Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A microtome system for cutting sections from a specimen includes a knife including a knife edge configured to cut a section from the specimen, a knife holder, a specimen holder, an illumination, a first actor, a detector, and a controller. The knife holder and specimen holder are configured to be relatively moveable in a cutting direction. The first actor is configured to cause a rotation of the knife holder or specimen holder about an axis. The illumination is configured to illuminate a gap between a front face of the specimen and the knife edge to generate a light gap. The detector is configured to detect a geometric feature of the light gap. The controller is configured to automatically align, or provide indications to manually align, the knife edge with the front face, by controlling the first actor depending on the detected geometric feature.

Abstract: A high pressure freezing cartridge (300, 400, 500) for use in vitrification of a biological sample (10) is provided, the cartridge (300, 400, 500) being adapted to fixedly hold a sample chamber (216, 218, 220) at a sample chamber position (320, 420, 520) in the cartridge (300, 400, 500), a refrigerant channel arrangement comprising at least one refrigerant channel (208, 308, 408, 462, 464, 466, 468, 508, 562, 564, 566, 569) being provided in the cartridge (300, 400, 500) and extending from a surface of the cartridge (300, 400, 500) to the sample chamber position, and the cartridge (300, 400, 500) comprising a baffle structure (350, 450, 550, 571) 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 (300, 400, 500). A corresponding method in which the high pressure freezing cartridge (300, 400, 500) is used is also part of the present disclosure.

Abstract: A method (400) for microscopic examination of a sample (1) includes applying (410) the sample (1) to a sample holder (10) having a transparent carrier material, capturing (420) a first image (210, 220) of the sample (1) applied to the sample holder (10) using a first light-microscopy method, cryofixing, freeze-substituting, and subsequently infiltrating and embedding (430) the sample (1) together with the sample holder (10) with an embedding medium (20) in an embedding mold (90, 100), curing (440) the embedding medium (20), removing the sample (1) from the embedding mold (90, 100) together with the embedding medium (20) and the sample holder (10), capturing (450) a second image (230) of the sample (1) embedded in the cured embedding medium (20) using a second light-microscopy method, wherein at least partially identical regions of the sample (1) are captured in the first and second images, and identifying (460) at least one portion of the first image (210, 220) and one portion of the second image (230) which

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device (10) for preparing a microscopic sample (1) for a high-pressure freezing process in which the sample (1) is provided using an arrangement comprising a middle plate (33) of a high-pressure freezing cartridge (30) and an incubation chamber (100, 200), the middle plate (33) being attached to the incubation chamber (100, 200) and being detachable from the incubation chamber (100, 200) by effecting a relative movement between the middle plate (33) and the incubation chamber (100, 200), and the sample (1) being provided on an enclosing element (37) which is fitted into an opening (36) of the middle plate (33), wherein the device (10) comprises an engagement structure (11, 21) adapted to engage with the middle plate (33) and to restrict a movement of the middle plate (33) while the incubation chamber (100, 200) is moved, such as to effect said relative movement between the middle plate (33) and the incubation chamber (100, 200) and to thereby detach the middle plate (33) fr

Abstract: A method including one or more steps of a procedure for preparing a microscopic sample (1) for a high-pressure freezing process is provided, wherein the sample (1) is provided using an arrangement comprising a middle plate (33) of a high-pressure freezing cartridge (30) and an incubation chamber (100), wherein the middle plate (33) is attached to a lower surface of a bottom (120) of the incubation chamber (100) by an adhesive and detachable from the incubation chamber (100) by effecting a relative movement between the middle plate (33) and the incubation chamber (100), wherein the sample (1) is provided on an enclosing element (37) which is fitted into an opening (36) of the middle plate (33), and wherein, when the sample (1) is to be subjected to the high-pressure freezing process, the relative movement between the middle plate (33) and the incubation chamber (100) is effected, thereby detaching the middle plate (33) with the sample (1) from the incubation chamber (100).

Abstract: A high pressure freezing cartridge (300, 400, 500) for use in vitrification of a biological sample (10) is provided, the cartridge (300,400, 500) being adapted to fixedly hold a sample chamber (216, 218, 220) at a sample chamber position (320, 420, 520) in the cartridge (300, 400, 500), a refrigerant channel arrangement comprising at least one refrigerant channel (208, 308, 408, 462, 464, 466, 468, 508, 562, 564, 566, 569) being provided in the cartridge (300, 400, 500) and extending from a surface of the cartridge (300, 400, 500) to the sample chamber position, and the cartridge (300, 400, 500) comprising a baffle structure (350, 450, 550, 571) 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 (300, 400, 500). A corresponding method in which the high pressure freezing cartridge (300, 400, 500) is used is also part of the present disclosure.

Abstract: A modular specimen holder (10?) for high pressure freezing and/or X-ray crystallography of a specimen has a specimen holding element (100?) and an extension element (200?) connectable with and separable from each other; the specimen holding element (100?) including a tubule (120?) adapted to hold the specimen and a base element (110?) adapted to hold the tubule (120?), wherein a distance from a bottom of the base element (110?) to a top of the tubule (120?) is a first distance (d1); the extension element (200?) being connectable with the base element (110?), wherein, when the extension element (200?) and the base element (110?) are connected with each other, a second distance (d2) from a bottom of the extension element (200?) to the top of the tubule (120?) is larger than the first distance (d1).

Abstract: The present invention relates to modular specimen holder (10?) for high pressure freezing and/or X-ray crystallography of a specimen comprising a specimen holding element (100?) and an extension element (200?) connectable with each other and separable from each other; the specimen holding element (100?) comprising a tubule (120?) and a base element (110?), wherein the tubule (120?) is adapted to hold the specimen, the base element (110?) is adapted to hold the tubule (120?), wherein a distance from a bottom of the base element (110?) to a top of the tubule (120?) is a distance d1; the extension element (200?) being adapted to be connected with the base element (110?), wherein, when the extension element (200?) and the base element (110?) are connected with each other, a distance from a bottom of the extension element (200?) to the top of the tubule (120?) is a second distance d2; wherein the second distance d2 is larger than the first distance d1.

Abstract: An apparatus (100, 200) for coating specimens comprises a vacuum chamber (105, 205); at least one source, associated with the vacuum chamber, of a coating material; at least one sample holder (120) for positioning at least one sample within the vacuum chamber; an electronic control system; an operating console (103, 203) for inputting instructions for the electronic control system; and a housing (101, 201) surrounding at least the vacuum chamber and the electronic control system. The housing has a width (b, b?) that substantially corresponds to the width (b?) of the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber comprises a door (106, 206) on a front side of the chamber. The operating console is located in or in front of a base region (102, 202) of the housing. The at least one source is installable on an upper side of the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a material layer on a sample inside a vacuum chamber comprises a sample stage (100) for arranging at least one sample (103a, 103b, 103c, 103d); an evaporation source (101, 201), connected to a current source, for a thread-shaped evaporation material (102, 202); a quartz oscillator (105) for measuring the deposited material layer thickness; and an evaluation device (113) associated with the oscillator (105). An electronic control system (112) associated with the evaporation source (101, 201) is configured to deliver electric current in the form of at least two current pulses having a pulse length less than or equal to 1 s. The evaluation device (113) takes into account transient decay behavior of the oscillator (105) immediately after a current pulse to derive the material layer thickness deposited after each pulse. The invention further relates to a method that can be carried out using said apparatus.

Abstract: A method for preparing a hydrous, cryopreserved sample that is enclosed in a sample container (1, 1a, 1b, 1c), in the case of which, at least sample material is introduced into the sample container; this is then sealed pressure-tight and subsequently cooled by a cryogen (8) in a temporal and spatial sequence, a sacrificial region (4) of the container contents (2) initially solidifying and, only subsequently thereto, the entire container contents solidifying. A sample container (1a) that may be preferably used in this case is designed to be tubular, sealed at both ends thereof, and to essentially have a U-shaped form.

Abstract: In an apparatus for microwave-assisted preparation of specimens with a microwave generator (1), a microwave chamber for receiving specimens (5) to be processed, and a container arrangement (11) for a number of containers (9) for liquids, the microwave chamber is realized as a waveguide (2) that includes a first opening (7a) for introduction of a specimen (5) and a second opening (8a), preferably arranged at the bottom, through which a liquid container (9) is reversibly introduced into the microwave chamber while the specimen (5) is held stationary, until the liquid container thus introduced into the microwave chamber, and the liquid contained therein, surround the specimen (5).

Abstract: A knife holder (5) for a microtome for cutting samples (4a) is disclosed. The knife holder (5) encompasses several knives (2a, 2b) each of which defines a cutting edge (16). The knife holder (5) is arranged pivotably about a shaft (18); and the shaft (18) is arranged substantially perpendicularly to each cutting edge (16) of the knives (2a, 2b).

Abstract: A method for preparing a hydrous, cryopreserved sample that is enclosed in a sample container (1, 1a, 1b, 1c), in the case of which, at least sample material is introduced into the sample container; this is then sealed pressure-tight and subsequently cooled by a cryogen (8) in a temporal and spatial sequence, a sacrificial region (4) of the container contents (2) initially solidifying and, only subsequently thereto, the entire container contents solidifying. A sample container (1a) that may be preferably used in this case is designed to be tubular, sealed at both ends thereof, and to essentially have a U-shaped form.

Abstract: A Dewar vessel (1) for automated cryosubstitution or low-temperature substitution is disclosed. The invention further discloses an apparatus (10) for automated liquid transfer for cryosubstitution or low-temperature substitution. The apparatus (10) encompasses a container (50) that encompasses at least one specimen holder (2) and at least one reservoir holder (20); and wherein a movable transfer container (35) for automated exchange of at least one liquid (42) between the at least one specimen holder (2) and the at least one reservoir holder (20) is provided.

Abstract: In an apparatus for microwave-assisted preparation of specimens with a microwave generator (1), a microwave chamber for receiving specimens (5) to be processed, and a container arrangement (11) for a number of containers (9) for liquids, the microwave chamber is realized as a waveguide (2) that comprises a first opening (7a) for introduction of a specimen (5) and a second opening (8a), preferably arranged at the bottom, through which a liquid container (9) is reversibly introduced into the microwave chamber while the specimen (5) is held stationary, until the liquid container thus introduced into the microwave chamber, and the liquid contained therein, surround the specimen (5).

Abstract: In an apparatus for microwave-assisted preparation of specimens, the microwave chamber for reception of specimens to be processed is embodied as a waveguide (3), in particular as a monomode waveguide, and is equipped with at least one opening (3a) for introduction of the at least one specimen (11) into the waveguide. A cooling circuit comprises a cooling means (8) adapted to cool the fluid (12), which fluid surrounds the at least one specimen and is separated from the cooling liquid of the cooling circuit, in the region of the at least one specimen (11) inside the waveguide. The opening (3a) can be sealed in microwave-tight fashion, by means of a closure means (7), during operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: A container (50) for an apparatus for automated cryosubstitution or low-temperature substitution is disclosed. The container is embodied as a cup (51) open at the top. The container (50) is subdivided into a first sector (52) and a second sector (53), at least one specimen holder (2) being arranged in the first sector (52) and at least one reservoir holder (20) in the second sector (53); and the container is arranged in the neck of a Dewar vessel (1).