Nelson Garrett, Kirian Richard A, Weierstall Uwe, Zatsepin Nadia A, Faragó Tomáš, Baumbach Tilo, Wilde Fabian, Niesler Fabian B P, Zimmer Benjamin, Ishigami Izumi, Hikita Masahide, Bajt Saša, Yeh Syun-Ru, Rousseau Denis L, Chapman Henry N, Spence John C H, Heymann Michael
Opt Express. 2016 May 30;24(11):11515-30. doi: 10.1364/OE.24.011515.
Reliable sample delivery is essential to biological imaging using X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs). Continuous injection using the Gas Dynamic Virtual Nozzle (GDVN) has proven valuable, particularly for time-resolved studies. However, many important aspects of GDVN functionality have yet to be thoroughly understood and/or refined due to fabrication limitations. We report the application of 2-photon polymerization as a form of high-resolution 3D printing to fabricate high-fidelity GDVNs with submicron resolution. This technique allows rapid prototyping of a wide range of different types of nozzles from standard CAD drawings and optimization of crucial dimensions for optimal performance. Three nozzles were tested with pure water to determine general nozzle performance and reproducibility, with nearly reproducible off-axis jetting being the result. X-ray tomography and index matching were successfully used to evaluate the interior nozzle structures and identify the cause of off-axis jetting. Subsequent refinements to fabrication resulted in straight jetting. A performance test of printed nozzles at an XFEL provided high quality femtosecond diffraction patterns.
可靠的样品输送对于使用X射线自由电子激光（XFEL）的生物成像至关重要。使用气体动力学虚拟喷嘴（GDVN）进行连续注入已被证明是有价值的，特别是对于时间分辨研究。然而，由于制造限制，GDVN功能的许多重要方面尚未得到充分理解和/或改进。我们报告了将双光子聚合作为一种高分辨率3D打印形式应用于制造具有亚微米分辨率的高保真GDVN。该技术允许根据标准CAD图纸快速制作各种不同类型的喷嘴原型，并优化关键尺寸以实现最佳性能。用纯水对三个喷嘴进行了测试，以确定一般喷嘴性能和再现性，结果是几乎可再现的离轴喷射。成功地使用X射线断层扫描和折射率匹配来评估喷嘴内部结构并确定离轴喷射的原因。随后对制造工艺的改进导致了直喷射。在XFEL上对打印喷嘴进行的性能测试提供了高质量的飞秒衍射图案。
