Abstract: A method and apparatus for immunoimaging and destruction of malignant tumors using immunoimaging agents comprising nanoclusters incorporating monoclonal antibodies that selectively bind to the cell membrane of tumor cells, and conjugated payloads comprising an encapsulated near-infrared (NIR) fluorescing crystal. The encapsulated fluorescing crystal compound provides excellent non-radiometric imaging of the tumor, and the non-antigenic metal coating encapsulating the fluorescing crystal particles provides a non-destructive necrotic killing of the tumor cells by low-level radiometric amplification and heating of the tumor cell membrane. Thus the very same nanoclusters used during imaging also serve to kill the tumor cells by necrosis, damaging the cell membrane by overheating as a result of secondary irradiation (not by harmful radiometric-induced apoptosis).

Abstract: A critical point drying apparatus for sample preparation in electron microscopy and semiconductor wafer production includes a computer system to automate the operational modes in drying the specimen. These operational modes controlled by the computer system are: cooling, in which a drying chamber is cooled; starting, in which the specimen chamber is filled with a transitional fluid; purging, in which the transitional fluid purges an intermediary fluid from the drying chamber and the purged internediary fluid is collected by a collector condenser; heating, in which the drying chamber is heated to elevate the transitional fluid to its critical point temperature and pressure; and bleeding, in which the drying chamber is depressurized to atmospheric pressure at a very slow rate until the drying chamber is completely vented, which signals the end of the drying operation. The drying chamber incorporates concave surfaces for pressure dispersal and to facilitate purging the intermediary fluid completely.