27
Leica VT1200 / Leica VT1200 S
Working with the Instrument
5
5.3
Control elements on the Leica VT1200 S control panel
The Leica VT1200 S is a fully automatic microtome with a vibrating blade that can be operated in
semiautomatic or automatic sectioning mode.
Key/setting dial
Semiautomatic sectioning mode
Automatic sectioning mode
When the instrument is switched
on, to make it easier to insert a
specimen, the specimen receptacle
automatically moves into the lowest
position (the LED in the
DOWN
key
lights up) and the blade holder
moves into the rearmost position
(the LED in
Blade back
from the
specimen lights up).
ditto
Switch on the
instrument.
O = on I = off
If semiautomatic sectioning mode
was selected before the instrument
was last switched off, the following
saved parameters are called up again
once it is switched back on:
Blade feed rate (
SPEED
),
Blade feed rate (
SPEED
),
Selected amplitude (
AMPL
)
Selected amplitude (
AMPL
)
Saved section thickness
(
AUTO FEED
)
The LED illumination is switched on
automatically. You can switch it off
using the
ON/OFF
switch.
ditto
The LED
MAN
is active. The
semiautomatic sectioning mode is
enabled.
The LED
AUTO
is active. The
automatic sectioning mode is
enabled.
In semiautomatic sectioning mode,
before each cut, a manual feed to the
desired section thickness must be
carried out using the setting dial for
section thickness.
There is no automatic specimen
retraction in this mode; however,
retraction can be performed
manually.
In automatic mode, the selected
section thickness feed (
AUTO FEED
)
is carried out along the 1st selected
cutting window edge automatically
before each cut. To prevent the
specimen surface and the blade from
coming into contact while the blade
is being retracted, the specimen is
lowered by the desired retraction
value along the 2nd cutting window
edge after each complete cut.
