Abstract: There are provided a sample holder that allows in-situ observation of a sample such as a gas or liquid under light irradiation and an electron microscope. An environment cell is formed in combination of two silicon chips, each including a membrane and a frame supporting the membrane, the frame being provided on the opening. The environment cell is accommodated in a main body of the sample holder, and fixed by a lid. The openings of the lid, the two silicon chips, and the main body are placed so as to overlap with each other along the optical axis of an electron beam of an electron microscope. A light emitting element is placed at a position where any one of the openings of the two silicon chips is allowed to be irradiated with light.

Abstract: A radiation shield assembly is described, configured to block radiation emanating from a radiation source from reaching a user. Two shields are supported by a support arm, and are configured to rotate and translate relative to one another about the support arm's longitudinal axis. This allows the shield to be easily configured and reconfigured as necessary to visualize various parts of a patient's body via radiography.

Abstract: An ion source includes a vaporizer, an arc chamber, and an extraction electrode. The vaporizer includes a crucible and a heater. The crucible stores a solid material. The heater heats the crucible. The crucible has an interior space formed by a wall, an inlet connected to the wall that releases a reactive gas into the interior space, and an outlet connected to the wall that releases the reactive gas and a vapor of the reaction product generated by a reaction between the solid material and the reactive gas from the interior space. The interior space narrows toward at least one of the inlet and the outlet.

Abstract: A radiation shield assembly is described, configured to block radiation emanating from a radiation source from reaching a user. Two shields are supported by a support arm, and are configured to rotate and translate relative to one another about the support arm's longitudinal axis. This allows the shield to be easily configured and reconfigured as necessary to visualize various parts of a patient's body via radiography.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to systems and methods for relay ionization of a sample. In certain aspects, the invention provides systems that include an ion source that generates ions, a sample emitter configured to hold a sample, and a mass spectrometer. The system is configured such that the ions generated by the ion source are directed to interact with the sample emitter, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

Abstract: An ion source includes an ion source chamber having a longitudinal axis, the ion source chamber operative to define a plasma therein. The ion source also includes a split solenoid assembly comprising a first solenoid and a second solenoid that are mutually disposed along opposite sides of the ion source chamber, where each of the first solenoid and second solenoid comprises a metal member having a long axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ion source chamber, and a main coil having a coil axis parallel to the long axis and comprising a plurality of windings that circumscribe the metal member. The main coil defines a coil footprint that is larger than an ion source chamber footprint of the ion source chamber.

Abstract: To expose a desired feature, focused ion beam milling of thin slices from a cross section alternate with forming a scanning electron image of each newly exposed cross section. Milling is stopped when automatic analysis of an electron beam image of the newly exposed cross section shows that a pre-determined criterion is met.

Abstract: A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an area density calculation unit to calculate a pattern area density weighted using a dose modulation value, which has previously been input from an outside and in which an amount of correction of a dimension variation due to a proximity effect has been included, a fogging correction dose coefficient calculation unit to calculate a fogging correction dose coefficient for correcting a dimension variation due to a fogging effect by using the pattern area density weighted using the dose modulation value having been input from the outside, a dose calculation unit to calculates a dose of a charged particle beam by using the fogging correction dose coefficient and the dose modulation value, and a writing unit to write a pattern on a target object with the charged particle beam of the dose.

Abstract: A method of operating an electrostatic trapping mass analyzer, comprising: introducing a sample of ions into a trapping region of the mass analyzer, wherein a trapping field within the trapping region is such that the ions exhibit radial motion with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the trapping region while undergoing harmonic motion in a dimension defined by the central longitudinal axis, the frequency of harmonic motion of a particular ion being a function of its mass-to-charge ratio; superimposing a modulation field onto the trapping field within the trapping region, the modulation field acting to either increase or reduce the harmonic motion energies of the ions by an amount varying according to the frequency of harmonic motion; and acquiring a mass spectrum of the ions in the trapping region by measuring a signal representative of an image current induced by the harmonic motion of the ions.

Abstract: A sample vessel retention mechanism for an inverted microscope having an optical objective and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) head. The inverted microscope includes a platform for supporting a sample vessel, in which is formed an aperture sized to provide a passage for the objective of the inverted microscope to approach the sample vessel from below. The retention mechanism provides a vacuum region formed in the platform, with the vacuum region being barometrically coupled with a vacuum generator. Establishment of a vacuum in the vacuum region prevents or substantially reduces oscillation of the sample vessel floor in an operating frequency range of the SPM head.

Abstract: Surface modification of a cryogenic specimen can be obtained using a charged particle microscope. A specimen is situated in a vacuum chamber on a specimen holder and maintained at a cryogenic temperature. The vacuum chamber is evacuated and a charged-particle beam is directed to a portion of the specimen so as to modify a surface thereof. A thin film monitor is situated in the vacuum chamber and has at least a detection surface maintained at a cryogenic temperature. A precipitation rate of frozen condensate in the vacuum chamber is measured using the thin film monitor, and based on the measured precipitation rate, the surface modification is initiated when the precipitation rate is less than a first pre-defined threshold, or interrupted if the precipitation rate rises above a second pre-defined threshold.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated from plasma generated by irradiating a target supplied into the chamber with a laser beam; a target generator that supplies the target into the chamber as a droplet; a droplet measurement unit that measures the droplet supplied from the target generator into the chamber; and a shielding member that shields the droplet measurement unit from electromagnetic waves emitted from the plasma, the droplet measurement unit including: a light source that emits continuous light to the droplet; a window provided in the chamber to allow the continuous light to transmit therethrough; and an optical sensor that receives the continuous light via the window. The shielding member includes a shielding body provided on the chamber side with respect to the window and configured to cover an optical path of the continuous light.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of detecting an analyte by multi-stage mass spectrometry with improved S/N ratio. An analyte is labeled with a positively-charged mass tag to form a precursor ion that leads by anchimeric assistance to a greatly enhanced, analyte-characteristic first product ion that can, in turn, lead to a greatly enhanced, analyte-characteristic second product ion in a mass spectrometer. Either a three stage mass spectrometer (true MS3) or a two-stage mass spectrometer (MS2) operated in a pseudo MS3 mode can be used. The precursor ion is split via an anchimeric-assisted reaction to form a first product ion, which in turn can be fragmented to form the second product ion. The methods offer extreme ultrasensitivity, at the low amol level. The invention also provides anchimeric mass tags for use in the methods. A wide variety of previously undetectable analytes of biological or environmental origin can be detected and quantified.

Abstract: An atomic force microscope acquires sample information by performing relative raster scanning between a cantilever and a sample across an XY-plane, while causing an interaction to be generated between a probe provided at a free end of the cantilever and the sample. The atomic force microscope includes a raster-scanning-information generator to generate raster scanning information, a raster-scanning controller to control the raster scanning based on the raster scanning information, and an interaction controller to control strength of the interaction based on the raster scanning information. The interaction controller relatively reduces the strength of the interaction, when a relative speed between the cantilever and the sample across the XY-plane of the raster scanning relatively decreases.

Abstract: A nectar type bird feeder having an incorporated short-wavelength, ultraviolet light source adapted to illuminate the nectar contents and feeder internal surfaces. The ultraviolet light exposure functioning to significantly retard the growth of nectar spoiling micro-organisms and thereby to significantly extend the nectar freshness or service life. The ultraviolet light source may be built directly into the nectar feeder or configured as an add-on accessory. The preferred embodiment of the nectar feeder, ultraviolet light device will be solar powered and made to cycle on/off automatically. As hummingbirds are adapted to see UV-A light (300 nm-400 nm) the light source may be cycled on/off during the day to make the feeder visually conspicuous and thereby more attractive to the feeding birds.

Abstract: A radiation image detection apparatus, including an image receiving unit having a two-dimensional array of a plurality of pixels that generate electrical charges when being subjected to irradiation of radiation, the plurality of pixels including a plurality of pixels for detecting an image and one or more pixels for detecting irradiation; an image data generation unit configured to generate image data based on an electrical signal output from the respective pixels for detecting the image, an irradiation detection unit configured to detect the irradiation of radiation based on the electrical signal output from the respective pixels for detecting irradiation, a communication unit that transmits the image data generated in the image data generation unit, and a control unit configured to include a plurality of control modes including a photographing mode generating the image data, an irradiation detection mode detecting the irradiation of radiation and a standby mode.

Abstract: An infusion set and an intravenous bag adapter constructed of ultraviolet transmissive thermoplastic is used in spectroscopic validation of pharmaceuticals. The described hardware allows for qualitative and quantitative assurance of medications and is used to prevent medication errors. The thermoplastic is transmissive in the range of 240 to 315 nanometers.

Abstract: A detection device having an attached probe, the detection device including a base body (100) and a probe (200). The base body (100) is provided with a stage (140), the probe (200) is provided with a probe base body (210) and a tip (220) extending from a side surface of one end of the probe base body (210), another end of the probe base body (210) is adhered to the base body (100) via an adhesion piece (230), the probe base body (210) can be removed from the base body (100), and the tip (220) is close to the stage (140) and deployed in the direction thereof. The probe base body (210) is directly attached to the base body (100) and easily removed therefrom. It is therefore easy to replace the probe (200).

Abstract: A determination device for hydrocarbon emissions of a thermal engine including an inspection probe for removing a sample volume from a liquid, a measurement channel for conducting the sample volume via an ion source apparatus to a broadband measurement apparatus that is configured to determine a spectrum to be measured in one step, wherein the ion source apparatus is configured for soft ionization and the measurement apparatus forms an intensity signal sequence across the mass spectrum and is configured as a simultaneously measuring “time-of-flight” detector or as a “double-focusing sector field mass spectrometer in Mattauch-Herzog geometry.

Abstract: An infusion set and an intravenous bag adapter constructed of ultraviolet transmissive thermoplastic are used in spectroscopic validation of pharmaceuticals. The described hardware allows for qualitative and quantitative assurance of medications and is used to prevent medication errors. The thermoplastic is transmissive in the range below 315 nanometers. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a spectrometer and a test chamber that are unaffected by the presence of ambient light. The spectrometer includes an unshielded slot or receptacle into which the test chamber is easily fitted. This embodiment can function well in drug diversion programs for which unused post-op narcotics can be tested.