Compact cold stage for micro-computerized tomography imaging of chilled or frozen samples.
High resolution X-ray microCT (computerized tomography) can be used to image a variety of objects, including temperature-sensitive materials. In cases where the sample must be chilled or frozen to maintain sample integrity, either the microCT machine itself must be placed in a refrigerated chamber, or a relatively expensive commercial cold stage must be purchased. We describe here the design and construction of a low-cost custom cold stage suitable for use in a microCT imaging system. Our device uses a boron nitride sample holder, two-stage Peltier cooler, fan-cooled heat sink, and electronic controller to maintain sample temperatures as low as -25 °C ± 0.2 °C for the duration of a tomography acquisition. The design does not require modification to the microCT machine, and is easily installed and removed. Our custom cold stage represents a cost-effective solution for refrigerating CT samples for imaging, and is especially useful for shared equipment or machines unsuitable for cold room use.
Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Ted
T
Hullar
Paige Instruments, Woodland, California 95776, USA.
David F
DF
Paige
Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Douglas J
DJ
Rowland
Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Cort
C
Anastasio
D001896:Boron Compounds; D005615:Freezing; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
D001896:Boron Compounds; C017282:boron nitride