Microtome Equipment Manufacturers

Microtome is an instrument used for non-contact sectioning of biological tissues or materials.In contrast to mechanically working microtomes, the laser microtome does not require sample preparation techniques such as freezing, dehydration or embedding. It has the ability to slice tissue in its native state. Depending on the material being processed, slice thicknesses of 10 to 100 µm are feasible. The cutting process is performed by a femtosecond laser, emitting radiation in the near-infrared range. Within this wavelength range, the laser is able to penetrate the tissue up to a certain depth without causing thermal damage. By tight focussing the laser radiation, intensities over 1 TW/cm2 (1 TW = 1012 watts) arise inside the laser focus. These extreme intensities induce nonlinear effects and optical breakdown occurs. This causes the disruption of the material, limited to the focal point. The process is known as photodisruption.