| AVS 65th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces Division | Monday Sessions |
| Session BI+AS+IPF+MN-MoA |
| Session: | Advanced Imaging and Structure Determination of Biomaterials Research |
| Presenter: | Chuong Huynh, Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC |
| Authors: | J.A. Notte, Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC D. Wei, Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC C. Huynh, Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Both optical and electron microscopy are well established techniques in the life sciences with established protocols for imaging and sample preparation. However the newly developed helium ion microscope has some unique advantages, and is gaining a reputation for providing insightful, easy to interpret images over a wide range of biological samples and bio-materials. This presentation serves as both an introduction to this novel technique and a review of recent results.
Because helium ions do not suffer appreciably from diffraction effects, they can be focused to a sub-nanometer probe, providing nanometer scale image resolution with a depth of focus that is well suited to complex surfaces and structures. As helium ions interact with the sample, they provide an abundance of secondary electrons that convey surface-specific and topographical information. Distinctly different from the conventional (gallium) focused ion beams, helium ions do not significantly damage the sample from the sputtering process. And importantly, helium ion microscopy is not affected by charging artifacts when imaging insulating materials, even glass slides, so there is no need for metal over-coating which would otherwise obscure finer details.
Example images will include a pancreatic cell membrane showing the pores and cilia present on their natural surfaces. Other examples will show the complex structure of the principal cell and intercalated cells of the collecting duct of a rat kidney. Other imaging results from diverse fields include stony corals, collagen networks, bone minerals, stereocilia, otoconia, actin filaments, and cryptococcus neoformans. False colorized images of the multi-ciliated epithelial trachea of an adult mouse and T4-phages will also be presented. Finally, new results will be shown from the SIMS spectrometer which provides elemental and isotopic information, and can be the basis for true colorizaton.
In this talk, an emphasis will be placed on the physics principles that enable these imaging results. The selected examples serve to demonstrate the breadth of results that can be attained with this relatively new technique.