A Device for the Rapid Fixation of Fresh Frozen Tissue Sections

Abstract

The preparation of slides from fresh frozen tissue sections requires rapid immersion in the fixative. This is necessary since the method is particularly useful in demonstrating the presence of labile enzyme systems and for the localization of various soluble salts both of which usually require rapid immersion of the section in one of the chemical reagents used in the tests. Furthermore, unless the section is immediately immersed in the fixative just as melting occurs the cells of the tissue will be completely destroyed. In the device described, the slide is held in a chute above a jar of fixative, and, as soon as the frozen section is placed upon it, the slide is released by an electro-magnetic device and shot rapidly into the fixative by a spring-actuated mechanism. It is obvious that this method offers a means whereby tissues may be subjected to various chemicals without any intervening exposure to fixatives, etc. Thus tests may be applied to the tissues for the detection of various substances such as nucleic acid or for the localization of the sites of activity of highly labile enzyme substances.