摘要 |
Methods and devices are described for the concurrent delivery of elevated pressures and low temperatures to a sample, typically but not exclusively a biological sample. A medium that expands on cooling and/or freezing is employed with a sample immersed therein, typically but not exclusively encased in a sample container. Cooling the medium lowers the temperature and applies pressure to the sample such that reduced damage to a typical biosample occurs. Relatively long-lived metastable phases are also produced, including both metastable liquids and solids, without the need for very rapid cooling steps as required in conventional achievement of such metastable phases. Preliminary test data are also presented. |