Compact cold stage for micro-computerized tomography imaging of chilled or frozen samples
- Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States)
- Paige Instruments, Woodland, California 95776 (United States)
- Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States)
High resolution X-ray microCT (computerized tomography) can be used to image a variety of objects, including temperature-sensitive materials. In cases where the sample must be chilled or frozen to maintain sample integrity, either the microCT machine itself must be placed in a refrigerated chamber, or a relatively expensive commercial cold stage must be purchased. We describe here the design and construction of a low-cost custom cold stage suitable for use in a microCT imaging system. Our device uses a boron nitride sample holder, two-stage Peltier cooler, fan-cooled heat sink, and electronic controller to maintain sample temperatures as low as −25 °C ± 0.2 °C for the duration of a tomography acquisition. The design does not require modification to the microCT machine, and is easily installed and removed. Our custom cold stage represents a cost-effective solution for refrigerating CT samples for imaging, and is especially useful for shared equipment or machines unsuitable for cold room use.
- OSTI ID:
- 22254903
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 85, Issue 4; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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