scholarly journals Micro-scale fluid behavior during cryo-EM sample blotting

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Armstrong ◽  
B-G. Han ◽  
S. Gomez ◽  
J. Turner ◽  
D. A. Fletcher ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBlotting has been the standard technique for preparing aqueous samples for single-particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) for over three decades. This technique removes excess solution from a TEM grid by pressing absorbent filter paper against the specimen prior to vitrification. However, this standard technique produces vitreous ice with inconsistent thickness from specimen to specimen and from region to region within the same specimen, the reasons for which are not understood. Here, high-speed interference-contrast microscopy is used to demonstrate that the irregular pattern of fibers in the filter paper imposes tortuous, highly variable boundaries during removal of excess liquid from a flat, hydrophilic surface. As a result, aqueous films of nonuniform thickness are formed while the filter paper is pressed against the substrate. This pattern of nonuniform liquid thickness changes again after the filter paper is pulled away, but the thickness still does not become completely uniform. We suggest that similar topological features of the liquid film are produced during the standard technique used to blot EM grids and that these manifest in nonuniform ice after vitrification. These observations suggest that alternative thinning techniques, which do not rely on direct contact between the filter paper and the grid, may result in more repeatable and uniform sample thicknesses.STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEMultiple imaging techniques are used to observe dynamic, micro-scale events as excess water is removed from a substrate by blotting with filter paper. As a result, new insight is gained about why the thickness values of remaining sample material are so variable across a single EM grid, as well as from one grid to the next. In addition, quantitative estimates are made of the shear forces to which macromolecular complexes can be exposed during blotting. The fact that sample thicknesses and flow rates are seen to be inherently under poor control during blotting suggests that other methods of removing excess water may be better suited for consistently achieving large sample areas that are suitable for use in electron cryo-microscopy.

Author(s):  
Xiao Zhang

Polymer microscopy involves multiple imaging techniques. Speed, simplicity, and productivity are key factors in running an industrial polymer microscopy lab. In polymer science, the morphology of a multi-phase blend is often the link between process and properties. The extent to which the researcher can quantify the morphology determines the strength of the link. To aid the polymer microscopist in these tasks, digital imaging systems are becoming more prevalent. Advances in computers, digital imaging hardware and software, and network technologies have made it possible to implement digital imaging systems in industrial microscopy labs.


Author(s):  
Yongmei Liu ◽  
Rajen Dias

Abstract Study presented here has shown that Infrared thermography has the potential to be a nondestructive analysis tool for evaluating package sublayer defects. Thermal imaging is achieved by applying pulsed external heating to the package surface and monitoring the surface thermal response as a function of time with a high-speed IR camera. Since the thermal response of the surface is affected by the defects such as voids and delamination below the package surface, the technique can be used to assist package defects detection and analysis.


Procedia CIRP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
pp. 533-538
Author(s):  
E. Uhlmann ◽  
I. Perfilov ◽  
S. Yabroudi ◽  
R. Mevert ◽  
M. Polte
Keyword(s):  

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5279
Author(s):  
Dong-Hoon Kwak ◽  
Guk-Jin Son ◽  
Mi-Kyung Park ◽  
Young-Duk Kim

The consumption of seaweed is increasing year by year worldwide. Therefore, the foreign object inspection of seaweed is becoming increasingly important. Seaweed is mixed with various materials such as laver and sargassum fusiforme. So it has various colors even in the same seaweed. In addition, the surface is uneven and greasy, causing diffuse reflections frequently. For these reasons, it is difficult to detect foreign objects in seaweed, so the accuracy of conventional foreign object detectors used in real manufacturing sites is less than 80%. Supporting real-time inspection should also be considered when inspecting foreign objects. Since seaweed requires mass production, rapid inspection is essential. However, hyperspectral imaging techniques are generally not suitable for high-speed inspection. In this study, we overcome this limitation by using dimensionality reduction and using simplified operations. For accuracy improvement, the proposed algorithm is carried out in 2 stages. Firstly, the subtraction method is used to clearly distinguish seaweed and conveyor belts, and also detect some relatively easy to detect foreign objects. Secondly, a standardization inspection is performed based on the result of the subtraction method. During this process, the proposed scheme adopts simplified and burdenless calculations such as subtraction, division, and one-by-one matching, which achieves both accuracy and low latency performance. In the experiment to evaluate the performance, 60 normal seaweeds and 60 seaweeds containing foreign objects were used, and the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is 95%. Finally, by implementing the proposed algorithm as a foreign object detection platform, it was confirmed that real-time operation in rapid inspection was possible, and the possibility of deployment in real manufacturing sites was confirmed.


1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wang Kuilu ◽  
Lu Ming ◽  
Liu Cunfu ◽  
Kang Dechun

1984 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 650-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL F. HARTSHORNE ◽  
ROSA RAMIREZ ◽  
MICHAEL A. CAWTHON ◽  
JOHN M. BAUMAN ◽  
ROBERT D. KARL

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody Greer ◽  
Timothy E. Holy

Among optical imaging techniques light sheet fluorescence microscopy stands out as one of the most attractive for capturing high-speed biological dynamics unfolding in three dimensions. The technique is potentially millions of times faster than point-scanning techniques such as two-photon microscopy. However current-generation light sheet microscopes are limited by volume scanning rate and/or camera frame rate. We present speed-optimized Objective Coupled Planar Illumination (OCPI) microscopy, a fast light sheet technique that avoids compromising image quality or photon efficiency. We increase volume scanning rate to 40 Hz for volumes up to 700 µm thick and introduce Multi-Camera Image Sharing (MCIS), a technique to scale imaging rate by parallelizing acquisition across cameras. Finally, we demonstrate fast calcium imaging of the larval zebrafish brain and find a heartbeat-induced artifact that can be removed by filtering when the imaging rate exceeds 15 Hz. These advances extend the reach of fluorescence microscopy for monitoring fast processes in large volumes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 3814
Author(s):  
Ivano Riva ◽  
Eleonora Micheletti ◽  
Francesco Oddone ◽  
Carlo Bruttini ◽  
Silvia Montescani ◽  
...  

Assessment of the anterior chamber angle (ACA) is an essential part of the ophthalmological examination. It is intrinsically related to the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and has a role in its prevention. Although slit-lamp gonioscopy is considered the gold-standard technique for ACA evaluation, its poor reproducibility and the long learning curve are well-known shortcomings. Several new imaging techniques for angle evaluation have been developed in the recent years. However, whether these instruments may replace or not gonioscopy in everyday clinical practice remains unclear. This review summarizes the last findings in ACA evaluation, focusing on new instruments and their application to the clinical practice. Special attention will be given to the comparison between these new techniques and traditional slit-lamp gonioscopy. Whereas ultrasound biomicroscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography provide quantitative measurements of the anterior segment’s structures, new gonio-photographic systems allow for a qualitative assessment of angle findings, similarly to gonioscopy. Recently developed deep learning algorithms provide an automated classification of angle images, aiding physicians in taking faster and more efficient decisions. Despite new imaging techniques made analysis of the ACA more objective and practical, the ideal method for ACA evaluation has still to be determined.


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