Leica Biosystems Nussloch Gmbh

Leica Microsystems Nussloch Gmbh

Leica Instruments Pte. Ltd.

Rolf Metzner

Roland Walter

Andreas Laudat

Manfred Biehl

Stefan Thiem

Dag Graupner

Peter Scheck

Christoph Schmitt

Holger Metzner

Uwe Kiene

Bernd Guenther

Bernd G&uuml;nther

Siegbert Holtermueller

Siegbert Holterm&uuml;ller

Juergen Vierling

A receiving and transferring station () for coverslipped specimen slides (&#x2033;) comprises at least one vertically upright magazine frame (), open toward the receiving side, for at least one specimen slide magazine () having horizontally oriented compartments (), and a rotation apparatus, connected to the magazine frame () and having a vertically upright rotation axis, for conveying the magazine frame () from a receiving position () into a transferring position ().

Receiving and transferring station for coverslipped specimen slides

A receiving and transferring station () for coverslipped specimen slides () comprises at least one vertically upright magazine frame (), open toward the receiving side, for at least one specimen slide magazine () having horizontally oriented compartments (), and a rotation apparatus, connected to the magazine frame () and having a vertically upright rotation axis, for conveying the magazine frame () from a receiving position () into a transferring position ().

A microtome blade changing apparatus for a knife holder () of a microtome comprises a blade dispenser () storing unused blades and a blade container () for receiving used blades. The blade dispenser () and blade container () are respectively arranged adjacent to the knife holder (). To reduce the risk of injury to an operator in the context of a blade changing operation, enable operation of the microtome blade changing apparatus reliably and in simple fashion, and allow economical manufacture of the microtome blade changing apparatus, the microtome blade changing apparatus is characterized in that an entraining element () manually actuable by an operator is provided, and is configured in such a way that an unused blade is transferable with the entraining element () from the blade dispenser () to the knife holder (), and a used blade is thereby conveyable into the blade container ().

Microtome blade changing apparatus for a knife holder of a microtome, and microtome

A system () and a method for the unequivocal allocation of histological cassettes () and specimen slides () is described. The system encompasses a microtome () and at least one reading unit (). The data () of the histological cassette () and the data () of the at least one specimen slide () are read by means of the reading unit (). The reading unit () is provided with at least one indicating element () that outputs a signal in accordance with the degree of correspondence between the data () of the histological cassette () and the data () on the specimen slide ().

System and method for the unequivocal allocation of histological cassettes and specimen slides

An apparatus for producing a tissue array, having at least one receiver block () and at least one donor block () that comprises tissue () to be investigated, is described. The donor block () comprises tissue () to be investigated, a first hollow needle () for creating a cavity in the receiver block (), and a second hollow needle () for removing a sample from the tissue () and introducing the sample () into the cavity of the receiver block (), being provided. For positioning of the first and/or the second hollow needle () above the receiver block () and/or the donor block (), a positioning array () having predefined markings, as well as a movably mounted lever, are provided for transferring the position of the markings onto a corresponding position on the donor block () and/or onto a corresponding position on the receiver block ().

Apparatus for producing tissue arrays

An apparatus for producing a tissue array, having at least one donor block () that comprises tissue () to be investigated, is described. A marked tissue section of the tissue () to be investigated is arranged on a specimen slide (), a hollow needle () for removing a sample from the tissue () being present. A sighting device () is provided for positioning the hollow needle () above the donor block ().

An apparatus for producing a tissue array is described. At least one receiver block (), and at least one donor block () that comprises tissue () to be investigated, are provided, a first hollow needle () for creating a cavity in the receiver block (), and a second hollow needle () for removing a sample from the tissue () and introducing the sample () into the cavity of the receiver block (), being present. A pantograph () is provided for positioning the first and/or the second hollow needle () above the receiver block ().

A rotary microtome () is disclosed, having a base part () on which a microtome housing () and a knife holder () are arranged. Also provided is a collection element () that surrounds the knife holder on three sides, the collection element having a U-shaped base outline. Also provided are several clamping levers that are associated with the knife holder, at least one clamping lever for the knife holder being arranged operably on a first or a second outer side wall (). In addition, the bottom () of the collection element () has shaped on it an elevation () under which a mechanical coupling is guided from the clamping lever () to the knife holder.

Rotary microtome and collection element for a rotary microtome

A method and an apparatus for printing onto plastic cassettes for histological preparations and/or onto glass specimen slides for microscopic thin sections are described, in which a computing device ( ) is provided to control the printing device ( ), and the printing device ( ) comprises an inkjet printer for printing onto the cassettes and/or specimen slides. The ink is pre-dried by way of a hot-air drier ( ) and completely dried by way of a flash device ( ).

Method and apparatus for printing onto cassettes or specimen slides for histological preparations

A method for cutting sections from a specimen using a microtome wherein a cutting knife or specimen is advanced by an advancing carriage into a sectioning plane of a disk microtome. The advancing carriage is moved by a motor drive in order to bring the specimen into contact with an area sensor. When the specimen comes into contact with the area sensor, the position of the motor drive is determined and is compared with a stored position of the sectioning plane. The stored position is previously determined by manually locating the position drive motor when the specimen contacts the area sensor. Control signals for the motor drive are calculated from the two position values, and the advancing carriage is advanced into the sectioning plane by the motor drive taking these control signals into account.

Method for feeding a sample or cutting knife into a cutting plane of a microtome

A microtome ( ) having a motorized feed drive system ( ) for generating a relative movement between an object ( ) that is to be cut and a cutting knife ( ). A control circuit ( ) and a pressure-sensitive sensor ( ) are provided for detecting a position between the cutting knife ( ) and the object ( ). The motorized feed drive system ( ) is switched via the control circuit ( ) when the sensor ( ) responds. The sensor ( ) is equipped with a sensor surface ( ) that is at least exactly as large as the surface ( ) of the object ( ). The sensor surface ( ) is arranged parallel to the cutting plane ( ).

Microtome having a motorized feed drive system

The invention relates to a microtome (,) for producing thin slices for microscopy, which is provided with a base (,), a blade holder (,) for holding a cutting blade (,) and an object holder (,) for holding the object (,) to be cut. Cutting occurs in a plane by a relative movement between the object (,) and the cutting blade (,) To produce the relative movement, a rotating component (,) is provided with a drive motor (,), wherein the rotating axis of the rotating component (,) is arranged obliquely to the base (,), and a feed slide (,) is provided with a linear guide for setting the slice thickness. The structure of said feed slide (,) is such that it is removable via a feed motor (,) and a control circuit (,) connected thereto.

Disc-microtome

A cassette clamp (,) for a microtome includes a base part (,) having fixed limit stops (,) and at least one pivotally mounted clamping jaw (,) biased by a spring (,) for receiving a cassette (,). The cassette (,) is clamped between the limit stops (,) and the clamping jaw (,) via the spring force. The clamping jaw (,) is connected to a pivot lever (,) that can be moved counter to the spring force from a cassette-clamping position into a cassette-exchange position. A first end (,) of the spring (,) acts on the base part (,) and the second end (,) of the spring (,) acts on the pivot lever (,). The pivot lever (,) is mounted on the base part (,) via a pivot axis (,) arranged between the first end (,) of the spring and the second end (,) of the spring. The spring (,) and the pivot lever (,) form a tilting clamp mechanism that can be activated by installing the cassette (,) when the cassette clamp (,) is in the cassette-exchange position.

Cassette clamp for a microtome

A clamping device for a blade-shaped cutting knife of a microtome. The clamping device comprises a base part having a recess, a knife receptacle, an eccentric rod, and setscrews. The knife receptacle includes a blade rest and a pressure plate which is received in the recess of the base part. The eccentric rod is rotatably mounted in the base part and is provided for clamping the cutting knife between the pressure plate of the knife receptacle and the blade rest. The setscrews allow for both lateral and vertical movement of the pressure plate. Thus, by adjusting the setscrews, the edge of the pressure plate may be aligned with the cutting edge of the knife and variation in the thickness or geometry of cutting knife blade may be accommodated.

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Dossenheim, Germany

Rolf Metzner