Patent ID: 8059271
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: G02B,H01J,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A sample holding device, comprising: a first wafer having a length, width and depth and incorporating a transparent membrane in one side of a said first wafer, said side established by said length and said width of said first wafer; a second wafer having a length, width and depth and incorporating a transparent membrane in one side of a said second wafer, said side established by said length and said width of said second wafer, wherein said second wafer is approximately the same size and geometry as said first wafer; a first component having a length, width and depth, said first component having an opening perpendicular to and through the plane of said first component established by the length and width of said first component, said first component further configured to incorporate both said wafers abutted along their respective length and width so as to be parallel to each other and said plane of said first component, a topmost of said wafers at or below the top of said plane of said first component, wherein said first component indexes the relative position of said first and second wafers, said wafers abutting to contain said sample in a uniform gap formed between said transparent membranes, a second component having a length, width and depth, said second component having an opening perpendicular to and through the plane of said second component established by said length and width of said second component, said second component further configured to affix to said first component to secure said sample in said sample holding device; at least one seal in operable communication with said first and second components; and at least one fastener for removably affixing said first component to said second component, wherein said first component further comprises threaded openings in a first pattern about the perimeter of said first component and said second component further comprises fifth slots in a second pattern about the perimeter of said second component, said second pattern movably alignable with said first pattern, said fasteners comprising screws in operable communication with said threaded openings, wherein said second component may be positioned over said first component and rotated to align a narrow portion of each said fifth slot in said second pattern under a matching one of each of said screws in said first pattern, and wherein said screws may be tightened to bring said first component in uniform contact with said second component along respective abutting surfaces of said first and second components, compressing said at least one seal and completing assembly of said sample holding device.