Thin-section preparation method and thin-section preparation device

A thin-section preparation device comprising:

• a plurality of cutting blades all having a same width and comprising a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade, the first cutting blade having a first end region and a second end region and the second cutting blade having a third end region and a fourth end region, wherein each of said plurality of cutting blades has a blade edge extending in a blade edge direction for cutting an embedded block in which a biological sample is embedded;
• a holder comprising a pressing plate including a tip portion and a placing plate including a placement surface, the tip portion and the placement surface configured to be disposed on opposite sides of the first cutting blade and/or the second cutting blade and configured to detachably hold one or more of the plurality of cutting blades in a state where the blade edge of the held one or more cutting blades is exposed to an outside of the holder, wherein a width of the placement surface is equal to the width of each of the plurality of cutting blades, and wherein the pressing plate includes a first pressing plate and a second pressing plate disposed side by side along the width of the placement surface so as to overlap the placing plate;
• a cutting blade transport mechanism that transfers the plurality of cutting blades to the holder;
• and
• a controller that controls at least operations of the holder and the cutting blade transport mechanism;
• wherein the controller switches between a one-blade set state and a two-blade set state of the holder by using the plurality of cutting blades transferred by the cutting blade transport mechanism, wherein, in the one-blade set state, the holder holds only the first cutting blade of the plurality of cutting blades such that the first end region and the second end region of the first cutting blade are disposed between the first pressing plate and the placing plate, and between the second pressing plate and the placing plate, respectively,
• wherein in the two-blade set state, the holder holds the second end region of the first cutting blade and the third end region of the second cutting blade such that the second end region and third end region are disposed between the first pressing plate and the placing plate, and between the second pressing plate and the placing plate, respectively, and the first end region and the fourth end region are not disposed between the first pressing plate and the placing plate, and between the second pressing plate and the placing plate, respectively, as a result of pressing out the first end region of the first cutting blade from the holder in the one-blade set state by using the second cutting blade,
• wherein a combined width of a width of the first pressing plate and a width of the second pressing plate is equal to the width of the placement surface and wherein the combined width of the width of the first pressing plate and the width of the second pressing plate is equal to the width each of the plurality of cutting blades;
• wherein the controller, in the one-blade set state, controls a first rough cutting with respect to the embedded block in the first end region of the first cutting blade and performs a first main cutting with respect to the embedded block on which the first rough cutting has been performed in the second end region of the first cutting blade, and
• wherein the controller, in the two-blade set state, controls a second rough cutting with respect to the embedded block in the second end region of the first cutting blade used in the first main cutting and performs a second main cutting with respect to the embedded block on which the second rough cutting has been performed in the third end region of the second cutting blade.