User manual LEICA CM1850

[. . . ] Cryostat Instruction Manual Leica CM1850 V2. 5 English ­ 04/2010 Always keep this manual near the instrument!Read carefully prior to operating the instrument! INFORMATION The information, numerical data, notes and value judgments contained in this manual represent the current state of scientific knowledge and stateof-the-art technology as we understand it following thorough investigation in this field. We are under no obligation to update the present manual periodically and on an ongoing basis according to the latest technical developments, nor to provide our customers with additional copies, updates etc. contained in this manual we exclude liability as far as permissible according to the national legal system applicable in each individual case. [. . . ] This is a safety feature to protect both the specimen and knife from damage!On reaching the front limit, the LED (2) of the button starts illuminating. rapid slow 2 Leica CM1850 ­ Cryostat 25 7. 7. 1 Daily use of the instrument Specimen freezing · Select the appropriate sectioning temperature (cryochamber temperature) for the sample material (please refer to 7. 4 Temperature selection chart`). 7. 1. 1 Quick freeze shelf The cryochamber has a quick freeze shelf (5, Fig. The temperature of the quick freeze shelf is always lower than the cryochamber temperature. 2 5 1 · Cut the specimen to size. · Activate the Peltier element (4), if available - it may take up to 40 seconds until the maximum refrigeration output is available. · Apply enough cryocompound to a specimen disc at room temperature. · Place the specimen disc in one of the holes of the quick freeze shelf and freeze the specimen at a low temperature. · Once the specimen is frozen, insert the specimen disc in the specimen head (Fig. 17 4 7. 1. 2 Stationary heat extractor · Fix the support (1) of the heat extractor (2) by tightening the 2 screws to the threaded holes on the left sidewall of the cryochamber and insert the heat extractor. After approximately 30 seconds contact, the specimen will be entirely frozen. · Once the specimen is frozen, place the heat extractor on the parking station (3). 26 Instruction Manual V 2. 5 ­ 05/2010 7. Daily use of the instrument 7. 2 Specimen discs 7. 2. 1 Inserting the specimen discs in the specimen head · Lock the handle of the handwheel in the upper position. · If the knife holder and a knife are in place, cover the knife edge with the knife guard. · Insert the shaft of the specimen disc (3) in the location hole (2) of the specimen head. The entire rear surface of the prism must have a good contact with the specimen head. Fig. 18 · Retighten screw (1). 7. 2. 2 Specimen orientation · To release, loosen screw (4). · Retighten screw (4). Leica CM 1850 ­ Cryostat 27 7. 7. 3 Daily use of the instrument Sectioning All necessary adjustments on the knife holder and anti-roll guide are described in the separate instruction manual for your knife holder in detail. 7. 3. 1 Trimming the specimen Take care when handling microtome knives and disposable blades. The cutting edge is extremely sharp and can cause severe injury! · Insert the precooled knife/blade in the knife holder and clamp. Adjustments between 4 ° and 6 ° (knife holder CN and CE-TC) or between 1 ° and 2 ° (knife holder CE) are suitable for most applications. · Remove the knife guard (knife holder CN) or fold the glass anti-roll guide (knife holder CE and CETC) over to the left. · Trim the specimen to shape approach the specimen towards the knife by means of the coarse feed buttons. Trim the specimen down to the required sectioning plane by turning the handwheel. · Position the anti-roll guide on the knife and align with the cutting edge. [. . . ] 33 10. 2. 2 Thermal block The thermal block (8) facilitates the removal of the frozen specimen from the specimen disc. Keep the thermal block outside the cryochamber at room temperature. Place it in the cryochamber only for specimen removal. · · 5 6 7 8 Place the cap (9) on the required side, so that the appropriate location hole for the specimen disc is visible. Insert the shaft (6) of the specimen disc (5) in the appropriate location hole (7) at the top or bottom of the thermal block. After about 20 seconds, the frozen specimen can be removed from the specimen disc with forceps. [. . . ]