A vibrating microtome is a specialised laboratory instrument used in biological and histological research for the precise and controlled cutting of thin tissue sections. What sets it apart from a traditional microtome is its cutting mechanism, which involves a vibrating blade.
Here's a more detailed explanation of how a vibrating microtome or vibratome works and its key characteristics:
Cutting Mechanism: Unlike a traditional microtome that uses a stationary blade, a vibrating microtome employs a blade that vibrates at high frequencies. This vibrational motion reduces the lateral forces exerted on the tissue sample during cutting.
Minimized Deformation: The vibrating action of the blade minimises tissue deformation and damage, making it particularly well-suited for cutting soft and delicate specimens. This is crucial in preserving the structural integrity of the sample, especially when working with sensitive tissues like fresh brain slices, gels, or other materials that may be easily compressed or deformed by the pressure of a stationary blade.
Specimen Types: Vibrating microtomes are ideal for cutting soft or fragile tissues, including brain samples for neuroscientific research, which require precise sectioning without significant alteration of the tissue's architecture. They are also commonly used for certain biological and medical applications where preserving the fine details of the specimen is essential.
Section Thickness: Vibrating microtomes typically produce thicker sections compared to traditional microtomes. While traditional microtomes can create ultra-thin sections down to a few micrometers, vibrating microtomes typically produce thicker sections ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers. This is an important consideration when choosing the right tool for your research, as your desired section thickness may vary depending on your objectives.
Manual Operation: Vibrating microtomes often require more manual operation compared to some modern traditional microtomes, which may come with automated features for sample advance and section thickness control. Researchers using vibrating microtomes need to be more hands-on in the cutting process, making precise adjustments to achieve the desired section thickness. However, our 7000smz-2 vibrating microtome is fully-automated, and the 5100mz is semi-automatic.
In summary, a vibrating microtome is a valuable tool in biological and histological research, particularly when working with sensitive and delicate tissue samples. Its vibrating blade minimizes tissue deformation, enabling researchers to obtain high-quality sections without compromising the integrity of the specimens. Researchers should choose between a vibrating microtome and a traditional microtome based on the specific needs of their experiments and the characteristics of the tissues they are working with.