Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N1/02—Devices for withdrawing samples
  • G01N1/04—Devices for withdrawing samples in the solid state, e.g. by cutting
  • G01N1/06—Devices for withdrawing samples in the solid state, e.g. by cutting providing a thin slice, e.g. microtome
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N1/02—Devices for withdrawing samples
  • G01N1/04—Devices for withdrawing samples in the solid state, e.g. by cutting
  • G01N1/06—Devices for withdrawing samples in the solid state, e.g. by cutting providing a thin slice, e.g. microtome
  • G01N2001/065—Drive details
  • G01N2001/066—Drive details electric

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a microtome having a cutting blade and an object head movable relative to the cutting blade and a method for positioning an object head of a microtome at a desired position.
• Microtomes are increasingly being automated to reduce the burden on the operator and to ensure easy handling. In addition, the throughput can be increased with a correspondingly automated microtome. To automate microtomes, they are equipped not only with motorized delivery mechanisms to deliver the sample to the cutting knife, but also with motorized drive systems that effect a cutting motion between the sample and the cutting knife.
• microtome designed as a disk microtome is shown, for example, in WO 98/04898 A1.
• a rotary microtome generally has an object head on which the sample to be cut is held.
• the object head is usually moved vertically up and down in a rotary microtome.
• the sample to be cut becomes passed the cutting knife, which is fixedly arranged in the rotary microtome.
• the vertical movement can be effected by means of a cranking operation, which is driven by a handwheel.
• the crank mechanism converts the rotary movement of the handwheel into a vertical movement of the object head.
• No. 6,598,507 B1 shows such a motorized rotary microtome for producing thin sections, wherein the section is produced by means of a relative movement between the sample and the cutting blade.
• the Drive system with a motor, a control unit and a hand wheel is provided for generating the cutting movement.
• the handwheel is equipped with an incremental encoder which outputs corresponding rotary signals from the handwheel to the control unit.
• the engine is then controlled by the control unit
• US 8,640,585 B2 discloses an apparatus for producing series images of a sample with a carriage microtome. The sample is placed in a sample holder and a knife is placed above the sample along a
• Cutting direction moves. Above the knife is a microscope with a camera for taking pictures of the just produced
• the microtome has an electric drive for motorized movement of the object head and a sensor for detecting the presence of the object head
• Object head at a desired position and a control device for driving the electric drive and for processing signals from the sensor.
• Control means is arranged to drive the electric drive to move the object head and to stop the object head in response to detecting the presence of the object head at the desired position.
• the object head is moved by means of the electric drive relative to the cutting blade.
• the object head is stopped when it is detected by means of the sensor that the object head is at the desired position.
• the invention provides a possibility to safely approach a desired position with the object head, and also a large
• control unit stops the
• the electric drive can be designed, for example, as an electric motor, in particular as a stepper motor. By moving the object head by means of the electric drive, the object can be guided over the cutting edge of the knife and cuts of the sample can be generated.
• this target position can be a position at which the object head and the sample arranged thereon are best accessible.
• this target position By safely approaching this target position with high accuracy, it can be made possible, in particular, to create continuous images of sections at always the same desired position.
• a photographic image of the sample can be taken at the desired position and can
• the microtome has a handwheel for manually moving the object head, which is coupled to the object head via a mechanical drive train, in particular a crank drive.
• the handwheel can
• the object head is moved and thus the object is guided over the cutting edge of the knife.
• a rotary movement of the handwheel is converted via the mechanical drive train in particular into a vertical up and down movement of the object head.
• the sensor is advantageously set up to detect a position of the handwheel. Preferably, by means of the sensor, the position of the handwheel.
• Handwheel detected which via the mechanical drive train with the Object head is coupled.
• Presence of the object head to be detected at the desired position.
• the senor is a rotation angle sensor.
• Rotation angle sensor can be precisely detected the current position or angular position of the rotational movement of the handwheel. Since the rotational movement of the handwheel directly correlates with the movement of the object head, thus the current position of the object head can be precisely determined.
• the mechanical drive train comprises a crank drive.
• the handwheel is expediently non-rotatable with a crankshaft this
• crankshaft is rotated.
• a corresponding rotational movement of the crankshaft is in turn converted into the vertical movement of the object head, for example via a connecting rod.
• Detecting a dead center position of the crank mechanism set up preferably a dead center position of the trained as a crank mechanism
• the microtome has a further sensor for detecting the presence of the object head in a position in front of the desired position.
• this sensor may be configured as a photoelectric barrier or as a magnetic switch and the object head may e.g. with a corresponding
• Tripping flag or a corresponding release magnet be equipped.
• this further sensor can thus be detected when approaching the object head to the desired position and this soon reached.
• the microtome can be prepared in time to stop the movement of the object head soon.
• control device is to
• the object head is initially moved at a first speed relative to the cutting blade of the microtome by means of the electric drive and then moved at a slower second speed as it approaches the target position.
• the object head is first moved so fast with the higher first speed until it is detected that the object head is in the position in front of the desired position and thus approaches the target position. Then the
• Speed of the object head is reduced and the object head is moved at the slower second speed to allow a precise stop of the object head at the desired position.
• control device is configured to perform one or more functions after stopping the object head.
• one or more functions are triggered, in particular an image recording of an object located on the object head.
• automatic continuous shooting of Sections of the sample are always created at the same nominal position.
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a rotary microtome.
• FIG. 2 schematically shows a drive train of a rotary microtome according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 3 shows in a flow chart a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 1 shows a microtome 1 with a microtome housing 2 and a microtome housing 2
• Knife holder 3 for receiving a cutting knife 4.
• An object (sample) 7 is with its object holder 6 in a direction of double arrow
• Object head 5 arranged in the form of a carriage.
• a rotatably mounted handwheel 8 is arranged with a handle 9.
• the handwheel 8 can be connected to the object head 5 via a mechanical drive train, such as e.g. a crank mechanism 15 (see US 5,065,657) be connected.
• the handwheel is rotatably connected to a crankshaft 14 of the crank mechanism 15, so that by turning the handwheel 8, the crankshaft 14 is also rotated.
• Cutting movement is still a example as a stepper motor
• trained electric motor 16 is provided, which is connected to the handwheel 8 or the crankshaft 14 via an example designed as a belt drive mechanical drive train 17. It may be a coupling for decoupling the motor 16 from the handwheel 8 and the crankshaft 14 may be provided. In particular, the clutch is opened for manual cutting, so that then the handwheel does not have to be manually rotated against the resistance of the electric motor.
• the motor 16 is driven by a control unit 18 (within the housing 2) which is adapted to control the microtome components.
• an external control panel 10 is connected via a control line 22.
• the control panel 10 has a keypad 11 for numerical inputs, a knob 13 for continuously variable inputs and switches 12 for the input of certain switching positions and operating states.
• the object head 5 is additionally linearly forward and backward (in the direction of the cutting knife) movable, for which also a handwheel (not shown) with mechanical or electric drive train and an electric motor
• the section thickness and the so-called "object retraction" (the object head is moved back before moving from the lower position back to the upper position only, so that he with a distance at the
• Knife edge is moved past) are realized via this drive train.
• the object head is additionally supported linearly movable, e.g. in one
• An electric drive train may e.g. be realized in that the handwheel is assigned a incremental encoder for detecting the rotational movement, the signals of which are supplied to the control unit, which then in turn controls the electric motor in response to these signals.
• Control unit 18 is an upper sensor 19 and a lower sensor 20
• the sensors 19, 20 may be formed, for example, as a light barrier or as a magnetic switch. Accordingly, the object head 5 may be e.g. be equipped with a release flag or a trigger magnet.
• the distance between the upper sensor 19 and the lower sensor 20 defines a so-called. Timing window in which the sample 7 is guided past the cutting blade 4.
• Speed of the object head 5 relative to the cutting blade 4 be slow to ensure a clean cut. Outside the timeline, i. In particular, during the return of the object head 5 upwards, however, a faster speed can be driven.
• this position is the upper position zl at which the object head 5 and the sample 7 placed thereon are most accessible, especially for continuous shooting of slices always in the same position
• the microtome 1, in particular the mechanical drive train is thus equipped with a further sensor 21, which detects the presence of the object head 5 in the desired position.
• the sensor 21 is connected to the control unit 18, which stops the motor 16 as soon as the sensor 21 detects the object head 5.
• the senor 21 is associated with the handwheel 8 in order to detect the position of the handwheel 8 and thus of the crankshaft 14 and thus of the object head 5. This leads to a particularly high accuracy of the detection, since between the rotational movement of the handwheel 8 and the vertical movement of the object head 5 is a sine-context, which is particularly flat in the region of the relevant here top dead center. Through these measures, a repeat accuracy of 1-2 gm for the object head position can be achieved.
• the sensor 21 can be associated with the handwheel 8 in order to detect the position of the handwheel 8 and thus of the crankshaft 14 and thus of the object head 5.
• control unit 18 trigger other functions, such as an image of the surface of the sample. For this purpose, a trigger or.
• Trigger line of a camera 23 may also be connected to the control unit 18.
• an automatic change of the sample holder 6 can take place in order to feed a new sample 7 to the processing, or this position is approached to a knife change to produce the greatest possible propriety between the movable object head 5 and the knife 4.
• a photographic image can be taken after each cut. Multiple images can be overlaid into a 3D image or played back as a movie to give a spatial impression of the sample.
• the invention can also be used in a carriage microtome. Also, these two microtome types can each be incorporated in a cryostat. The arrangement of the photographic device can be encapsulated in the
• a step 100 the object head 5 is in the position zl.
• the object head 5 is moved down at a first speed (feed speed) until it is detected by the sensor 19 and thus enters the cutting window.
• a step 102 the speed is reduced to a second speed (cutting speed) and the object head 5 is now moved more slowly down until it is detected by the sensor 20 and thus leaves the cutting window. During that the cut takes place.
• a step 103 the speed is increased again to the first speed and the object head 5 is further moved down until it reaches the bottom dead center zO.
• a step 104 the object head 5 is then moved linearly backwards.
• a step 105 the object head 5 is then moved past the knife past at the first speed until it is detected again by the sensor 19.
• the speed is then reduced again, preferably to the second speed, and the object head 5 is moved further up until it reaches the top dead center zl and at the same time the sensor 21 responds.
• the electric motor 116 is stopped and one or more desired functions, in particular for the generation of
• Continuous shooting are triggered. After completion of the functions, the sequence preferably begins anew, so that overall, in particular continuous recording of the sample surface can be made.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)

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Citations (13)

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• 2017
  • 2017-11-30 DE DE102017128491.5A patent/DE102017128491B4/de active Active
• 2018
  • 2018-11-26 CN CN201880044186.7A patent/CN110832298B/zh active Active
  • 2018-11-26 EP EP18810995.3A patent/EP3625533B1/de active Active
  • 2018-11-26 WO PCT/EP2018/082578 patent/WO2019105894A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2018-11-26 JP JP2019570072A patent/JP7193485B2/ja active Active
  • 2018-11-26 US US16/623,796 patent/US11467068B2/en active Active

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