Ultrahigh-resolution scanning electron microscopy and its application to medical researches.

By the development of an ultrahigh-resolution SEM, the resolution of SEM was markedly improved. Concerning specimen preparation, the osmium-DMSO-osmium method, which is effective for revealing intracellular structures, and the carbon plate method for observing smaller objects such as viruses and biological macromolecules were devised in recent years. With the improvement of instrumental resolution and specimen preparation techniques, the SEM has become a powerful tool for studying ultrastructure in biomedicine.