A temperature controlled hydration or environmental stage for the Siemens Elmiskop 1A

Abstract
A hydration stage is designed for the Siemens Elmiskop 1A with a minimal modification to the microscope. The stage is temperature controlled in the range of -10 degrees C to 50 degrees C, saturated hydration condition being automatically obtained at all temperatures. The stage is easy to operate. It is suitable for temperature and hydration dependent experiments on both biological and non-biological materials and for dynamically observing other mixed phase physical or chemical interactions.