Instrumentation in Histopathology (Microtome Knives) Flashcards
BEVEL ANGLE
27-32°
Are brittle and expensive, but
very durable
Diamond Knives
Have both sides straight
PLANE-WEDGE KNIFE
Recommended for cutting paraffin embedded sections on a
rotary microtome
BICONCAVE KNIFE
It is the result of the clearance angle and the upper bevel
angle of the knife or blade.
CUTTING ANGLE
Angle of the edges of the wedge knife
WEDGE ANGLE
Used for trimming and semithin sectioning of tissue blocks
for electron microscopy.
Glass Knives
One side of the knife is flat while the other is concave
PLANE-CONCAVE KNIFE
This is the body of the knife or blade.
WEDGE ANGLE
kind of slide used in In HistoPath laboratory
frost-ended slides
Can be used to remove excess paraffin so that only the
tissue is on the slide
MICROWAVE
Used for hard sharpening
Honing
kind of slide used In the Hematology lab
the normal slides are used.
in floatation water bath, A small amount of _____ may be added to water to reduce surface tension and allow section to flatten out.
detergent
CLEARANCE ANGLE
5-10°
Dependent on the tilt or knife holder
CLEARANCE ANGLE
Should be prepared and
stored in dust-free boxes with
lids, just before use, to avoid
contamination.
Glass Knives
Floatation Water Bath temperature
About 10°C below the melting point of the paraffin wax.
Used to cut any type of resin
block for electron microscopy
Diamond Knives
Recommended for frozen sections or for cutting extremely
hard and tough specimens embedded in paraffin blocks
using a base-sledge type or sliding microtome
PLANE-WEDGE KNIFE
The concave sideof the PLANE-CONCAVE KNIFE is used to cut what
paraffin sections
Done to remove burrs
Stropping
Both are needed for handling sections during cutting and
removing folds and creases during “floating out” in water bath
FORCEPS AND SQUIRREL/CAMEL HAIRBRUSH
PLANE-CONCAVE KNIFE length
25 mm
They are already mounted in a
metal block designed to fit
directly into the knife holder of
the ultrathin microtome when
purchased
Diamond Knives
BICONCAVE KNIFE length
120 mm
Angle of the very tip of the knife or blade, between cutting
facets
BEVEL ANGLE
90° minus the angle of the upper facet of the knife
RAKE ANGLE
Angle between the block face and lower facet of the knife
CLEARANCE ANGLE
Commercially prepared
Glass Knives
Angle between the block face and upper facet of the knife
CUTTING ANGLE
PLANE-WEDGE KNIFE
length
100 mm
WEDGE ANGLE
15°
DRYING OVEN OR HOT PLATE temperature
melting point of the wax, 2-5 degrees
Celsius above* (*Gregorio’s)
The flat side of the PLANE-CONCAVE KNIFE is recommended for cutting what
celloidin-embedded
Have a sharp cutting edge that can cut 2-4 µ thick sections
with ease
DISPOSABLE BLADES
