Application of Peltier Cooling Device in a Variable-Pressure SEM

Abstract

In environmental monitoring and water protection one has to deal with various hydrated specimens, and therefore, there is a need for scanning electron microscopes which are suited for hydrated specimens. Wet specimens can be observed in a hydrated state using a commercial Peltier cooling holder for conventional microscopes. However, the optimization of the time of observation for the sample needs to be determined by carrying out experiments in advance for specifically determining the optimal observation time. The temperature-pressure conditions also require optimization to obtain good quality images of amoeba and fungi. Further studies are required to establish whether the same imaging conditions would be possible to replicate closely the observation on other biological specimens.