A new microwave device for rapid thermal fixation of the murine brain.

A microwave applicator was developed to provide rapid thermal fixation of enzymes in the murine brain. Although the power output of the device is only 1.3 kW, whole-brain levels of acetyicholine after microwave fixation are comparable to those observed at a power output of 5 kW, and are markedly higher than those obtained by a conventional method (freezing) of fixation.