Imaging ESCA Instrument

描述(由申请人提供)： 对于生物医学系统，确定存在于表面的生物部分的化学状态(组成、分子结构和取向)和分布是至关重要的。细胞和组织的许多重要功能依赖于其表面分子的排列。此外，现代生物工程的一个中心目标是开发引导生物愈合反应的生物材料表面。这些新颖的表面被设想为具有定义良好的识别位置阵列，旨在专门与细胞相互作用。因此，开发能够在高空间分辨率下提供详细的表面化学状态信息的表面分析技术是至关重要的。本申请中要求的用于化学分析的Kratos Axis超成像电子能谱(ESCA)系统将为NIH资助的生物医学研究提供基本的新功能，因为我们12年和18年的ESCA系统没有成像能力。此外，在过去10年中，仪器制造商在ESCA性能的所有领域都取得了重大进展，因此所有类型的ESCA实验(成分、高分辨率光谱、角度相关、多样本和成像分析)都将从购买新的成像ESCA系统中受益匪浅。与我们目前的ESCA系统相比，新的成像轴超ESCA系统提供的具体改进包括：1)将光斑分析的空间分辨率提高了一个数量级；2)提供了一种新的化学状态成像模式；3)在光谱模式下将能量分辨率提高了20%；4)提高了灵敏度(更低的检测下限)；5)更高效、更易于使用电荷中和系统；6)计算机控制的、用于角度相关实验的多样本分析；以及7)减少了仪器停机时间。成像ESCA以低于10微米的空间分辨率提供关于元素和官能团分布的定量表面组成信息。这些信息对于确定生物材料表面的结构-功能关系及其生物活性是必不可少的。ESCA成像的相关应用包括植入物的生物兼容性、生物分子分离、细胞培养、生物传感器、细菌诱导的腐蚀、ELISA法和DNA操作。将拟议的ESCA成像系统的能力与现有的成像飞行时间二次离子质谱仪(ToF SIMS)和扫描探针显微镜(SPM)系统相结合，将提供一套强大的补充生物医学表面分析技术，将为NIH资助的生物医学研究项目做出重大贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For biomedical systems, determining the chemical state (composition, molecular structure, and orientation) and distribution of biological moieties present on a surface is critical. Many of the important functions of cells and tissue depend on the arrangement of molecules at their surfaces. Also, a central goal of modern bioengineering is the development of biomaterial surfaces that direct the biological healing response. These novel surfaces are envisioned to have a well-defined array of recognition sites designed to interact specifically with cells. Thus, it is essential to develop surface analysis techniques capable of providing detailed surface chemical state information at high spatial resolutions. The Kratos AXIS ULTRA imaging electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) system requested in this application will provide essential, new capabilities for NIH-funded biomedical research since our 12 and 18 year old ESCA systems do not have imaging capabilities. Also, in the past 10 years instrumentation manufacturers have made significant advances in all areas of ESCA performance, so all types of ESCA experiments (composition, high resolution spectra, angle dependent, multi-sample and imaging analyses) will benefit significantly from the purchase of a new imaging ESCA system. The specific improvements provided by the new imaging AXIS ULTRA ESCA system over our current ESCA systems are: 1) increase of the spatial resolution for spot analysis by an order of magnitude; 2) provide a new chemical state imaging modality; 3) improve energy resolution by 20% in the spectroscopy mode; 4) increased sensitivity (lower detection limits); 5) more efficient and easier to use charge neutralization system; 6) computer controlled, multi-sample analysis for angle dependent experiments; and 7) decreased instrument downtime. Imaging ESCA provides quantitative surface compositional information about the distribution of both elements and functional groups at a spatial resolution of less than 10 microns. This information is essential for determining the structure-function relationship of the biomaterial surface and its biological activity. Relevant applications for imaging ESCA include biocompatibility of implants, biomolecule separations, cell culture, biosensors, bacterial-induced corrosion, ELISA assays, and DNA manipulations. Combining the capabilities of the proposed imaging ESCA system with existing imaging time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF SIMS) and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) systems will provide a powerful set of complementary biomedical surface analysis techniques that will make a significant contribution to NIH-funded biomedical research projects.