The Imaging Facility is equipped with a number of tissue sectioning tools to prepare samples prior to microscopy. The Facility has very limited capacity to provide histology services, but full training on all of the equipment is available, with expert assistance on-hand to support inexperienced users.
Section thickness range: 0.5 - 300 碌m, but the optimal tissue thickness range is: 6 - 30 碌m
Horizontal specimen feed: 25mm +1 mm, Vertical specimen stroke: 59 mm 卤 0.5 mm
Maximum specimen size: 40 mm x 55 mm Specimen orientation: 卤8 掳 (x-, y-axis)
Section speed: slow: 0.1 mm to 100 mm/sec; fast: 0.1 mm to 170 mm/sec; maximum: 210 mm/sec
Sectioning modes: manual or motorized (intermittent, continuous or single stroke)
Cryochamber temperature range: 0 掳C to -40 掳C, Specimen temperature range: 0 掳C to -50 掳C
Section thickness setting range: 0.5 - 100 碌m
Trimming section thickness setting range: 1 - 600 碌m
Specimen feed: Approx. 24 mm 卤1 mm
Vertical stroke: 70 mm 卤1 mm
Maximum specimen size (HxWxD): Large standard clamp: 55 x 50 x 30 mm; Super Cassette clamp: 68 x 48 x 15 mm
Specimen retraction: 5 - 100 碌m in 5 碌m increments
Slow forward and backward speed: 300 碌m/s
Fast forward speed: 800 碌m/s
Fast backward speed (fast homing): 1800 碌m/s
horizontal / vertical rotation: 卤 8掳/ 卤 8掳
Up to 80 掳C for paraffin container
Up to 80 掳C for cassette/mould storage containers
Up to 80 掳C for working area
Down to -5 掳C for cooling spot
Paraffin Container 3.8 litres
Cooling Spot 50 x 50 mm, Peltier
Forceps Holder 2 x 3 magnetic, adjustable
Paraffin Flow Activation manually or by footswitch
Adjustable paraffin flow rate
Work Area 450 x 240 mm
Section thickness range 0.5 碌m to 700 碌m, but the optimal tissue thickness range is 50 - 500 碌m
5 different amplitude settings: 0.2 - 1 mm
Maximum specimen size: 70 x 40 x 15 mm
Total vertical specimen stroke: 15 mm
Speed range: 0.025 - 2.5 mm
Frequency: 0 - 100 Hz
Sectioning speed options: single and continuous stroke
Temperature: 5 - 30 掳C (water ice can be used to keep the temperature of the buffer tray where the specimen is glued)
Motorized blade holder adjustable between: 0.01 to 1.5 mm/sec