RU2638434C1 - Holder-adapter for disposable microtomic blades with spring-clamping mechanism of quick blade change (key) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: device refers to the field of medicine and can be used to obtain thin (2-15 mcm) slices of tissue (human, animal, plant) or synthetic materials with a view to obtaining a preparation for further studies of the structure of tissue/material by bright-field passing light microscopy. Holder-adapter of disposable microtomic blades with a spring-clamping mechanism for quick blade change is a metal rectangular structure consisting of base, a clamping plate attached to the base by two screws to ensure disposable blade clamping force adjustment. On the base, under the clamping plate, two springs are located, which, when the clamping plate key is turned up by 90°, lift the clamping plate and release the microtomic blade, and when the clamping plate key is turned down by 90°, lower the clamping plate and secure the microtomic blade.

EFFECT: increased wear resistance of the device, assured uniformity of blade pressing along the entire length of its cutting surface and assured quality of the cut.

2 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The device relates to the field of medicine, biology and material science, where it is necessary to obtain thin (2-15 μm) sections of tissues (humans, animals, plants) or artificial materials in order to obtain a preparation for further studies of the structure of the tissue / material by bright field transmitted light microscopy.

The adapter holder is designed to adapt any microtome of a sled type to work with replaceable disposable microtome blades, in order to solve the problem of sharpening microtome knives.

The adapter holder is a rectangular metal structure consisting of a base - 1 (Fig. 1) 180 mm long, 32 mm wide, 7.5 mm thick, pressure plate - 2, pressure plate keys - 3.

The pressure plate 2 is mounted on the base 1 with two screws - 4. The screws 4 also serve to adjust the clamping force of the disposable blade between the base 1 and the pressure plate 2. The button of the pressure plate 3 is rigidly connected to the pressure plate 2 using an axis located inside the base 1.

On the base 1, under the pressure plate 2, there are two springs - 5 (Fig. 2), which, when the button of the pressure plate 3 is rotated upward by 90 °, raise the pressure plate 2 and release the microtome blade. When you turn the keys of the pressure plate 3 down 90 °, the pressure plate 2 is lowered and securely clamps the microtome blade.

The user can change microtome blades easily and quickly without additional tools and devices. Blades can be changed an unlimited number of times quickly, conveniently and safely.

The adapter holder can be mounted on a microtome of any type by the manufacturer in a knife holder instead of a standard reusable microtome knife. The dimensions of the base of the holder and the configuration of the base of the holder should most accurately repeat the configuration of the reusable microtome knife, as the orientation of the knife or the holder instead, when installed in the knife holder on the microtome, is done manually, and the angle of inclination is determined "by eye". The angle of inclination is an important criterion for obtaining a high-quality cut so that the "cutting" of the sample does not occur.

To work with the adapter holder, disposable low-profile blades can be used, i.e. 8 mm wide, of any manufacturer. However, it is possible to use disposable blades with a non-standard thickness.

The adjustment of the screws of the clamping plate 4 (Fig. 1) is carried out prophylactically by the user approximately 1 time per month or in cases of using disposable blades with a non-standard thickness.

The device operates as follows. Take the adapter holder in your left hand so that the key of the pressure plate 3 (Fig. 1) is on the right side. Turn the key of the pressure plate 3 upward by 90 ° with your right hand, the pressure plate 2 rises. Set the blade under the pressure plate 2 (Fig. 1, 2) until it stops, return the key of the pressure plate 3 to its original position, while the pressure plate 2 (Fig. 1, 2) locks the blade.

The adapter holder is mounted on a sled microtome instead of a reusable knife. The right part of the structure is clamped with screws 4 (Fig. 1) of the microtome knife holder, similar to installing a reusable microtome knife. The microtome has a manual drive, the cutting part (a reusable knife or an adapter holder with a disposable blade) is secured to the holder of the knife moving along the slide back and forth only with the hands of the laboratory assistant, cutting each layer forward from the sample, the sample is fixed in the sample holder, which “Descends” to the set slice thickness at full gear rotation.

During operation, if necessary, the screws 4 (Fig. 1) are tightened with a screwdriver manually until it stops when the blade is installed in the holder.

Unlike holders of disposable blades, the proposed device due to the design provides the principle of "keys", which ensures ease of use of the design.

For other manufacturers (domestic and foreign), the pressure plate clamping the disposable blade is mounted on screws (Fig. 3).

This implies the following procedure: loosen the 3 (three) screws on the pressure plate with a screwdriver, thereby increasing the space between the pressure plate and the base of the holder, insert the disposable microtome blade into this space and tighten the screws of the pressure plate back to the stop so that the blade is tightly fixed in holder. The free cutting edge and forms the cutting surface of the device.

Such manipulation of blade changes occurs in laboratories several times a day. Since the knives are different in type and are selected for a different studied object (fabric / material), also for the trimming procedure (block trimming). The change must be made quickly, because the microtomation procedure of the sample is only 1 (first) stage, and the shortest, in the technological chain of sample preparation.

Insufficiently tight fastening of the screws of the pressure plate leads to the so-called “wave-like” backlash of the blade in the holder, which, in turn, leads to poor-quality microtomation of the sample (“banding” —that is, different thickness of the fabric on the cut plane or breaks in the cut plane). Such samples cannot be used for research and are rejected.

The essence of the invention is to avoid time-consuming and repeated movements of untwisting / tightening the screws of the pressure plate. The blade is released from fastening by the pressure plate using the internal spring 5 (FIG. 2) located under the pressure plate 2 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2), connected by an axis to the button of the pressure plate 3. Turning the button of the pressure plate 3 90 degrees up and down around the axis releases the springs and raises the pressure plate 2, releasing the clamped disposable used blade. Instead, a new blade is inserted, the key of the pressure plate 3 is rotated 90 degrees down, and the pressure plate 2 tightly clamps the blade simultaneously along the entire length of the blade. The uniformity of the pressing of the blade along the entire length of the cutting surface is achieved due to the pressure of the rigidly fixed axis from the bottom to the back of the pressure plate 2, thereby providing a lever clamping of the blade to the front of the plate. While in holders with screw fastening, due to the possible different forces of the point clamp, the blade in the holder can be fixed unevenly along the entire length of the cutting surface.

The technical result of the device is to increase the wear resistance of the device, ensuring uniformity of pressing the blade along the entire length of the cutting surface and, as a result, ensuring the quality of the cut.

Save time and physical effort of the user of the device during the procedure for changing disposable blades for microtomy. The exclusion of the human factor (manual skill, experience, attentiveness, pedantry) in the procedure of fixing the blade for microtomation, which directly affects the quality of the cut and determines the final result of the study of the structure of the fabric / material. Increases the durability of the device, because there are no screws for continuous twisting / untwisting in the design. And the screws holding the pressure plate to the spring require only periodic adjustment (recommended once a month), as the pressure plate loosens or disposable blades with non-standard thickness are used.

Claims (2)

1. The holder adapter of disposable microtome blades with a spring-clamping mechanism for quick change of the blade, characterized in that it is a metal rectangular structure consisting of a base, a pressure plate attached to the base with two screws to ensure adjustment of the clamping force of the disposable blade between the base and the clamp the plate, and located under the pressure plate two flat L-shaped springs, which when you turn the keys of the pressure plate up 90 ° raise the pressure plate and releasing microtome blade while turning the pressure plate down keys 90 ° is lowered and the pressure plate is securely clamped microtome blade. 2. The adapter holder according to claim 1, characterized in that a key is rigidly attached to the pressure plate using an axis located inside the base.

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