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Specialist Blade Technology for Campden Oscillating
Microtomes
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Campden Precision Blade Specifications: |
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752/1/SS |
7550/1/C
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7550/1/SS |
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Material |
Stainless Steel |
Ceramic |
Stainless Steel |
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Dimensions |
39mm x
18mm x 0.5mm |
38mm x
7mm x 0.5mm |
38mm x
9mm x 0.5mm |
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Geometry |
Double
sided |
Single
sided |
Double
sided |
| Bevel |
Double
bevel |
Single
bevel |
Double
bevel |
| Honing |
Ground
edge |
Lapped
edge |
Ground
edge |
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| Microtome
Blades: Campden
Instruments supplies three types of blades, (1) ceramic and (2)
stainless steel, for its complete range of oscillating microtomes,
Vibroslice and Integraslice.
Blade Technology:
The new blade holder design is now included with all Integraslice
and Vibroslice instruments. 7550/1/C and 7550/1/SS are designed for
new Vibroslice and Integraslice instruments. 752/1/SS blades are for
Vibroslice instruments manufactured prior to 2003.
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Ceramic Blade -
Mounted
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| Slice Image: |
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| The image below shows a
cell from the Medial Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body (MNTB) in the
brainstem of a 12 day-old rat. Especially evident on the left of the
cell is a giant pre-synaptic terminal ‘Calyx of Held’. The cell is
about 20µm across and the terminals are less than 1µm thick around the
cell. The slice was produced using a Model 7550PSDS Integraslice with
an oscillation speed of 100Hz and oscillating amplitude of 1mm. A
ceramic blade was used with the blade advance speed set to 0.02mm/sec
to 0.04mm/sec. The slice thickness is 300µm. |
Photograph
courtesy of Dept. of Cell Physiology and
Pharmacology, University of Leicester with thanks to
Prof. Ian
Forsythe & Dr. Brian Billups
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Model 752/1/SS
Stainless Steel Blades |
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Double bevelled on both
faces, honed to an acute cutting edge and hardened to 56 Rockwell.
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Nevertheless, stainless
steel is relatively soft and these blades are usually used once or
at a maximum changed every day.
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These blades are for use
in specially designed blade holders for Vibroslice instruments
manufactured prior to 2003.
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Dimensions: 39mm x
18mm x 0.5mm
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Model 752/1/SS
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Model 7550/1/C Ceramic Blades |
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Made from ultra hard
zirconium and honed by a process of ‘lapping’ both sides of the
single bevel to micron flatness.
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Great rigidity, hence a
straight cutting edge.
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Prolonged slice life,
especially in the most difficult of tissues such as young brain or
very old brain.
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Inert and impervious to
corrosion.
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Initial higher cost is
offset by its longevity.
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Fits into a special blade
holder now standard on both Integraslice and Vibroslice instruments.
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Dimensions: 38mm x
7mm x 0.5mm
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Model 7550/1/C
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Model 7550/1/SS
Stainless Steel Blades |
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The same geometry as the
proven 752/1/SS used in the Vibroslice for many years.
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Allows the tissue to slip
over the blade and back into the perfused a.c.s.f.
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Interchangable with the
7550/1/C in the special blade holder supplied as standard on both
Integraslice and Vibroslice instruments.
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Dimensions: 38mm x
9mm x 0.5mm
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Model 7550/1/SS
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Blade & Blade
Motion: an Integrated Design
The three factors that will determine the quality of the slice are the
motion of the oscillating blade, the control of the advance speed and
the blade technology. The Integraslice design, features a cutting head
mounted upon a parallel leaf-spring assembly. The precision mechanical
action is designed to hold the motion of the oscillating blade exactly
in line with its cutting edge and to minimize the vertical motion to a
few microns. In house testing and quality control build consistency
into all instruments to ensure accuracy while oscillating at speeds of
up to 115Hz.
An important feature arising from the motion of the leaf spring
assembly is that the path of the blade is semi-elliptical. Thus the
advancing tissue is never in contact with a static blade. There is no
possibility of the tissue becoming compressed against the blade which
would result in damage to cells and a differential in thickness across
the slice. |
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Information:
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