Detachable Holder Assembly for Electron Microscope Environmental Cell
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Environmental Cell (ECELL) holders face challenges with narrow fluid supply tubes that are prone to clogging and contamination, requiring high-temperature cleaning which can damage vacuum seals and cause mechanical deformation, and are costly to weld, while also risking oxidation and electrical charging.
Innovation Solution
A detachable holder assembly with ceramic tubes for high-temperature cleaning and a metal part for mechanical support, allowing for separate heating of the tube and EM interface, using hermetic seals and different materials for each part to prevent damage and oxidation, and incorporating electrical and optical feed-throughs for additional functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-temperature cleaning is applied to narrow fluid supply tubes, then clogging and contamination are removed, but vacuum seals are damaged and mechanical deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The holder assembly is divided into a first part (holder body with EM interface) and a second part (tube assembly with environmental cell interface), connected via a detachable connection. This segmentation allows the tube assembly to be removed and cleaned separately at high temperatures without exposing the holder body to damaging temperatures, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and structural integrity.
2Strength
If welding is used to connect tubes to the holder, then a robust connection is achieved, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The tube assembly is designed as a detachable, replaceable component that can be removed and cleaned without welding. When tubes become clogged or contaminated, the entire tube assembly can be replaced with a new one, avoiding the high cost of welding operations while maintaining robust connections during use. This approach trades the permanence of welding for cost-effectiveness and ease of maintenance.
3Reliability
If the holder is heated to high temperature for cleaning, then tube contamination is removed, but oxidation and electrical charging occur
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the holder assembly into a holder body and a detachable tube assembly, the invention allows selective heating of only the tube assembly during cleaning. The holder body, containing the EM interface and electrical components, remains at safe temperatures, preventing oxidation and electrical charging. The tube assembly can be heated to high temperatures in isolation, achieving effective cleaning without the harmful side effects.
4Device complexity
If a single integrated holder assembly is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but cleaning becomes difficult and damaging
Solution Approach 1:
The holder assembly is segmented into a holder body and a tube assembly connected via a detachable connection. While this increases structural complexity compared to a fully integrated design, it dramatically improves cleaning ease by allowing the tube assembly to be removed and cleaned separately. The detachable connection enables maintenance personnel to access and clean the narrow fluid supply tubes without disassembling the entire holder or risking damage to the EM interface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective cleaning of ECELL holders without damaging the EM interface, preventing oxidation and mechanical deformation, while allowing for robust and cost-effective construction using inert materials, and facilitating the use of reactive gases and liquids in electron microscopy.
Implementation Method 1
the holder assembly comprises a first part and a second part, the first part detachable from the second part, the first part comprising the tube and the environmental cell interface and the second part comprising the electron microscope interface, as a result of which the first part can be cleaned at high temperatures without exposing the second part to said high temperature
Implementation Method 2
the holder assembly comprising an electron microscope interface for forming a sealing interface with the electron microscope, the holder comprising an environmental cell interface for forming a sealing interfacing with the fluid inlet of the environmental cell
Data Source
AI summary
A holder assembly comprises a first and a separable second part, the first part detachable from the second part, the first part comprising a tube and an environmental cell interface and the second part comprising an electron microscope interface, as a result of which the first part can be cleaned at high temperatures without exposing the second part to said high temperature.By forming the holder assembly from detachable parts, one part can be cleaned by heating it to a high temperature of, for example, 1000° C., clogging in the tubes can be removed by reduction of carbon, while keeping the other part (often comprising mechanical fittings, ball bearing, sliders, or such like) cool. The cleaning can be enhanced by blowing, for example, oxygen or hydrogen through the tubes.