Abstract: A multiwell assembly includes a microplate and a cover. The microplate includes a set of wells. Each well defines an opening. The cover includes a body and a shutter. The body of the cover is disposed over the microplate. The shutter is mounted to the body such that the shutter is movable over a range of travel between a first position, in which the shutter occludes the openings of the set of wells, and a second position, in which the shutter is in offset relationship to the openings of the set of wells to permit access to the set of wells through the respective openings.

Abstract: A multiwell assembly includes a microplate and a cover. The microplate includes a set of wells. Each well defines an opening. The cover includes a body and a shutter. The body of the cover is disposed over the microplate. The shutter is mounted to the body such that the shutter is movable over a range of travel between a first position, in which the shutter occludes the openings of the set of wells, and a second position, in which the shutter is in offset relationship to the openings of the set of wells to permit access to the set of wells through the respective openings.

Abstract: Devices and methods for efficient severing or cutting of a material or substance, such as soft tissue, suitable for use in open surgical and/or minimally invasive procedures, such as percutaneous procedures in breast tissue, are disclosed. A tissue cutting device may generally include a probe, a cutting assembly configured to be in a storage configuration or a preformed cutting configuration for cutting the specimen, a tissue fixator and a specimen retriever. When in the cutting configuration, the cutting assembly may be configured to move and cut the specimen relative to the tissue fixator along an axis of the probe. The tissue fixator may facilitate in stabilizing a region of tissue during cutting of the specimen. The region of tissue may be the specimen and/or tissue adjacent to and/or near the specimen. The specimen retriever may optionally be coupled to the cutting assembly and integrated as part of the tissue fixator.

Abstract: Minimally invasive devices and methods for cutting a volume of soft tissue such as a biopsy or a therapeutic excision of cancer are disclosed. The device generally includes a probe, a cutting loop with sufficient elasticity, shape memory or superelastic property such that the loop returns to a cutting configuration when released from a storage configuration, and a loop holder to hold and rotate the cutting loop about a loop holder axis when the cutting loop is in the cutting configuration so as to adjust a loop angle between the probe axis and the cutting loop. The method generally includes positioning the tissue cutting device adjacent the volume of tissue, releasing the cutting loop from the storage configuration to the cutting configuration, rotating the cutting loop to adjust the loop angle, and moving the tissue cutting device to cut the volume of tissue.

Abstract: Devices for efficient severing or cutting of a material or substance such as soft tissue suitable for use in open surgical and/or minimally invasive procedures are disclosed. A cutting assembly generally includes a first and second cutting blades each having an inner surface and at least one set of cutting teeth, the first inner surface being in contact with the second inner surface so that the sets of cutting teeth of the first and second cutting blades are aligned with and configured to cooperate with each other when at least one of the cutting blades moves, e.g., rotates and/or oscillates, relative to the other. A tissue cutting device generally includes a probe and the cutting assembly configured to be in a storage configuration or in a cutting configuration. The cutting assembly may provide a coagulation mechanism.

Abstract: The scanning probe microscope translation apparatus includes a scanning probe microscope for examining a specimen, with a specimen stage for mounting the specimen for examination by the scanning probe microscope, and a first translator mounted to the scanning probe microscope for translating the specimen stage relative to the scanning probe microscope. A support frame is dimensioned and adapted to be mounted in a specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscope, and a second translator is provided for scanning the scanning probe microscope relative to the support frame. The second translator is mounted on dual mass plates provided for isolating the scanning probe microscope from external vibrations, and suspension device are provided for suspending the mass plates from the support frame. A vacuum load lock system permits moving the scanning probe microscope, specimen stage, first translator, and mounting assembly into and out of the vacuum of the scanning electron microscope vacuum chamber.

Abstract: The scanning probe microscope translation apparatus includes a scanning probe microscope for examining a specimen, with a specimen stage for mounting the specimen for examination by the scanning probe microscope, and a first translator mounted to the scanning probe microscope for translating the specimen stage relative to the scanning probe microscope. A support frame is dimensioned and adapted to be mounted in a specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscope, and a second translator is provided for scanning the scanning probe microscope relative to the support frame. The second translator is mounted on dual mass plates provided for isolating the scanning probe microscope from external vibrations, and suspension O-rings are provided for suspending the mass plates from the support frame. A vacuum load lock system permits moving the scanning probe microscope, specimen stage, first translator, and mounting assembly into and out of the vacuum of the scanning electron microscope vacuum chamber.