Optical fluid cell for live electrochemical sample imaging
This device is a specialized fluid cell designed to hold a sample submerged in liquid while allowing scientists to observe it under a microscope or other optical instrument in real time. It features a moveable transparent window that can be raised or lowered toward the sample, which lets researchers control the thickness of the liquid layer above the sample and insert electrodes to apply electrical stimulation simultaneously. This design enables researchers to watch how materials or biological samples behave under electrochemical conditions without having to remove them from their environment. The combination of optical access, fluid flow, and electrochemical control in a single compact chamber is the key engineering contribution.
What you could build
A laboratory fluid cell accessory compatible with standard optical microscopes or spectroscopy systems, sold to materials science, corrosion research, and electrochemistry labs that need to watch samples react in liquid environments while applying electrical stimuli.
Who in Virginia should care
Materials science and electrochemistry research groups at Virginia universities, as well as defense-adjacent corrosion testing labs and government research facilities in the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads corridors.
Readiness: Prototype likely
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- F. Marc Michel
- Filed
- Patent pending — filed September 19, 2024
- Status
- Application
- Publication number
- US20250208029A1
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.