JPH09101241A - Method and apparatus for preparing silced piece - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lower the accuracy required for a cutter in various aspects while reducing the cost of change cutter, to suppress inconvenience, e.g. creases, shrinkage or breakage, developed on a sliced piece in cutting while allowing an unskilled worker to produce a sliced piece relatively easily, and to prolong the service life of change cutter while shortening the time required for changing the cutter and reducing the cost of change cutter. SOLUTION: A solid state sample 15 is a sample of organism embedded in paraffin or the like and secured by means of a sample clamp 14. Bottom face of the sample clamp 14 is coupled with a base 11 through a set (two) of parallel springs 13. Side face of the base 11 is coupled with the side face of sample clamp 14 through a laminated piezoelectric actuator 12 which is extended or contracted by controlling the applying voltage thus imparting a vibration in a fixed direction to the solid state sample 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing thin slices and an apparatus therefor, and more particularly, to scientific sample analysis and
A microtome used in medical analysis such as microscopic observation of biological samples (A device that moves a solid sample or a cutting blade by an amount corresponding to the desired cutting thickness, and then cuts the solid sample with the cutting blade to make thin sections ) Is related to.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, techniques in such a field include:
For example, there is a microtome (for example, JP-A-6-26).
5452). The conventional microtome is roughly classified into a sliding type and a rotating type based on the locus of the moving shaft during the cutting process. Also, there are differences such as whether the moving shaft for the feeding process and the moving shaft for the cutting process are attached to the solid sample side or the cutting blade side, but basically, the feeding process and the cutting process This is an apparatus for producing thin slices as described above by alternately repeating.

As a sample to be sliced for microscopic observation, a biological sample mainly embedded in paraffin is used. Further, the cutting blade is composed of a holder, a replacement blade, and a replacement blade retainer, and when the operator determines that the cutting ability has deteriorated due to wear of the replacement blade or an increase in deposits, the replacement blade is replaced.

[0004]

However, there are the following problems in the production of thin slices using the above-described conventional microtome. The first problem is that a cutting edge having a high cutting ability must be used. The cutting ability required for the cutting edge is the sharpness of the cutting edge tip angle,
Since it depends on the surface roughness of the cutting edge portion, the shape accuracy (straightness) of the tip, etc., it is necessary to use a cutting edge that satisfies these conditions. However, it is very difficult to manufacture a cutting edge that satisfies these conditions.

The second problem is that the sliced sections are of good quality (especially 3
In order to cut out (μm or less), extremely high skill (skill level) and concentration are required. At the time of cutting, the thin section is likely to have defects such as wrinkles, shrinkage, and tears, and in order to reduce the occurrence of these defects, a constant cutting speed or a cutting edge that is moved during the cutting process, or It is necessary to make the direction and magnitude of the force applied to the solid sample constant. It is very difficult to acquire these techniques, and to maintain the concentration from beginning to end during the cutting operation of several hundred continuous sheets.

[0006] The third problem is that the life of the replacement blade is short. As mentioned above, the replacement blade for the microtome is
It is very sharply and accurately ground. However, when the number of times of cutting increases, the amount of deposits such as paraffin increases and the cutting ability decreases. This is due to the large frictional resistance between the cutting edge and the solid sample. Therefore, in recent years, replacement blades with a coating agent that reduces frictional resistance on the cutting edge have been sold, but the coating agent peels off and the ability to reduce frictional resistance declines as the number of cuttings increases. For example, the amount of deposits increases and the cutting ability decreases.

In addition, some paraffin-embedded biological samples have high hardness like small bones, and the cutting ability may be reduced due to chipping or wear at the tip of the cutting edge. is there. The short life of the replacement blade and the large number of replacement blade replacements are problems both in terms of working time and cost of the replacement blade. The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned problems, reduces various precisions required for cutting blades, reduces the cost of replacement blades, causes thin sections during cutting, wrinkles, shrinkage, and other problems such as tears. Even if you are not an expert with high skill, you can cut out thin slices relatively easily, and extend the life of the replacement blade, the time required for replacement blade replacement and the cost of replacement blade. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a thin slice and a device therefor capable of suppressing the above-mentioned problems.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides (1) moving a solid sample or a cutting blade by an amount corresponding to a desired cutting thickness, and then using the cutting blade. In the method for producing a thin slice by cutting the solid sample, the solid sample is vibrated in an arbitrary direction perpendicular to the direction in which the solid sample or the cutting blade moves during the step of feeding the solid sample, The sample is cut.

(2) In a thin-slice manufacturing apparatus for moving a solid sample or a cutting blade by an amount corresponding to a desired cutting thickness and then cutting the solid sample by the cutting blade to prepare a thin slice, , A vibration generator provided on the base and having a sample clamp, and a solid sample set on the sample clamp, which is perpendicular to the direction in which the solid sample moves during the step of feeding the solid sample. This solid sample is cut while vibrating the solid sample in the direction of.

(3) In the thin slice manufacturing apparatus described in (2) above, the vibration generator includes a parallel spring formed between the bottom surface of the base and the bottom surface of the sample clamp, a side surface of the base, and the side surface of the base. A laminated piezoelectric actuator connected to the side surface of the sample clamp is provided. (4) In the thin-slice manufacturing apparatus according to (2), the vibration generator includes a linear guide provided between a bottom surface of the base and a bottom surface of the sample clamp, a side surface of the base and a side surface of the sample clamp. And a laminated piezo actuator connected to.

According to the present invention, since it is configured as described above, (1) the object to be vibrated is a solid sample, and in fact, the solid sample and the cutting blade make relative motion in the cutting step, Generally, either may be vibrated, but vibrating the cutting blade is structurally more difficult than vibrating the solid sample. Therefore, it is desirable to give vibration to the solid sample side in terms of structure and cost.

(2) By vibrating only in an arbitrary direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the solid sample or the cutting blade during the feeding process and not vibrating in the feeding direction, the surface condition is good and the thickness varies. It is possible to cut out good thin sections with few defects. For example, the frequency of vibration applied to the solid sample is in the ultrasonic range (about 20 kHz) and the amplitude is 10 μm.
The following is desirable.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an apparatus for producing thin sections by a vibration assisted cutting method showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In the conventional microtome cutting process, it is roughly classified into a sliding type and a rotary type based on the locus of the moving axis.
There are differences in whether the moving shaft for the feeding process and the moving shaft for the cutting process are attached to the solid sample side or the cutting blade side, but the cutting blade and the solid sample during the feeding process and cutting process are different. Since the relative movement of the same is the same when either of them is moved, in this embodiment, the solid sample is moved in the feeding step and the cutting blade is moved in the cutting step.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for producing thin sections by the vibration assisted cutting method showing an embodiment of the present invention. At the time of cutting, a microtome in which the cutting blade 1 linearly moves in the direction indicated by A is called a sliding microtome, and when the cutting blade 1 takes a rotational orbit as indicated by B and C, it is called a rotary microtome. .

The cutting blade 1 includes a replacement blade 2, a replacement blade holder 3, a replacement blade holder 4, and a bolt 5 for clamping the replacement blade.
Consists of Although not shown in FIG. 1, the replacement blade holder 3 is attached to the moving body which is restricted only in the moving direction shown in A. Next, a specific first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, in the embodiment of the present invention, a vibration generator 10 is provided. The vibration generator 10 includes a solid sample 15, a sample clamp 14, a parallel spring 13, a laminated piezo actuator 12, and a base 11.
It is composed of

The solid sample 15 is a biological sample embedded in an embedding material such as paraffin, and is fixed by the sample clamp 14. The bottom of the sample clamp 14 and the base 11 are connected by a set (two) of parallel springs 13. The side surface of the base 11 and the side surface of the sample clamp 14 are
They are connected by the laminated piezo actuator 12, and by controlling the voltage applied to the laminated piezo actuator 12 to expand and contract, the solid sample 15 can be vibrated in a certain direction.

Here, the application direction of the vibration applied to the solid sample 15 may be any direction as long as it is perpendicular to the feeding direction E of the solid sample 15, but the direction perpendicular to the moving direction A of the cutting blade 1 is preferable. Here, the vibration is applied in the D direction. A parallel spring 13 is used in the structure of the vibration generator 10 shown in FIG. 1 to realize movement without backlash. For example, it is desirable that the frequency of vibration applied to the solid sample 15 is in the ultrasonic range (about 20 kHz) and the amplitude is 10 μm or less. However, in the case of this structure, the parallel piezo actuator 12 is expanded and contracted to make the parallel spring 1
When 3 is deflected, a slight displacement occurs in a direction other than the D direction, that is, in the feeding direction E of the solid sample 15. However, this amount of displacement is much smaller than the displacement of the solid sample 15 in the feeding direction E, and therefore does not pose a problem.

Further, the vibration generator 10 is fed only in the E direction, which is the feeding direction of the solid sample 15, by the restrained moving shaft (not shown in FIG. 1). Next, a specific second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a partial configuration diagram of a thin slice manufacturing apparatus by a vibration assisted cutting method showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in this figure, the vibration generator 20 of this embodiment includes a sample clamp 25 for setting a solid sample 26, a linear guide 24 (linear guide rail 24a,
It is composed of a linear guide nut 24b), a laminated piezo actuator 12 and a base 11. The difference from the first embodiment is that a linear guide 24 having a ball or a cylindrical roller built therein is used instead of the parallel spring 13 of FIG. 1, and a linear guide nut 24b is provided on the bottom surface of the sample clamp 25. Linear guide rail 2 on base 11
4a is provided and constitutes the linear guide 24.

In the first embodiment, when the laminated piezo actuator 12 is expanded / contracted and the parallel spring 13 is bent, a slight displacement in the E direction other than the D direction that has occurred does not occur in this embodiment. . However, since the laminated piezoelectric actuator 12 is weak against the external force in the extending direction as compared with the compressing direction,
In the process in which the laminated piezo actuator 12 expands and contracts, the parallel spring 13 is bent during the expanding process and the laminated piezoelectric actuator 12 during the contracting process.
1 that can utilize the pulling force of the spring and the restoring force of the parallel spring 13
The structure (1) requires a smaller capacity (power) of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 12.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention, which are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Since the vibration-assisted cutting method is used for cutting out the thin section, it is possible to reduce various precisions required for the cutting edge.

(2) In addition, the occurrence of defects such as wrinkles, shrinkage, and tears that occur in thin slices when the thin slices are cut is suppressed, and it is relatively easy for even a person with no high skill to perform thinning. It is possible to cut out a section. (3) Furthermore, by suppressing the frictional resistance between the blade and the solid sample to be small, the life of the blade can be extended. It is also effective for relatively hard samples.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a thin-section manufacturing apparatus by a vibration-assisted cutting method showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial configuration diagram of an apparatus for producing thin sections by a vibration assisted cutting method showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cutting Blade 2 Replacement Blade 3 Replacement Blade Holder 4 Replacement Blade Presser 5 Bolt 10,20 Vibration Generator 11 Base 12 Laminated Piezo Actuator 13 Parallel Spring 14,25 Sample Clamp 15,26 Solid Sample 24 Linear Guide 24a Linear Guide Rail 24b Linear guide nut

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method for producing a thin slice, comprising: moving a solid sample or a cutting blade by an amount corresponding to a desired cutting thickness, and then cutting the solid sample with the cutting blade to produce a thin slice. A method for producing a thin section, which comprises cutting the solid sample while vibrating the solid sample in an arbitrary direction perpendicular to the direction in which the solid sample or the cutting blade moves during the feeding step. 2. A thin slice producing apparatus for producing a thin slice by moving a solid sample or a cutting blade by an amount corresponding to a desired cutting thickness, and then cutting the solid sample by the cutting blade to produce a thin slice (a). A base, (b) disposed on the base,
A vibration generator having a sample clamp; and (c) a solid sample set on the sample clamp, (d)
While vibrating the solid sample in any direction perpendicular to the direction in which the solid sample moves during the step of feeding the solid sample,
A device for producing a thin section, characterized in that the solid sample is cut. 3. The thin slice manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vibration generator includes a parallel spring formed between a bottom surface of the base and a bottom surface of the sample clamp, a side surface of the base and the sample clamp. An apparatus for producing thin slices, characterized in that it is provided with a laminated piezo actuator connected to the side surface of the. 4. The thin slice manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vibration generator includes a linear guide provided between a bottom surface of the base and a bottom surface of the sample clamp, and a side surface of the base and the sample clamp. An apparatus for producing a thin slice, comprising a laminated piezoelectric actuator connected to a side surface.