Process and apparatus for the production of thin sections by means of a microtome

A process for the production of thin sections from a specimen, comprising the steps of:

• holding the specimen using a specimen holder of a microtome;
• cutting the thin sections from the specimen via a cutting edge of a cutting blade of a microtome;
• transferring the thin sections to a liquid bath from the cutting blade via a fluid flowing along a flow passage from the cutting edge of the cutting blade to the liquid bath, wherein the liquid bath is spaced from the cutting edge of the cutting blade by the flow passage;
• and
• selectively diverting the fluid to one of the liquid bath and a waste container by means of a change-over switching device.

A process for the production of thin sections from a specimen, comprising the steps of:

• holding the specimen using a specimen holder of a microtome;
• cutting the thin sections from the specimen via a cutting edge of a cutting blade of a microtome;
• transferring the thin sections to a liquid bath from the cutting blade via a fluid flowing along a flow passage from the cutting edge of the cutting blade to the liquid bath, wherein the liquid bath is spaced from the cutting edge of the cutting blade by the flow passage;
• and
• selectively diverting the fluid to a waste container via a change-over switching device.

A process for the production of thin sections from a specimen, wherein the thin sections include a rearward edge, comprising the steps of:

• holding the specimen using a specimen holder of a microtome;
• cutting the thin sections from the specimen via a cutting edge of a cutting blade of a microtome;
• transferring the thin sections from the cutting edge to a flow passage by means of a release device disposed beside the cutting blade, wherein the release device is displaceable in relation to the cutting edge of the blade so that movement of the release device toward the cutting blade contacts the thin sections and serves to release the rearward edge of the thin sections so that the thin sections are transferred to the flow passage from the cutting blade;
• and
• flowing fluid along the flow passage for transporting the thin sections to a liquid bath downstream of the flow passage.