How to buy a microtome
What should you pay attention to when buying a microtome? How to choose the right microtome? Here, we offer you a few suggestions that can help you through the buying process.
1. Safety
The microtome blade is very sharp and the user is at risk of being cut during operation, ensuring the safety of laboratory staff is always the most important. In our years of experience, the highest risk for microtomy-related injuries comes from forgetting the blade when cleaning the microtome. To minimize such risks, choose a microtome with the following features:
Handwheel with safety lock to prevent movement of the sample head
When the microtome is not in use, the safety guard covers the blade. This enables the user to clean the microtome or replace the microtome without touching the blade
The blade ejector helps to remove the blade from the blade holder without touching the blade.
2. Ergonomics
Repeating arm movements with a handwheel for hours can cause discomfort and increase your risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The ergonomically designed microtome allows users to adjust the microtome to personal preference, such as customizable coarse feed wheels that help reduce stress on the shoulders. If your lab staff prefers a manual coarse feed wheel for rock dressing, make sure it is as close to the user as possible for extended ergonomic comfort.
3. High quality sections are a result of multiple factors: precision, stability and quality of the individual components, including the following:
The precision of the feeding mechanism.
The stability of the microtome to ensure vibration-free sectioning.
Quality of the components e.g. blade and knife holders, specimen clamps and associated consumables (blades).
A precise specimen-orientation with zero-point reference allows for rapid aligning of the block and is ideal for re-cuts.
4. A microtome is built to last, but when a service call is required, ensure that it is serviced appropriately by the manufacturer.
Confirm there are manufacturer-compliant and qualified engineers available to repair the microtome to extend its useful life.
Ensure the appropriate parts are available to service the instrument according to factory settings. Many third-party service providers may not have access to parts, and/or may not have immediate availability to parts, which can lead to downtime, ultimately affecting turnaround time and patient care.
