Heat-Assisted Scanning Electron Microscopy

MICROWAVE HEAT-ASSISTED SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY 

The temperature probe is placed into a blank polypropylene Petri dish during processing, and the temperature is restricted to 37°C to prevent overheating. The filtrate is rinsed three times for 5 min each with 1-2 ml of phosphate buffer. The sample is dehydrated in a microwave oven with 1-2 ml of an ethanol series of increasing concentrations (once in each of 50%, 70%, and 90% ethanol and three times in 100% ethanol). Each dehydration step is carried out for 20 sec in the microwave oven at power level 4 (536 W) with a temperature restriction of 37°C utilizing the temperature probe placed in the blank Petri dish containing ethanol. 

The filtrate is further dehydrated in 100% hexamethyldisilazine (HMDS) for 20 sec at 37°C in a microwave oven at the same power level utilizing the temperature probe in the blank Petri dish containing HMDS. The filtrate is dried in a conventional oven for 15 min at 60°C. After 15 min all excess HMDS is removed, and the filter with attached cells is allowed 

---

MICROWAVE HEAT-ASSISTED SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY... 

---