Immersion Microscopy Repulsive Coating Shear Forces
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Solution Overview
Problem
In scanning microscopy, high movement speeds of the objective over the sample lead to shear forces that can cause the immersion medium to tear or deform, limiting scanning speed and resulting in sample contamination and excessive medium consumption.
Innovation Solution
A repulsive coating on the sample carrier or cover slip, such as a lipophobic, hydrophobic, or omniphobic treatment, prevents the immersion medium from adhering and reduces shear forces, allowing increased scanning speed while minimizing contamination by keeping the medium concentrated between the objective and sample carrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the objective is displaced at high speed over the sample, then productivity is improved, but the immersion medium tears or deforms due to shear forces
Solution Approach 1:
A repulsive coating is applied to the sample carrier or cover slip surface to act as an intermediary between the immersion medium and the sample carrier. This coating reduces adhesion forces, allowing the immersion medium to be displaced at higher speeds without tearing or deforming, thereby resolving the contradiction between scanning speed and medium integrity.
2Productivity
If the objective is displaced at high speed, then productivity is improved, but sample contamination increases due to medium loss
Solution Approach 1:
The repulsive coating on the sample carrier or cover slip acts as a mediator that prevents the immersion medium from adhering to and contaminating the sample. By reducing adhesion, the coating allows high-speed scanning without medium loss, thus improving productivity while preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface energy parameters of the sample carrier or cover slip are changed by applying a repulsive coating. This parameter change reduces the wettability and adhesion of the immersion medium, preventing contamination during high-speed scanning while maintaining the necessary optical properties.
3Loss of substance
If excessive immersion medium is used to compensate for loss, then immersion medium consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The repulsive coating serves as a simple intermediary solution that reduces immersion medium loss without requiring complex additional systems. By modifying the surface properties of the sample carrier or cover slip, the coating prevents medium adhesion and loss, reducing consumption without increasing device complexity.
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
This approach enables higher scanning speeds with reduced contamination and lower immersion medium consumption, maintaining image quality by ensuring the medium remains with the objective, not on the sample carrier or cover slip.
Implementation Method 1
A repulsive coating on the sample carrier or cover slip, such as a lipophobic, hydrophobic, or omniphobic treatment, prevents the immersion medium from adhering
Implementation Method 2
A repulsive coating on the sample carrier or cover slip, such as a lipophobic, hydrophobic, or omniphobic treatment, prevents the immersion medium from adhering
Data Source
AI summary
A method for the microscopy scanning of a specimen. An immersion medium is used between a slide and a microscope objective, said immersion medium wetting a surface of the slide, and the microscope objective being relatively displaced over the surface of the slide for imaging. The surface is provided with a coating which repels the immersion medium.