of the original model electron microscopes — the type EMB—have been produced and de- livered up to this date. Likewise, it can be stated that the RCA elec- tron microscopes have definitely won a place in the circle of recog- nized scientific devices. Within a year after Dr. Vladimir K. Zworykin of the RCA Labora- tories and his associates released the original research model elec- tron microscope for production, it was realized that a product design and advance development group would have to be formed to handle production problems and to broaden and improve the equipment line. To this end, such an organization was formed in late 1941. Among other things, this group has trained hun- dreds in the art of electron micros- copy : it has provided many im- provements and attachments for the original design of microscope; it has set manufacturing standards and guided production processes. F:arly in May. 1944, another history-making event in electron microscopy took place when the RCA Laboratories and the Com- mercial and Industrial Engineering Departments of the RCA Victor Division introduced two new im- liroved instruments before the American Society of Bacteriolo- gists, meeting in New York. In designing these two new in- struments, our Product Design Group was largely guided by the field performance of the EMB mi- croscopes scattered throughout the United States and the more than 100.000 micrographs they have pro- duced. The friendly and construc- tive criticism of the many techni- cians and associates using RCA microscope equipment was of incal- culable aid. The type EMU, or universal microscope, and the type EMC, or console microscope, were designed with the following main viewpoints for guidance: (1) operator com- fort and convenience; (2) simplic- ity and flexibility; (3) consistent top performance; and (4) ease of maintenance. Briefly, the RCA electron micro- scope is a device for studying and photographing the smaller particles of nature. These particles range in size from those observable with the light microscope down to single molecules. In fact, many of the larger molecules have already been photographed. The usefulness of the electron microscope comes from the fact that its resolving power— its ability to distinguish one small THE NEW UNIVERSAL MODEL RCA ELECTRON MICROSCOPE (RIGHT) IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR (STANDING), DR. V. K. ZWORYKIN AND DR. JAMES HILLIER. THE TWO ELECTION MICROGRAPHS BELOW SHOW STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS BACTERIA BEFORE (LEFT) AND AFTER BEING SUBJECTED TO PENICILLIN. [RADIO AGE 9]