Local Contrast Agent Deposition for High-Contrast Specimen Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging methods for organic specimens, such as those using electron-beam and light-optical devices, face challenges in achieving high contrast, particularly when staining the entire surface, which can obscure underlying structures and require complex procedures.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a particle-beam device that allows for the local application of a contrast-agent layer on specific regions of a specimen surface using a gaseous precursor, with control over the diffusion and removal of the contrast agent to achieve high contrast imaging without damaging the specimen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the entire surface of the specimen is stained to increase contrast, then the image contrast is improved, but the underlying structures are obscured and the procedure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies staining locally to specific regions of interest on the specimen surface rather than the entire surface. The ion beam is used to activate contrast agent deposition only in selected areas, allowing different regions to have different staining characteristics. This resolves the contradiction by achieving high contrast where needed while preserving unstained regions for structural visibility, thereby simplifying the overall procedure.
2Illumination intensity
If a thick contrast-agent layer is deposited to enhance contrast, then the image contrast is improved, but structures underneath the layer cannot be examined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ion beam processing to control contrast agent deposition in a partial manner, targeting only specific areas and depths. By adjusting ion beam parameters (energy, current, duration), the contrast agent layer thickness is precisely controlled to be sufficient for contrast enhancement in regions of interest while remaining thin enough to allow electron beam penetration and visualization of underlying structures.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional staining methods are used to increase contrast, then the image contrast is improved, but the procedure becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical/chemical staining procedures (immersion in osmium tetroxide solutions, washing steps, multiple handling operations) with a direct ion beam-based contrast agent deposition method. The ion beam activates contrast agent molecules in the gas phase to deposit them directly onto the specimen surface in a controlled manner, eliminating the need for liquid handling, washing, and extended processing times, thereby dramatically reducing the overall staining procedure time.
4Manufacturing precision
If the specimen is immersed in staining solution to stain the surface, then the contrast agent is applied uniformly, but the procedure is complicated and excess agent must be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gas-phase contrast agent as an intermediary medium between the ion beam and the specimen surface. The contrast agent molecules in the gas phase are activated by the ion beam to deposit selectively on the specimen surface in regions where the ion beam is applied. This eliminates the need for liquid immersion and subsequent washing steps, as the gas-phase process allows for precise spatial control and automatic removal of excess contrast agent through vacuum pumping.
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 high contrast imaging of specific regions while preserving the integrity of other areas, allowing for detailed examination and comparison between stained and unstained regions, with adjustable contrast and minimal damage to the specimen.
Implementation Method 1
A contrast-agent layer is applied to the surface of the specimen at the specific position or in the specific confined region as a result of an interaction of the particle beam with the gaseous contrast-agent precursor
Implementation Method 2
The contrast-agent layer is left on the surface for a predetermined amount of time such that a first part of the contrast-agent layer diffuses into the specimen
Data Source
AI summary
Producing images of a specimen includes introducing a specimen into a specimen chamber of a particle-beam device, selecting a specific position on the surface of the specimen, supplying a contrast-agent precursor on the specific position, providing a particle beam and/or a light beam, guiding the particle beam and/or the light beam onto the specific position, applying a contrast-agent layer to the specific position as a result of the interaction of the particle beam and/or the light beam with the contrast-agent precursor, leaving the contrast-agent layer on the surface of the specimen for a predetermined amount of time. During the predetermined amount of time, a first part of the contrast-agent layer diffuses into the specimen and a second part of the contrast-agent layer remains on the surface of the specimen. The specimen is imaged using an optical device and/or a particle-optical device and/or using the particle beam.