Modification of a scanning transmission electron microscope specimen holder for large section viewing

Area of Science:

• Electron Microscopy
• Materials Science
• Histology

Background:

• Standard electron microscopy techniques limit the examination area of tissue sections.
• Evaluating large-scale tissue structural relationships is time-consuming with conventional methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a modified scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) specimen holder.
• To enable full viewing of large, plastic-embedded tissue sections.
• To improve efficiency in tissue sample preparation and examination for microscopy.

Main Methods:

• Modification of a STEM specimen holder.
• Development of a method for producing 1-centimeter diameter "giant" grids.
• Outlining a specific procedure for tissue sample preparation.

Main Results:

• The modified holder allows for comprehensive examination of large tissue areas.
• Significant reduction in time required for preparing and examining standard electron microscopy sections.
• Facilitates both light and electron microscopic evaluations on identical tissue sections.

Conclusions:

• The modified STEM specimen holder significantly enhances the evaluation of tissue structural relationships.
• This method streamlines the workflow for electron microscopy sample preparation and analysis.
• Enables correlative light and electron microscopy on large tissue sections using a single sample preparation method.