The Working Animal

Leica SM2500 Large Scale, Heavy-Duty Sectioning System

Claudia Dorenkamp, Leica Microsystems

Large specimens and whole organs like brains embedded in paraffin need special equipment: They can be sectioned with the Leica SM2500 large scale, heavy-duty sectioning system.

The precise photo position of the Leica SM2500 allows complete photo documentation of all desired levels of the cut block surface, making it possible to reconstruct a 3D image of the specimen.

With a wide range of accessories, the Leica SM2500 microtome can be configured to meet specific user requirements: A large variety of knife holders and knives is available to ensure the best possible cutting results. For different embedding materials or specimen properties, specific knife types are required. The higher the cutting forces, the more knife holder stability is needed to ensure reproducible thin sections.

At a Glance

• Easy- to-use heavy-duty sectioning system
• Fully motorised operation
• Programmable sectioning
• Maximum specimen size: 250 x 200 mm
• Maximum vertical stroke length: 70 mm
• Two selectable photo positions
• Three different modes of operation
• Choice of different specimen holders
• Choice of different knife holders
• Section counter, section thickness totalizer
• Programmable cutting window
• Programmable knife retraction value
• Specimen orientation (XY)
• Two selectable specimen stop positions