GB2147119A

GB2147119A - Microtome having hand rests

Info

Publication number: GB2147119A
Application number: GB08424108A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Manfred Berleth
Original assignee: Parke Davis and Co LLC
Current assignee: Parke Davis and Co LLC
Priority date: 1983-09-27
Filing date: 1984-09-24
Publication date: 1985-05-01
Also published as: GB2147119B; GB8424108D0; DE8327637U1

Abstract

A microtome has a housing 2 mounted on a base plate 1 and, in front of the housing, a clamping device 3 for a cutting blade 4 and a specimen carrier are arranged above the base plate 1. In order to allow precision manual work to be carried out on the clamping device or in the cutting region of the specimen carrier without fatigue, hand rests 6 are arranged on each side of the base plate 1 next to the clamping device 3 and/or next to the specimen carrier. The hand rests 6 may be shaped 8,9 to enhance their utility. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION M icrotome The invention relates to a microtome with a housing which is mounted on a base plate. In front of the housing and above the base plate there are a clamping device for a cutting blade and a specimen carrier.

The clamping device serves not only to securely clamp the cutting blade, but also to align the cutting blade in the correct position relative to the specimen carrier, to allow the cutting blade to be adjusted in the clamping device after being used for a relatively long period of time and, if required, also to allow it to be tilted about its cutting edge. All these known adjustment actions require high precision and are carried out manually by an operator.

Since in known microtomes the cutting blade is located relatively high above the base plate, this precise adjustment work has to be carried out with hands which are unsupported. This can result in fatigue and consequent inaccuracy in the adjustment of the cutting blade.

The object on which the present invention is based is accordingly to provide a microtome of the foregoing type, in which the hands are not unsupported in space either when using the clamping device for the cutting blade or when carrying out work in the cutting region of the specimen carrier, so that fatigue in the hands is prevented and the work can always be carried out with precision.

This object is achieved, according to the invention, when a hand rest is arranged on each side of the base plate next to the clamping device for the cutting blade and/or next to the specimen carrier. As a result of this location of the hand rest, it is simple for the operator to support both hands on the hand rest when operating the clamping device for the cutting blade, that is to say when adjusting the cutting edge of the blade relative to the specimen carrier, and when working in the cutting region, for example when removing the thin-section specimens from the cutting region of the microtome. Fatigue of the hands is thereby avoided even after a relatively long period of work, and it is possible to operate or work on the microtome with a high degree of precision.

The hand rests each have a plane base surface and a hand support surface located opposite the base surface and sloping down outwardly. By means of these outwardly sloping support surfaces, both hands are guided in the direction of the centre of the microtome slightly upwardly towards the cutting region or towards the clamping device for the cutting blade. It is by this means readily possible to carry out accurate work without fatigue on the clamping device, on the specimen carrier and/ or in the cutting region of the microtome, all of which are located above the base plate.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hand rests are fastened removably to the base plate of the microtome. This can be achieved by means of plug-in members projecting from the base surfaces of the hand rests. With these plug-in members it is a simple matter to attach the hand rest to the base plate of the microtome or temporarily remove it from the base plate for cleaning purposes.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hand support surfaces of the hand rests are each provided with a concavity which lies adjacent the front edge of the base plate remote from the housing. Advantageously, these concavities ergonomically match the balls of an operator's thumbs, thus resulting in a hand rest on which the operator can support his hands very effectively without impairing his ability to conveniently use the microtome. The concavity preferably slopes downwardly in the direction of the sides of the base plate and in the direction, perpendicular to this, of the front edge of the base plate. As a result, very good support for both hands of the operator is achieved, so that even after working for a relatively long period of time the accuracy of the work is not impaired.Naturally the concavities of the two opposite hand rests on each side next to the clamping device and/or the specimen carrier are mirror images of one another; that is to say the concavity in the hand rest on the right matches a right hand, and vice versa.

In another embodiment of the invention, the support surfaces of the hand rests have grooves extending parallel to the adjacent side edges of the base plate. This form of hand rest likewise gives secure support to the hands of an operator and consequently ensures accurate operation of the clamping device for the microtome cutting blade and safe working in the cutting region of the blade.

The longitudinally extending grooves serve to prevent the back of the operator's hand from slipping off. Consequently, the danger of injury to an operator is also reduced to a minimum.

The hand rests according to the invention are preferably formed of a foamed plastic material.

Further details, features and advantages will be evident from the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated diagrammatically in the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a front view of a rotary microtome, in which the specimen carrier is not shown; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the microtome of Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows a side view of a hand rest; Figure 4 shows a plan view of the hand rest of Fig. 3; and Figure 5 shows a front view of the hand rest as viewed in the direction "X" shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 1 shows a rotary microtome with a housing 2 which is mounted on a base plate 1. In front of the housing a clamping device 3 for a cutting knife blade 4 is arranged above the base plate. A shaft stub 5 on which a specimen carrier can be fastened projects from the housing of the microtome. The shaft stub 5 can move up and down vertically, so that a thin-section specimen fastened in the specimen carrier (not shown) would be moved past the blade 4 to produce thin sections.

A hand rest 6 is arranged on each side of the base plate 1 next to the clamping device 3 for the cutting blade 4. These hand rests each have a plane base surface 7 and a hand support surface 8 located opposite the base surface 7 and sloping down outwardly. The support surfaces 8 of the hand rests can have grooves extending parallel to the side edge of the base plate and/or they can be provided with a concavity 9 adjacent the front edge of the base plate 1 remote from the housing 2.

As can be clearly seen, especially in Fig. 2, the concavity 9 slopes downwardly in the direction of the adjacent side edge of the base plate and in the direction, perpendicular to this, of the front edge of the base plate.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of a hand rest 6 which has a plane base surface 7 and a hand support surface 8 located opposite the base surface and sloping down outwardly. The support surface of the hand rest has on one side a concavity 9 which ergonomically matches the ball of an operator's thumb. Projecting from the base surface 7 of the hand rest are two plug-in members 10, by means of which the hand rest can be fastened removably to the base plate of a microtome.

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the hand rest 6 with the hand support surface 8 sloping down outwardly and with the concavity 9 formed on one side and ergonomically matching the ball of an operator's thumb.

Fig. 5 shows a front view of the hand rest 6. The hand support surface 8 located opposite the base surface 7 and sloping down outwardly can be seen particularly clearly in this Figure, as can the concavity 9 formed on one end face.

At the same time, the hand support surfaces 8 of the hand rests may be provided with grooves which run parallel to their longitudinal edges. These grooves may extend either over the sloping support surfaces 8 only, or also over the concavities 9. However, the support surfaces 8 and the concavities 9 may also have smooth surfaces.

Claims

1. A microtome comprising a base plate, a housing which is mounted on the base plate, a clamping device for a cutting blade and a specimen carrier both arranged in front of the housing and above the base plate, and a hand rest arranged on each side of the base plate next to at least one of the clamping device for the cutting blade and the specimen carrier.

2. A microtome according to Claim 1, wherein the hand rests each have a plane base surface and a hand support surface located opposite the base surface and sloping down outwardly.

3. A microtome according to Claim 1, wherein the hand rests are fastened removably on the base plate.

4. A microtome according to Claim 3, wherein the hand rests each have a base surface and are fastened removably on the base plate by means of plug-in members projecting from their base surfaces.

5. A microtome according to Claim 2, wherein the base plate has a front edge remote from the housing and the hand support surfaces of the hand rests each have a concavity adjacent said front edge of the base plate.

6. A microtome according to Claim 5, wherein the base plate has side edges perpendicular to the front edge and the concavity slopes downwardly in the direction of the adjacent side edge of the base plate and in the direction of the front edge of the base plate.

7. A microtome according to Claim 2, wherein the base plate has side edges and the hand support surfaces of the hand rests have grooves extending parallel to the adjacent side edges of the base plate.

8. A microtome according to Claim 1, wherein the hand rests are formed of a foamed plastic material.

9. A microtome substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.