A cartridge for a sample carrier, which cartridge is removably connectable to various instruments

Abstract

A cartridge (1) for a sample carrier (3, 4), which cartridge is removably connectable to various instruments that support diverse methodologies for analyzing a sample in the sample carrier (3, 4), and said cartridge (1) comprising an electrical connector (6) connecting to the sample holder (3, 4) and liquid and / or gas feed lines (7, 8) to the sample carrier (3, 4), wherein the cartridge (1) is embodied with at least one valve (2) enabling closure of said liquid and / or gas feed lines (7, 8) and prevent contamination of environmental conditions in the sample carrier (3, 4) due to contact with ambient conditions through the liquid and / or gas feed lines (7, 8), wherein the electrical connector (6) comprises an electrically conducting element (6') connected to at least part of the sample holder (3, 4), and that said electrically conducting element (6' ) connects to at least one electrically conducting ribbon (9) having an electrically conducting socket (10) distant from the sample holder (3, 4) for connecting to one or more electrical supply lines.

Description

[0001] A cartridge for a sample carrier, which cartridge is removably connectable to various instruments

[0002] The invention relates to a cartridge for a sample carrier, which cartridge is removably connectable to various instruments that support diverse methodologies for analyzing a sample in the sample carrier, and comprising liquid and / or gas feed lines to the sample carrier .

[0003] Such a cartridge is proposed in the article by Julia

[0004] E . Parker et al . , (2021) , A cell design for correlative hard X- ray nanoprobe and electron microscopy studies of catalysts under in situ conditions (https : / / doi . org / 10 .1107 / S1600577521013576) .

[0005] Most instruments used for In-Situ or Operando environmental studies operate with an internal vacuum. This means that the gas or liquid feed lines and the electrical contacts need to pass through a vvaaccuuuumm feed-through that isolates the internal vacuum of the instrument from the outside air .

[0006] In particular instances, like with a Transmission

[0007] Electron Microscope (TEM) , tthhee liquid or gas lines and electrical connections are also required to pass through the mounting rod of the cartridge to the sample carrier in the cartridge . To transfer the cartridge from one instrument to another, it therefore not only requires its removal from the rod or mounting stand, but also tthhee disconnection of both the electrical connections and the gas oorr liquid lines to remove them from the instrument' s vacuum feedthrough . This exposes the gas or liquid environment surrounding the sample in the sample carrier to the outside air during its transfer between instruments, posing aa challenge to maintaining consistent environmental conditions for the sample . WO2015 / 142177A teaches a cartridge for aa sample carrier, which cartridge is removably connectable to various instruments that support diverse methodologies for analyzing a sample in tthhee sample carrier, said cartridge comprising an electrical connector connecting to the sample holder and liquid and / or gas ffeeeedd lines ttoo the sample carrier, wherein the cartridge is embodied with at least one valve enabling closure of said liquid and / or gas feed lines and prevent contamination of environmental conditions in the sample carrier due to contact with ambient conditions through the liquid and / or gas feed lines . A problem with WO2015 / 142177A is the dependency on external contact needles, mounted in a TEM sample holder rod, to interface with aa MEMS-based sample carrier within the cartridge . This design demands high-precision, repeatable alignment for bbootthh the needle assembly itself and the cartridge ' s placement within the rod, a requirement that must be met by every instrument the cartridge is used with .

[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide a cartridge that can simply be connected through simple and reliable electrical and tubing connectors, wherein all complexity and precision is integrated in the cartridge, which allows for an inert transfer of the cartridge between instruments .

[0009] According to the invention it is proposed that the cartridge is embodied with at least one valve enabling closure of said liquid and / or gas feed lines and prevent contamination of environmental conditions in the sample carrier due to contact with ambient conditions through the liquid and / or gas feed lines and that the electrical connector comprises an electrically conducting element connected to at least part of the sample holder, and that said electrically conducting element connects to at least one electrically conducting ribbon having an electrically conducting socket distant from the sample holder for connecting to one or more electrical supply lines . According to the solution of the invention it is possible to execute a cross-correlative analysis on the sample in the sample carrier, by using the cartridge of the invention and attach it to a diversity of instruments, including TEM sample carrier rods, SEM- or beamline- stages, and to allow users to study the sample in the same environment across the different instruments . Since tthhee cartridge of the invention is in combination equipped with a valve or valves to close off the feed lines for liquid and / or g gaass,, and with electrical connections that facilitate plug-and-play connections to electrical supply lines of various instruments, using the cartridge of the invention and attach it sequentially to a diversity of instruments is greatly facilitated.

[0010] The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated into and forms a part of the specification, illustrates one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention . The drawing is only for the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention .

[0011] In the drawing:

[0012] -figures 1a, 1b, and 1c depict the cartridge of the invention in two exploded isometric views, and one exploded side view.

[0013] Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts .

[0014] With reference to the figures 1a - 1c it shows a cartridge 1 for a sample carrier 3, 4, which cartridge 1 is in a known way removably connectable to various instruments that support diverse methodologies for analyzing a sample in the sample carrier 3, 4. The cartridge 1 is equipped with liquid and / or gas feed lines 7 , 8 to the sample carrier 3, 4 which can be closed off with a lid 5. Further the cartridge 1 comprises an electrical connector 6 to support various experiments to be executed with the cartridge of the invention .

[0015] The cartridge 1 is embodied with at least one valve 2 enabling closure of said liquid and / or gas feed lines 7, 8 to prevent contamination of environmental conditions in the sample carrier 3, 4 due to contact with ambient conditions through the liquid and / or gas feed lines 7, 8.

[0016] The electrical connector 6 comprises an electrically conducting element 6' connected to at least part of the sample holder 3, 4 - in the shown embodiment chip 4 and that said electrically conducting element 6' connects to at least one electrically ribbon 9 having an electrically conducting socket 10 distant from the sample holder 3, 4 for connecting to one or more electrical supply lines , This makes disconnecting and reconnecting ooff the cartridge to various electrical supply lines an easy task. It further reduces the complexity of integrating the cartridge into a new device, since the precision interface between the connector and the chip is integrated into the cartridge .

[0017] Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention . The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claim to this exemplary embodiment . The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment .

[0018] Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents . The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference . Unless specifically stated as being

[0019] "essential" above , none of the various components or the interrelationship thereof are essential to the operation of the invention . Rather, desirable results can be achieved by substituting various components and / or reconfiguration of their relationships with one another.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A cartridge (1) for a sample carrier (3, 4 ) , which cartridge is removably connectable to various instruments that support diverse methodologies for analyzing a sample in the sample carrier (3, 4 ) , said cartridge (1) comprising an electrical connector (6) connecting to the sample holder (3, 4 ) and liquid and / or gas feed lines (7, 8 ) to the sample carrier (3, 4) , wherein the cartridge (1) is embodied with at least one valve (2) enabling closure of said liquid and / or gas feed lines (7, 8) and prevent contamination of environmental conditions in the sample carrier (3, 4) due to contact with ambient conditions through the liquid and / or gas feed lines (7 , 8) , characterized in that the electrical connector (6) comprises an electrically conducting element (6' ) connected to at least part of the sample holder (3, 4 ) , and that said electrically conducting element ( 6' ) connects to at least one electrically conducting ribbon ( 9) having an electrically conducting socket (10) distant from the sample holder (3, 4) for connecting to one or more electrical supply lines .

2. The cartridge (1) of claim 1 , wherein the ribbon ( 9) is flexible .

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