Patent ID: 8439216

Claim:
A system for preserving material samples, comprising: a container having an interior volume, said container comprising a bottom portion having outer walls for defining a portion of the interior volume and a top portion, also having outer walls for defining a portion of the interior volume, wherein the outer walls of said bottom portion are receivable within the outer walls of said top portion in telescoping fashion, and said bottom portion is movable within said top portion to vary the size of said interior volume by varying a height of both the container and the interior volume; an inlet opening which is capable of being selectively opened and closed, said inlet opening being adapted for connection to a source of clean inert gas; an outlet opening which is capable of being selectively opened and closed, said outlet opening being adapted for exhausting gas from said interior volume; and a specimen sample holder, comprising either a SEM specimen holder for holding a SEM specimen or a TEM sample holder for holding a TEM sample, disposed within said interior volume; wherein said inlet opening comprises an inlet gas valve.