Ultrastructural and elemental imaging of biological specimens by soft x-ray contact microscopy

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5399180

Panessa, B J; Hoffman, P ^[1]; Warren, J B ^[2]; Feder, R; Sayre, D ^[3]

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1. State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook, NY (United States). Dept. of Orthopedics
2. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
3. International Business Machines Corp., Yorktown Heights, NY (United States). Thomas J. Watson Research Center

Soft X-ray contact microscopy offers a means of visualizing unstained as well as stained biological materials at better than 6 nm resolution. Soft X-ray imaging depends on differential absorption of incident soft (1--10nm wavelength) X-rays by the endogenous elements within a specimen. The advantages of using soft X-rays for imaging are: (1) reduced specimen damage during exposure; (2) ability to image hydrated specimens at atmospheric pressure; (3) ability to image specimens ranging in thickness from less than 40 nm to as much as 10{mu}m; and (4) ability to map the elemental composition of the specimen through observation of the differential absorption of properly chosen incident x-ray wavelengths. This paper explains the principles of image formation and demonstrates the use of soft X-ray contact microscopy with biological samples which could not readily be imaged in their natural form using conventional electron microscopy methods. Data are also presented on the recognition of compositional features in histochemically treated articular joint tissues. 30 refs., 15 figs.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5399180
• Report Number(s): BNL-46432; CONF-800413-2; ON: DE91016912
• Resource Relation: Conference: Scanning electron microscopy meeting, Chicago, IL (United States), 22-25 Apr 1980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
SAMPLE PREPARATION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ENERGY ABSORPTION
MICROSCOPES
MORPHOLOGY
PMMA
REPLICAS
SOFT X RADIATION
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
X-RAY SOURCES
ABSORPTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUIPMENT
ESTERS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
POLYACRYLATES
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
RESOLUTION
X RADIATION
X-RAY EQUIPMENT
440800* - Miscellaneous Instrumentation- (1990-)
550300 - Cytology
550602 - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)