Sectioning device and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a sectioning device that can easily bring a substrate close to a cutting edge, and a method for manufacturing the same.SOLUTION: A sectioning device 1 includes a knife part 3 and a liquid storage part 2 that has a tank 5 for storing a liquid and a front wall 6 for defining the front side of the tank 5 and holding the knife part 3. The knife part 3 has a cutting edge 3a located on the side opposite the tank 5 and a pair of blade surfaces 3b that form the cutting edge 3a. The front wall 6 holds the knife part 3 at an angle, with the cutting edge 3a facing obliquely upward. The inner surface 6a of the front wall 6 is located forward of a plane that passes through the lower end of the upper blade surface 3b of the knife part 3 and is inclined at the same angle as the inclination angle of the knife part 3, and has a steeply inclined surface 6a that allows a substrate inserted into the tank 5 to move forward to or near the lower end of the blade surface 3b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slice preparation device and a method for manufacturing a slice preparation device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, diamond knives have been used to prepare sections for electron microscopes or optical microscopes (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). A diamond knife has a boat that stores water and a knife part that is held on the front wall of the boat. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] DiATOME Diamond Knife, ultra 35° 4.0mm, [online], Science Services, [Retrieved January 19, 2024], Internet<URL:https: / / www.scienceservices.eu / diatome-diamond-knife-ultra-35-4-0mm.html> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The knife section is arranged at an angle so that the cutting edge at the front end faces diagonally upward. In order to store the knife section arranged in this manner inside the boat, the inner surface of the front side of the boat in Non-Patent Document 1 is inclined. On the other hand, when retrieving the slices, it is desirable to bring a substrate such as a slide glass immersed in water as close as possible to the cutting edge. In the case of the diamond knife described in Non-Patent Document 1, the substrate interferes with the inclined inner surface, making it difficult to bring the substrate close to the cutting edge. For example, the substrate ends up being approximately 10 mm or more away from the cutting edge.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a slice producing device that can easily bring a substrate close to the cutting edge, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a section creation device comprising: a liquid storage section having a knife section for slicing a sample to create sections; a tank that is open at the top and stores liquid; and a front wall that defines the front side of the tank and holds the knife section; the knife section has a cutting edge located on the opposite side from the tank and a pair of blade surfaces that form the cutting edge; the front wall holds the knife section at an angle with the cutting edge facing diagonally upward; the inner surface of the front wall is located forward of a plane that passes through the lower end of the upper blade surface of the knife section and is inclined at the same angle as the inclination angle of the knife section, and has a steeply inclined surface that allows a substrate inserted into the tank to move forward to or near the lower end of the upper blade surface.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned slice-making device, which includes the steps of fixing a knife portion precursor member having the cutting edge and the pair of blade surfaces to the front wall, and cutting off a portion of the knife portion precursor member that protrudes beyond the steeply inclined surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an effect is achieved in that the substrate can be easily brought close to the cutting edge. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a sectioning device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a front view of the sectioning device of FIG. 1 as seen from the front side. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the slice producing device of FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the sectioning device of FIG. 1 as seen from the left side. [Figure 2D]FIG. 2 is a right side view of the sectioning device of FIG. 1 as seen from the right side. [Figure 2E] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the slice producing device of FIG. 1 as seen from above. [Figure 2F] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the sectioning device of FIG. 1 as seen from below. [Figure 3] FIG. 2B is a partial cross-sectional view of the section preparation device taken along line II in FIG. 2E. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the sectioning device of FIG. 1 in use. [Figure 5] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing the slice producing device of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A slice preparation device and a method for producing the same according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The section preparation device 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a microtome or ultramicrotome and slices a sample to prepare sections. The section preparation device 1 is also called a knife, and when it has a cutting edge 3a made of diamond as described below, it is also called a diamond knife.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 2F, the sectioning device 1 comprises a box-shaped boat (liquid storage section) 2 with an open top, a knife section 3 held on the front wall 6 of the boat 2, and a fixing section 4 for fixing the sectioning device 1 to a microtome or ultramicrotome. The boat 2 has a front-to-rear direction X, a left-to-right (lateral) direction Y, and an up-to-down direction Z that are perpendicular to each other, and is disposed so that the front-to-rear direction X and the left-to-right direction Y are horizontal and the up-to-down direction Z is vertical.

[0012] The boat 2 is made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel. The boat 2 has a generally rectangular box shape in plan view from above, and includes a tank 5 that is open at the top and stores water (liquid), and four side walls 6, 7, 8, and 9 that define the front, rear, right, and left sides of the tank 5, respectively. The fixing part 4 is provided on the underside of the boat 2. The inner surface 6a of the front wall 6 is a vertical surface disposed in a substantially vertical direction, and is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction X. The inner surfaces 7a, 8a, 9a of the other side walls 7, 8, 9 may also be vertical surfaces like the inner surface 6a.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, the knife section 3 has a sharp cutting edge 3a located on the front side (opposite the tank 5) and extending in the left-right direction Y, a pair of cutting surfaces 3b and 3c that form the cutting edge 3a, and an end surface 3d located on the rear side. The pair of cutting surfaces 3b and 3c are flat surfaces that form an acute angle with each other, and the cutting edge 3a is formed between the cutting surfaces 3b and 3c. The cutting edge 3a may be made of diamond. The knife section 3 is housed in a groove 10 formed in the front wall 6 and is fixed to the front wall 6 by any fixing means such as a screw or adhesive. The groove 10 penetrates the front wall 6 in the thickness direction and is open at the top.

[0014] The knife section 3 is held in the groove 10 at an angle with the cutting edge 3a facing diagonally upward. Specifically, the knife section 3 has a central axis C, which is inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z. The central axis C is the longitudinal axis of a knife section precursor member 30, which will be described later. In the example of FIG. 3, the central axis C passes between the blade surfaces 3b and 3c. Therefore, one blade surface 3b on the tank 5 side (i.e., the rear or upper side) is inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z so as to move downward from the front side to the rear side. The lower end of the blade surface 3b is located on the same plane as the inner surface 6a. The end surface 3d is a flat surface exposed to the inner surface 6a and located on the same plane as the inner surface 6a.

[0015] As described above, the inner surface 6a is a vertical surface, which allows the substrate B inserted into the tank 5 to move forward to the lower end of the cutting edge 3b, making it easy to position the substrate B near the cutting edge 3a (see Figs. 2E and 4).

[0016] The inner surface 6a shown in the referenced drawings has a central portion in the left-right direction Y where the knife section 3 is located, and flat side portions on either side of the central portion, with the central portion being slightly recessed forward relative to the side portions. The lower end of the blade surface 3b and the end face 3d are located on the same plane as the side portions.

[0017] The upper surface 8b of the right wall 8 has an edge 8c and a recess 8d at least in the front portion. The edge portion 8c is a flat surface perpendicular to the up-down direction Z, and is disposed above the inner surface 8a and on the outside in the left-right direction Y. The recess 8d is provided between the inner surface 8a and the edge 8c and is a portion that prevents the substrate B from interfering with the upper end of the inner surface 8a. Specifically, the recess 8d is a flat surface that connects the inner end of the edge 8c in the left-right direction Y with the upper end of the inner surface 8a, and is inclined in a direction that displaces downward as it moves inward in the left-right direction Y.

[0018] Figure 4 shows an example of how to use the section preparation device 1. As shown in Figure 4, when retrieving the section S, the substrate B is inserted into the tank 5 from the right side at an angle relative to the liquid surface of the water A in the tank 5, and is placed in the front part of the tank 5. The inclination angle of the relief portion 8d with respect to the left-right direction Y is determined based on the inclination angle of the substrate B relative to the liquid surface when the section S is retrieved, and is larger than the inclination angle of the substrate B. This allows the substrate B to be supported at an angle at the inner end of the edge portion 8c without interfering with the upper end of the inner surface 8a. The upper surface 9b of the left wall 9 also has an edge 9c similar to the edge 8c and a recess 9d similar to the recess 8d.

[0019] Next, an example of how to use the slice creating device 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 4, substrate B is inserted into tank 5 from the right side at an angle in the left-right direction Y so that a portion of substrate B is placed in water A, and then substrate B is moved forward until the front side of substrate B contacts inner surface 6a. At this time, since inner surface 6a is a vertical surface, substrate B can be moved forward in the front-rear direction X to the same position as the lower end of blade surface 3b, regardless of the depth of substrate B in water A, and substrate B can be placed near cutting edge 3a (see Figure 2E). Next, the slices S that have been sliced by the cutting edge 3a and float on the water surface are collected on a substrate B. Fig. 4 shows a plurality of slices S aligned in a line in the front-rear direction X from the cutting edge 3a.

[0020] The slice S sliced by the cutting edge 3a floats on the water surface while remaining in contact with the cutting edge 3a or near the cutting edge 3a, so when collecting the slice S, it is desirable to position the substrate B as close as possible to the cutting edge 3a. According to this embodiment, as described above, the substrate B can be brought close to the lower end of the blade surface 3b in the front-rear direction X. For example, if the thickness d (see FIG. 4) of the front wall 6 is 2 mm, the substrate B can be placed 2 mm rearward from the cutting edge 3a. By placing the substrate B in this manner, the slice S can be easily collected on the substrate B.

[0021] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the upper surface 8b of the right wall 8 has a recess 8d on the inside in the left-right direction Y. This prevents the substrate B from interfering with the upper end of the rounded surface of the corner between the inner surfaces 6a, 8a (see area D in FIGS. 1 and 2E), and allows the substrate B to be reliably brought close to the cutting edge 3a until it comes into contact with the inner surface 6a. Similarly, when substrate B is inserted into tank 5 from the left side, the upper surface 9b of left wall 9 has a recess 9d, which prevents substrate B from interfering with the upper end of the rounded surface of the corner between inner surfaces 6a and 9a, ensuring that substrate B is brought close to cutting edge 3a.

[0022] In manufacturing the boat 2, the inner surfaces 6a, 7a, 8a, and 9a are cut using a cutting tool such as an end mill. In this process, it is difficult to machine the corner between the inner surfaces 6a and 8a at a right angle, resulting in a curved, rounded surface. If the right wall 8 does not have the recess 8d and the inner surface 8a and the upper surface 8b are directly adjacent to each other, the substrate B supported at the inner edge of the upper surface 8b will come into contact with the arc-shaped upper end of the rounded surface. Therefore, it is difficult to bring the substrate B close enough to the cutting edge 3a that the front side surface of the substrate B will come into contact with the inner surface 6a.

[0023] Next, a method for manufacturing the slice producing device 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the manufacturing method of the slice preparation device 1 of this embodiment includes a fixing process of fixing the knife portion precursor member 30 to the front wall 6 of the boat 2, and a cutting process of cutting off a portion of the knife portion precursor member 30. The precursor member 30 has a cutting edge 3a, cutting surfaces 3b and 3c, and a main body 3e. The main body 3e is a rectangular flat plate extending along a central axis C, and the cutting surfaces 3b and 3c are provided at one end of the main body 3e. The precursor member 30 may be a knife used in conventional diamond knives.

[0024] In the fixing process, the precursor member 30 is placed at an angle in the tank 5 so that the end of the precursor member 30 on the cutting edge 3a side is accommodated in the groove 10, and the precursor member 30 is positioned so that the cutting edge 3a is positioned at an appropriate position and angle, and then the end of the precursor member 30 is fixed to the front wall 6.

[0025] To facilitate positioning of the precursor member 30 relative to the boat 2 , the boat 2 may have a first positioning surface 11 and a second positioning surface 12 . The first positioning surface 11 is the bottom surface of the groove 10, and the second positioning surface 12 is the inner surface of the front side of a recess 13 formed in the bottom surface 5a of the tank 5. The positioning surfaces 11 and 12 are flat surfaces that are inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z in a direction that displaces downward from the front side to the rear side. The positioning surfaces 11 and 12 are inclined at the same inclination angle and are arranged on the same plane. By placing both ends of the precursor member 30 in the groove 10 and the recess 13 and bringing the lower (or front) surfaces of both ends of the precursor member 30 into contact with the positioning surfaces 11 and 12, the precursor member 30 can be positioned at an appropriate predetermined inclination angle relative to the boat 2.

[0026] Next, in the cutting step, the precursor member 30 is cut along the same plane E as the inner surface 6a, thereby removing the portion of the precursor member 30 that protrudes from the inner surface 6a, thereby forming an end surface 3d that is disposed on the same plane as the inner surface 6a. After the cutting step, the recesses 13 are no longer needed, so a process may be carried out to fill or hide the recesses 13, for example, to improve the aesthetic appearance of the slice producing device 1. In this way, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the slice creating device 1 can be manufactured using an existing knife used in a conventional diamond knife.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the steeply inclined surface is a vertical surface, but the steeply inclined surface may have other shapes and angles as long as it allows the substrate B inserted into the tank 5 to move forward to the lower end of the blade surface 3b or its vicinity. Specifically, the steeply inclined surface may be any surface located forward of the plane P. As shown in Fig. 3, the plane P passes through the lower end of the blade surface 3b and is inclined at the same angle as the knife portion 3 (i.e., parallel to the central axis C in a side view in the left-right direction Y).

[0028] For example, the steeply inclined surface may be a flat surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z at an angle smaller than that of the plane P. Alternatively, the steeply inclined surface may be a curved surface or may have a step. Conventional diamond knives have a knife portion precursor member 30 as the knife portion, and are structured so that the entire knife portion is stored inside the front wall of the boat, so that the inner surface of the front wall is a slope that is positioned rearward of plane P. With such an inner surface of the front wall, a substrate inserted at an angle into the tank can only be moved forward to a position away from the bottom end of the cutting edge due to interference with the inner surface of the front wall, making it difficult to position the substrate close to the cutting edge. The steeply inclined surface of this embodiment, unlike conventional diamond knives, allows the substrate to easily approach the lower end of the cutting edge 3b or its vicinity without interfering with the inner surface of the front wall, and allows the substrate B to be positioned closer to the cutting edge 3a than with conventional diamond knives.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the entire inner surface 6a is a steeply inclined surface, but instead, only a portion of the inner surface 6a may be a steeply inclined surface. The area where the steeply inclined surface is provided can be selected as long as it allows the substrate B, which is inserted obliquely into the tank 5, to approach the lower end of the blade surface 3b or its vicinity. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, when collecting the section S, the substrate B is often placed at a shallow position in the tank 5, so only the upper part of the inner surface 6a may be vertical, and the lower part of the inner surface 6a may protrude rearward from the vertical surface. Alternatively, in applications where the substrate B is inserted into the tank 5 from the rear side to the front side (see Fig. 2E), the steeply inclined surface may be provided only in the central part of the inner surface 6a in the left-right direction Y.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the recess 8d does not necessarily have to be a flat surface, and may have another shape as long as it can prevent the substrate B, which is supported at an angle at the inner end of the edge 8c, from interfering with the upper end of the inner surface 8a. For example, the recess 8d may be a curved surface or may have a step. Similarly, the recess 9d may also have another shape. Also, only one of the two side walls 8, 9 may have a recess.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the knife section 3 may protrude from the inner surface 6a. For example, the method for manufacturing the slice producing device 1 may not include the cutting step, and the knife section 3 may have the main body section 3e. Even in this case, the substrate B can be moved forward to near the lower end of the cutting edge 3b without interfering with the inner surface 6a, so the substrate B can be positioned closer to the cutting edge 3a than with conventional diamond knives.

[0032] The above describes embodiments and modifications of the present invention, but the slice creation device of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the recesses 8d and 9d do not necessarily have to be provided. The inner surfaces 7a, 8a, and 9a other than the inner surface 6a of the front wall 6 do not necessarily have to be vertical surfaces, and may be, for example, inclined surfaces or may have steps. The boat 2 may be made of a material other than metal, for example, resin. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Slicing device 2 Boat (liquid storage part) 3 Knife part 3a Cutting edge 3b, 3c Blade surface 3d End face 5 Groove 6 Front wall 8 Right wall (transverse wall) 9 Left wall (transverse wall) 6a, 7a, 8a Inner surface 8b, 9b Upper surface 8c, 9c Edge 8d, 9d Relief part 30 Precursor member of the knife part A Water (liquid) B Substrate C Central axis S Slice P Plane

Claims

1. a knife unit for slicing the sample to create sections; a liquid reservoir having a tank with an open top for storing a liquid, and a front wall defining a front side of the tank and holding the knife section; the knife portion has a cutting edge disposed on the front side opposite the tank, and a pair of cutting surfaces forming the cutting edge; The front wall holds the knife portion obliquely with the cutting edge facing obliquely upward, The inner surface of the front wall is positioned forward of a plane that passes through the lower end of one of the blade surfaces on the tank side of the knife section and is inclined at the same angle as the knife section, and has a steeply inclined surface that allows a substrate inserted into the tank to move forward to the lower end of or near the lower end of one of the blade surfaces.

2. 2. The slice creating device according to claim 1, wherein the steeply inclined surface is a vertical surface that is disposed in a substantially vertical direction.

3. the liquid reservoir having a lateral wall adjacent the front wall and defining a lateral side of the vessel; The upper surface of the side wall is an edge portion disposed above and laterally outward from the inner surface of the lateral wall; 2. The slice creating device according to claim 1, further comprising a relief portion provided between the inner surface of the side wall and the edge portion, for preventing the substrate from interfering with an upper end of the inner surface of the side wall.

4. 2. The sectioning device according to claim 1, wherein the knife portion has an end surface that is disposed in the same plane as the steeply inclined surface.

5. A method for manufacturing the slice preparation device according to claim 1, a step of fixing a knife portion precursor member having the cutting edge and the pair of cutting surfaces to the front wall; and cutting off a portion of the knife portion precursor member that protrudes beyond the steeply inclined surface.

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