NanoSoft Clipping Tools are loaded with C-clips and clip grids using the same fundamental mechanism as the Thermo Fisher version. Instead of actuating the C-clip with a long plastic handle, the NanoSoft design uses a compact plunger that is pressed using standard tweezers. This significantly reduces tool length and improves stability during clipping.

Clipping Tool

The shortened body allows the entire tool to sit deeper within liquid nitrogen inside the clipping station, keeping it below the frost-prone region caused by ambient moisture. As a result, multiple tools can be pre-loaded with C-clips, cooled simultaneously, and held at cryogenic temperature for extended periods with minimal ice contamination. This enables uninterrupted clipping of multiple grids without the need to repeatedly warm, reload, and re-cool tools.

After loading, the Clipping Tools can be placed into the Clipping Tool Rack and transferred into a clipping station for cooling. When used with the NanoSoft Clipping Station (#47000-615), the tools can be placed directly into the station without the rack. For clipping, the square-profile plunger allows easy and controlled gripping with tweezers, while small stabilizing features prevent twisting during transfer. The shorter body length helps maintain tool alignment while pressing the plunger, improving seating consistency of the C-clip within the AutoGrid ring.

The C-clip Bottoming Tool simplifies and improves the process of seating the C-clip at the tip of the clipping tool barrel prior to clipping. Instead of pressing the barrel against a flat surface or manually adjusting with tweezers, the barrel is inserted into the Bottoming Tool and the plunger is pressed straight down. The cylindrical guide keeps the barrel aligned, reducing the risk of mis-bottoming or ejecting the C-clip during setup.

Kit Contents (47000-612)

4 × Clipping Tools
1 × Clipping Tool Rack
1 × C-clip Bottoming Tool

This integrated set supports reliable, high-throughput Cryo-EM grid clipping with improved ergonomics, reduced contamination risk, and greater consistency.

Clipping Tools

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