DiATOME the histo knife for light microscopy

Applications:

  • High quality diamonds guarantee perfect sections and a durable cutting edge

  • Easy wetting cutting edge

  • Optimised serial sectioning

  • Large boat for easy pick-up

Knife type

Knife angle

Size

Thickness
range

Boat type

Application

histo

45°

4.0mm
6.0mm
8.0mm

0.2-2mm

histo boat

Sectioning biological and industrial materials specimens for optical microscopy 

histo Jumbo

45°

6.0mm
8.0mm

0.2-2

Jumbo boat

Large boat for serial sectioning

histo cryo
(dry)

45°

4.0mm
6.0mm
8.0mm

0.2-2

histo holder

Sectioning biological and materials specimens for optical microscopy

histo cryo
(wet)

45°

4.0mm
6.0mm
8.0mm

0.2-2

Small histo boat

Wet sectioning of polymers (with DMSO/water mixture)

Histo knives

The knife is designed for the sectioning of hard and soft biological and industrial materials, non-embedded or embedded in methacrylate or epoxy resins.
The Histo knife may be used on all ultramicrotomes and microtomes with a retraction of the specimen in the return phase.

For the production of our Histo knives we use natural diamonds of highest quality. They guarantee the best quality and durability of the cutting edges.

Some of the advantages of our Histo diamond knife compared with glass knives:

  • Perfect sections, free of scores or compression

  • Serial sections without knife change

  • Thinner sections

  • Extreme durability of the cutting edge

  • No knife making procedure

  • Lifetime guarantee

Nondecalcifi ed rat bone. Scale: 35 mm = 100 μm. Daniel Studer, Anatomisches Institut, Bern.

Histo Jumbo knives

For 3D reconstruction it is imperative not to lose a single section (Ref. Blumer).
The large Jumbo boat as well as the adhesive (Pattex compact by Henkel) applied to the side of the sample block increase the distinct advantages of our histo knives.

Features:

  • Easy production of section ribbons (0.5-2µm)

  • No section loss

  • No folding

  • The same orientation of all sections

  • Easy collection of section ribbons

  • Multiple ribbons on one glass slide

  • Perfect for immuno-histo-chemistry

Eye of A. peroni: photographic sequence of some semithin sections of a complete serie through the eye.
L = lens; RE = retina.
Michael J. F. Blumer, Institut für Zoologie, Universität Wien.
Reprinted from: Ribbons of semithin sections: an advanced method with a new type of diamond knife. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 120, pp. 11 – 16, 2002, with permission from Elsevier.

Histo Cryo knives

histo cryo knives are delivered with a boat for wet sectioning using a DMSO/water mixture or in triangular holders for dry sectioning, made of a special copper/nickel alloy, which guarantees the best heat/cold transmission.

E. B. Hunziker, M. E. Müller, Institute for Biomechanics, University of Bern. Rabbit joint, calcified cartilage/bone. X760

References:

  1. O.L. Reymond: The «semi» diamond knife: a substitute for glass or conventional diamond knives in the ultramicrotomy of thin and semi-thin sections. Bas. Appl. Histochem. 30, pp. 487-494, 1986.

  2. M.J.F. Blumer, P. Gahleitner, T. Narzt, C. Handl, B. Ruthensteiner: Strips of semi-thin sections: an advanced method with a new type of diamond knife. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 120,pp. 11-16, 2002. Contact adress M.J.F. Blumer: michael.blumer@uibk.ac.at

  3. M.J.F. Blumer: Development of a unique eye: photoreceptors of the pelagic predator Atlanta peroni (Gastropoda, Heteropoda). Zoomorphology 119, pp. 81-91, 1996.