Microtome design is derived from OPN handheld Microtome. https://pages.stolaf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/803/2017/04/Giannini_OPN_Microtome_Manual_20170415.pdf
Glass cuts were informed by the following video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D0XLXVkJKE&list=RDQMt9myRA9-BI4&start_radio=1
It may also be possible to use thin shaving razors for specimen sectioning. I cite the following as inspiration: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artapr04/wdslicera.html
Plastic origami Microtome folds achieved as follows: fold plastic sheet, obtained from plastic folder cut, in half. Measure 1 cm on each side of fold and fold 1 cm lines opposite of half fold line. Finally, fold remaining length, on each side, using the "V" of center fold. Cut 1/2 cm slits at the halfway point of the length of the Microtome channel. The length of the channel should be measured to fit snugly between the glass slide inserted within the slide case and the short wall of the slide case. Enough space should be left on the non-specimen portion of the glass slide to make a specimen cut.
It may be necessary to come up with a new cover slip solution as what was viewed in the Carson handheld microscope was lacking in resolution. At the same time, it may just be that thinner sections need to be achieved (through practice).
Specimen advance function added to plastic origami Microtome system. 1/4 20 thread 3 in screw w/ added wing nut and securing but for thumb loosening and tightening. 7/32 drill bit used to drill hole in plastic so that plastic could be threaded. 7-11 slurpee straw used for bolt casing, the "slide end" contains the advanceable specimen. Useful for specimen ~3/8 in diameter. Shown here I am sectioning a twig of the giant oak in our yard.
Needed to craft a second microtome specimen holder for leaf sectioning. Basically, as described in the OPN microtome guide, a leaf is sandwiched between to foam tape sections and the specimen sandwich is placed in the rectangular bottomed specimen holder. Sectioning works as with the triangular framed bottom. I include some dimension info here but the specifics of dimensioning will be particular to your slide holder. Here I use a 25 slide holder and use dimensions of ~8 cm X ~5 cm for the specimen holders.
Had to make a new flat bottom specimen holder as 1 cm was too wide to hold the sandwich for leaf sectioning. The new specimen width was measured according to the thickness of the Scotch Mounting tape shown below (~1/3 cm for sandwich with leaf). The height of the specimen sandwich needs to also be considered because it needs to clear the "moon cut" in the glass slide. Because of this I will attempt to make a few different slides with differing heights to be used for different sample sizes. Of course, the higher the cut the more sensitive the glass slide is to breaking in half, and the more the width of the cut needs to be, which means it may extend beyond a razor blade's width. Using wider razor blades also means using thicker razor blades, which increases the thickness of a specimen section.
Comments
Post a Comment