title: Minimal compression of ultrathin sections with use of an oscillating diamond knife.
abstract: With the aim to minimize compression artefacts in ultrathin sections, coincident with the stroke direction, we have invented an oscillating diamond knife. Results and theoretical considerations explaining its function are discussed. During conventional ultrathin sectioning the resultant compression is in the order of 20-35% of section height. This holds true for sections of samples embedded into Lowicryl HM20 and of the polymer polystyrene, cut with a 45 degrees diamond knife and floated on water. The oscillating knife reduces this compression almost completely. It consists of a diamond knife on which a low voltage piezoelectric translator (piezo) is mounted, which oscillates when the piezo is driven by an alternating voltage source. No additional cutting artefacts were observed in the micrographs when they were compared with sections produced without oscillating the knife.
authors.affiliation: M. E. Müller Institute for Biomechanics, University of Berne, P O Box 30, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. danis@mem.unibe.ch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Studer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gnaegi
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000818:Animals; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000166:cytology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008867:Microtomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016613:Plastic Embedding; D011137:Polystyrenes
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D011137:Polystyrenes; C070811:Lowicryl HM-20