Leica Mikrosysteme Gmbh

Rainer Wogritsch

Paul Wurzinger

Anton Lang

Heinz Plank

Reinhard Lihl

Michael Zimmermann

Siegfried Tanki

Thomas Pfeifer

Cveta Tomova

Julia König

Christian Peinhopf

Peter Kettisch

Andreas Nowak

Ricardo Vizcaya Benavides

Joose Kreutzer

Microtome

A method including one or more steps of a procedure for preparing a microscopic sample for a high-pressure freezing process is provided, wherein the sample is provided using an arrangement comprising a middle plate of a high-pressure freezing cartridge and an incubation chamber, wherein the middle plate is attached to a lower surface of a bottom of the incubation chamber by an adhesive and detachable from the incubation chamber by effecting a relative movement between the middle plate and the incubation chamber, wherein the sample is provided on an enclosing element which is fitted into an opening of the middle plate, and wherein, when the sample is to be subjected to the high-pressure freezing process, the relative movement between the middle plate and the incubation chamber is effected, thereby detaching the middle plate with the sample from the incubation chamber. Means to implement the method are also part of the present disclosure.

Preparation of a sample for high pressure freezing

A device for preparing a microscopic sample for a high-pressure freezing process in which the sample is provided using an arrangement having a middle plate of a high-pressure freezing cartridge and an incubation chamber, the middle plate being attached to and detachable from the incubation chamber by effecting a relative movement between the middle plate and the incubation chamber, and the sample being provided on an enclosing element which is fitted into an opening of the middle plate, wherein the device includes an engagement structure adapted to engage with the middle plate and to restrict a movement of the middle plate while the incubation chamber is moved, such as to effect the relative movement between the middle plate and the incubation chamber and to thereby detach the middle plate from the incubation chamber.

A high pressure freezing cartridge () for use in vitrification of a biological sample () is provided, the cartridge () being adapted to fixedly hold a sample chamber () at a sample chamber position () in the cartridge (), a refrigerant channel arrangement comprising at least one refrigerant channel () being provided in the cartridge () and extending from a surface of the cartridge () to the sample chamber position, and the cartridge () comprising a baffle structure () at a baffle position being adapted to interact with a refrigerant stream in the refrigerant channel arrangement before the refrigerant of the refrigerant stream reaches the sample chamber position in the cartridge (). A corresponding method in which the high pressure freezing cartridge () is used is also part of the present disclosure.

High pressure freezing cartridge and method of high pressure freezing

A modular specimen holder (') for high pressure freezing and/or X-ray crystallography of a specimen has a specimen holding element (&#x2032;) and an extension element (&#x2032;) connectable with and separable from each other; the specimen holding element (&#x2032;) including a tubule (&#x2032;) adapted to hold the specimen and a base element (&#x2032;) adapted to hold the tubule (&#x2032;), wherein a distance from a bottom of the base element (&#x2032;) to a top of the tubule (&#x2032;) is a first distance (d); the extension element (&#x2032;) being connectable with the base element (&#x2032;), wherein, when the extension element (&#x2032;) and the base element (&#x2032;) are connected with each other, a second distance (d) from a bottom of the extension element (&#x2032;) to the top of the tubule (&#x2032;) is larger than the first distance (d).

Modular specimen holders for high pressure freezing and X-ray crystallography of a specimen

In a device () for rapid pressure-freezing an aqueous sample (), such as a biological specimen, a pressurized cooling medium can be fed into a high-pressure chamber () into which a sample holder () containing a sample () is inserted and which is sealed with a pressure-tight seal, to the location of the sample holder () held therein. The high-pressure chamber () comprises a viewing window structure () with a pressure-tight window (), through which light can be directed from the outside onto the sample () located in the sample holder (). The window () can comprise a transparent window element made of a high-pressure-resistant material, wherein the window element () is held by a pressure- and temperature-resistant window bearing provided in the high-pressure chamber.

Device for the light stimulation and cryopreservation of biological samples

The invention relates to a cooling apparatus () for a sample in an ion beam etching process, including, a sample stage () for arranging the sample, a coolant receptacle () containing a coolant, at least one thermal conduction element () that connects the sample stage () to the coolant, a cooling finger () connected to the thermal conduction element (), the cooling finger () comprising a conduit () through which coolant can flow and which is connectable to the coolant receptacle (). The invention further relates to a method of adjusting the temperature of a sample in an ion beam etching process, including mounting a sample on a coolable sample stage (), aligning the sample on the sample stage (), and cooling the sample by coolant directed through a conduit () of a cooling finger.

Apparatus for cooling samples during ion beam preparation

In an apparatus for microwave-assisted preparation of specimens with a microwave generator (), a microwave chamber for receiving specimens () to be processed, and a container arrangement () for a number of containers () for liquids, the microwave chamber is realized as a waveguide () that includes a first opening () for introduction of a specimen () and a second opening (), preferably arranged at the bottom, through which a liquid container () is reversibly introduced into the microwave chamber while the specimen () is held stationary, until the liquid container thus introduced into the microwave chamber, and the liquid contained therein, surround the specimen ().

Apparatus for microwave-assisted preparation of specimens

A specimen holder () is proposed in order to create a capability for preparing, in a cutting device, in particular a microtome or ultramicrotome, a specimen that is to examined in an AFM. The specimen holder () is embodied in several parts. It comprises an insert () in which the specimen is secured. Also provided is a receiving ring () in which the insert () can be received. The insert together with the receiving ring () is mounted, in particular thread-joined, on a base element (). As a result of the mounting of the receiving ring () on the base element (), the insert together with the specimen is fixed in its position.

Specimen holder having an insert for atomic force microscopy

A container () for tissue preparation for the tissue embedding, having a base body (), that is formed out cylindrical shaped side wall (), a floor () and several bridges (). The bridges () subdivide the container () in several sub-containers (). The side wall () has a plurality of slit shaped openings (), that extend essentially over the total height of the side wall ().

Growing community of inventors

Vienna, Austria

Rainer Wogritsch