[Histonet] Blades for cutting resin on a microtome

Keyser Gerald T GKeyser <@t> uwhealth.org
Fri Sep 12 09:46:57 CDT 2014


I've only cut resin with a glass or diamond knife in an ultramicrotome. If you are attempting to do it in a regular microtome, you would need a special blade holder. I don't know if any microtome manufactures make glass knife holders. 

You make the glass blades yourself using special glass. Here is a link to the glass strips: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/g2528?lang=en&region=US

Here is a cheap jig and diamond glass cutters it make the knifes:
https://www.emsdiasum.com/microscopy/products/preparation/glassknife.aspx

I've never made glass knives by hand using a hand held diamond cutter and jigs. I imagine that it would take practice.  

I've only used a specialized maker:
https://www.emsdiasum.com/microscopy/products/histology/tissue_stainer.aspx

You paint a bit of nail polish underneath the glass edge and put a bit of distilled water on the edge. You then section the block floating the sections on the water. Use an eyelash manipulator to pick up the 5um thick sections and place on a bubble of water on the slide. Evaporate the water droplet on the slide. If you've done it right, the sections won't look like origami. If it does, then practice until it doesn't. 

Gerry 

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Véronique Barrès
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 9:33 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Blades for cutting resin on a microtome

Happy Friday Histonetters!

I am working on a histology platform in a research center and someone came to me last week and asked to cut blocs of resin (JB-4 resin) on the microtome. I never cut anything else than paraffin, so I was wondering if some of you had advices for me?

They never did it neither and took their protocol in a paper where it was said that we should use disposable glass knife instead of standard metal blades. Are any of you ever used those knife? Where do you buy them?
We have an old Leica RM2125.

Thanks for your advices!

Véronique
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