Optical vacuum cold station for light microscope and electron microscope correlated imaging

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical vacuum cold station for light microscope and electron microscope correlated imaging. The optical vacuum cold station comprises a vacuum chamber, an anti-pollution system adapter interface, an electron microscope sample lever adapter interface, an upper optical window, a lower optical window, a vacuum system adapter interface and a vacuum valve, wherein the anti-pollution system adapter interface is arranged in one end of the vacuum chamber, the electron microscope sample lever adapter interface is arranged in the other end of the vacuum chamber, the upper optical window is arranged in the upper wall of the vacuum chamber, the lower optical window is arranged in the lower wall of the vacuum chamber and opposite to the upper optical window, the vacuum system adapter interface is arranged in one side of the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum valve is arranged between the electron microscope sample lever adapter interface and the combination of the upper optical window and the lower optical window; a forvacuum channel is formed between the vacuum valve and the electron microscope sample lever adapter interface, and a forvacuum valve is arranged on one side of the forvacuum channel; vacuum seal rings are respectively arranged on the electron microscope sample lever adapter interface, the upper optical window, the lower optical window, the vacuum system adapter interface and the anti-pollution system adapter interface. The optical vacuum cold station can be widely applied to the light and electron correlated imaging and can also be applied to optical microscopic imaging independently.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of optical imaging, and in particular relates to an optical vacuum cooling table for associated imaging with an optical microscope and an electron microscope. Background technique [0002] The three-dimensional reconstruction technology of cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy have become the most important experimental methods for high-resolution structural biology research, and more and more structures of biological macromolecules have been resolved one after another. However, people's ultimate goal is to analyze the structure of biological macromolecules and molecular machines in situ, so as to explain the essence of life activities at different levels such as molecules, organelles, and cells. [0003] In recent years, through the integration of fluorescent protein labeling technology, fluorescence microscopy, immuno-electron microscopy and cryo-elect...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, most of the existing low-temperature cold stage design schemes use liquid nitrogen (or low-temperature nitrogen) flow refrigeration. The focal plane drift of the sample caused by liquid nitrogen vibration and the damage to the objective lens by ultra-low temperature are all problems that affect the popularization of this technology.

At the same time, the fragility and contamination of low-temperature samples during light microscopy imaging and transmission to cryo-electron microscopy is also a major challenge.

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