Good Vibrations for Great Sections in Neuroscience
Leica VT1200 and Leica VT1200 S
Bianca Kircher, Leica Microsystems
“Ideally, a tissue slicer should generate large-amplitude and high-frequency movements of the cutting blade in a horizontal axis, with minimal vibrations in the vertical axis.”* (According to Prof. Peter Jonas, Institute of Physiology, University of Freiburg, Germany)
Leica Microsystems translated this into the semi automated Leica VT1200 and the semi- and fully automated Leica VT1200 S Vibrating Blade Microtome for cutting fresh and fixed tissues in neuroscience. Both instruments cut tissue with minimal vertical deflection for sectioning results of highest quality with viable cells retained on the section surfaces. The vertical deflection can be measured by using the optional measurement device Vibrocheck and minimised below 1 μm by using an adjustment screw on the blade holder. The semiautomatic instrument is the preferred instrument for users who wish to manually select the desired section thickness prior to each section.
This fully automated instrument is recommended for multi user laboratories where users who prefer semi-automated vibrating blade microtomes and users who prefer fully automated instruments can work together. The mode of operation can be individually selected and up to eight individual parameter settings can be stored. The instrument was designed in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Peter Jonas and his group, Physiology Department, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Key features
– High section quality
– Vertical vibration measurement device “Vibrocheck”
– New blade holder for safe blade insertion
– Removable ice and buffer tray (drawer principle)
– Integrated palm rests
– Integrated LED illumination
– Optional magnifier
– Optional microscope
– External control panel
* Reference
J. R. P. Geiger, J. Bischofberger, I. Vida, U. Fröbe, S. Pfitzinger, H. J. Weber, K. Haverkampf, P. Jonas: Patch-clamp recording in brain slices with improved slicer technology. Pflügers Arch. – Eur. J. Phy siol. (2002) 443: 491–501.
