A new electron microscope recently installed in the Renal Pathology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory at Yale School of Medicine will allow Yale pathologists to maintain their high level of accuracy in diagnosing kidney diseases.
The new microscope, a Hitachi HT7800 Transmission Electron Microscope, arrived in late February and, after setup and training, is now in use, said Gilbert Moeckel, MD, PhD, FASN, Laboratory Director and Professor of Pathology.
“We have had electron microscopes here for 25 years,” Dr. Moeckel said. “This new scope was a long-standing, multi-year project. It took a long time to get it and get it financed, so we are very happy to have it.”
Older microscopes would require users to develop a black-and-white print to see the images, but the new electron microscope displays them on an adjacent computer monitor.
“An electron microscope shoots electrons through the tissue and gives you a contrast. By doing that, you can evaluate the structure of kidney cells, and you can also look at the basement membrane and judge its thickness and consistency,” Dr. Moeckel said. “It enables us to look at the fine structure of kidney tissue, of liver tissue, of certain cell extensions such as cilia, which help in the respiratory tract to move mucus, for instance. We can determine if there are significant structural defects.”
The new equipment cost around $500,000, and Dr. Moeckel said they are grateful to Yale New Haven Health for the acquisition. Sara Pawlak, MS, CEMT, Electron Microscopy Laboratory Manager, tested several microscopes from different companies before determining the Hitachi model was the top in overall quality and best for handling, usability, and the laboratory’s specific needs.
“Among the things we considered were ergonomics and ease of using the technology,” Pawlak said.
Dr. Moeckel said they ordered the microscope in May 2022 and that it took six months to assemble to Yale’s specifications before installation. Pawlak and Thomas Ardito, BS, Research Associate in Pathology and a Laboratory member, are the two electron microscopists who take images and will be the primary users of the new equipment.
The new microscope will enable the Renal Pathology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory to continue its standard of providing patients with precision diagnoses, Dr. Moeckel said.
“Without electron microscopy, you could not diagnose about 20 to 30 percent of kidney diseases, so, basically, you would only be correct about 60 percent of the time,” Dr. Moeckel said. “With electron microscopy and the other tools we have, our accuracy is close to 100 percent.”