Apparatus and methods are disclosed for vibration-free cryogenic cooling, suitable for TEM and other analytic equipment. A thermal battery includes one or more of: a cryocooler, a thermal switch, a thermal cold storage reservoir, and a cold finger. The thermal reservoir is mounted outside a sample chamber. The cold finger provides thermal coupling between the reservoir and a sample holder inside the sample chamber. In varying embodiments, sample holder and sample temperatures are regulated by a heater or by an inline variable thermal resistor. Cyclic phased operation includes cooling the reservoir, decoupling the cryocooler from the reservoir, and temperature-regulated passive vibration-free thermal energy extraction from sample to reservoir. The described system delivers a stand time of 12 hours at 20 K. Temperature regulation, a hybrid thermal switch, damping of thermal fluctuations, and material selection are described.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for vibration-free cryogenic cooling, suitable for TEM and other analytic equipment. A thermal battery includes one or more of: a cryocooler, a thermal switch, a thermal cold storage reservoir, and a cold finger. The thermal reservoir is mounted outside a sample chamber. The cold finger provides thermal coupling between the reservoir and a sample holder inside the sample chamber. In varying embodiments, sample holder and sample temperatures are regulated by a heater or by an inline variable thermal resistor. Cyclic phased operation includes cooling the reservoir, decoupling the cryocooler from the reservoir, and temperature-regulated passive vibration-free thermal energy extraction from sample to reservoir. The described system delivers a stand time of 12 hours at 20 K. Temperature regulation, a hybrid thermal switch, damping of thermal fluctuations, and material selection are described.

A sample attachment device includes a mount, a mounted depression, and a pressure release depression. Liquid and air bubbles can pass the pressure release depression. The mounted depression is on the mount. A cartridge is mounted on the mounted depression. The pressure release depression is in the mounted depression. The pressure release depression is vertically under the cartridge when the cartridge is mounted on the mounted depression.

A method and apparatus for preparing samples for imaging under cryogenic conditions or diffraction experiments under cryogenic conditions in an electron microscope. One version of the method involves: partially submerging a flat sample carrier with sample material vertically into a reservoir containing a cryogenic liquid until all areas with sample material are positioned below the surface of the cryogenic liquid; vitrifying the sample material at least one stream of cryogenic liquid to each considerable side of the sample material on the flat sample carrier at or directly below the surface of the cryogenic liquid in the reservoir; and fully submerging the flat sample carrier with the vitrified sample material into the cryogenic liquid to cool the flat sample carrier to a temperature below about 136 K. Variations of the method and various features of the apparatus are described.

A method and apparatus for preparing samples for imaging under cryogenic conditions or diffraction experiments under cryogenic conditions in an electron microscope. One version of the method involves: partially submerging a flat sample carrier with sample material vertically into a reservoir containing a cryogenic liquid until all areas with sample material are positioned below the surface of the cryogenic liquid; vitrifying the sample material at least one stream of cryogenic liquid to each considerable side of the sample material on the flat sample carrier at or directly below the surface of the cryogenic liquid in the reservoir; and fully submerging the flat sample carrier with the vitrified sample material into the cryogenic liquid to cool the flat sample carrier to a temperature below about 136 K. Variations of the method and various features of the apparatus are described.

Systems and methods for recovering content of a sample from a microcapillary array are provided. The microcapillary array includes a plurality of microcapillary wells. A laser is positioned to target a first microcapillary well in the plurality of microcap-wells. The laser pulses at least one time at the first microcapillary well. The content from the first microcapillary well is extracted, recovering the content of the first microcapillary well.

Systems and methods for recovering content of a sample from a microcapillary array are provided. The microcapillary array includes a plurality of microcapillary wells. A laser is positioned to target a first microcapillary well in the plurality of microcap-wells. The laser pulses at least one time at the first microcapillary well. The content from the first microcapillary well is extracted, recovering the content of the first microcapillary well.

A cryostat chuck is disclosed. The disclosed chuck may be configured for use in a frozen-sectioning device, such as a cryostat, or other suitable host equipment. The disclosed chuck may include a tab portion configured, in accordance with some embodiments, to provide a means for gripping the chuck by hand (e.g., human or robotic) or by a tool or other desired interfacing element. The tab portion may serve to distance a user's hand or piece of gripping equipment from the sharp microtome of the host cryostat, reducing the opportunity of sustaining bodily injury or equipment damage. Moreover, the tab portion may provide a means by which the cryostat chuck may be manipulated when inserting, adjusting, or removing the chuck prior to, during, or after engagement by the cryostat (or other suitable host equipment).

A cryostat chuck is disclosed. The disclosed chuck may be configured for use in a frozen-sectioning device, such as a cryostat, or other suitable host equipment. The disclosed chuck may include a tab portion configured, in accordance with some embodiments, to provide a means for gripping the chuck by hand (e.g., human or robotic) or by a tool or other desired interfacing element. The tab portion may serve to distance a user's hand or piece of gripping equipment from the sharp microtome of the host cryostat, reducing the opportunity of sustaining bodily injury or equipment damage. Moreover, the tab portion may provide a means by which the cryostat chuck may be manipulated when inserting, adjusting, or removing the chuck prior to, during, or after engagement by the cryostat (or other suitable host equipment).

The present disclosure provides methods of collecting electron diffraction patterns from nanocrystals to obtain a three-dimensional structural model of a compound, as well as methods of identifying compounds and methods of determining polymorphic forms. In addition, the present disclosure provides methods of characterizing a first compound from a sample, as well as methods of screening compounds from a sample. The present disclosure also provides systems for characterizing a compound from a sample, which systems include modules for high-performance liquid chromatography, dispensing, and electron microscopy.