Description
Campden’s McIlwain’s Tissue Chopper McIlwain is designed to prepare tissue samples for various experiments and is particularly suitable for small, irregular samples from biopsy or small organs. For neuroscience, it offers the opportunity to quickly mince tissue such as the hippocampus, which is relatively flat and does not suffer excessive stress damage. This tool also has applications in the preparation of organotypic slices and the preparation of tissue for immunological studies. For slice preparation from cortical or subcortical regions, Campden vibratomes allow more precise and delicate slices to be dissected. The Tissue Chopper is also excellent for preparing cell cultures from the brains of young animals. Its operation is such that it causes far less disturbance to the cell structure than a blender or homogenizer, and it can be used on fragments that would be difficult to cut by ordinary methods. Typical applications include liver, kidney, and parts of the central nervous system. Preparation of 1-mm-thick slices or cubes and prismatic specimens can be done in 30 seconds. The Chopper offers continuous variation of slice thickness from zero to maximum by means of an indexing clutch in combination with a calibrated micrometer head (resolution in the micron range). The sample is placed on the circular stainless steel table; the table is automatically translated, at variable speed, from left to right. During translation, the cutting arm, with the blade, is raised and lowered at a maximum speed of 200 times per minute. When the table carrying the specimen passes under the blade, it is cut into the desired slices. If prism-shaped pieces are required, the table is returned to the left side of the machine, rotated 45°, and the process is repeated. To prepare cubes, the table is rotated 90° for the second cut. The machine is equipped with a safety limit switch to prevent overshooting and a quick-return mechanism to return the table.
