A Microtome Specimen Holder Advanced by Thermal Expansion

Abstract

A microtome specimen holder which advances the specimen by thermal expansion is described. The holder was heated by an electrical current, the value of which could be regulated to give any desired rate of heating and expansion. A quantitative comparison was made between the heating and expansion rates of the Newman, Borysko and Swerdlow CO2 precooled instrument and the electrically heated instrument. It was found that the electrically heated specimen holder fulfilled the requirements of flexibility, reproducibility, sensitivity and linearity.