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A device for the rapid freezing of biological specimens under precisely controlled and reproducible conditions
Author(s) -
Bald W. B.,
Robards A. W.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1978.tb01150.x
Subject(s) - liquid nitrogen , subcooling , freezing point , compressed fluid , materials science , liquid phase , atmospheric pressure , phase (matter) , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , chromatography , thermodynamics , boiling , meteorology , physics , organic chemistry
SUMMARY The construction and preliminary testing of a device is described which can be used to freeze biological specimens in any cryogenic liquid at temperatures down to the nitrogen freezing point (63 K) and which can operate in the pressure range 1.3 kNm −2 to 1 MNm −2 . Ultra‐rapid freezing can be carried out in a subcooled cryogenic liquid either hyperbarically or at atmospheric pressure. Slow freezing rates can be achieved by cooling the specimens in a controlled manner in the vapour phase above the liquid bath.