Cryostat Chuck Tab Portion for Safe Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation, manipulation, and removal of existing cryostat chucks are hazardous due to the proximity of the sharp microtome, risking bodily injury and equipment damage, and operators are exposed to cold temperatures during handling.
Innovation Solution
A cryostat chuck with a tab portion designed for gripping by hand or robotic tools, which distances the user from the microtome and provides a means for safe manipulation, featuring a textured or slip-resistant surface and optional thermal insulation, allowing for easy insertion, adjustment, and removal without modifying existing cryostat devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the chuck is handled directly near the specimen mounting surface, then manipulation is easier, but the risk of injury from the sharp microtome and exposure to cold temperatures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tab portion serves as an intermediary element between the operator's hand and the chuck body. It provides a safe gripping point that is spatially separated from both the sharp microtome blade and the cold specimen mounting surface, allowing operators to manipulate the chuck without direct exposure to harmful factors while maintaining full control over the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The tab portion extends laterally from the chuck in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stem portion, creating a new spatial dimension for manipulation. This lateral extension moves the gripping surface away from the hazardous zone near the microtome and cold specimen area, adding spatial separation without complicating the chuck's fundamental structure.
2Reliability
If a tab portion is added to the chuck for safe handling, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chuck is segmented into distinct functional portions: the specimen platform portion for holding specimens, the stem portion for engagement with the cryostat, and the tab portion for manual manipulation. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall design simple and modular.
Solution Approach 2:
The tab portion is provided with a textured or slip-resistant surface specifically at the gripping area, while other portions of the chuck maintain smooth surfaces appropriate for their functions. This localized application of surface treatment enhances safety where needed without adding complexity to the entire device structure.
3Reliability
If the tab portion has a textured surface for better grip, then handling safety is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surface of the tab portion is modified by changing its physical parameters - specifically, a textured or slip-resistant surface is applied to increase friction and improve grip. This parameter change enhances safety without requiring complex manufacturing processes, as the texture can be achieved through standard surface treatment techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A cryostat chuck is disclosed. The disclosed chuck may be configured for use in a frozen-sectioning device, such as a cryostat, or other suitable host equipment. The disclosed chuck may include a tab portion configured, in accordance with some embodiments, to provide a means for gripping the chuck by hand (e.g., human or robotic) or by a tool or other desired interfacing element. The tab portion may serve to distance a user's hand or piece of gripping equipment from the sharp microtome of the host cryostat, reducing the opportunity of sustaining bodily injury or equipment damage. Moreover, the tab portion may provide a means by which the cryostat chuck may be manipulated when inserting, adjusting, or removing the chuck prior to, during, or after engagement by the cryostat (or other suitable host equipment).