| 摘要 |
A microtome having a rotatable platform and a fixedly mounted cutting blade which is disposed perpendicularly to the axis of a shaft about which the platform rotates. With each rotation, it carries the specimen holder beneath the blade. The height of the cutting edge of the blade relative to a specimen mounted atop the holder determines the thickness of any section cut therefrom. After each cut, the holder can be automatically raised in height by a predetermined increment to allow another section of the same thickness to be cut. Mechanisms are also provided which eliminate play in both the radial and axial directions between a cylindrical housing supporting the platform and the shaft, so that the microtome can be used to make extremely precise cuts of specimens. Not only can it precisely cut specimens in sizes accommodated by either the rotary or base-sledge microtomes of the prior art but also the microtome according to the present invention can precisely cut specimens which are too large for either of these earlier machines. Moreover, with it, an operator can load a specimen while keeping his hands at a considerable distance from and out of line with the cutting blade, substantially reducing the risk of his exposure to deadly diseases as a result of a blade-related injury.
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