Leica SP1600 User Manual

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Leica SP1600
Saw Microtome
Instruction Manual
Leica SP1600 – Saw Microtome V1.1 English - 12/03 Always keep this manual near the instrument! Read carefully prior to operating the instrument!
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The information, numerical data, notes and value judg­ments contained in this manual represent the current state of scientific knowledge and state-of-the-art tech­nology as we understand it following thorough investi­gation in this field. We are under no obligation to update the present manual according to the latest technical develop­ments, nor to provide our customers with additional copies, updates etc. of this manual. For erroneous statements, drawings, technical illustra­tions etc. contained in this manual we exclude liability as far as permissible according to the national legal system applicable in each individual case. In particu­lar, no liability whatsoever is accepted for any finan­cial loss or consequential damage caused by or relat­ed to compliance with statements or other information in this manual. Statements, drawings, illustrations and other informa­tion as regards contents or technical details of the present manual are not to be considered as warranted characteristics of our products.
These are determined only by the contract provisions agreed between ourselves and our customers. Leica reserves the right to change technical specifica­tions as well as manufacturing processes without pri­or notice. Only in this way is it possible to continuously improve the technology and manufacturing techniques used in our products. This document is protected under copyright laws. Any copyrights of this document are retained by Leica Mi­crosystems Nussloch GmbH. Any reproduction of text and illustrations (or of any parts thereof) by means of print, photocopy, micro­fiche, web cam or other methods –including any elec­tronic systems and media – requires express prior permission in writing by Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH. For the instrument serial number and year of manufac­ture, please refer to the name plate at the back of the instrument.
© Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH
Published by: Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH
Heidelberger Str. 17 - 19 D-69226 Nussloch Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 6224 143-0 Fax: +49 (0) 6224 143-200 eMail: histo_info@leica-microsystems.com Internet: http://www.histo-solutions.com
Serial No. ...................................................................
Year of manufacture ................................................
Manufactured in: .. Federal Republic of Germany
3SP1600 – Saw microtome
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1. Preliminary remarks
The Leica SP1600 Saw Microtome is specifically for “cutting” extremely hard and brittle materials such as bone, ceramics and reinforced plastics. The sawing method used prevents deformations in the sections.
The heart of the microtome is the diamond-coated innerhole saw. An annular frame makes it excellently stable although it is only 300 µm thick. To make a sec­tion, the object holder is guided extremely slowly against the saw rotating at a speed of approx. 600 rpm.
The built-in water cooling device prevents overheat­ing of the object and removes sawdust from the cut­ting edge. It also prolongs the life of the saw blade. The amount of water is regulated with a valve. The sec­tion thickness is set manually with a knurled screw on the object arm.
2. Installation and assembly
It is important to place the saw microtome on a stable bench. Water supply and drainage facilities must be nearby (length of pipes approx. 2 meters.)
2.1 Attaching the object arm
Pull out the clamp pin (2.2) and attach the object arm (2.4). It is correctly located when in the position for screwing over the saw (see Fig. 2). Insert the corre­sponding Allen screws (2.1), tighten with the supplied Allen key (4 mm) and mount the plastic covers. Press the object arm back into the starting position, the clamp pin (2.2) locks into place. Tighten the screw (2.5).
Fig. 1 Leica SP1600 Saw Microtome
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Fig. 2
1 Allen screws to secure the object arm 2 Object arm clamp 3 Stop bar for the clamp 4 Object arm
Instruction Manual V1.1 - 12/2003
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2.2 Connection to the water supply
Attach the plastic cover (3.2).
Push the red pressure pipe (3.8) onto the valve (3.4) and fix with the corresponding clip. The pressure pipe has an internal diameter of approx. 1 cm. With the ap­propriate adapter it can be affixed to any water tap.
Attach the drainage pipe (3.5) to the instrument as shown in the diagram and guide the other end to a water basin. The end of the pipe leading into the basin must be at least 30 cm lower than the end connected to the microtome.
2.3 Connection to the mains
The saw microtome is now ready for operation. It is available for connection to a mains voltage of 230V 50Hz or 120V 60 Hz.
Fig. 3
1 Nozzle 2 Plastic cover 3 Motorized ventilation 4 Valve for regulation of water flow 5 Drainage pipe 6 Model plate 7 Mains cable 8 Pressure pipe leading to water supply
5SP1600 – Saw microtome
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3. Operation
3.1 Mounting the object
The object mount (4.2) has a stage area of 6 to 30 mm. Objects with sizes within this range can be mounted directly and secured with the knurled wheel. Smaller or larger objects are first cemented to plates with 2­component adhesive.
Pick up the object holder by the knob (4.4) and insert into the corresponding guide on the object arm (5.2). For this, the object arm must be fixed in the back posi­tion (see under 2.1 ). Tighten the knurled screw (5.1).
Turn the knurled screw for the section thickness set­ting (5.4) to the right until the object holder is in its low­est position.
3.2 Setting the height of the object
Loosen the knurled screw (5.1), take hold of the knob (4.4) and pull out the object holder until the surface of the object is slightly above the upper edge of the saw. Tighten the knurled screw (5.1). Clamp the section thickness setting with the lever (5.5).
Fig. 4 Universal joint clamp
1 Object holder 2 Object mount 3 Knurled wheel to secure the object 4 Knob for holding 5 Plate with object cemented on
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Fig. 5
1 Knurled screw to secure the object holder 2 Sliding guide for the object holder 3 Scale ring for zero setting 4 Knurled screw for setting section thickness 5 Clamp for section thickness setting
Instruction Manual V1.1 - 12/2003
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3.3 Trimming the object surface
Turn on the water tap and adjust the water flow with the valve (3.4). Align the nozzle (3.1 ) so that the water jet lands on the edge of the saw blade. Turn on the motor with the switch (6.1). Unclamp the object by pull­ing the stop pin (2.2).
To save time, the speed of the object feed can be in­creased while the object is guided towards the edge of the blade. To do this, turn the knurled knob (7.1) clock­wise.
The object must not meet the saw blade at maximum speed. Shortly before contact is made, turn the knurled knob (7.1) back to the speed necessary for sawing.
The figures engraved on the knurled knob (7.1) are not absolute speed values, but only guidelines to enable repeat settings.
The most favorable feed rate must be determined for each individual object. As a general rule, however, the following applies: the lower the speed, the less the forces coming to bear on object and saw blade, i. e. the gentler the sawing process will be.
3.4 Making the section
After the object has passed through the saw, turn the object arm (2.4) back as far as it will go. It clicks into place audibly. Press the switch (6.1) to turn off the motor. Remove the section from the blade.
Fig. 6 Mains switch Fig. 7 Knurled knob for object feed
7SP1600 – Saw microtome
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3.5 Setting the section thickness
Unclamp the lever (5.5). First set the scale ring (5.3) to O (a height adjustment is not yet made). To set the sec­tion thickness, turn the knurled knob (5.4) anticlockwise. Every division on the scale represents 10 µm. Clamp at the chosen thickness with the lever (5.5).
When setting section thickness, the thick­ness of the saw blade (approx. 300 µm) must always be taken into account. For example, a setting of 400 µm is necessary to obtain a 100 µm thick section.
Switch on the motor. Then release the object arm clamp (2.2). Set the feed to the maximum rate until the object has almost reached the saw blade. Use a slower speed for cutting (see under 3.3).
The water cooling device is imperative for the sawing process.
3.6 Removing the section
If the section is relatively thin, it will stick to the blade after sawing because of the adhesive power of the water.
Thicker sections are generally pushed to the outer edge of the saw blade due to the centrifugal force.
Switch off the motor and remove the section. The next section can now be made as described under 3.5. It can happen, although it is very unusual, that the sec­tion falls into the inside of the microtome. It should not be fetched out before the sectioning work has been completed, as the object holder and saw have to be removed.
3.7 Changing the object
4. General information
Due to the thin blade of the inner-hole saw, incorrect handling can very soon lead to damage of the edge (e. g. deformation), making it impossible to produce thin sections.
Even an extremely high feed rate, especially at the mo­ment when the object makes contact with the rotating saw, can result in premature wear or damage to the saw. As a general rule, the slower the feed rate, the longer the life of the saw blade, which also depends on the type of object. It is not possible to repair the saw when defect; it must be replaced. The following are symp­toms suggesting that the saw blade is no longer work­ing properly and must be replaced: The object takes considerably longer to pass through the blade (using the same object and same feed rate). The blade “jumps” out of the object (object only par­tially cut). The edge of the saw is smooth (no diamond coating left). The saw rotation is no longer exactly circular. If these factors are noticed the saw blade must be re­placed as follows: Pull out the object holder. Remove the plastic cover (3.2). The saw blade in the annular frame is uncovered. Loosen the screws in the two drilled holes with the Allen key (4 mm). The screws remain in the annular frame. Clean the underlying parts of the cylinder. In­sert a new saw and press down to ensure a uniform bearing surface. Tighten the Allen screws. Insert the object holder (see under 3.1). The faulty saw together with the annular frame must be sent to the following address:
Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH Heidelberger Str. 17-19 69226 Nussloch Germany
Push the object arm (2.4) back until it clicks into place. Switch off the motor and turn off the water supply. Take hold of the object holder by the knob (4.4) and pull out after loosening the knurled screw (5.1). Continue as de­scribed under 3.1.
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Instruction Manual V1.1 - 12/2003
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5. Maintenance and cleaning
Framing and adjustment can only be done in our fac­tory, as only here are the optical checking facilities available for the exact alignment of concentricity. It is therefore a good idea to have two complete saws.
The attainable section thickness depends on various factors:
Type of object - The harder and more homoge­neous the object, the thinner the section attainable.
Quality of the saw’s condition
Feed rate - The slower the feed rate, the thinner the section attainable.
Object size - As already experienced with other mi­crotomes, the smaller the diameter of the object, the thinner the sections that can be obtained.
Under the most favourable conditions, section thick­nesses of approx. 30 µm can be achieved. For most objects, the optimal thickness is 80 -100 µm. This ap­plies principally to synthetic-resin embedded undecalcified bone.
High water pressure is not necessary for cooling the object. lt is sufficient to rinse the object and blade with the water. If water spurts out of the microtome, either the water pressure is too high (regulate with the valve
3.4), or the position of the water pipe must be slightly changed (see under 3.3).
After finishing work, always turn off the water tap to avoid unnecessary strain of the pressure pipe. The sliding guide (5.2) should be greased with Vaseline from time to time (depending on frequency of use, ev­ery three or six months). The inner part of the saw should be cleaned now and again, as sawdust and waste material build up here and can block the drain­age pipe.
The saw itself is rustproof and needs no special care.
9SP1600 – Saw microtome
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Warranty
Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH vouches for the fact that the delivered product un­derwent comprehensive quality control based on its strict internal testing criteria and is free of defects, and guarantees that all technical specifications and/or warranty of quali­ties was met.
The scope of the warranty is based on the content of the concluded agreement. The warranty terms of your Leica sales organization or the organization from which you have purchased the contractual product shall apply exclusively.
Service information
If you are in need of technical customer service or spare parts, please contact your Leica representative or the Leica dealer where you purchased the unit.
The following unit-related information is required:
Model designation and serial number of the unit
Location of the unit and a contact person
Reason for customer service request
Delivery date
Shutdown and disposal of the instrument
The unit or parts of the unit must be disposed of according to existing local applicable regulations.
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Instruction Manual V1.1 - 12/2003
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