JP2008170312A - Embedding block support mechanism and thin slice manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To adjust an embedding block to desired inclination with high accuracy, as well as, to robustly support the embedding block at the adjusted inclination. <P>SOLUTION: An embedding block support mechanism 2 includes a placing stand 10 on which the embedding block is placed and fixed, the ball 11 fixed to the placing stand, a stand part 12 for housing the ball in a tumbling state, a fixing means 13 for fixing the ball, the first plate 14 and second plate 15 fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the ball, a biasing member 18a for biasing a first rod 16, a second rod and the first plate to bring a groove part 14a and the leading end of the first rod to a point contact state and biasing the second plate to the plate and the leading end of the second rod to a point contact state and a rod moving means 19 for moving the first rod rectilinearly, to make the first plate rotate about a second axial line and making the second rod move and make the second plate rotate about a first axial line. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is a pre-stage for preparing a sliced specimen used for physics and chemistry experiments, microscopic observations, etc., when slicing an embedded block in which a biological sample is embedded to produce a thin slice, The present invention relates to an embedding block support mechanism that is supported in an inclined state, and a thin-slice manufacturing apparatus having the embedding block support mechanism.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a microtome is generally known as an apparatus for producing a thin slice specimen used for physicochemical experiments and microscopic observation. This thin slice specimen is obtained by fixing a thin slice having a thickness of several μm (for example, 3 μm to 5 μm) on a substrate such as a slide glass. Here, a general method for producing a thin slice specimen using a microtome will be described.

  First, after replacing a biological sample such as a formalin-fixed organism or animal with paraffin, the periphery is further solidified with paraffin to make a block-shaped embedded block. Next, this embedding block is set in a microtome, which is a dedicated slicer, and rough cutting is performed. By this rough cutting, the surface of the embedding block becomes a smooth surface, and the surface to be observed of the embedded biological sample which is the object of the experiment or observation is exposed to the surface.

  After rough cutting is finished, the main cutting is performed. This is a process of slicing the embedding block to the above-mentioned thickness with the cutting blade of the microtome. As a result, a thin slice having a target surface can be obtained. At this time, by controlling the embedding block in micron order and slicing it thinly, the thickness of the thin slice can be brought close to the thickness at the cell level, so that a thin slice specimen that is easier to observe can be obtained. Therefore, it is required to produce a thin slice having a controlled thickness as much as possible. This main cutting is continuously performed until a required number of thin slices are obtained.

Next, an extension process for extending the thin slice obtained by the main cutting is performed. That is, since the thin slice produced by the main cutting is sliced with an extremely thin thickness as described above, it is in a wrinkled state or a rounded state (for example, U-shaped). End up. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the wrinkles and roundness by this extension process.
Generally, it is extended using water and hot water. First, the thin section obtained by the main cutting is floated on water. Thereby, the large wrinkles and roundness of a thin section can be taken, preventing the sticking of the paraffin which has embedded the biological sample. Then float the slices in hot water. As a result, the thin slice is easily stretched, so that the remaining wrinkles that could not be removed by extension with water and the strain caused by the pressure applied during cutting can be removed.

Then, the thin slice that has been extended with hot water is struck with a substrate such as a slide glass and placed on the substrate. If the extension is insufficient at this point, the substrate is placed on a hot plate or the like to further heat. Thereby, a thin section can be extended more.
Finally, the substrate on which the thin section is placed is placed in a dryer and dried. By this drying, moisture attached by extension evaporates and the thin slice is fixed on the substrate.
As a result, a thin slice specimen can be produced. In addition, the prepared thin section specimen is mainly used in the biological and medical fields.

  By the way, it is necessary to adjust the inclination of the embedding block when the embedding block is sliced to produce a thin slice. This is for preventing the embedded block from being sliced unnecessarily and for exposing a desired surface to the surface. In particular, when rough cutting is finished and main cutting is performed, fine tilt adjustment is required. At the same time as the tilt adjustment, it is necessary to firmly support the embedded block so as not to lose the force of the cutting blade. That is, when slicing, it is important that the embedded block is adjusted to an arbitrary inclination and then supported firmly while maintaining its posture.

  Conventionally, as a mechanism for supporting an embedding block, for example, a mechanism is known in which gonio stages that rotate around one axis are stacked in two stages and rotated around two axes that are orthogonal to each other. In this gonio stage, the stage surface is a spherical bearing, and the stage surface rotates and tilts around one axis. By superimposing them in two stages, the stage surface of the second stage gonio stage can be independently controlled to rotate around two axes orthogonal to each other. Thereby, the embedding block placed and fixed on the stage surface of the second stage gonio stage can be adjusted to an arbitrary inclination, and can be supported while maintaining its posture.

A mechanism in which a cardan joint is coupled to a ball of a ball joint is also known (see Patent Document 1). This mechanism will be briefly described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, this mechanism includes a sample head 61 to which a sample 60 such as an embedding block is fixed, a ball 62 of a ball joint, and two hemispherical shells that rotatably hold the ball 62. 63, 64, a cardan joint 65 coupled to the ball 62, and two fine adjustment knobs 66, 67 for rotating the ball 62 around the XY axes orthogonal to each other via the cardan joint 65.

  The sample disk 68 to which the sample 60 is attached is clamped and fixed to the sample head 61 via the knob 69. The sample disk 68 is coupled to the ball 62 by pins, screws, or the like. The ball 62 is disposed between the hemispherical shells 63 and 64 and can rotate while sliding between the hemispherical shells 63 and 64. The hemispherical shell 63 is pressed toward the hemispherical shell 64 by tightening the clamp lever 70 so that the ball 62 can be pressed. Thus, after the ball 62 is rotated in an arbitrary direction, the ball 62 can be fixed at the position. Two long holes 65a and 65b are formed in the cardan joint 65 in directions orthogonal to each other, and pins 71 and 72 are guided in the respective long holes 65a and 65b. Further, nuts 76 and 77 that are screwed into screw spindles 74 and 75 connected to the fine adjustment knobs 66 and 67 are fixed to the pins 71 and 72, respectively.

When the sample 60 is tilted by rotating around the Y axis by the mechanism configured as described above, for example, the clamp lever 70 is first unfastened to freely rotate the ball 62, and then the fine adjustment knob 67. Rotate. Then, the nut 77 and the pin 71 try to rotate together with the screw spindle 75, but the pin 71 hits the edge of the elongated hole 65a and the rotation of the pin 71 and the nut 77 stops. As a result, the pin 71 and the nut 77 move linearly (in the direction of the arrows shown in FIGS. 11 and 12) along the screw spindle 75.
However, since the cardan joint 65 is coupled to the ball 62, the cardan joint 65 does not move linearly with the pin 71, but rotates around a point G shown in FIG. At this time, the long hole 65a rotates while sliding on the pin 71, and the pin 71 relatively moves along the long hole 65a. As the cardan joint 65 rotates, the pin 72 guided in the one long hole 65b comes into contact with the edge of the long hole 65b. Therefore, the cardan joint 65 does not rotate any more.

As the cardan joint 65 rotates, the ball 62 rotates around the Y axis. As a result, the sample can be tilted about the Y axis. Further, the rotation around the X axis also rotates after the same operation as described above. Then, after the sample is rotated and inclined about the X axis and the Y axis, the clamp lever 70 is tightened to fix the ball 62. As a result, the sample 60 can be adjusted to an arbitrary inclination and can be supported while maintaining the posture.
JP-A-9-318502

However, the mechanism described above still has the following problems.
That is, the mechanism using the gonio stage is a structure in which uniaxial gonio stages are stacked in multiple stages in the height direction, so that when the embedding block is placed, the surface of the embedding block and the bottom surface of the lower gonio stage The distance will be longer. For this reason, the rigidity is inferior, and when the embedded block is sliced with a cutting blade, there is a risk that it will lose the force of the cutting blade and wobble.

  On the other hand, with the mechanism using the cardan joint 65, it is difficult to adjust the inclination with high accuracy. In other words, the pins 71 and 72 guided in the elongated holes 65a and 65b of the cardan joint 65 are linearly moved to rotate the cardan joint 65 and the ball 62 to adjust the tilt. Therefore, a slight gap is required between the pins 71 and 72 and the long holes 65a and 65b. Further, since the pins 71 and 72 are merely guided by the long holes 65a and 65b, there is a possibility that play may occur between the pins 71 and 72 and the long holes 65a and 65b. For this reason, after the ball 62 is rotated, there is a possibility that the tilt is slightly shifted by the amount of play. As a result, it was difficult to adjust the tilt with high accuracy.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to adjust the embedded block to a desired inclination with high accuracy and to firmly support the embedded block with the adjusted inclination. It is an object to provide an embedded block support mechanism that can be used, and a thin-slice manufacturing apparatus having the embedded block support mechanism.

The present invention provides the following means in order to solve the above problems.
An embedded block support mechanism according to the present invention is an embedded block support mechanism that supports an embedded block in which a biological sample is embedded, and a mounting table having a mounting surface on which the embedded block is mounted and fixed. And a space surrounded by a spherical surface that is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ball, and the ball can be rolled into the space with the mounting table exposed to the outside. A base portion for storing, a fixing means for pressing the spherical surface against the outer peripheral surface of the ball to fix the ball, and a first axis passing through the center of the ball in a state parallel to the mounting surface, A first plate extending outward from the outer peripheral surface; a V-shaped groove formed in the first plate along the first axis; and the ball in a state parallel to the mounting surface. Along the second axis that passes through the center and is orthogonal to the first axis , A second plate extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the ball, a first rod and a second rod having a spherical tip, and the groove portion and the first rod by urging the first plate An urging member that makes point contact with the tip of one rod and urges the second plate to make point contact between the second plate and the tip of the second rod; and the first rod Is moved linearly to rotate the first plate about the second axis, and the second rod is moved linearly to rotate the second plate about the first axis. It is characterized by comprising a rod moving means.

In the embedding block support mechanism according to the present invention, first, the embedding block is mounted and fixed on the mounting surface of the mounting table fixed to the ball. At this time, the balls are housed in the space of the base portion so as to be capable of rolling. The mounting table is exposed to the outside of the table. A first plate extending along the first axis and a second plate extending along the second axis are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the ball. Both the two plates have a surface parallel to the mounting surface and passing through the center of the ball. Further, the two plates are attached at positions shifted by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction when viewed from a direction orthogonal to a plane passing through the first axis and the second axis. In particular, the first plate is formed with a V-shaped groove along the first axis.
Each of the two plates is urged by the urging member, and the tip of the first rod is point-contacted with the groove with the tip of the first rod fitted into the groove, and the tip of the second rod is pointed to the second plate. They are in contact. Thus, the rotation of the ball is restricted so as not to roll around the first axis and the second axis unless both rods are moved.

Moreover, since the tip of the first rod is fitted in the groove, the movement of the first plate is restricted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ball from rotating around a plane passing through the first axis and the second axis, that is, an axis perpendicular to the placement surface. If no groove is formed on the first plate, the ball may rotate around an axis perpendicular to the placement surface. In this case, the two plates escape from the rods as the ball rotates, and the plates and the rods may be in a non-contact state. However, as described above, since the tip of the first rod is fitted in the groove portion, the ball does not rotate, and there is no fear that the plates and the rods are not in contact with each other.
That is, due to the effect of the groove and the biasing member described above, the plates and the rods can always be brought into contact with each other.

Here, when the first rod is moved linearly by the rod moving means in the direction opposite to the urging direction of the urging member, the first plate is pushed by the first rod, and the first rod is moved together with the ball. Rotate around 2 axis. Thereby, the mounting table fixed to the ball can be rotated around the second axis, and the embedding block can be inclined.
At this time, since the first plate is fixed to the ball, it cannot move linearly together with the first rod in a direction perpendicular to the placement surface. Therefore, the tip of the first rod apparently pushes the first plate while moving along the groove (along the first axis). Therefore, the embedding block can be accurately rotated and tilted around the second axis. Further, since the tip of the first rod is formed in a spherical shape, the resistance during movement can be made as small as possible, and the movement of the first plate is not hindered. Therefore, the embedding block can be smoothly inclined around the second axis.

  On the other hand, as the ball rotates, the second plate also rotates around the second axis. However, since the tip of the second rod is also formed in a spherical shape and is in point contact with the second plate, the rotation of the second plate is not hindered. Also in this point, the embedding block can be smoothly inclined around the second axis. Even if the second plate rotates about the second axis, the contact state between the second plate and the second rod can be reliably maintained.

In addition, when the first rod is moved linearly in the same direction as the biasing direction of the biasing member by the rod moving means, the first plate is biased by the biasing member. It rotates around the second axis while following the first rod. Therefore, the mounting table fixed to the ball can be rotated around the second axis in the opposite direction to that described above, and the embedded block can be similarly inclined. In this case as well, the tip of the first rod apparently contacts the first plate while moving along the groove (along the first axis). Similarly, the second plate rotates about the second axis in the opposite direction to that described above.
As described above, the embedded rod can be accurately rotated around the second axis via the first plate and the ball by moving the first rod linearly regardless of the biasing direction by the rod moving means. Can be tilted.

Further, when the second rod is moved by the rod moving means regardless of the urging direction, the embedded block is moved through the second plate and the ball through the first axis by the same action as described above. It can be rotated and tilted around. In particular, the first plate rotates around the first axis with the tip of the first rod fitted in the groove. Therefore, the embedding block can be rotated and inclined accurately around the first axis.
As a result, the embedding block can be accurately inclined about two axes (first axis and second axis) that are parallel to the mounting surface and orthogonal to each other, and the surface of the embedding block can be at an arbitrary angle. It can be tilted with high accuracy.
Finally, the spherical surface of the base portion is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the ball by the fixing means to fix the ball. Thereby, the embedding block inclined by arbitrary angles can be supported with the attitude | position.

  In particular, by moving the first rod and the second rod separately by the rod moving means, the embedded block can be rotated and tilted independently and accurately around the two axes, so that the desired tilt can be obtained. Can be adjusted easily. Moreover, since both plates and both rods are always in contact with each other by the urging member, there is no gap and play does not occur unlike the conventional one. Therefore, rattling of the ball can be prevented and the inclination can be adjusted with high accuracy.

  Further, unlike the case where gonio stages are stacked in multiple stages, the embedding block can be rotated and tilted about two axes by using only one ball, so that the design can be made with the height suppressed as much as possible. Further, since the spherical surface is pressed against and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the ball, the ball can be firmly fixed. From these things, the whole rigidity can be made high and an embedding block can be supported firmly.

  The embedding block support mechanism according to the present invention is the embedding block support mechanism according to the present invention, wherein at the tips of the first and second rods, rolling is performed at least around the first and second axes. A possible sphere is provided.

  In the embedded block support mechanism according to the present invention, since the spheres are provided at the tips of both rods, when the embedded block is rotated and tilted, the resistance between the tips of both rods and both plates is further reduced. Can do. Therefore, the ball can be rotated more smoothly, and the inclination of the embedded block can be easily adjusted.

  The embedded block support mechanism according to the present invention is the embedded block support mechanism according to the present invention, wherein the ball penetrates the center of the ball along the third axial direction perpendicular to the placement surface. And a rotating shaft portion fixed to be rotatable about the third axis, and a rotating means for rotating the rotating shaft portion, wherein the mounting shaft is fixed to the ball in a non-fixed state. It is connected to one end of the part.

  In this embedding block support mechanism, the embedding block can be rotated around the third axis by rotating the rotation shaft portion around the third axis by the rotating means. Therefore, after fixing the embedding block to the mounting table, the direction of the embedding block can be adjusted with respect to the cutting direction. That is, it can adjust so that an embedding block may face a predetermined direction with respect to the direction of a cutting blade. This is particularly effective when roughing an embedded block. In addition, since the rotating shaft portion and the rotating means are provided on the ball, they do not affect the inclination adjustment of the embedding block.

  The thin-section preparation apparatus according to the present invention is a thin-section preparation apparatus that cuts out the embedding block with a predetermined thickness and cuts out a sheet-like thin section. A block support mechanism, and a cutting blade disposed on the embedding block support mechanism, and moving the cutting blade and the embedding block support mechanism relative to each other to move the thin slice from the embedding block. A cutting mechanism that cuts out, and a moving mechanism that moves the embedded block support mechanism in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction at the time of cutting and adjusts the thickness of the thin section. is there.

In the thin-section manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, after the inclination of the embedded block is adjusted by the embedded block support mechanism, the cutting mechanism relatively moves the cutting blade and the embedded block support mechanism. Thereby, a thin slice can be produced by cutting (slicing) the embedded block into a sheet shape with a cutting blade. Moreover, since the embedding block support mechanism is moved in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction at the time of cutting by the moving mechanism, the thickness of the thin slice to be manufactured is set to a predetermined thickness, for example, an extremely thin thickness of 5 μm be able to.
In particular, since the embedding block support mechanism adjusts the embedding block to a desired inclination with high accuracy, a high-quality thin section having a desired surface can be produced. Moreover, a thin slice can be produced without cutting the embedded block wastefully. Furthermore, since the embedding block is firmly supported by the embedding block support mechanism, the embedding block can be cut cleanly and the surface of the thin slice can be made smoother. Also in this respect, the quality of the thin slice can be improved.

According to the embedding block support mechanism of the present invention, the embedding block can be adjusted to a desired inclination with high accuracy and can be firmly supported with the adjusted inclination.
Further, according to the thin-slice preparation device according to the present invention, since the above-described embedded block support mechanism is provided, a thin slice with a smooth and desired surface exposed on the surface can be prepared from the embedded block. The quality of the thin slice can be improved.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an embedding block support mechanism and a thin-slice preparation device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The thin-slice manufacturing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that slices an embedded block B in which a biological sample S is embedded with a predetermined thickness, and cuts and manufactures a sheet-like thin section M.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the embedding block B is obtained by substituting the water in the formalin-fixed biological sample S with paraffin, and further solidifying the periphery with an embedding agent N such as paraffin. is there. As a result, the biological sample S is embedded in paraffin. The biological sample S is, for example, a tissue such as an organ extracted from a human body or a laboratory animal, and is selected at appropriate times in the medical field, pharmaceutical field, food field, biological field, and the like.
In the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the embedding block B is fixed on a cassette K formed in a box shape.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the thin-section preparation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes an embedded block support mechanism 2 that supports an embedded block B via a cassette K, and a cutting disposed on the embedded block support mechanism 2. A cutting mechanism 4 that has a blade 3 and relatively moves the cutting blade 3 and the embedding block support mechanism 2 to cut out the thin section M from the embedding block B, and when the embedding block support mechanism 2 is cut. And a Z stage (moving mechanism) 5 that adjusts the thickness of the thin section M by moving in the Z direction orthogonal to the moving direction (X direction).

  The embedded block support mechanism 2 is attached on the Z stage 5. The Z stage 5 is mounted on a moving stage 7 that moves along the guide rail 6. The guide rail 6 is mounted on a horizontal plane and extends in the X direction toward the fixed cutting blade 3. At this time, the guide rail 6 extends to the opposite side beyond the cutting blade 3. The moving stage 7 reciprocates on the guide rail 6 by a driving source such as a motor (not shown). The Z stage 5 incorporates a piezo element (not shown) and the like and is height-controlled so as to rise by a certain amount in the Z direction when a voltage is applied. At this time, the Z stage 5 is controlled to rise by a certain amount each time the moving stage 7 reciprocates the guide rail 6 once.

  As a result, the embedding block B moves toward the cutting blade 3 as the moving stage 7 moves, and is cut by the cutting blade 3. At this time, since the height is controlled by the Z stage 5, the surface is cut with a predetermined thickness (for example, 5 μm). As a result, a sheet-like thin section M shown in FIG. 1 is produced. This will be described in detail later. It is also possible to produce a plurality of thin sections M one after another from the embedding block B by reciprocating movement of the moving stage 7 and raising the Z stage 5 synchronized with the reciprocating movement.

  The cutting blade 3, the guide rail 6 and the moving stage 7 described above function as the cutting mechanism 4. In the present embodiment, the cutting blade 3 is fixed and the embedded block B side is moved with respect to the cutting blade 3, but the cutting mechanism 4 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the embedding block B side may be fixed and the cutting blade 3 may be moved with respect to the embedding block B. Alternatively, the embedding block B side and the cutting blade 3 may be moved together to You may comprise. In any case, the embedding block support mechanism 2 and the cutting blade 3 may be configured to move relatively.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the embedded block support mechanism 2 includes a mounting table 10 on which the embedded block B is mounted and fixed via a cassette K, and a ball 11 fixed to the mounting table 10. , A housing (base portion) 12 having a space for storing the ball 11, a fixing means 13 for fixing the ball 11, a pitch plate (first plate) 14 and a roll plate (second plate) fixed to the ball 11. Plate) 15, a pitch rod (first rod) 16 and a roll rod (second rod) 17 that rotate the ball 11 through both plates 14, 15, and the pitch plate 14. The groove portion 14a formed on the pitch plate 14 and the tip of the pitch rod 16 are brought into point contact with each other, and the roll plate 15 is urged to contact the roll plate 15 A coil spring (biasing member) 18a to a tip of the use the rod 17 is point contact comprises a 18b, a rod movable means 19 for linearly moving the two rods 16, 17 respectively.

The mounting table 10 is formed in a plate shape and has a mounting surface 10a having a smooth upper surface. The embedding block B is placed and fixed on the placement surface 10a via the cassette K. The mounting table 10 is fixed to a part of the outer peripheral surface of the ball 11.
The housing 12 is composed of an upper housing 20 and a lower housing 21, and is formed in a substantially box shape as a whole. In addition, a space surrounded by a spherical surface in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ball 11 is formed in the housing 12, and the ball 11 is housed in the space so as to be able to roll. At this time, the housing 12 accommodates the ball 11 with a part of the ball 11 and the mounting table 10 exposed to the outside. Therefore, the embedding block B can be easily fixed to the mounting table 10.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a substantially hemispherical concave portion 21 a is formed in the lower housing 21 at substantially the center of the facing surface facing the upper housing 20. That is, the surface of the recess 21a is the spherical surface described above. The lower housing 21 is formed with a space S1 adjacent to the concave portion 21a for arranging the above-described components and for securing a rotation space for the pitch plate 14 and the roll plate 15. . A screw groove 21b into which a screw 22 for fixing the upper housing 20 is screwed is formed on one end side of the facing surface.

The upper housing 20 is formed in a plate shape that is thinner than the lower housing 21. The upper housing 20 is fixed to the lower housing 21 with only one end side in contact with the opposing surface of the lower housing 21. Specifically, both housings 20 and 21 are fixed by screwing screws 22 into screw grooves 21 b of the lower housing 21 through screw holes 20 a formed on one end side of the upper housing 20.
A through hole 20b through which the ball 11 is inserted is formed at a substantially center of the upper housing 20, and a part of the ball 11 is exposed to the outside of the upper housing 20 through the through hole 20b. Further, the inner surface of the through hole 20 b is a spherical surface in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ball 11. That is, the space surrounded by the through hole 20b and the recess 21a is the space for storing the ball 11.

Similarly to the lower housing 21, the upper housing 20 is also formed with a space S <b> 2 adjacent to the through hole 20 b for securing a rotation space for the pitch plate 14 and the roll plate 15. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, projecting plates 25 and 26 are respectively attached in parallel to the other end sides of the upper housing 20 and the lower housing 21. In addition, a clamp lever 27 that can be rotated around the axis L1 is attached to both the protruding plates 25 and 26, and the protruding plate 25 on the upper housing 20 side is tightened by rotating the clamp lever 27. Can be made to approach the protruding plate 26 on the lower housing 21 side. That is, the upper housing 20 can be brought closer to the lower housing 21 side. Thereby, the spherical surface of the through hole 20b can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the ball 11, and the ball 11 can be fixed.
That is, both the projecting plates 25 and 26, the clamp lever 27, and the upper housing 20 function as the fixing means 13.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the pitch plate 14 has an outer peripheral surface of the ball 11 along an axis L2 (first axis) passing through the center G of the ball 11 in a state parallel to the mounting surface 10a. It is attached in a state extending outward. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a V-shaped groove portion 14a is formed in the pitch plate 14 along the axis L2.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the roll plate 15 passes through the center G of the ball 11 in a state parallel to the placement surface 10a, and is perpendicular to the axis L2 (second axis). Are attached in a state extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the ball 11. Therefore, the two plates 14 and 15 both have a surface that is parallel to the mounting surface 10 a and passes through the center G of the ball 11. Further, the two plates 14 and 15 are attached at positions shifted by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the placement surface 10a.

  The pitch rod 16 and the roll rod 17 are arranged to face the pitch plate 14 and the roll plate 15, respectively, in a state of being oriented in the vertical Z direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, both the rods 16 and 17 have a spherical tip, and screw grooves 16a and 17a are formed on the outer peripheral surface from the base end side to the tip end side. Yes. A plate 30 in which a through hole 30a is formed is fixed to the proximal end sides of both rods 16 and 17. And the pin 31 extended in the Z direction parallel to both the rods 16 and 17 is attached to the lower housing 21 in the state which penetrated the through-hole 30a.

Further, nuts 32 screwed into the thread grooves 16a and 17a are attached to the rods 16 and 17, respectively. The nut 32 is rotatably supported by a ball bearing 33 fixed to the lower housing 21. That is, the rods 16 and 17 are rotatably supported by the ball bearing 33 through the nut 32. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, a gear 34 that meshes with the worm gear 40 is fixed to the nut 32. At this time, both rods 16 and 17 pass through a through hole 34 a formed in the gear 34 and are not in contact with the gear 34.
The nut 32 rotates about the Z direction together with the gear 34 as the worm gear 40 rotates. Then, both the rods 16 and 17 try to rotate with the rotation of the nut 32, but the rotation is restricted because the pin 31 penetrates the through hole 30a of the plate 30. Therefore, since the rotational force is converted into linear motion, both rods 16 and 17 are linearly movable in the Z direction.

  The coil springs 18a and 18b are attached between the lower housing 21 and the plates 14 and 15 as shown in FIGS. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pitch rod 16 is in point contact with the groove portion 14 a in a state where the tip is fitted in the groove portion 14 a. That is, the pitch plate 14 and the pitch rod 16 are always in contact with each other, and no gap is generated between them. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 7, the roll rod 17 is always in contact with the roll plate 15 so that no gap is formed between them. Therefore, unless both the rods 16 and 17 are moved, the ball 11 does not roll around the axis L2 and the axis L3.

Furthermore, since the tip of the pitch rod 16 is fitted in the groove 14a, the movement of the pitch plate 14 is restricted. Therefore, the ball 11 is prevented from rotating around a plane passing through the axis L2 and the axis L3, that is, an axis perpendicular to the placement surface 10a. If the pitch plate 14 is not formed with the groove 14a, the ball 11 may rotate around an axis perpendicular to the placement surface 10a. In this case, as the ball 11 rotates, the plates 14 and 15 escape from the rods 16 and 17, and the plates 14 and 15 and the rods 16 and 17 are not in contact with each other. There is a fear. However, as described above, since the tip of the pitch rod 16 is fitted in the groove 14a, the ball 11 does not rotate, and there is no possibility that the plates 14, 15 and the rods 16, 17 are not in contact with each other. .
Due to the effects of the groove 14a and the coil springs 18a and 18b described above, the plates 14 and 15 and the rods 16 and 17 can always be brought into contact with each other.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the worm gear 40 is attached to the distal end side of a rod 41 that extends to the outside of the lower housing 21. Further, a knob for rotating the rod 41, that is, a pitch knob 42 and a roll knob 43 are attached to the base end side of the rod 41 protruding outside the lower housing 21. Thereby, the operator can move both the rods 16 and 17 by a desired amount in the Z direction by rotating the knobs 42 and 43, respectively.
That is, the nut 32, the ball bearing 33, the plate 30, the pin 31, the gear 34, the worm gear 40, the rod 41, and the both knobs 42 and 43 move the pitch rod 16 linearly to move the pitch plate 14 along the axis L3. While rotating around, the roll rod 17 is moved linearly to function as the rod moving means 19 that rotates the roll plate 15 around the axis L2.

Next, the case where the thin slice M is produced from the embedding block B using the thin slice production apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, the operator places and fixes the embedding block B on the mounting surface 10a of the mounting table 10, and then loosens the clamp lever 27 so that the ball 11 can roll. Next, the embedding block B is appropriately rotated around the axis L2 and the axis L3, and is inclined in a predetermined direction. In the present embodiment, a case where pitching (vertical direction) adjustment is performed by first rotating around the axis L3 will be described.

  First, the operator manually rotates the pitch knob 42 to move the pitch rod 16 linearly in the direction opposite to the biasing direction of the coil spring 18a. More specifically, when the pitch knob 42 is rotated, the rod 41 and the worm gear 40 are rotated together with the rotation of the pitch knob 42 as shown in FIG. Then, the gear 34 meshed with the worm gear 40 and the nut 32 fixed to the gear 34 rotate around the Z direction. At this time, since the nut 32 is supported by the ball bearing 33 as shown in FIG. 5, it rotates smoothly without rattling. Then, although the pitch rod 16 screwed into the nut 32 tries to rotate together with the nut 32, the pin 31 passes through the through hole 30a of the plate 30, so that the rotation is prevented. As a result, the rotational motion is converted into a linear motion and moves linearly in the Z direction.

  The pitch rod 16 pushes up the pitch plate 14 with a force that resists the biasing force of the coil spring 18a. When the pitch plate 14 is pushed by the pitch rod 16, it rotates around the axis L <b> 3 together with the ball 11. Thereby, the mounting table 10 fixed to the ball 11 can be rotated around the axis L3 (in the direction of the arrow R1 shown in FIG. 5), and the embedding block B can be inclined to adjust the pitching.

  By the way, since the pitch plate 14 is fixed to the ball 11 as described above, it cannot move linearly together with the pitch rod 16 in the Z direction perpendicular to the placement surface 10a. Therefore, the tip of the pitch rod 16 apparently pushes the pitch plate 14 while moving along the groove 14a (along the axis L3). Therefore, the embedding block B can be accurately rotated and inclined about the axis L3. The tip of the pitch rod 16 is formed in a spherical shape and is in point contact with the pitch plate 14. Therefore, the resistance during movement can be made as small as possible, and the movement of the pitch plate 14 is not hindered. Therefore, the embedding block B can be smoothly inclined around the axis L3.

  On the other hand, with the rotation of the ball 11, as shown in FIG. 7, the roll plate 15 also rotates about the axis L3 (in the direction of arrow R3). However, since the tip of the roll rod 17 is also formed in a spherical shape and is in point contact with the roll plate 15, the rotation of the roll plate 15 is not hindered. Also in this point, the embedded block B can be smoothly inclined around the axis L3. Even when the roll plate 15 rotates about the axis L3, the contact state between the roll plate 15 and the roll rod 17 can be reliably maintained.

Further, when the operator rotates the pitch knob 42 in the opposite direction to that described above and moves the pitch rod 16 linearly in the same direction as the biasing direction of the coil spring 18a, the pitch Since the plate 14 is biased by the coil spring 18a, the plate 14 rotates around the axis L3 while following the pitch rod 16. Therefore, the mounting table 10 fixed to the ball 11 can be rotated around the axis L3 in the direction opposite to that described above (the direction of the arrow R2 shown in FIG. 5).
In this case as well, the tip of the pitch rod 16 apparently contacts the pitch plate 14 while moving along the groove 14a (along the axis L2). Similarly, the roll plate 15 rotates about the axis L3 in the direction opposite to the above-described case (the direction of the arrow R4 shown in FIG. 7).

  As described above, the pitch rod 16 is moved linearly regardless of the biasing direction of the coil spring 18a, so that the embedded block B is accurately rotated and tilted around the axis L3 via the pitch plate 14 and the ball 11. Therefore, highly accurate pitching adjustment can be performed.

Subsequently, when performing rolling (lateral direction) adjustment by rotating around the axis L2, the operator rotates the roll knob 43. Then, by the same operation as described above, the embedding block B can be rotated and tilted around the axis L2 via the roll plate 15 and the ball 11, and the rolling adjustment can be performed. In particular, as shown in FIG. 6, the pitch plate 14 rotates around the axis L <b> 2 with the tip of the pitch rod 16 fitted in the groove 14 a. Therefore, the embedding block B can be accurately rotated and tilted about the axis L2, and a highly accurate rolling adjustment can be performed.
As a result, the embedding block B can be accurately tilted around two axes (axis line L2 and axis line L3) that are parallel to the mounting surface 10a of the mounting table 10 and orthogonal to each other to perform pitching adjustment and rolling adjustment. The surface of the embedding block B can be inclined at an arbitrary angle with high accuracy.

  Finally, the operator tightens the clamp lever 27 to bring the upper housing 20 close to the lower housing 21 and press the spherical surface of the upper housing 20 against the outer peripheral surface of the ball 11. Thereby, the ball | bowl 11 can be fixed and the embedding block B inclined by arbitrary angles can be supported with the attitude | position.

  In particular, according to the embedding block support mechanism 2, the pitch rod 16 and the roll rod 17 are separately moved by the rod moving means 19, so that the embedding block B can be independently and accurately around the two axes. And can be easily adjusted to a desired inclination. In addition, since the plates 14 and 15 and the rods 16 and 17 are always in contact with each other by the coil springs 18a and 18b, unlike the conventional one, there is no gap between them and play occurs. There is no. Therefore, rattling of the ball 11 can be prevented and the inclination can be adjusted with high accuracy.

  Further, unlike the conventional goniostages stacked in multiple stages, only one ball 11 is used, so that the design can be made with the height suppressed as much as possible. Further, since the spherical surface of the upper housing 20 is pressed and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the ball 11, the ball 11 can be firmly fixed. From these things, the whole rigidity can be made high and the embedding block B can be supported firmly.

  Subsequently, when the inclination adjustment of the embedding block B is finished, the moving stage 7 is moved to the guide rail 6 so that the embedding block support mechanism 2 and the embedding block B are brought close to the cutting blade 3 as shown in FIG. Move along. Thereby, the thin block M can be produced by cutting the embedding block B into a sheet shape by the cutting blade 3. Further, since the embedded block support mechanism 2 is moved by the Z stage 5 in the Z direction orthogonal to the moving direction at the time of cutting, the thickness of the thin slice M to be manufactured is set to a predetermined thickness (for example, 5 μm). Can do.

  In particular, since the embedding block support mechanism 2 adjusts the embedding block B to a desired inclination with high accuracy, a high-quality thin slice M having a desired surface can be produced. Further, the thin slice M can be produced without cutting the embedded block B wastefully. Furthermore, since the embedding block B is firmly supported by the embedding block support mechanism 2, it can be cut cleanly and the surface of the thin slice M can be made smoother. Also in this respect, the quality of the thin slice M can be improved.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the tips of the pitch rod 16 and the roll rod 17 are each formed in a spherical shape, but a sphere that can roll at least around the axis L2 and the axis L3 may be provided at the tip. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a minute ball 50 may be attached to the tips of both rods 16 and 17 so as to be able to roll. By so doing, when the embedded block B is inclined, the resistance between the tips of the rods 16 and 17 and the plates 14 and 15 can be further reduced. Therefore, the ball 11 can be rotated more smoothly, and the inclination of the embedded block B can be easily adjusted.

Further, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the through-hole 11a is formed in the ball 11 along the axis L5 (third axis) perpendicular to the mounting surface 10a, and the through-hole 11a is penetrated. You may provide the rotating shaft part 52 which can rotate to the surroundings of the axis line L5 in a state. In addition, you may support the rotating shaft part 52 rotatably by the whole inner surface of the through-hole 11a, and you may support the rotating shaft part 52 via the ball bearing which is not shown in figure. Further, a groove 52 a that meshes with a worm gear 53 provided on the ball 11 is formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft portion 52. The worm gear 53 is fixed to the tip of a rod 54 that protrudes outside the lower housing 21. A yawing knob (not shown) is attached to the base end side of the rod 54 that protrudes outside the lower housing 21. Thereby, the rotating shaft part 52 can be rotated around the axis L5 by rotating the yawing knob.
That is, the worm gear 53, the rod 54, and the yawing knob function as rotating means 55 that rotates the rotating shaft 52. Further, the mounting table 10 in this case is connected to one end side of the rotating shaft portion 52 in a non-contact state with the ball 11.

By comprising in this way, the knob for yawing can be rotated and the embedding block B can be rotated around the axis line L5 perpendicular | vertical to the mounting surface 10a. Therefore, after fixing the embedding block B to the mounting table 10, the direction of the embedding block B can be adjusted (yaw adjustment) with respect to the cutting direction. That is, it can adjust so that the embedding block B may face a predetermined direction with respect to the direction of the cutting blade 3. This is particularly effective when roughing the embedded block B.
In addition, since these rotating shaft parts 52 and the rotation means 55 are provided in the ball | bowl 11, they do not affect the inclination adjustment of the embedding block B at all.

It is a perspective view which shows the embedding block supported by the embedding block support mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram of the thin section production apparatus which has the embedding block support mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the embedding block support mechanism shown in FIG. It is a top view of the embedding block support mechanism shown in FIG. It is a cross-sectional arrow AA figure of the embedding block support mechanism shown in FIG. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the relationship between the plate for pitches, and the rod for pitches. It is a cross-sectional arrow BB figure of the embedding block support mechanism shown in FIG. It is an expansion perspective view which shows the relationship between a worm gear and a gearwheel. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the rod for pitches of the embedding block support mechanism which concerns on this invention, and the rod for rolls, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the rod by which the ball | bowl which can be rolled was fixed to the front-end | tip. It is a figure which shows the modification of the embedding block support mechanism which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is a block diagram of the embedding block support mechanism comprised so that a mounting base could be rotated to the surroundings of an axis perpendicular | vertical to a mounting surface. It is a block diagram of the conventional mechanism with which the cardan joint was couple | bonded with the ball | bowl of the ball joint. It is a cross-sectional arrow CC figure shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

B Embedded block G Ball center M Thin slice
S biological sample L2 axis (first axis)
L3 axis (second axis)
L5 axis (third axis)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thin section production apparatus 2 Embedded block support mechanism 3 Cutting blade 4 Cutting mechanism 5 Z stage (movement mechanism)
10 mounting table 10a mounting surface of mounting table 11 ball 12 housing (base)
13 Fixing means 14 Pitch plate (first plate)
14a Groove 15 Plate for roll (second plate)
16 Pitch rod (first rod)
17 Rod for roll (second rod)
18a, 18b Coil spring (biasing member)
19 Rod moving means 50 Ball (sphere)
52 Rotating shaft 55 Rotating means

Claims (4)

An embedded block support mechanism for supporting an embedded block in which a biological sample is embedded,
A mounting table having a mounting surface on which the embedding block is mounted and fixed;
A ball fixed to the mounting table;
A base part that has a space surrounded by a spherical surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the ball, and that stores the ball in the space so that the ball can roll in a state where the mounting base is exposed to the outside;
Fixing means for pressing the spherical surface against the outer peripheral surface of the ball to fix the ball;
A first plate extending outwardly from the outer peripheral surface of the ball along a first axis passing through the center of the ball in a state parallel to the placement surface;
A V-shaped groove formed in the first plate along the first axis;
A second plate extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the ball along a second axis passing through the center of the ball in a state parallel to the placement surface and perpendicular to the first axis;
A first rod and a second rod having a spherical tip, and
The first plate is biased to bring the groove portion and the tip of the first rod into point contact, and the second plate is biased to tip the second plate and the second rod. An urging member that makes point contact with
The first rod is moved linearly to rotate the first plate around the second axis, and the second rod is moved linearly to move the second plate to the first. An embedded block support mechanism comprising: a rod movable means for rotating around the axis of the embedded block. In the embedding block support mechanism according to claim 1,
An embedded block support mechanism characterized in that a sphere capable of rolling at least around the first and second axes is provided at the tips of the first and second rods. In the embedding block support mechanism according to claim 1 or 2,
The ball has a rotation shaft portion that passes through the center of the ball along the third axial direction perpendicular to the mounting surface and is fixed to be rotatable about the third axis, and the rotation shaft portion. A rotating means for rotating,
The embedding block support mechanism, wherein the mounting table is connected to one end of the rotating shaft portion in a non-fixed state with respect to the ball. A thin slice preparation device that slices the embedded block at a predetermined thickness and cuts out a sheet-like thin slice,
The embedded block support mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A cutting mechanism having a cutting blade disposed on the embedding block support mechanism, moving the cutting blade and the embedding block support mechanism relative to each other, and cutting the thin section from the embedding block;
A thin-slice manufacturing apparatus comprising: a moving mechanism that moves the embedded block support mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction at the time of cutting and adjusts the thickness of the thin slice.

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