Images Leica LMD6500 & LMD7000
Specimen Collection by Gravity
Laser microdissection uses a laser to isolate specific microscopic regions from tissue samples. The way in which specimens of interest are transferred and collected influences the specificity and quality of the end result. Only Leica Microsystems uses simple gravity for specimen collection.
- Fast and reliable contact-free and contamination-free specimen collection
- All specimen shapes and sizes are possible
- Standard consumables can be used for collection
- Collect directly into dry collection device or device with reaction buffer/media
The Leica Laser Microdissection System LMD6500
The LMD6500 is the classic solution for fast, reliable, contact- and contamination-free extraction of desired microscopic samples.
The Leica Laser Microdissection System LMD7000
The Leica LMD7000 has the most powerful and ajustable laser for microdissection of all kinds of tissue and in addition to all options of the LMD6500 the LMD7000 is also able to easily cut hard plant material up to wood of several 100 µm.
Laser Movement via Optics
Only Leica Microsystems uses high-precision optics to steer the laser beam using prisms along the desired cut line on the tissue.
Benefits:
- Highest possible precision and speed
- Direct real-time laser cutting with “Move and Cut”
- The best view for convenient movie documentation
Dedicated dry objectives for laser microdissection (5x – 150x)
Leading-edge Laser Technology
The Leica LMD7000 is the first laser microdissection system that integrates high energy per pulse, and high and adjustable repetition rates within one single system.
Benefits:
- Fully control the repetition to adapt the laser to a specific sample
- High-energy per pulse for thick and hard specimens
- High repetition rates for narrow cuttings and high speed
- Control all laser parameters including laser aperture to achieve an optimal cutting line
Membrane Slides
Leica provides a wide range of different membrane slides offering the best solution for your laser microdissection application. For glass slides PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) membranes are available, suitable for almost all applications (Usable area for LMD 19 x 41 mm). A special big glass slide with PEN membrane offers an usable area of 39 x 45 mm for laser microdissection for big tissue samples.
Beside the glass slides with PEN or PPS membrane (MembraneSlides), membranes on steel frames (FrameSlides) allow the usage of a special LMD 150x dry objective. Available for steel frames are PPS membrane, suitable for almost all applications, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) membrane, recommended for MALDI-TOF downstream applications, POL (polyester) membrane recommended for chromosome spreads and a special FLUO membrane without auto-fluorescence and best suitable for DIC optics.
DIRECTOR® Slides
Tissue ablation with the LMD “Draw & Scan” mode enables you to collect your sample direct from a special coated, energy absorbing glass slides (DIRECTOR®) as well as from usual glass slides. In combination with the LMD “Draw & Cut” mode, the DIRECTOR® slides allow a fast and accurate sample collection with low laser power.
Standard devices for dissectate collection
Laser microdissected samples can be easily collected by gravity to all common molecular biology reaction devices caps like 0.2 or 0.5 ml tubes. This method is efficient and time-saving – no additional transfer steps are needed. Collection devices can be dry or with reaction buffer. No expensive special consumables are needed for collection.
Ibidi well slides and Lab on a Chip (LOC)
Leica laser microdissection supports Ibidi slides and LOC devices for high throughput applications. High flexible software tool provides you a free choice of specimen collection well slide.
Live Cell Cutting (LCC)Cell culture plays an important role in Science. Leica offers dedicated equipment for laser microdissection of living cells in culture in order to re-cultivate, clone or analyze single cells or cell clusters. If appreciated a climate chamber can be attached to the laser microdissection system. For laser microdissection cells can grow on petri dishes with PEN membrane, stackable membrane rings or multi-well ibidi slides; culture media must be removed (a slight film may remain on the cells) prior dissection. Dissectate of living cell culture can be collected into petri dishes with or without PEN membrane, ibidi slides, stackable membrane rings or 8-stripe tubes for re-cultivation or into collection devices as PCR tube caps or LOC for analysis.
Example: Laser Microdissection of a mouse aorta.
Frozen section (10 μm) of a mouse aorta (whole vessel) before (A) and after (B) Laser Microdissection stained with cresyl violet on a POL frame slide. Cap inspection allows identification of the dissected section in collector (C). Courtesy of K. Beuerlein, Rudolf-Buchheim-Institut fur Pharmakologie, Justus-Liebig-Universitat Giessen.