The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 22, 2015
Filed:
Jun. 11, 2014
Fei Company, Hillsboro, OR (US);
Rudolf Johannes Peter Gerardus Schampers, Tegelen, NL;
Johannes Antonius Hendricus Wilhelmus Gerardus Persoon, Waalre, NL;
Andreas Theodorus Engelen, Eindhoven, NL;
FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to a method of welding a vitreous biological sample at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of approximately −137° C. to a micromanipulator, also kept at a temperature below the glass transition temperature. Where prior art methods used IBID with, for example, propane, or a heated needle (heated resistively or by e/g/laser), the invention uses a vibrating needle to locally melt the sample. By stopping the vibration, the sample freezes to the micromanipulator. The heat capacity of the heated parts is small, and the amount of material that stays in a vitreous condition thus large.