A blade clamping device for a microtome is provided. The blade clamping device includes: a base part; a pressure plate rotatably connected to the base part via a rotation shaft; a clamping pin received in the base part, and configured to extend out of the base part and push the pressure plate to rotate, so as to clamp a blade between the base part and the pressure plate; and a drive unit received in the base part, connected to the clamping pin and configured to drive the clamping pin to extend out of the base part.

Apparatuses for cutting tissue include an oscillator assembly and a clamp. The oscillator assembly defines a resonance frequency and includes a frame, an excitation element, and a blade. The frame has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the lower portion is configured to oscillate relative to the upper portion. The excitation element is coupled with the lower portion of the frame, and the excitation element is selectively operable to provide an excitation signal to the oscillator assembly sufficient to cause the oscillator assembly to oscillate at the resonance frequency. The blade is coupled with the lower portion for sectioning tissue. The clamp is selectively moveable along the frame to alter the resonance frequency of the oscillator assembly.

A microtomy system includes a tissue chuck configured to accept a tissue block and a microtome blade configured to remove one or more tissue sections from the tissue block, the microtome blade being axially offset from the tissue chuck along a horizontal axis, where the microtome blade and the tissue chuck are axially displaceable relative to one another along the horizontal axis. The system also includes a control system configured to receive information indicative of a relative axial location of the microtome blade to the tissue chuck along the horizontal axis, and to use a control loop to control the relative axial location of the microtome blade to the tissue chuck such that the one or more tissue sections have a desired thickness.

There is provided an automated system for preparing tissue samples that comprises one or more microtomes, a hydration system, and a processor, the processor being programmed to initiate facing, by one or more microtomes, of a first tissue block comprising a first tissue sample embedded in an embedding material, and cause the first tissue block to be hydrated by the hydration system for a first predetermined time, and initiate facing, by one or more microtomes, of a second tissue block while the first tissue block is being hydrated, the second tissue block comprising a second tissue sample embedded in an embedding material, and cause the second tissue block to be hydrated by the hydration system for a second predetermined time, and to initiate the one or more microtomes to begin sectioning of the first tissue block while the second tissue block is being hydrated.

A retraction device includes: a spindle, a support plate and a plurality of spring washers. The spindle is movable along an axis direction thereof and has a first end; a support plate has a fixed position, the first end of the spindle penetrates the support plate; and the plurality of spring washers are fitted over the first end of the spindle and stacked together in an identical direction. The plurality of spring washers are compressed between the spindle and the support plate with a predetermined pre-load. The spindle is configured to be switchable between a first position and a second position, and capable of moving a predetermined distance relative to the support plate in the axis direction of the spindle during switching. When in the first position, the spindle is farthest from the support plate, when in the second position, the spindle is closest to the support plate.

A microtome has a sectioning apparatus that comprises a microtome blade, for sectioning histological samples into thin prepared sections. The microtome is characterized in that an optical reading apparatus is present which reads an optically readable image pattern on the microtome blade, generates analog or digital image signals corresponding to the read image pattern and conveys the image signals to a control apparatus of the microtome.

A microtome includes: a base element; a mid element movably connected to the base element via a joint; a first cutting apparatus element; a second cutting apparatus element; a first actuator apparatus configured to move the first cutting apparatus element relative to the mid element in a delivery direction in order thereby to set a delivery of the object to the blade; a measuring apparatus configured to measure a position of the mid element or of the first cutting apparatus element in the delivery direction relative to a reference; and a controller configured to control the first actuator apparatus on the basis of the position measured by the measuring apparatus. This can compensate the effect of the mechanical play of the joint on the first cutting apparatus element.

There is provided a histology system that comprises a microtome configured to expose a face of a tissue block comprising a tissue sample embedded in an embedding material and remove one or more tissue sections from the sample, a hydration system configured to hydrate the tissue block by depositing a hydrating liquid on the face of the tissue block, and a transfer system configured to transfer the one or more tissue sections from the microtome to one or more slides. In some embodiments, the hydration system is configured to produce droplet condensation of the hydrating liquid and deposit the condensation on the face of the tissue block.

A retraction device includes a spindle movable along the axis thereof and an operating unit including a pull rod and a movable member. The movable member defines a step-shaped groove, the pull rod has a first end connected to the spindle, and a second end received in the groove; the groove includes a first step and a second step and an inclined face connecting the first step and the second step arranged along a first direction, and a height of the second step is greater than that of the first step along the axis direction of the spindle; the movable member is slidable along the first direction relative to the pull rod, to allow the spindle to switch between a retraction position in which the pull rod is received in the second step, and a release position in which the pull rod is received in the first step.

The preparation holding device of a microtome can be pivoted via a ball head. To pivot the preparation holding device, actuators are assigned to the latter as drives. A camera and laser diodes are arranged on the knife carrier of the microtome to detect the shape and positions of the preparation.