Leica VT100 A manual

Leica VT1000 A Vibratome Operating Manual Leica VT1000 A V1.1 English - 01/2010 Always keep this manual with the instrument. Read carefully before working with the instrument.[...]

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3 Leica VT1000 A NOTE The information, numerical data, notes and val - ue judgments contained in this manual repre - sent the current state of scientific knowledge and state-of-the-art technology as we under - stand it following thorough investigation in this field. We are under no obligation to update the pres - ent manual periodically and on an o[...]

4 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 Contents 1. Important Notes ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Safety ........................................................................................................................[...]

5 Leica VT1000 A Notes, i.e. important information for the user, are highlighted in gray and marked by the symbol. Dangers, warnings and cautions appear in a gray box and are marked by a warning triangle. Symbols in the text and their meanings 1. Important Notes (5) (Fig. 3) Intended use The Leica VT1000 A is used for sectioning in the fields of me[...]

6 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 The safety and caution notes in this chapter must be observed at all times. Be sure to read these notes even if you are already familiar with the operation and use of other Leica products. 2. Safety 2.1 Safety notes This Operating Manual contains important in - structions and information regarding the oper - ati[...]

7 Leica VT1000 A 2. Safety Warnings – Markings on the instrument itself • Warning labels on the instrument marked with a warning triangle indicate that the correct operating instructions (as defined in this Operating Manual) must be followed when operating or replacing the item marked. Failure to adh[...]

8 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 2. Safety Warnings – Operating the instrument • Take care  when handling  disposable blades and sapphir e blades. The cutting edge is extr emely sharp and can cause serious injuries! Always wear work safety shoes and safety gloves! • Alwaysclampthesp[...]

9 Leica VT1000 A 3. Instrument Components and Specifications 3.1 Overview—instrumentcomponents Fig. 3 Fuses Instrument feet Connection Power cable Adjustment knobs for the sectioning window Connection for footswitch Foot switch ON/OFF Drainage valve for liquid from the Vibratome tray Power switch Nameplate Hazard warning Control panel[...]

10 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 3. Instrument Components and Specifications 3.2 Technical data General Approvals: The instrument-specific approval marks are located on the identification label. Operating temperature range: +10 °C to +35 °C Relative humidity: max. 80% non-condensing Operating temperature range during storage: + 5 °C to +55 [...]

11 Leica VT1000 A 4. Setup the Instrument 4.1 Standard delivery The standard equipment of the Leica VT1000 A is available in 3 variants and includes the following parts: 1. STARTER PACKAGE 1 Specimen Tray (includes V-block adapter) ................................... 39053744 1 Specimen Blocks, (3 blocks) ...........................................[...]

12 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 4. Setup the Instrument 4.2 Installation site requirements •  Stable, vibration-free laboratory bench with horizontal, even stage plate; practically vibration-free floor. • Nootherinstrumentsnearbywhichmightcausevibrations. • Roomtemperatur[...]

13 Leica VT1000 A 4. Setup the Instrument Fig. 6 4.3 Unpacking and setting up the instrument • Firstchecktheshipmentforexternaldamagesuponarrival. • If it is evident that the shipment was damaged during transport, please make a claim to the carrier immediately. [...]

14 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 4. Setup the Instrument 4.4.1 Checking the performance requirements The Vibratome VT1000 A is available in different versions for operation with different supply voltage. Before connecting the instrument to the power supply, check to make sure that the product number (39 072XXX-X) and the marking for the input [...]

15 Leica VT1000 A 4. Setup the Instrument Severe damage may occur if the in - strument is connected to a power sup- ply vol tage other th an that to whi ch it was originally set. The power supply voltage for the in - strument is factory preset and CAN - NOT be altered by the user. The Leica VT1000 A MUST be connect- ed to a grounded power socket. T[...]

16 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 Fig. 8 4. Setup the Instrument 4.5 Connecting the foot switch The standard scope of delivery of the "Profes - sional" and "Professional Gold" instrument ver - sions include a foot switch ( 18 , Fig. 8 ) that can be connected to the rear side of the instrument. In SINGLE and AUTO modes, the s[...]

17 Leica VT1000 A 4.6 Assembling the "deluxe specimen tray" 4. Setup the Instrument Fig. 9 The deluxe specimen bath (22, Fig. 11 ) is assem- bled inside the standard black specimen bath (23, Fig. 10 ). It enables separation of buffer so - lution and ice preventing dilution of the buffer while sectioning. The deluxe specimen bath can be st[...]

18 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 4. Setup the Instrument • Ins ert  the  del uxe sp ecim en t ray in to t he i n - stalled u-frame bracket so that the slotted cam screw ( 28 ) for fastening the specimen disks is at the front left ( Fig. 13 ). • Then screw the specimen bath securely in  place [...]

19 Leica VT1000 A 4. Setup the Instrument Fig. 17 4.7 Assembling the specimen vice assembly • The specimen viceassembly ( 34, Fig. 16 ) is assembled inside the main specimen bath ( 23, Fig. 15 ). • Insert the cheese headscrew ( 35 ) into the bore of the specimen stage ( 27 ) and tighten it using a size 5 Allen k[...]

20 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 4. Setup the Instrument 4.7.1 Inserting the round specimen tray The round specimen tray ( 45 ) can be installed in place of the specimen block. It enables easy separation of buffer solution and ice that can accumulate in the main specimen bath. Always remove the blade BEFORE in - stalling or removing accessorie[...]

21 Leica VT1000 A 4. Setup the Instrument 43 Fig. 25 4.7.2 Assembling the rotating stage assembly The rotating stage assembly allows for simple position correction of the specimen surface when the specimen is glued in place. • To do so, firstremove the specimen vice as - sembly ( 34, Fig. 16 ) by following the reverse o[...]

22 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 11 Fig. 26 Fig. 27 13 4.8 Assembling the magnifier 4. Setup the Instrument 14 • Move the lamp carrier ( 10, in Fig. 27 ) on the instrument out by pulling it forwards. •  The bottom of the lamp carrier has two  notches ( 12 ), one each on the left and right. • I[...]

23 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation 5.1 Operating elements and their functions 5.1.1 The control panel 5.1.2 The operating elements Light switch Display Rotary knob SPEED Height adjustment of the specimen stage PAUSE Switch DIRECTIONAL SWITCH Direction of cutting head Section thickness Sectioning switch Automatic/Single/ Manual Rotary knob AMPLITUDE Num[...]

24 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 5. Operation The operating elements (continued) This switch and its three switch positions (upper, center, lower) con - trol the movement direction of the cutting head. • Push the switchupwards to start the sectioning cycle. The sec - tioning blade will advance forward at maxi[...]

25 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation The operating elements (continued) Fig. 32 AMPLITUDE rotary knob This knob controls the relative amplitude of the lateral excursion of the sectioning blade vibratory movements. • In the zero position (‘ 0 ‘) or during the retraction movement ofthe cutting head, the blade do[...]

26 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 5. Operation 53 The operating elements (continued) THICKNESS switch The THICKNESS switch defines the desired section thickness for au - tomatic mode in microns. • The parameter selected for this value is indicated in the LED dis - play above the switch, the displayed values[...]

27 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation The operating elements (continued) MODE switch The MODE switch serves to toggle between the manual, single and automatic modes. Switch position: MANUAL • The instrument works in manual mode only; the LED display is not illuminated. The section thickness must be adjusted using t[...]

28 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 5. Operation 5.2.1 Adjusting the blade presentation angle • The accessories include a blade angle indi - cator ( 46 ) for this purpose. • To read the blade angle using this indicator, hold the angle indicator against the left side of the blade holder. The notc[...]

29 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation Fig. 42 5.2.2 Adjusting the specimen and blade Positioning the specimen in the specimen holder You can adjust the lateral position of the speci- men in order to attain an approximate centering of the specimen in the specimen tray. Since one of the jaws of the specimen holder is stationary, the use of specimen mounting[...]

30 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 5. Operation In some cases, e.g. for large specimens, it is necessary to move the blade holder ( 50 ) on the mounting bar. When the width of a large specimen is approxi- mately the same as the sectioning blade edge length, the lateral positioning of the sectioning blade may have to be adjusted to ensure com - p[...]

31 Leica VT1000 A 5.2.3 Adjustable sectioning window The VT1000 A features an adjustable sectioning window that you can use you speed up the process of making series sections. This "window" is the distance the blade travels from a resting retracted position to the front of the bath when it automatically ends the forward stroke and reverse[...]

32 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 Fig. 47 Adjustable sectioning window (continued) • First, adjust thefront limit switch that is on the front side of the instrument. • T o d o  s o,  r el e as e  t h e k no b  ( 57. 1 ) with the blade fully retracted and move it into the de- sired position.[...]

33 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation 5.2.4 Adjusting the specimen height The thi ckn ess of s ecti ons gen erat ed i s co ntr olle d by the rai sing of the sp ecim en i ncr emen tal ly. Since the sectioning blade remains stationary along the vertical axis, the increment by which the specimen is raised correlates to the section thickness. The height of th[...]

34 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 5. Operation The Leica VT1000 A offers a wide variety of options for sectioning fixed and unfixed tissue samples of plant or animal origin. It employs a vibrating blade principle, which allows sec - tioning without freezing or embedding. This makes it possible to prevent the unwanted effects that occur during f[...]

35 Leica VT1000 A When the instrument is switched on for the first time, the blade is automatically moved back in operating state "B" and stopped in state "C". Each sectioning cycle needs only to be initiated by the operator. Once state "A" is activated, the sectioning blade will advance at the operator-selected forwar[...]

36 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 As a result of the great variety of specimen types, sizes, shapes, states and preparations, etc. that can be encountered while sectioning with the VT1000 A, it is not possible to provide specific recommendations for parameter settings. The optimal settings for the individual ap- plications can be determined onl[...]

37 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation Direct mounting Specimens rigid enough to be held firmly in the specimen holder without damage may be clamped directly. Keep in mind that excessive clamping forces on the jaws of the specimen holder can cause ten- sion in the specimen. Softer specimens that do not have enough strength on their own (such as a leaf) can[...]

38 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 5. Operation The surfaces onto which the specimens are attached must be clean, dry and free of adhesive residue from previous applications. The specimen mounting blocks specimen tray, and deluxe specimen bath have a hard sur - face coating that should not be impaired, even by repeated sectioning operations with[...]

39 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation If the specimen requires a larger surface, you can use specimen tray (39053744) or the deluxe specimen bath (39053745). Specimens small enough to fit on a surface of a specimen mounting block can be affixed directly. The specimen mounting block is then clamped into the jaws of the specimen holder for sectioning. Fig. [...]

40 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 Be careful when handling the dispos - able blades or sapphire knife. The cutting edge is extremely sharp and can cause serious injuries. Before inserting a blade, the specimen to be section should be attached to the specimen plate (clamped into place or affixed) to prevent injuries. Fig. 52 Fig. 53 The blade is[...]

41 Leica VT1000 A 5. Operation The speed and amplitude should be set to "0" initially. Then, advance the blade until it almost touches the specimen. For this purpose, briefly push the direction switch upwards. With the sectioning blade close to the specimen, their relative heights may be gauged approximately. The specimen should then be r[...]

42 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 5.5 Preparing the specimen bath The purpose of the specimen bath is four-fold: to lubricate the blade dur - ing the sectioning operation, to prevent the specimen from heating up or drying out, to increase or maintain desired features of the specimen and to allow effortless removal of the fragile sections. Any f[...]

43 Leica VT1000 A After the specimen has been trimmed to create a flat specimen surface, the preparations for actual sectioning can be carried out. The procedure consists of generating a few sections at the final parameter settings and section thickness. This is intended to compensate for the effect of lifting the specimen described in the section [...]

44 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 Sections generated may be retrieved from the specimen bath by various means. For microscopic applications, the section may be delivered to a glass slide by aspirating the section with a small glass dropper if doing so does not damage the specimen. In some cases, using a fine sable brush provides more satisfacto[...]

45 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 6. Cleaning and Maintenance 6.1 Cleaning the instrument • Always remove the bladebefore detaching the blade holder from the instrument! • Alwayskeepthesapphirebladesintheboxwhennotinuse! • Neverplaceusedbladesonthela[...]

46 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 Specimen bath area After sectioning is completed, the specimen bath, specimen holder and sectioning blade holder should be cleansed of any bath solution residue. Any water-soluble solvent may be used unless it corrodes parts made of polypropylene or nitrile rubber. The final flushes should be with clean water. [...]

47 Leica VT1000 A 6. Cleaning and Maintenance When used normally, the Vibratome VT1000 A requires only standard maintenance. To ensure trouble-free operation of the instrument over a long period of time, the following is recommended by Leica: • Thoroughlycleantheinstrumentonadailybasis. • From time to time,?[...]

48 Operating Manual V 1.1 – 01/2010 6.3 Replacing components 6.3.1 Fuse If the instrument fails to function completely, first check for power avail - ability at the power outlet. The instrument fuse (s) located at the rear of the instrument should be checked next. Before removing the fuse, pull the POWER PLUG OUT OF THE SOCKET . The fuse and its [...]

49 Leica VT1000 A 7. Optional Accessories 7.1 Ordering information Specimen mounting block, 3 per package .......................................... 39053747 Specimen adhesive ................................................................................. 39053986 LED light .........................................................................[...]