Apparatus for preparing and embedding tissue samples for histological

Abstract

Capsules in which histological tissue samples are prepared for embedding and in which the samples are embedded include a first and a second member, at least one of the members including a frame that defines an opening. The members have complementary surfaces for establishing peripheral contact between the members around the opening. A porous material is spread across the opening so that when the members are in peripheral contact with each other, a tissue-holding region is defined inward of the porous material. The porous material has a porosity that accesses processing liquids and liquified embedding material, such as molten paraffin, but prevents stray parts of the tissue from floating free of the region. Preferably, the second members also comprise a frame defining a second opening and porous material spread across the second opening. Preferably, the capsules having openings in both members are stackable in sealing relationship with one another to provide a central passageway through which processing liquids and liquified embedding material may be passed, thereby permitting simultaneous processing of a plurality of tissue samples. Preferably, one of the frames, that has an opening covered by a porous material, is adapted to retain a protruding block of solidified embedding material having the tissue sample held outward so that the one frame may be clamped in a microtome chuck and tissue slices shaved from the protruding embedding material.