Device for dehydrating and/or embedding samples

A device for dehydrating and/or embedding samples, comprising:

• a sample container and a Dewar vessel, the sample container being removably inserted in the Dewar vessel, and the Dewar vessel containing liquid nitrogen, wherein
• a stationary metallic cooling surface is disposed within and fixedly connected to the Dewar vessel and is cooled by the liquid nitrogen in the Dewar vessel, and
• the sample container that is removably inserted in the Dewar vessel has a contact surface that is complementary to the cooling surface and contacts the stationary cooling surface when the sample container is inserted in the Dewar vessel to provide heat exchange between the stationary cooling surface and the contact surface,
• the device being capable of accepting sample containers for either dewatering or freeze drying a sample and thereafter polymerization embedding of the sample.