Imaging of human colon cancer cells using He‐Ion scanning microscopy

Abstract

SummaryDue to its low beam current and charge compensation mechanism He-Ion scanning microscopy is a very promising tool for imaging biological cells. However, to obtain relevant information, the method used for sample preparation is also critical. In this work, we have used a Carl Zeiss Orion Plus helium-ion microscope to study the effect of sample gold coating on the morphology of human colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco2 cells. The fixative glutaraldehyde was used and the selective gold coating of the samples was investigated. A comparative study with standard scanning electron microscopy is presented.

A new structural biomarker that quantifies and predicts changes in clot strength and quality in a model of progressive haemodilution

“…More fibrils within the image can be measured because more appear in focus, an advantage already applied to imaging other biological specimens. [22][23][24] Assessment of the arrangement of the clot microstructure was achieved by qualitative assessment of the images by visual inspection focusing on the general topography of the clot, and through quantification of the fibre widths in the clot. Fibre width were measured using the computer software program ImageJ® (Rasband WS, ImageJ, U. S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA) measuring widths of 100 different fibres at each dilution, using randomly generated x,y coordinates from within multiple fields of view.…”

The use of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) for studying nanoparticle-induced platelet aggregation

“…A Carl Zeiss Orion Plus helium ion microscope was used to image the platelets due to its subnanometer resolution, efficient charge control, small beam damage, and high depth of field. 31 The helium ion microscope was operating at an acceleration voltage of 32 kV and a beam current of approximately 3.2 pA.…”

Helium Ion Microscopy of Uncoated Pine Leaves

“…Although the fi eld emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) has been extensively employed, it has intrinsic limitations to resolution due to lens aberrations and specimen-electron beam interactions. Another challenge in the microscopy employing charged particle beams is the specimen preparation, because the observation is conducted in high vacuum (Bazou et al, 2011). The helium ion microscopy (HIM) has recently emerged as a commercially available surface imaging instrument (Economou et al, 2012).…”

“…The strong voltage at the tip ionizes atoms of the He gas; the ions then accelerate away from the tip (Vanden Berg-Foels et al, 2012). A beam of He ions (called the primary beam) is then directed onto a specimen surface (Bazou et al, 2011). Secondary electrons (SE) emanated from the specimenHe ion interactions are recorded during the He ion beam scanning.…”

“…Furthermore, quantitative, elementally specific microanalysis could be performed in the HIM using secondary electron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattered ion spectroscopy, or secondary ion mass spectroscopy (Joy & Griffin, 2011). There is growing evidence that the HIM is promising for imaging and analyzing interfaces of uncoated biological specimens and nanostructures (Bazou et al, 2011;Alkemade et al, 2012; Helium Ion Microscopy of Uncoated Pine Leaves Ki Woo Kim* School of Ecology and Environmental System, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 742-711, Korea…”