Microtome Components with Conductive Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microtomes face challenges with the firm adhesion of sectioning waste fragments to their components, particularly the section collection pan, due to electrostatic charging, leading to contamination and difficult cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
Embodiment of microtome components that come into contact with paraffin sections and sectioning waste in electrically conductive materials to prevent electrostatic charging, ensuring all components are at a common electrical potential, thereby reducing adhesion and facilitating cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If components of the microtome are made electrically conductive to prevent electrostatic charging, then the adhesion of sectioning waste and thin sections is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to material selection and implementation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical conductivity parameter of the microtome components by using electrically conductive materials instead of conventional insulating materials. This parameter change eliminates electrostatic charging, preventing the adhesion of sectioning waste and thin sections to the components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials that combine electrical conductivity with the necessary mechanical properties for microtome components. This allows the components to maintain their structural integrity while acquiring the electrical conductivity needed to prevent electrostatic adhesion of waste materials.
2Reliability
If intensive cleaning and disinfection is performed frequently to prevent infection from contaminated sectioning waste, then the reliability of infection prevention is improved, but the loss of time and productivity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful electrostatic effect that causes waste adhesion into a beneficial prevention mechanism. By making components electrically conductive, the harmful electrostatic charging is eliminated, which in turn prevents waste accumulation and reduces the need for frequent cleaning, thus saving time while maintaining infection prevention reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrically conductive components provide a self-cleaning effect by preventing waste adhesion in the first place. The components maintain themselves in a clean state through their electrical conductivity, reducing the need for external cleaning interventions and minimizing time loss while ensuring continuous infection prevention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The electrically conductive components effectively prevent the permanent deposition of sectioning waste, simplifying the cleaning process and reducing contamination risks by eliminating electrostatic charging, thus maintaining a cleaner and safer operating environment.
Implementation Method 1
the components of the microtome that can be brought into contact with paraffin sections are embodied in electrically conductive fashion
Implementation Method 2
thin sections of contaminated samples, especially those dropping down, adhere very particularly firmly to housing portions of the microtome, and in particular to the section collection pan, if the housing portions of the microtome and/or the section collection pan are electrostatically charged
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a microtome (1) having functional regions to be operated manually, in particular a sample holder (2), a cutting device (3), a section removal system (4), and a section collection pan (5). A microtome (1) is described in which the particularly firm contact or adhesion of sectioning waste fragments and, in particular, of thin sections can be at least largely avoided. For this purpose, the microtome (1) according to the present invention is characterized in that the components of the microtome (1) that can be brought into contact with paraffin sections are embodied in electrically conductive fashion.