A recently developed post-column imaging filter optimized for biologic
al electron microscopy is described. The filter uses a single magnetic
prism, four strong quadrupole lenses and five sextupole lenses to for
m images and spectra free of all important aberrations and distortions
of first and second order. The performance of the filter is illustrat
ed with practical applications. It is shown that the filter offers sev
eral important advantages over currently existing in-column filters, p
articularly in the areas of imaging at low magnifications, attainable
collection efficiency, energy resolution, and general spectroscopic op
eration.