The sample mounting system comprises a sample holder and a sample stage having a platform for supporting the sample holder. The sample can be fixed to the sample holder by a mount. The sample holder comprises a holder reference portion, which co-operates with a corresponding reference portion of the sample stage (the stage reference portion) to align the sample holder with the sample stage. When the sample holder is positioned on the platform such that the stage reference portion and the holder reference portion engage each other, the sample holder is aligned with the sample stage.

A specimen holding and positioning apparatus operable to substantially non-movably maintain a specimen (e.g., an excised tissue specimen) in a fixed or stable orientation with respect to the apparatus during imaging operations (e.g., x-ray imaging), transport (e.g., from a surgery room to a pathologist's laboratory), and the like for use in facilitating accurate detection and diagnosis of cancers and/or other abnormalities of the specimen.

A grip portion configured to support a test piece is disposed at a central part of a base, and a plurality of pillars are erected on the base. A disposition and number of the plurality of pillars are adjusted so that an X-ray emitted from an X-ray source and transmitting through the test piece transmits through zero or one pillar in an optional image capturing direction. It is possible to avoid a situation in which an attenuation rate of the X-ray largely differs due to a difference in an image capturing direction to the test piece. Thus, it is possible to prevent a strong artifact from overlapping a CT image of the test piece in an X-ray CT image. Moreover, a material testing machine is supported by the plurality of pillars to have an accessible state around the test piece. This configuration facilitates handling of the material testing machine.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device which suppresses sample deformation caused by placing a sample on a suctioning surface of an electrostatic chuck mechanism, the sample having a temperature different from the suctioning surface. Proposed is a charged particle beam device which has an electrostatic chuck mechanism, the charged particle beam device being provided with: a stage (200) which moves a sample, which is to be irradiated with a charged particle beam, relative to an irradiation position of the charged particle beam; an insulating body (203) which is disposed on the stage and constitutes a dielectric layer of the electrostatic chuck; a first support member (402) which supports the insulating body on the stage; a ring-shaped electrode (400) which encloses the surroundings of the sample and is installed on the insulating body in a contactless manner, and to which a predetermined voltage is applied; and a second support member (405) which supports the ring-shaped electrode.

A single-crystal X-ray structure analysis system capable of surely and easily performing a precise step of soaking a very small amount of a sample in a framework of a fine crystalline sponge, is provided. There are provided a soaking apparatus 500 and a single-crystal X-ray structure analysis apparatus, the single-crystal X-ray structure analysis apparatus comprising a sample holder that holds a sample, the sample holder comprising a porous complex crystal capable of soaking the sample in a plurality of fine pores formed therein; a goniometer that rotationally moves, the goniometer to which the sample holder is attached; an X-ray irradiation section that irradiates the X-rays from the X-ray source to the sample held by the sample holder attached to the goniometer; wherein the soaking apparatus 500 soaks the sample in the porous complex crystal of the sample holder.

It is enabled to surely attach a sample holder to a goniometer head with good reproducibility in a relatively easy manner, the sample holder holding a porous complex crystal where a single-crystal is soaked. There is provided a single-crystal X-ray structure analysis apparatus that performs a structure analysis of a material, the apparatus comprising a goniometer having a goniometer head 514 to which a sample holder 310 is attached, the sample holder holding a porous complex crystal where a sample is soaked; an X-ray irradiation section that irradiates the X-rays to the porous complex crystal whose position is adjusted with the goniometer head 514, wherein a positioning portion for positioning the sample holder 310 to be attached is formed on a surface of the goniometer head 514, the sample holder 310 being attached onto the surface.

A user-friendly single-crystal X-ray structure analysis apparatus for quickly performing a single-crystal X-ray structure analysis using a crystalline sponge and easily making it possible by including managing related information and a method therefor, are provided. There are provided a sample holder comprising a porous complex crystal capable of soaking a sample in a plurality of fine pores formed therein; a goniometer that rotationally moves, the sample holder being attached to the goniometer; an information acquisition section 600 that acquires invariable information about the porous complex crystal or variable information provided after the sample is soaked therein; and an information storage section 111 that stores the invariable information or the variable information acquired by the information acquisition section 600.

A collector device for determining a metal in an exploration sample containing a concentration of the metal not directly detectable by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), comprises an adsorbent material capable of concentrating metal from a digestion mixture produced by digesting the exploration sample, which is configured for association with an analysis window of the XRF detector to facilitate determination of the amount of metal value in the exploration sample. A sample preparation vessel, method and system used to prepare exploration samples for analysis includes a vessel for receiving the exploration sample, a digestion tablet and a digestion medium; a closure to allow the vessel to be agitated to produce a digestion mixture comprising dissolved metal and the collector device. The closure and the collector device are coupled so that collector device is retrieved from the vessel by removing the closure. The digestion tablet includes a metal lixiviate and an alkali compound.

A spectrometer includes a crystal analyzer having a radius of curvature that defines a Rowland circle, a sample stage configured to support a sample such that the sample is offset from the Rowland circle, x-ray source configured to emit unfocused x-rays toward the sample stage, and a position-sensitive detector that is tangent to the Rowland circle. A method performed via a spectrometer includes emitting, via an x-ray source, unfocused x-rays toward a sample that is mounted on a sample stage such that the sample is offset from the Rowland Circle, thereby causing the sample to emit x-rays that impinge on the crystal analyzer or transmit a portion of the unfocused x-rays to impinge on the crystal analyzer; scattering, via the crystal analyzer, the x-rays that impinge on the crystal analyzer; and detecting the scattered x-rays via a position-sensitive detector that is tangent to the Rowland circle.

An analysis apparatus comprises: a moveable stage assembly; a sample holder on a top surface of the stage assembly; a first photon source and a first photon detector or detector array, the first photon source being configured to emit a first beam of photons that intercepts the surface of a sample at a first location on the sample and the first photon detector or detector array being configured to detect photons that are emitted from the first location; and a second photon source and a second photon detector or detector array, the second photon source being configured to emit a second beam of photons that intercepts the surface of the sample at a second location on the sample, the second location being spaced apart from the first location, and the second photon detector or detector array being configured to detect photons that are emitted from the second location.