Special purpose cuvette assembly and method for optical microscopy of nanoparticles in liquids

摘要

A special purpose cuvette assembly with features that create a small, restricted volume to minimize bulk movements of liquid and that minimize backscattering of light. The special-purpose cuvette assembly enables recording of Brownian movements of nanoparticles in a liquid when it is placed in a suitable optical device comprising a light sheet and an optical microscope attached to a video camera that is oriented perpendicular to the light-sheet plane.

主权项

1. A system for viewing particles, the system comprising:
a light source for generating an electromagnetic energy directed at a cuvette; a sensor external to said cuvette for detecting electromagnetic energy within the cuvette; and the cuvette comprising:
exterior walls and a floor that define a volume, wherein at least a portion of the exterior walls is transparent to the electromagnetic energy, and wherein the volume is adapted to contain a suspension liquid and the particles;a viewing chamber comprising:
an upper viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls and a lower viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls, wherein the upper and lower viewing chamber walls are substantially parallel to the floor;a reflecting wall adjacent to the upper and lower viewing chamber walls;a backscatter chamber separated from and in fluid communication with the viewing chamber, wherein the reflecting wall is adapted to reflect the electromagnetic energy into the backscatter chamber.