 The samples can be hard or soft, are generally non-conducting, and the non-destructive nature of the measurement allows for the observation of living tissues and cells, and biological samples in general.It is able to detect steep profile changes in samples and can be used to map a living cell's stiffness in tandem with its detailed topography, or to determine the mobility of cells during their migrations.Scanning ion conductance microscopy is a technique using the increase of access resistance in a micro-pipette in an electrolyte-containing aqueous medium when it approaches a poorly conducting surface.