Free-hand sectioning machine invented for anatomical studies of biological materials

Abstract

This research was set to investigate an easier, faster, better and near-permanent sections made with advanced Free-Hand Sectioning Machine of tissues of Biological origin. The time of exposure using hazardous chemicals such as chloroform and xylene was considerably reduced to 5 to 30 minutes when compared to that of 2 to 3 hours in microtomy. The arrangement of 5 Razor Blades or more sets of such cross-sections, such that one vertical Nacet Blade lies in-between two horizontal Nacet Blades, serve as the heart of this machine, supported on both sides with two vertical sets of Tiger Blades, one on each reverse side. The material to be sectioned is placed through the hole immediately below the horizontal sets of blades, which are carefully pushed downward producing sections as thin as 5 to 15μm in thickness. The sections are pass through alcohol solutions of 30%, 50%, 70%, 95% and absolute alcohol for 10 minutes in each solution; and alcohol-chloroform series in the ratio of 3:1, 1:1, 1:3 and pure chloroform for 15 minutes in each series. The dehydrated sections were rehydrated in the same manner and stained with 50% alcohol with 1% Alcian blue for 5 minutes, rinsed with tap water and counterstained with 1% Safranin for 2 minutes, rinsed, dehydrated at 2 minutes in each solution and series, cleared in xylene and mounted with a drop of Canada Balsam previously mixed with xylene and a coverslip placed on it. The slides were dried in oven set at 300C. Photomicrographs were taken from good preparations.

Keywords: Free-Hand, Sections, Blades, Biological, Materials.