US 4,700,600 AGranted

Microtome disposable blade apparatus

OwnerJohn E. P. Pickettinventor

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Abstract

A microtome apparatus includes a disposable blade holder adapted to receive both thick and thin blades and for cutting frozen sections to mount an anti-roll plate assembly utilizing a magnet as the holding mechanism. Blades of different width are dispensed from an associated improved dispenser.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A microtome apparatus comprising, in combination:

(a) a specimen holder mechanism including means for holding said specimen, means for applying a reciprocating motion to said specimen relative to and for cutting in a vertical plane and for positioning the specimen and holder relative to the cutting plane;
(b) a knife clamp adapted to clamp a conventional non-disposable microtome knife, said clamp being movable laterally and tiltable with respect to the specimen for appropriate precision positioning of the knife cutting edge;
(c) a substantially rectangular disposable blade of a selected uniform width and thickness, having one longitudinal edge precision sharpened to microtome knife quality for cutting and the opposed edge free of the conventional guard member, being of substantially less flexibility than the conventional double edge wafer blade while being held clamped;
and
(d) a holder for said disposable blade adapted to being received and held in said conventional knife clamp, comprising:
(i) a first horizontally disposed block member having a pair of end portions with knife clamp surfaces enabling said holder to be clamped within said knife clamp and providing between said knife clamp surfaces and proximate said cutting plane a blade clamp backing surface for receiving said blade during loading in a non-curved relation and against which the cutting edge portion of one side of said blade may be fixedly held during cutting to place the cutting edge thereof in said cutting plane, each of said end portions having a slot shaped to fit and slidably receive said blade whether relatively thick or relatively thin for loading from either corrresponding end of said block member;
(ii) a blade clamping member comprising a second block member having a slight and precise amount of inward-outward movement and mounted centrally of said first block member on a rocker arm rotatable in and snugly retained by said first block member end portions, said second block member having a clamping surface mating said first block member backing surface and said movement adapting said second block member at the end of its outward movement to provide with said backing surface a central slot forming a continuation of said end portion slots to slidably receive said blade and at the end of its inward movement being adapted to contact and clamp a lengthwise extending edge portion located immediately below the sharpened cutting edge of the other opposite one side of said blade in a longitudinally tensionless free manner between said backing and clamping surfaces and to properly position the said cutting edge thereof;
(iii) opening means operative on said clamping member when unclamped to force said clamping member outwardly;
and
(iv) a manually operated rotatable camming member mounted on said holder, said camming member being effective when rotated in one direction to cam said second block member and pivot said second block member about the axis of said rocker arm in said slight outward movement so as to effect said central slot and release said blade for replacement and in an opposite direction to cam said second block member in said slightly inward movement against the force of said opening means so as to clamp at least said edge portion of said blade while leaving the said sharpened cutting edge precisely positioned for cutting.

7 more elements

A microtome disposable blade holder for holding a substantially rectangular disposable microtome blade of a selected uniform width and thickness, having one longitudinal edge precision sharpened to microtome knife quality for cutting and the opposed edge free of the conventional guard member and of substantially less flexibility than the conventional double edge wafer blade, said holder being adapted to being received and held in a conventional microtome knife clamp adapted to clamp a conventional non-disposable microtome knife and movable laterally and tiltable with respect to the specimen being cut for appropriate precision positioning of the knife cutting edge in the cutting plane, said holder comprising:

(a) a first horizontally disposed block member providing a pair of end portions with knife clamp surfaces enabling said holder to be clamped within the knife clamp and providing between said knife clamp surfaces and proximate said cutting plane a blade clamp bahking surface for receiving a disposable blade during loading in a non-curved relation and against which the cutting edge portion of one side of said blade may be fixedly held during cutting to place the cutting edge thereof in the cutting plane, each of said end portions having a slot shaped to fit and slidably receive said blade whether relatively thick or relatively thin for loading from either corrresponding end of said block member;
(b) a blade clamping member comprising a second block member having a slight and precise amount of inward-outward movement and mounted centrally of said first block member on a rocker arm rotatable in and snugly retained by said first block member end portions, said second block member having a clamping surface mating said first block member backing surface and said movement adapting said second block member at the end of its outward movement to provide with said backing surface a continuation of said slots to slidably receive said blade and at the end of its inward movement being adapted to contact and clamp a lengthwise extending edgc portion located immediately below the sharpened cutting edge of the other opposite one side of said blade in a longitudinally tensionless free manner between said backing and clamping surfaces and to properly position the said cutting edge thereof;
(c) opening means operative on said clamping member when unclamped to force said clamping member outwardly;
and
(d) a manually operated rotatable camming member mounted on said holder, said camming member being effective when rotated in one direction to cam said second block member and pivot said second block member about the axis of said rocker arm in said slight outward movement so as to effect said slot and release said blade for replacement and in an opposite direction to cam said second block member in said slightly inward movement against the force of sAid opening means so as to clamp at least said edge portion of said blade while leaving the said sharpened cutting edge precisely positioned for cutting.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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