High-pressure freezing device, automatic apparatus for loading specimens into a high-pressure freezing device, and method for loading a high-pressure freezing device
AssigneeLeica Mikrosysteme GmbH
InventorsHeinz Plank, Andreas Hallady
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic loading apparatus (12) for specimens (1) for high-pressure cryosubstitution is disclosed. The automatic loading apparatus (12) is connected to a high-pressure freezing device (40). Specimens (1) are inserted in a holder (2). By means of a slider (4), the specimens (1) and holders (2) are conveyed to the automatic loading apparatus (12). The guidance element (26) allows exact positioning of the holder (2) in the clamping element (14). The automatic loading apparatus makes possible rapid transfer of the holder (2) having the specimen (1) from, for example, an optical microscope to the high-pressure freezing device (40).
Claims11
A high-pressure freezing device comprising:
- a chamber suitable for high-pressure freezing;
- a specimen holder retained in a clamping element;
- a reservoir of liquid nitrogen;
- an automatic loading apparatus comprising a slider and at least one guidance element;
- and, a sensor arranged to record the presence of the slider in the automatic loading apparatus, wherein the slider carries the specimen holder, the at least one guidance element arranged to position the specimen holder in the clamping element by means of the slider and the automatic loading apparatus is designed to transfer the clamping element into the chamber of the high-pressure freezing device, and wherein the clamping element comprises a pusher part, a shell and a counterelement and the shell comprises two oppositely located openings and partially encloses the pusher part and the counterelement.
An automatic apparatus for loading specimens into a high-pressure freezing device comprising:
- a slider having a specimen holder retained thereon;
- at least one guidance element arranged to position the specimen holder in a clamping element;
- and, a sensor arranged to record the presence of the slider in the automatic apparatus for loading specimens, wherein the slider comprises a fork, the fork comprises two oppositely located limbs, each of the two oppositely located limbs comprises a recess mutually arranged to retain the specimen holder therein and wherein the clamping element comprises a pusher part, a shell and a counterelement and the shell comprises two oppositely located openings and partially encloses the pusher part and the counterelement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.