Rotary Microtome

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myxomop
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:22 am
Location: New Orleans
Contact:

Rotary Microtome

Post by myxomop »

Hello Pmac/Amic,

I am in the process of assembling a freezing microtome for my home laboratory. I come to you in the hopes that someone can identify this model of rotary microtome from Bausch & Lomb:

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I am looking to buy an identical one, or at the very least, one which is as close in form and function to this one as possible. I aim to pair it with a Physitemp freezing stage and controller unit in the BFS line. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

-myxomop
MACRO:
Olympus OM-D E-M1X, Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 ED, OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO, Gitzo GT2540EX Tripod, Acratech GV2 Ballhead, 2x Ulanzi VL49 Rechargeable Mini LED Lights, Ulanzi LED Full-Color Photography Light Wand

MICRO:
Trinocular Olympus BHS, SPlan 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x (1.25 N.A.), SPlanApo 100x Oil (1.4 N.A.), BH2-AAC Aplanatic-Achromatic 1.4 N.A Brightfield Condenser, WHK 10x 20 L Eyepieces, NFK 2.5× LD 125 Photo Eyepiece, Diagnostic Instruments PA1-10A SLR Camera Adapter, Canon 6D

houstontx
Posts: 395
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2015 1:07 pm

Re: Rotary Microtome

Post by houstontx »

Don't recognize that model, but the physitemp stage is really cool. I use a similar tabletop leitz freezing microtome hooked up to CO2 and its a pain to use. Good to know theres a retrofit option out there...

I also have a ton of 12cm knives from various manufacturers, mostly C type. If you ever need one or need a knife resharpened let me know. I just got an auto sharpener, getting it up and running was a rewarding rabbit hole to fall down...

myxomop
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:22 am
Location: New Orleans
Contact:

Re: Rotary Microtome

Post by myxomop »

houstontx wrote:
Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:50 pm
Don't recognize that model, but the physitemp stage is really cool. I use a similar tabletop leitz freezing microtome hooked up to CO2 and its a pain to use. Good to know theres a retrofit option out there...

I also have a ton of 12cm knives from various manufacturers, mostly C type. If you ever need one or need a knife resharpened let me know. I just got an auto sharpener, getting it up and running was a rewarding rabbit hole to fall down...
yep, I've seen videos of the CO2 method, and it looks like kind of a nightmare. my tissue samples are also too small, and the technique I was taught too delicate, for such a system to work for my purposes.

I will definitely keep you in mind about microtome blades, and appreciate the kind offer. I am finding that most used units do not come with blades, and it's just as well that they don't, since they'd probably be in serious need of sharpening anyway, and therefore have to be sent off and returned.

I should mention that after posting here, and contacting probably a dozen private collectors of laboratory and medical antiques, curators of medical history museums, and resellers/refurbishers of scientific equipment, one Norma B. Erickson of the Indiana Medical History Museum cracked the case on my mystery microtome.

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She found this page in a 1940s Bausch & Lomb catalog. The internet appears to have zero trace of such a model, and the only mention of this model in Google Scholar I have found is here. Since this one is going to be damned near impossible to find, I've decided to go the route of the radial microtome instead, which was used for decades by one of the most prominent researchers on my particular type of fungi (discomycetes), and which a current friend and colleague of mine also owns and loves. The style that seems to be the most available is the American Optical/Spencer 880, but I'd gladly take one of the (apparently also quite rare) Erma radial microtomes, seen here:

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which were once offered alongside new Physitemp units. I think Physitemp still works with Erma and still sells their microtomes alongside their own equipment, but not only are they not radial microtomes, they're well outside most private individuals' budgets, including my own.

It looks like the main trouble I'll have is matching the freezing stage to the microtome. Physitemp will do repairs and retrofits for around $500-$650, but only if they have the parts. The generation of units I can afford is on the cusp of what they have the parts to be able to still service. I'll probably end up buying whatever equipment I can and heading to a university machine shop to see what they can do for me. The one here at the UO is a dream. I have watched them fashion impossible to find or outrageously expensive parts for obscure applications and equipment in an afternoon. A place where brilliance and craftsmanship combine in a truly awe-inspiring way, all set to a heavy metal soundtrack! :wink:
MACRO:
Olympus OM-D E-M1X, Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 ED, OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO, Gitzo GT2540EX Tripod, Acratech GV2 Ballhead, 2x Ulanzi VL49 Rechargeable Mini LED Lights, Ulanzi LED Full-Color Photography Light Wand

MICRO:
Trinocular Olympus BHS, SPlan 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x (1.25 N.A.), SPlanApo 100x Oil (1.4 N.A.), BH2-AAC Aplanatic-Achromatic 1.4 N.A Brightfield Condenser, WHK 10x 20 L Eyepieces, NFK 2.5× LD 125 Photo Eyepiece, Diagnostic Instruments PA1-10A SLR Camera Adapter, Canon 6D

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