Patent ID: 7632469

Claim:
An apparatus for holding a specimen during freezing of the specimen while the specimen is in a high-pressure state caused by a pressure medium, the apparatus comprising: a first shaped part in the shape of a cup, the first shaped part having a bottom comprising a membrane and an open top opposite the bottom; a second shaped part for engaging the open top of the first shaped part in a mutually joined state to define a specimen space, wherein the specimen space is completely closed to the outside such that the pressure medium cannot directly contact the specimen the apparatus further comprising a holder having an orifice therethrough, wherein the bottom of the first shaped part engages the holder such that the orifice terminates at the bottom of the first shaped part, wherein a pressure generated by the pressure medium is applied through the orifice to the bottom of the first shaped part, and wherein the bottom is dimensioned such that a pressure is applied to the specimen without any direct contact between the specimen and the pressure medium.