A sample staining device, comprising a staining platform provided with a staining solution and cleaning solution supply part; glass slide support structures located on either side of the staining platform and forming a certain clearance between a glass slide and the staining platform; and a glass slide driving mechanism that enables the glass slide to move while maintaining a certain clearance from the staining platform. When said device works, a staining solution is supplied to the staining platform, and a convex liquid surface is formed due to surface tension; when the glass slide moves to the convex liquid surface of the staining solution, the staining solution infiltrates and diffuses in the clearance formed between the staining platform and the glass slide to cover the glass slide so as to stain a sample; and after the glass slide is stained, a cleaning solution is supplied to clean the residual staining solution.

Systems and methods of providing a probe spot in multiple modes of operation of a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate a primary charged-particle beam and selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation of the charged-particle beam apparatus. In the flooding mode, the condenser lens may focus at least a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam passing through an aperture of the aperture plate to form a second portion of the primary charged-particle beam, and substantially all of the second portion is used to flood a surface of a sample. In the inspection mode, the condenser lens may focus a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam such that the aperture of the aperture plate blocks off peripheral charged-particles to form the second portion of the primary charged-particle beam used to inspect the sample surface.

The present invention addresses the problem of a tissue piece treating apparatus in which drying in an inside of a treating tank is promoted, compared with conventional tissue piece treating apparatuses, and the gas in the inside of the treating tank is discharged so that a risk of inflammation can be prevented. As a solution, a tissue piece treating apparatus (10) according to the present invention includes: a treating tank (18) in which a tissue piece is housed, and immersion of the tissue piece is performed by a chemical solution being supplied thereto; a communication passage (34) that is connected to the treating tank (18); one or a plurality of chemical solution bottles (24) that are connected to the treating tank (18) through the communication passage (34), and store chemical solutions to be supplied to the treating tank (18); and a pump (60) that causes an inside of the treating tank (18)to be a negative pressure to supply the chemical solution from the chemical solution bottle (24) to the inside of the treating tank (18), and causes the inside of the treating tank (18) to be a positive pressure to discharge the chemical solution from the inside of the treating tank (18) to the chemical solution bottle (24), in which the communication passage (34), which partially branches, includes an outside air port (42) that communicates with an outside air, and is thus configured to be able to supply and discharge the outside air to and from the inside of the treating tank (18) by receiving an action of the pump (60).

The present invention addresses the problem of a tissue piece treating apparatus in which drying in an inside of a treating tank is promoted, compared with conventional tissue piece treating apparatuses, and the gas in the inside of the treating tank is discharged so that a risk of inflammation can be prevented. As a solution, a tissue piece treating apparatus (10) according to the present invention includes: a treating tank (18) in which a tissue piece is housed, and immersion of the tissue piece is performed by a chemical solution being supplied thereto; a communication passage (34) that is connected to the treating tank (18); one or a plurality of chemical solution bottles (24) that are connected to the treating tank (18) through the communication passage (34), and store chemical solutions to be supplied to the treating tank (18); and a pump (60) that causes an inside of the treating tank (18)to be a negative pressure to supply the chemical solution from the chemical solution bottle (24) to the inside of the treating tank (18), and causes the inside of the treating tank (18) to be a positive pressure to discharge the chemical solution from the inside of the treating tank (18) to the chemical solution bottle (24), in which the communication passage (34), which partially branches, includes an outside air port (42) that communicates with an outside air, and is thus configured to be able to supply and discharge the outside air to and from the inside of the treating tank (18) by receiving an action of the pump (60).

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.

The present invention addresses to an automated gas injection system in vials with rubber septa, for simultaneous injection of gas in 24 or more positions, with injection pressure control and/or overpressure detection, applied to mass spectrometry analyses and/or gas chromatography. The present invention can be used, for example, in isotopic analyses of geological materials in equipment with carbonate extraction units, in the cleaning and decontamination of tubes to be used in isotopic or chromatographic analyses, and in the removal of contaminants from steam drag or by continuous flow, or coming from the free space of vials or tubes in the analyses of organic and inorganic materials.

The application of this invention allows reducing the current times of routine purge (flush) of at very least 3 minutes for every 2 positions (72 positions in total and final time of 108 minutes, in a batch of samples) to a total of 96 positions in 3 minutes, with a reduction of 12 times or more in the flush time, which implies greater analytical capacity to the laboratory, lower external costs of sending samples, less time to obtain results, with technology that is easy to implement in universities and research centers in general, in addition to increasing the lifespan of rubber septa.

A tissue processing station includes a housing and a first heated plate that is either disposed on or forms a first horizontally oriented surface of the housing. The first heated plate is configured to either (i) contain water, or (ii) receive a dish containing water. The tissue processing station may also include a vertically-oriented heated well for heating slides. A second heated plate is either disposed on or forms an angled surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The angled surface is angled relative to the first horizontally oriented surface. A third heated plate is either disposed on or forms a second horizontally oriented surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The first and second horizontally oriented surfaces are defined at different elevations on the housing. The angled surface extends between the two horizontally oriented surfaces.

A tissue processing station includes a housing and a first heated plate that is either disposed on or forms a first horizontally oriented surface of the housing. The first heated plate is configured to either (i) contain water, or (ii) receive a dish containing water. The tissue processing station may also include a vertically-oriented heated well for heating slides. A second heated plate is either disposed on or forms an angled surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The angled surface is angled relative to the first horizontally oriented surface. A third heated plate is either disposed on or forms a second horizontally oriented surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The first and second horizontally oriented surfaces are defined at different elevations on the housing. The angled surface extends between the two horizontally oriented surfaces.

Paraffin-embedded tissue is prepared removing paraffin from the tissue. The paraffin is removed by generating an electric field effective to produce plasma and direct charged species of the plasma to the paraffin, thereby rendering the paraffin responsive to the electric field. The electric field may move the paraffin out from the tissue due to electrostatic force. Movement of the paraffin may be assisted by moving an electrode utilized to generate the electric field relative to the paraffin. Movement of the paraffin also may be assisted by applying a solvent and/or heat energy to the tissue.