APPARATUS FOR TREATING SPECIMENS AT LOW TEMPERATURE

摘要

Apparatus for treating biological specimens at low temperatures for subsequent microscopic examination comprises a container having a specimen treatment chamber disposed in a vessel adapted to contain liquid coolant. The specimen treatment chamber is adapted to receive a specimen to be treated and a specimen treatment medium. Precooling means is provided for precooling the specimen treatment medium before it is introduced to the specimen treatment chamber. The precooling means comprises a reservoir communicating with the specimen treatment chamber, and delivery means for delivering the specimen treatment medium to the reservoir. The reservoir and delivery means are arranged so that specimen treatment medium flowing through the reservoir and delivery means is cooled by the liquid coolant, and so that the specimen treatment medium can flow through the delivery means in countercurrent heat exchange with specimen treatment medium flowing from the reservoir to the specimen treatment chamber.