Leica RM2235 User Manual Download Page 51

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Leica RM2235

In the following table there is a list of the most common problems which can arise while
working with the instrument, along with possible causes and troubleshooting procedures.

7.1 Possible faults
1. Thick/thin sections

The sections alternate between
being thick and thin. In extreme
cases, there are no sections what-
soever.

•

Reclamp the blade.

•

Laterally displace the knife holder
or insert a new blade.

•

Insert a new pressure plate or use
a new knife holder.

•

Readjust the pressure plate.

•

Methodically experiment with
larger clearance angle settings
until you have found the optimum
angle.

Customized solutions

Problem

Corrective action

Possible cause

•

The blade is not clamped properly.

•

The blade is dull.

•

The pressure plate is damaged or
incorrectly adjusted.

•

Clearance angle of the knife/blade
too small.

•

The blade is dull.

•

The specimen is too warm.

•

The sectioning speed is too fast.

•

There is an accumulation of paraf-
fin on the rear pressure plate of the
knife holder.

7.2 Instrument malfunctions
1 There is no further feed motion and

thus no sectioning

3. "Stripes" in sections

For knife holder E

2. Section compression

The sections are very compressed,
show folds or are squeezed togeth-
er.

•

Adjust the sectioning speed and/or
section thickness when trimming.
Select a smaller section thickness,
rotate the handwheel more slowly.

•

Run the specimen back by turning
the coarse driving wheel.

2. High blade consumption

•

Remove paraffin from this area on a
regular basis.

•

Use another area of the blade or a
new blade.

•

Cool the specimen before section-
ing.

•

Reduce the sectioning speed.

•

The front end position has been
reached.

•

Too great of a sectioning force was
applied.

4. Noises during sectioning

The knife "sings" when
sectioning hard specimens. The
sections show scratches or chatter
marks.

•

The sectioning speed is too fast.

•

The clearance angle is too wide.

•

Insufficient clamping of object and/
or knife holder.

•

Turn the handwheel at a slower
speed.

•

Methodically reduce the clearance
angle setting until you have found
the optimum angle.

•

Check all screw and clamp connec-
tions on the object holder system
and the knife holder. If necessary,
tighten the levers and screws.

Summary of Contents for RM2235

Page 1: ... HLFD 50 Rotary Microtome Instruction Manual Leica RM2235 V1 4 Rev B English 02 2010 Always keep this manual with the instrument Read carefully before working with the instrument ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...l details of the present manual are not to be con sidered as warranted characteristics of our products These are determined only by the contract provisions agreed between ourselves and our customers Leica reserves the right to change technical specifications as well as manufacturing pro cesses without prior notice Only in this way is it possible continuously to improve the technolo gy and manufact...

Page 4: ...eration 21 5 1 Operating elements and their functions 21 5 1 1 Section thickness setting 21 5 1 2 Coarse driving wheel 21 5 1 4 Mechanical trimming function 22 5 1 3 Specimen retraction 22 5 1 5 Specimen holder with precision orientation 23 5 2 Adjusting the clearance angle 24 5 3 Fine adjustment of the force balance 25 5 4 Clamping the specimen 26 5 5 Clamping the knife disposable blade 26 5 6 Se...

Page 5: ...3 Knife holder base and knife holder 38 6 3 1 Knife holder base without lateral movement feature 38 6 3 2 Knife holder E E TC 39 6 3 3 Knife holder N NZ 42 6 4 Section waste tray 44 6 5 Backlighting 44 6 6 Tray 45 6 7 Freezer pack 45 6 8 Universal microscope carrier 46 6 9 Magnifying lens 48 6 10 Ordering information 49 7 Customized solutions 51 7 1 Possible faults 51 7 2 Instrument malfunctions 5...

Page 6: ...affin speci mens as well as harder specimens as long as they are suitable for being cut manually Any other use of the instrument is considered improper Instrument type All information provided in this manual applies only to the instrument type indicated on the cover page An identification label indicating the instrument serial number is attached at the left side of the instrument Fig 1 Qualificati...

Page 7: ...d according to the Safety requirements for laboratory instru ments For current information about applicable stan dards please refer to the CE declaration of con formity on our Internet site www leica microsystems com In order to maintain this condition and ensure safe operation the operator must observe all the instructions and warnings contained in this instruction manual The protective devices o...

Page 8: ...hed to the instrument Safety instruction labels on the instrument marked with a warning triangle indicate that the correct operating instructions as described in this manual must be followed when operating or replacing the instrument component bearing the label Failure to adhere to these instructions may result in an accident personal injury damage to the instrument or accessory equipment Warnings...

Page 9: ...splinter Specimen blocks must not be oriented during the retraction phase If a block is oriented during retraction the block will advance by the retraction value PLUS the selected section thickness before the next section This may cause damage to both specimen and knife Warnings Cleaning and maintenance Always lock the handwheel before cleaning Do not use any solvents containing acetone or xylene ...

Page 10: ...ices Locking the handwheel There are two ways of locking the handwheel 12 Using the lever 3 on the right side of the micro tome base plate the handwheel can be braked in almost any position To brake rotate the lever in a counterclock wise direction to position z Caution The braking lever 3 must be exactly in position z so that the handwheel brake is applied correctly If the lever is moved beyond t...

Page 11: ... guard to the center Knife holder E E TC The knife guard on knife holder E E TC consists of a red foldaway handle 9 To cover the cutting edge fold the knife guard handle 9 upwards as illustrated in Fig 4 Fig 4 Fig 3 7 7 8 9 10 11 The clamping levers on the knife hold er E are not interchangeable The two clamping levers 10 11 must remain in the position shown at all times as otherwise isolated malf...

Page 12: ...ection waste tray Smooth turning handwheel Lever for activating the handwheel brake Handwheel locking mechanism Lever for activating the mechanical trimming function Directional fixture for specimen clamps Coarse driving wheel Fig 5 Knife holder E Knife holder base without lateral movement feature Clamping lever for lateral movement function of knife holder Universal cassette clamp Clamping lever ...

Page 13: ...ates centrifugal forces arising while cutting via a pretensioned spring for extremely light handwheel action Benefit a heavy counterweight in the handwheel is no longer needed The spring tension is individually adjustable corresponding to the weight of the respective attached specimen clamp or specimen The patented specimen retraction system can be switched on and off by the user The instrument th...

Page 14: ...nts Specimen feed approx 24mm 2mm Vertical stroke 70 mm Max sectioning range without retraction 69 mm without specimen orientation at 1 µm Max sectioning range with retraction 62 mm The specimen retraction can be turned off manually 200 µm Dimensions and weight Width including handwheel 413mm Depth including waste tray 618mm Height total 305mm with tray on the hood Working height knife blade 168mm...

Page 15: ...4 0183 40426 1 dust protective cover 14 0212 30350 1 operating manual D E language CD 14 0500 80001 4 2 Installation site requirements Stable vibration free laboratory bench with horizontal and even stage plate practically vibration free floor No other instruments nearby which might cause vibrations Room temperature permanently between 10 C and 35 C Obstruction free access to the handwheel Never o...

Page 16: ...ansport Note this on the shipping documents and check the shipment for possible damage Fig 6 Fig 7 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 Loosen and unscrew the six upper screws 2 Remove the cover 1 Take the accessory carton optional accessories 3 and the cartons 4 from the standard scope of delivery The transport crate and includ ed retaining elements shou...

Page 17: ...n the back and lift it out of the formed cushion 8 Never hold the instrument for transport by the handwheel or the rotary knob for section thickness adjustment Observe the correct resting angle to the table to avoid pinching your fingers Place the instrument on a stable laboratory table The two sliding elements 9 located on the rear of the base plate make it easier to move the instrument on the ta...

Page 18: ...andwheel 2 on the handwheel shaft 1 as shown Tighten the screw 2a located in the center hole of the hand wheel with an Allen key size 4 5 Remove the cover foil from the self adhesive cover disk and fix the cover disk on the hand wheel 4 4 Assembling the handwheel Fig 9 The handwheel has to be assembled before attempting to use the instrument The necessary parts and tools can be found in the tool k...

Page 19: ...the upper end position by turning the handwheel 12 and engage the handwheel lock To release the clamping system turn the screw 61 of the quick clamping system 64 counterclockwise using an Allen key size 4 71 Push the guide 63 of the universal cassette clamp 62 from the left into the quick clamp ing system 64 as far as it will go To clamp the cassette clamp turn the screw 61 clockwise as far as it ...

Page 20: ... is a scale 54 on the right side of the mi crotome base plate This enables faster and better positioning of the knife holder at the specimen if various combinations of standard specimens and specimen holders are used The rear edge of the knife holder base 51 functions as the scale reference Fig 11 55 50 51 52 53 4 6 Inserting the knife holder Inserting the knife holder Loosen the screw 58 using an...

Page 21: ...setting 33 38 34 Fig 14 5 1 2 Coarse driving wheel The instrument can be ordered with clockwise or counterclockwise rotation The given direc tion of rotation means forwards and relates to the feed movement of the specimen towards the knife The coarse motion serves for a fast horizontal forwards movement of the object towards the knife and backwards away from the knife When reaching the rear front ...

Page 22: ... The RM2235 is fitted with a mechanical trimming function The trimming lever has 3 notching positions 0 10 µm 30 µm The points 36 mark the two trimming stages 10 µm 30 µm For activating the trimming function press the lever downwards into one of the two notching positions and keep depressed After each rotation of the handwheel a feed motion of 10 µm or 30 µm takes place After letting go of the lev...

Page 23: ...pecimen in east west direction Each complete turn of the screw inclines the specimen by 2 A total of 4 complete turns 8 are possible in every direction The accu racy is approximately 0 5 For ease of estimation there is a white marking on the handle and a notch point that is noticeable during turning To lock the current orientation turn the eccentric lever 29 backwards Fig 17 When the large standar...

Page 24: ...using an Allen key size 4 71 until the knife holder 57 can be moved Move the knife holder until the index mark of the desired clearance angle coincides with the reference line on the knife holder base Example Enlarged detail showing a clearance angle setting of 5 The recommended clearance angle setting for knife holder E is approx 5 Hold down the knife holder in this position and retighten the scr...

Page 25: ...d remains in this exact position the setting is correct If the object head moves i e it is raised or low ered fine adjustment is necessary Failure to adjust the force balance may result in injury while working The force balance is adjusted using the screw 34 which can be accessed by removing the section waste tray on the bottom of the base plate of the microtome Use the Allen key provided size 5 w...

Page 26: ...ck into the specimen clamp A detailed description for inserting the specimen into various specimen clamps and specimen holders is provided in Chapter 6 Optional accessories 5 5 Clamping the knife disposable blade Be very careful when handling microtome knives or blades The cutting edge is extremely sharp and can cause severe injury Carefully insert knife or disposable blade into the knife holder a...

Page 27: ... select the required trimming stage Begin the cutting process by turning the handwheel Stop the cutting process when the required specimen level has been reached Let go of the trimming lever Remove the sections Set the required section thickness or check the value setting on the display respectively Always use a different area of the cutting edge for trimming and sectioning To do so laterally disp...

Page 28: ...til the new specimen can start being cut 5 8 Finishing daily routine Raise the specimen to the upper end position by turning the handwheel and engage the handwheel lock Always remove the knife blade before detaching the knife holder from the instrument Always put the knives back into the knife case when not in use Never place a knife anywhere with the cutting edge facing up wards and never try to ...

Page 29: ...tighten it with an Allen key size 4 Remove the rubber ring only after attaching the object head Fig 21 1 2 4 5 3 6 1 2 Directional fixture for specimen clamps Loosen the eccentric bolt 6 by turning it counterclockwise Completely unscrew the thrust piece 5 with a flat tip screwdriver and pull it out with spring 5a and pin 5b Completely unscrew the setscrews 3 and 4 Attach the directional fixture fo...

Page 30: ...for specimen clamps from the baseplate 9 Fig 23 10 11 Using the 4 supplied screws 11 and the Allen key size 3 fasten the baseplate to the specimen head 12 11 Now screw the fine directional fixture for specimen clamps with the 4 screws 10 and the Allen key size 3 onto the object head If the fine directional fixture for spec imen clamps is not used retain the baseplate and 4 screws 11 together with ...

Page 31: ...cimen holder for use with the fine directional fixture for specimen clamps with zero point indicators or the directional fixture for specimen clamps Screw the 4 screws 13 into bore A with an Allen key size 2 5 and tighten them Fig 22 13 A A 6 Optional accessories ...

Page 32: ... clamps and holders 6 2 2 Vee insert The vee insert 70 is mounted in the hole pro vided in the lower movable jaw of the standard specimen clamp This makes it possible to clamp round speci mens in the standard specimen clamp Turn the knurled screw 66 counterclock wise to move the movable jaw 68 down ward Insert the pin 70 1 of the vee insert 70 in the hole 69 of the lower jaw 68 Mount the sample as...

Page 33: ...te both for clamping very small foil pieces and flat angular samples It is mounted in the standard speci men clamp Clamping of flat angular samples To clamp angular samples replace the long set screw 76 with the short set screw 77 provid ed with the foil clamp Unscrew the long set screw 76 to the left with an Allen key size 4 71 Screw the short set screw 77 in the hole Place the sample 67 between ...

Page 34: ...and then the other two screws 81 with the Allen key 71 Place the foil clamp 82 in the standard specimen clamp so that the beveled surface 80 on the back of the foil clamp points to the right or left Turn the knurled screw 66 clockwise to securely clamp the foil clamp in the standard specimen clamp 6 2 4 Foil clamp type 2 The foil clamp type 2 is appropriate for large foil ribbons It is mounted in ...

Page 35: ... the lever 60 forwards Mount the cassette 65 horizontally or verti cally as required To clamp the cassette release the lever 60 6 2 5 Universal cassette clamp Fig 30 60 65 Use the ice cooled UCC with the non directional specimen holder fixture only Ice cubes can be made using the included Paraflex mold a Quick clamping system b see page 31 Universal cassette clamp ice cooled Fig 31 a b 6 Optional ...

Page 36: ... front and tighten the screws 2 with an Allen key size 3 Next insert the screw 1 from the side and briefly tighten it with an Allen key size 4 Insert the super mega cassette clamp from the side on the left into the dovetail guide of the rigid fixture for specimen clamps and tighten screw 1 If the directional fixture for specimen clamps is used with the rigid knife holder base the orientation must ...

Page 37: ...rient the inserted sample insert the pin 92 into the bore 93 and rotate it counter clockwise to release the clamp You can now rotate the specimen so that the side you want faces upwards To lock it in the position you have chosen tighten the pin 92 by turning it clockwise 6 2 7 Holder for round specimens The holder for round specimens is designed to accommodate cylindrical samples Inserts for speci...

Page 38: ...50 on the right side of the microtome base plate counterclockwise Reposition the knife holder together with the knife holder base forward or backward as appropriate Secure the clamping mechanism by rotating the lever 50 clockwise The plastic handles of all clamping levers on the instrument and knife holders can be turned to the position that is most convenient for each user Pull the grip 94 out of...

Page 39: ...holder E is designed for conventional disposable blades from all current manufac turers It is available in two models one for narrow band blades and one for broad band blades The knife holder has a lateral movement so that the entire width of the blade can be used Fig 37 9 11 10 Fig 36 Knife holder E The knife holder E TC is designed for the Leica TC 65 tungsten carbide blades The clamping levers ...

Page 40: ...equired to replace the clamp mount including the pertinent clamping lever Leica Biosystems offers special prices for new clamp mounts in case of damages to the clamp mount after the warranty has expired In this way perfect function of the device can be ensured over the course of many years Knife holder E A B 10 To ensure a proper sectioning result clamp mount B must be securely clamped onto seg me...

Page 41: ...and 11 must remain in the position shown at all times as otherwise isolated malfunctions of the knife holder can occur Clamping lever for the blade 10 at the right clamping lever for the lateral displacement 11 at the left Use Floating thin paraffin sections for example for subsequent immunostain ing procedures on the surface of the water Flat paraffin sections can be removed from the surface of t...

Page 42: ...ife support bar Push knife guard 8 to the center Set the knife support bar 46 onto the height adjustment screws not vis ible in the position shown The flat ends of the height adjustment screws must be located in the slots at each end of the knife support bar Prior to inserting the knife both knife holder and knife holder base must have been installed on the instrument Knife holder N For holding co...

Page 43: ...ssible in the actual center of rotation of the knife holder The lay on edge 39 of the rear clamping chucks serves as a reference position for correct knife height adjustment The knife edge should be par allel with the locating edges Rotate the knurled nuts 48 uniformly and backwards until the knife blade is parallel to the lay on edge 39 see detailed illustration of the rear clamping chucks To cla...

Page 44: ...hting is inserted at the front into the one piece knife holder base Remove the two screws 1 using a slotted screwdriverandthenremovethecoverplate 2 Insert the backlighting 3 in the recess at the rear of the knife holder base Insert the plug 4 for the backlighting into the socket 5 of the microtome and connect the plug of the power adapter to an AC pow er socket The backlighting illuminates once th...

Page 45: ...he insulation jacket can be placed on the hood of the microtome in the same manner as the tray or it can be placed next to the instrument When using the freezer pack on the instrument the tray Fig 44 must be removed Remove the freezer plate from the insulation jacket and place it in a deep freezer ideally overnight but for at least six hours at approx 23 C Reassemble the freezer plate and insulati...

Page 46: ...2235 RM2245 and RM2255 5 Support plate small for RM2265 6 Allen key size 3 7 4 countersunk screws to install support plate 8 Allen key size 8 Unpack all accessories in the package and check for completeness Assembling the universal microscope carrier 1 Attach baseplate Select the large 5 or small 4 support plate depending on the microtome to be used Attach the support plate to the baseplate with t...

Page 47: ... baseplate sothatthefrontfeetofthemicrotomeare positioned in the shallow recesses A 3 Attach horizontal arm Slide the support ring e onto the vertical column and position it so that the lock nut f is facing to the back Tighten the lock nut Slide the cross member d onto the column Ensure that the lock screw g is facing to the right of the baseplate The horizontal arm must be centered over the micro...

Page 48: ...ber optic light guide to be installed Adjust the position of the magnifying lens to the specimen being processed The magnifying lens can be swiveled completely to the side if necessary 1 3 The magnifying lens provides a 2x magnification and can be used with all Leica 2200 series rotary micro tomes 2 4 Use the provided protective cap 4 to cover the magnifying lens Always protect the magnifier glass...

Page 49: ...38961 Knife holder E broad band Run off tray RM22 14 0502 39114 Knife holder E TC RM22xx silver 14 0502 37997 Standard specimen clamp with adapter 50x60 silver 14 0502 38005 Standard specimen clamp with adapter 40x40 silver 14 0502 37998 V insert for Standard specimen clamp silver 14 0502 38000 Universal cassette clamp with adapter RM2125 silver 14 0502 37999 Universal cassette clamp ice cooled 14...

Page 50: ...X 240V 50 60Hz 14 0502 30216 Fiber optic light guide 14 0502 30028 Backlighting assembly 14 0502 38719 External power supply complete 14 0500 31244 Handrest for waste tray 14 0502 38770 Cooling device assembly 14 0502 38325 Section waste tray large 14 0502 37931 Section waste tray small 14 0503 39060 Demo Box RM22xx series 14 0502 38930 Tray 14 0502 37932 Leica brush w magnet 14 0183 40426 CoolCla...

Page 51: ... 7 2 Instrument malfunctions 1 There is no further feed motion and thus no sectioning 3 Stripes in sections For knife holder E 2 Section compression The sections are very compressed show folds or are squeezed togeth er Adjust the sectioning speed and or section thickness when trimming Select a smaller section thickness rotate the handwheel more slowly Run the specimen back by turning the coarse dr...

Page 52: ...handwheel lock Switch the unit off and unplug it Remove the blade from the knife holder and insert it in the receptacle at the bottom of the dispenser or remove the knife from the knife hold er and put it back in the knife case Remove knife holder base and knife holder for cleaning Remove the specimen from the specimen clamp Remove section waste with a dry brush Remove specimen clamp and clean sep...

Page 53: ...ure plate 83 Clean all parts of the knife holder For cleaning and removal of paraffin do not use xylene or cleaning fluids containing alcohol e g glass cleaner Dry knife holder and reassemble After cleaning the moving parts apply a thin coat of drive part oil to them see also Chapter 8 3 When installing the pressure plate 83 make sure that the upper edge is parallel and level with the rear edge of...

Page 54: ...ration of the instrument over a long period of time the following is recommended by Leica 3 Have the instrument inspected on a regular basis by a qualified service technician authorized by Leica The intervals depend on how heavily the instrument is used 1 Thoroughly clean the instrument on a daily basis 2 Enter into a service contract at the latest at the end of the warranty period For more in for...

Page 55: ...l displacement Clamping lever 10 for the blade Fig 58 Knife holders N and NZ Sliding surfaces of the finger guard 8 Knurled nuts 73 for measuring height adjustment 95 96 55 8 3 Lubricating the instrument Once a month lubricate the following parts with the included drive parts oil No 405 1 2 drops are enough Instrument and specimen holder The clamping key 95 of the quick clamping system The T piece...

Page 56: ...he warranty terms of your Leica sales organization or the or ganization from which you have purchased the contractual product shall apply exclusively Service information If you are in need of technical customer service or spare parts please contact your Leica representative or the Leica dealer where you pur chased the instrument Please provide the following information Model name and serial number...

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