Characterisation of Mechanical Behaviour of an Oscillating Diamond Knife and Cut Surface Quality for Serial Block-face Scanning Electron Microscopy

串行块面扫描电子显微镜的振动金刚石刀的机械行为和切割表面质量的表征

• 批准号: 10075800
• 金额: $ 2.14万
• 依托单位: CONNECTOMX LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10075800
• 关键词: Characterisation; Mechanical; Behaviour; Oscillating; Diamond

ConnectomX designs and manufactures the 'katana microtome,' a miniaturised ultramicrotome device used for Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM). Installed inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the ultramicrotome uses a diamond knife to cut ultra-thin layers from biological samples. The SEM then images the newly exposed surface, allowing for the creation of high-resolution 3D biological structures, vital for understanding cellular functions and advancing disease treatments.The diamond knife oscillates side-by-side during cutting. This feature reduces cutting force and helps to microtome to achieve a consistent clean cuts at tens of nanometres. However, the exact mechanical behaviour of the oscillating knife, including in-plane oscillation and potential out-of-plane components remains uncertain.A comprehensive characterisation of the diamond knife movement and sample surface topology after each cut will help us confirm product specifications and performance, ensuring optimal image acquisition for 3D datasets. This information is crucial for optimising the diamond knife holder design to achieve even thinner cuts. Understanding and addressing this issue will provide a competitive edge over alternative SBF-SEM solutions, bolster our reputation, and expand our product's capabilities.

ConnectomX设计和制造“katana microtome”，这是一种用于串行块面扫描电子显微镜（SBF-SEM）的小型化超微切片设备。ultramicroome安装在扫描电子显微镜（SEM）内，使用金刚石刀从生物样品上切割超薄层。扫描电镜然后成像新暴露的表面，允许创建高分辨率的3D生物结构，对理解细胞功能和推进疾病治疗至关重要。金刚石刀在切割时并排摆动。这一特点减少了切割力，并有助于切片机在几十纳米的范围内实现一致的清洁切割。然而，振荡刀的确切力学行为，包括面内振荡和潜在的面外分量仍然不确定。每次切割后对金刚石刀运动和样品表面拓扑结构的全面描述将帮助我们确认产品规格和性能，确保3D数据集的最佳图像采集。这些信息对于优化金刚石刀架设计以实现更薄的切割至关重要。理解和解决这个问题将为我们提供比其他SBF-SEM解决方案更有竞争力的优势，提高我们的声誉，并扩展我们的产品功能。