Measuring and testing – Sampler – sample handling – etc. – Sample holder
Reexamination Certificate
2008-06-27
2010-12-07
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Sampler, sample handling, etc.
Sample holder
C073S863120, C250S440110
Reexamination Certificate
active
07845245
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to the extraction of a frozen hydrated sample for TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) inspection, such as a vitrified biological sample, from a substrate and the attaching of said sample to a manipulator. Such a hydrated sample should be held at a cryogenic temperature to avoid ice formation. By melting or sublimating a part of the sample material outside the area to be studied in the TEM and freezing the material to the manipulator (10), a bond is formed between sample (1) and manipulator. This makes it possible to transport the sample from the substrate to e.g. a TEM grid.In a preferred embodiment a part (2) of the manipulator (10) is held at a cryogenic temperature, and the melting or sublimation is caused by heating the tip (3) of the manipulator by electric heating of the tip and then cooling the tip of the manipulator to a cryogenic temperature, thereby freezing the sample (1) to the manipulator.
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Hayles Michael Frederick
Luecken Uwe
FEI Company
Griner David
Kolb Nathaniel
Scheinberg Michael O.
Scheinberg & Griner LLP
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