Patent ID: 8507876

Claim:
A grid holder for retaining a specimen grid, the grid holder comprising: a body sized to hold one or more specimen grids, the body comprising a slot in its interior, the slot including sides for receiving the specimen grid, wherein the specimen grid is a flat disk or a partial disk with edges and a pair of opposing faces, wherein one face of the specimen grid optionally has a specimen thereon; wherein the slot is sized to receive the specimen grid through an open top end of the slot, the slot having sides tapering from the top end to a bottom end of the slot, such that the bottom end of the slot is smaller than the specimen grid; and wherein the slot further is configured to contact the specimen grid along at least a portion of edges of the specimen grid to secure the specimen grid by engagement of the edges of the specimen grid with the sides of the slot, wherein the opposing faces of the grid do not contact the slot.