US20050235542A1 - Microtome for producing thin sections - Google Patents

Abstract

A microtome for producing thin sections includes a knife holder (32) with a cutting knife (33), a sample holder (34) for samples (42) embedded in a cartridge (40), a feed device (31) for changing the distance between the cutting knife (33) and the cartridge (40), and a drive device for producing a cutting movement between the cutting knife (33) and the cartridge (40). The microtome also includes a reading device (54) for coded information (45) applied to a cartridge (40), and a control device (10) with a computer for coordination of functional sequences. A magazine (60) with code (62) and partitions (61) holds prepared cartridges (40), and a handling device (50) provides for the controllable removal of a cartridge (40) and positioning on the sample holder (34) as well as returning cartridges into the magazine (60). The reading device (54, 53) is assigned to the magazine housing and/or the handling device (50).

Description

• The invention relates to a microtome having the features of the preamble of claim1.
• WO 00/62035 A1 discloses such a microtome having an automatic function sequence. The sample, embedded in a cartridge, is provided with an individual identification code and automatically fixed to a sample holder. The information contained in the code is read. The thin sections corresponding to the code are prepared and deposited on an object carrier. After that, the cartridge is removed from the sample holder, if appropriate indexed further and kept in a collecting container. The thin sections on the object carrier are prepared further and evaluated one after another by image analysis. The images recorded are stored. If further thin sections are needed from a specific sample, the corresponding cartridge has to be found from the collecting container and introduced into the system again.
• DE 101 54 843 A1 discloses a microtome in which an indexed cartridge is fixed manually in a sample holder. The sample holder with the cartridge is moved relative to the cutting knife of the microtome. During each new cutting movement, the code applied to the cartridge is read by a reading device fitted to the microtome housing and supplied to a printer in order to label an object carrier. The thin section produced in each case is deposited manually on the object carrier printed in parallel therewith. In this way, confusion when assigning thin section and labeled object carrier is minimized.
• The coded information applied to the cartridge can relate both to statements about the sample and about the preparation technique and the execution of the section. An apparatus for the corresponding labeling of cartridges or object carriers is disclosed by DE 101 15 065 A1.
• The invention was based on the object of rationalizing the operations of sample preparation and indexing, sample storage and thin section creation in a microtome and nevertheless of largely ruling out the risk of confusion when evaluating the samples.
• In a microtome of the type mentioned at the beginning, this object is achieved according to the invention by the characterizing features of claim1. Advantageous refinements emerge from the features of the subclaims.
• The desired rationalization is given firstly by the fact that suitable specialized staff is able to concentrate on processing the samples with embedding in the cartridge and indexing, with information relating to the execution of the section. Insertion into the magazine, likewise provided with an unambiguous code, can be carried out as desired, since, by means of the reading device, both specific cartridges can be selected specifically and, as is also the case in cartridges processed step-by-step one after another, the information read out in each case can be used for labeling the object carrier.
• Further rationalization is given by the fact that other suitable specialist personnel are able to introduce the filled magazines into the handling device and are then able to concentrate on removing the section and identifying the object carriers. During automatic labeling of the object carriers corresponding to the code of the cartridge just selected, which is carried out at the same time as the production of the section, auxiliary staff are also able to place the thin section respectively produced on the prepared object carriers. Of course, it is also possible to deposit the thin section automatically on the labeled object carrier and also to introduce the magazines automatically into the handling device.
• The filled and likewise indexed magazines can be kept in a space-saving manner and permit rapid access to selected cartridges. If the magazines are stored in a refrigerated housing or a refrigerated chamber, temperature-sensitive samples can also be stored securely over a relatively long time period and kept in stock for subsequent examination. In this case, it is advantageous if the magazine is stored in a refrigerated or insulated chamber on the microtome during the production of the thin sections.
• An exemplary embodiment of the microtome according to the invention is illustrated schematically in the drawing and will be described in more detail in the following text by using the figures, further advantages being brought out. Here,
• FIG. 1 shows an overall view of the microtome with peripheral devices,
• FIG. 2 shows a handling device with magazine on the microtome,
• FIG. 3 shows an empty cartridge with identification area and
• FIG. 4 shows a cartridge with embedded sample and individual cartridge code.
• InFIG. 1, an overall view of the microtome is shown schematically by using function blocks. Ahandling device50 withmagazine60 is connected by a handlingdevice control line13 to acontrol device10. The latter is connected via amicrotome control line12 to themicrotome30 and via an object carrierprinter control line11 to anobject carrier printer20, and monitors and controls the functional sequences of themicrotome30. Thecontrol device10 can in this case be a separate higher-order computer system, as illustrated inFIG. 1, or also, in a manner not further illustrated, integrated in theobject carrier printer20 or in a housing, not illustrated, including themicrotome30 and thehandling device50. In the case of thedisk microtome30 illustrated inFIG. 1, the cutting movement is produced by a rotatingdisk35. Thesample42 embedded in acartridge40 and to be microtomed is inserted by ahandling device50 into thesample holder34 in adepression36 in the rotatably mounteddisk35. Here, the code stored on thecartridge40 is read and registered by thecontrol device10. The functioning of thehandling device50 will be described in more detail later by usingFIG. 2. In order to produce thin sections, thesample42 is moved from an initial position in the area of thehandling device50, guided rotationally past thecutting knife33 fixed in theknife holder32 and moved into an end position corresponding to the initial position. During this, theobject carrier printer20 removes anobject carrier25 from theobject carrier supply21 and, by using pre-definitions from thecontrol device10, creates on theobject carrier25 an identifier which ensures an assignment to thesample42 just microtomed. Theobject carrier25 printed in this way is provided at theobject carrier ejector22, where the thin section is deposited manually or automatically on theobject carrier25. In order to produce a further thin section from thesame sample42, thefeed device31 is moved forward in the direction of the rotatably mounteddisk35 by a value predefined by thecontrol device10 which corresponds to the required thin section thickness, and the procedure just described is repeated.
• Manual operation of theobject carrier printer20 or of thecontrol device10 is possible via theinput device23 and can be monitored via thedisplay device24. For instance, an operator is able to input corrections to the cutting speed or the cutting window or to improve the production of the section in this way and to initiate the renewed production of thin sections. The procedures are repeated until either the thin section produced has the required quality or the desired number of thin sections have been produced from thesample42 just inserted and have been deposited on the correspondingly printedobject carriers25.
• FIG. 2 shows ahandling device50 withmagazine60 fitted to a microtome. Themagazine60 is introduced manually or automatically into a refrigerated/insulatedhousing55, which can be a constituent part of thehandling device50. During insertion, a magazinecode reading device53 fitted to or in the refrigerated/insulatedhousing55 reads amagazine code62 applied to themagazine60 and transmits it to thecontrol device10. Themagazine code62 is evaluated there. In themagazine60, there is a relatively large number of prepared cartridges, not further illustrated, arranged one after another inpartitions61. Themagazine60 is stored within the refrigerated/insulatedhousing55 such that it can be displaced in amagazine guide63 and is moved to a predetermined initial position by means of control predefinitions from thecontrol device10 in accordance with the evaluatedmagazine code62. From one of thepartitions61, by means of agripper51 which is fixed to adisplacer52, acartridge40 with embeddedsample42 is then introduced laterally into thesample holder34 by means of a translational movement. Theselected cartridge40, as it is guided out, is led past a cartridgecode reading device54 with itsidentification area43 described in more detail inFIG. 3 and merely indicated inFIG. 2. Thehandling device50 transmits the data read by thereading device54 via the handlingdevice control line13 to thecontrol device10, which evaluates said data and, for example, transmits it to theobject carrier printer20 via the object carrierprinter control line11 for the purpose of corresponding printing of theobject carrier25. Additional information relating to the further treatment can be stored individually in thecontrol device10 in relation to each of the samples stored in themagazine60. This information can contain the desired number of thin sections, the section thickness, the section plane and the cutting speed, and in this way can be used for the further optimal control of themicrotome30. After the thin sections have been created as described in relation toFIG. 1, thecartridge40 is returned from thesample holder34 into theassociated partition61 of themagazine60. By displacing themagazine60 in themagazine guide63, the next cartridge to be microtomed is brought into the gripping position, picked up by thegripper51 and inserted into thesample holder34 as described above by thedisplacer52 in order to produce a thin section. Each of the steps described here can be implemented by individually controllable drive means. However, it is advantageous, for example, to couple the stepping movement of themagazine60 with the linear ejection movement of thedisplacer52 andgripper51, which permits efficient, sequential processing of a filledmagazine60. For this purpose, the upper or lower side of themagazine60 is provided with guide channels64 arranged at right angles to the direction of the stepping movement. In these guide channels64, coupled to the linear movement of thedisplacer52, there runs, for example, a pin bar, which is not specifically illustrated, is mounted such that it can pivot, the pin of which engages in the guide channels64 of themagazine60 and, guided along an inclined control profile, not further illustrated, ensures a stepping movement of themagazine60 in the direction of themagazine guides63. Of course, the guide channels64 themselves can also be arranged obliquely with respect to the direction of the stepping movement. Then, the translational movement of thedisplacer52 andgripper51 can be used directly to produce the stepping movement.
• Themagazine60 illustrated inFIG. 2 haspartitions61 aligned obliquely with respect to themagazine guide63, so that the cartridges and therefore also the embedded samples are aligned with their section plane parallel to the plane of thesample holder34. The angle of inclination of thepartitions61 in themagazine60 therefore preferably coincides with the angle at which the cutting movement on themicrotome30 is carried out. In order to configure theidentification area43 of thecartridges40 in themagazine60 such that it can be read from the outside, thepartitions61 can be arranged vertically in themagazine60. It is advantageous in this case that themagazine60 can then hold more cartridges. However, in this case it is disadvantageous that, as acartridge40 is being guided out of themagazine60 in order to insert the same into thesample holder34 on themicrotome30, an inclined movement in the direction of the section-producing plane is additionally necessary, if the latter is not designed to be oblique, as illustrated inFIG. 1.
• Anempty cartridge41 with anempty identification area43 is illustrated inFIG. 3. Thecartridge41 hasapertures44, illustrated as square, in its housing for the improved fixing of the embedding material for the samples. Shortly before, during or after the respective sample has been embedded in theempty cartridge41, anindividual cartridge code45, illustrated inFIG. 4, is applied by the operator in theidentification area43.
• FIG. 4 shows acartridge40 withsample42 embedded and anindividual cartridge code45 applied in theidentification area43. Theindividual cartridge code45 normally contains only data which permits the sample to be assigned to a patient and to an examination or removable time, because of the restricted space in theidentification area43 of thecartridge40. However, if code identifiers with a high information storage density are used, all the information data relating to thesample42 and additional information data relating to the creation of the thin sections can be stored on the cartridge itself. The effort for information processing in thecontrol device10 can be reduced in this way, since thecartridge40 itself already contains all the relevant information in itsindividual cartridge code45.
• Since a large number of parameters influence the quality of the thin sections produced by themicrotome30, it is advantageous to deposit additional information and findings about the condition of thesample42 embedded in thecartridge40 in a data base belonging to thecontrol device10 or in theindividual cartridge code45. For instance, if it is a soft sample, the preferred cutting speed should be chosen differently than in the case of a hard sample. The size of the sample influences the size of the cutting window. Thus, in conjunction with the microtome according to the invention, findings about these parameters can already be assigned during the sample processing to each individual cartridge by experienced personnel and already have an advantageous influence in advance on the quality of the thin sections subsequently produced. For instance, together with themagazine code62, the position of each cartridge in themagazine60 and theindividual cartridge code45 associated with one another can be stored in a data base belonging to thecontrol device10. Given appropriate capacity of themagazine code62, this information can also be stored directly there.
• For the purpose of coding, bar codes known per se, two-dimensional dot(bar)codes, magnetic storage media or (film) microchips which can be programmed and read by radio can be used.
• Thus, it is then possible to move deliberately to a specific cartridge in a time-saving manner and without processing each individual cartridge step-by-step one after another and to select said cartridge for further processing.
• Since temperature-insensitive samples42 can even be stored at room temperature but the production of thin sections ofsamples42 embedded in paraffin is often problematical at room temperature, themagazine60 together with the cartridges stored there can also be cooled down in the refrigerated/insulated housing55 mentioned in the description relating toFIG. 2 before the production of a section. In this case, thecontrol device10 ensures that thesample42 is brought to the optimum cutting temperature. Given an appropriate configuration as arefrigerated housing55, even the freezing temperature of thesample42 otherwise used only in the case of what are known as cryostat microtomes can also be achieved. Conventional cryostat microtomes have the disadvantage that the entire microtome is located in a refrigerated chamber, which results in an increased power consumption and makes the design, handling and cleaning of the microtomes more difficult. In the case of the microtomes according to the invention, however, there is the advantage that the operating personnel can operate in an accustomed manner, as in the case of a conventional microtome, and it is nevertheless possible to process samples which can otherwise only be microtomed in the frozen state. The ideal cutting temperature can on the one hand be stored in a data base which belongs to thecontrol device10 such that it can be assigned to the individual cartridges or magazines, or stored in themagazine code62 itself.
LIST OF DESIGNATIONS
• 10 Control device
• 11 Object carrier printer control line
• 12 Microtome control line
• 13 Handling device control line
• 20 Object carrier printer
• 21 Object carrier supply
• 22 Object carrier ejection
• 23 Input device
• 24 Display device
• 25 Object carrier
• 30 Microtome
• 31 Feed device
• 32 Knife holder
• 33 Cutting knife
• 34 Sample holder
• 35 Disk
• 36 Depression
• 40 Cartridge
• 41 Empty cartridge
• 42 Embedded sample
• 43 Identification area
• 44 Apertures
• 45 Individual cartridge code
• 50 Handling device
• 51 Gripper
• 52 Displacer
• 53 Magazine code reading device
• 54 Cartridge code reading device
• 55 Refrigerated/insulated housing
• 60 Magazine
• 61 Partitions
• 62 Magazine code
• 63 Magazine guide
• 64 Guide channels

Claims (9)

1. A microtome for producing thin sections, containing

a) a knife holder (32) with cutting knife (33),

b) a sample holder (34) for samples (42) embedded in a cartridge (40),

c) a feed device (31) for changing the distance between cutting knife (33) and cartridge (40),

d) a drive device for producing a cutting movement between cutting knife (33) and cartridge (40),

e) a reading device (54) for coded information (45) applied to the cartridge (40), and

f) a control device (10) with computer for coordination of all the functional sequences, wherein

g) a magazine (60) with code (62) and partitions (61) for holding prepared cartridges (40), and also

h) a handling device (50) for the controllable removal of a cartridge (40) and positioning on the sample holder (34) as well as returning into the magazine (60) are provided, and

i) the reading device (54,53) is assigned to the magazine housing and/or the handling device (50).

2. The microtome as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the magazine (60) is coupled to the microtome (30).

3. The microtome as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a bar magazine (60) is provided.

4. The microtome as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the magazine (60) and the partitions (61) are aligned in such a way that the cartridges (40) are kept with their section plane parallel to the plane of the sample holder (34) as they are fed to the sample holder (34).

5. The microtome as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the handling device (50) contains a displacer (52) for the removal and return of the cartridges (40).

6. The microtome as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the magazine (60) is stored in a refrigerated housing (55).

7. The microtome as claimed inclaim 6, wherein the magazine (60) is mounted in the refrigerated housing (55) such that it can be displaced under control.

8. The microtome as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a disk microtome (30) with sample holder (34) guided rotationally past the cutting knife (33) is provided.

9. The microtome as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the thin sections are deposited on an object carrier (25) and the control device (10) is connected to a printer (20) in order to label the object carriers (25).

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