Gatan 3-View Serial Block Face Sectioning System

The Gatan 3-view system is an automated serial sectioning device that works within the specimen chamber of the Zeiss Sigma FESEM yielding 3-D data from tissue embedded in epoxy resin by conventional TEM methods. The system employs a diamond knife to section carefully trimmed block faces measuring 0.2 x 0.2mm in increments of as little as 40nm. The block face is then scanned in backscatter mode and the Z-contrast component used to form a TEM-like image of the specimen, before another section is cut and imaged. It is possible to also include high power images of small features as separate stacks. Repeated many times, over 1,000 levels can be routinely sampled during an overnight run. The system builds up a large volume of digital data that can then be played back, or sectioned orthogonally to give the investigator unprecedented insights into 3-D organisation with nanometre resolution.

Post acquisition processing can be done within Gatan's Digital Micrograph or exported into third party software for further analysis and filtering.