The Compresstome® VF-510-0Z is our newest vibrating microtome models. Designed by engineers with customer feedback, this tissue slicer is best used to create sections for electrophysiology, organotypic culture (tumor slices), precision-cut tissue slices (like PCLS), and immunohistochemistry (IHC).
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- Cuts tissue slices from brain, heart, liver, lung, kidney, and more
- Produces even, consistent slices (no more thick-and-thin sections)
- Slices over 5x faster than other market vibrating microtomes
- Patented compression technology and agarose embedding process eliminates chattermarks and maintain high live cell counts
- Fully automated slicing!
- Removable buffer tray for easy cleaning
- Auto Zero-Z® technology reduces Z-axis deflection to <1 μm
- Light footprint for increased portability
This Compresstome® model is equivalent to the Leica Vibratome 1200S.
KEY FEATURES OF THE COMPRESSTOME® VF-510-0Z
The VF-510-0Z is designed by our engineers with a more durable vibrating head unit and movable control box for rapid loading of samples for sectioning. Check out its key features:
- Viable cells: Up to 6X more viable cells with longer recording time.
- Fast: Tissue stabilization with compression allow much faster sectioning
- Great for young AND old animal tissues: Viable cells for both soft prenatal to tough older animals tissues (24+ month old rodents patched at multiple labs)
- Easy to maintain: Auto-Zero-Z means Zero-Z with no calibration needed.
- Easy to learn: Many labs get great patchable slices on first or second try with the Compresstome.
PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VIBRATOMES
There are many different types of tissue slicers on the market, but they don’t operate the way that the Compresstome® does. Other market vibratomes will have a flat stage where you glue your tissue sample, with a cutting blade that approaches horizontally. However, the blade can easily push your tissue sample and squish, tilt, and compress it—all of these effects may damage cells and tissue architecture.
- Lack of viable cells: Slow speed and lack of support causes tissue damage, altering the structural and functional properties of the specimen, leading to inaccurate experimental results.
- Slow: Slow speed a problem in time-sensitive experiments or when high throughput is required.
- Slice thickness variability: Inconsistent thickness can affect the quality of electrophysiological recordings.
- Maintenance and calibration: Need time consuming maintenance requiring specialized knowledge or could lead to degrading performance.
- Steep learning curve: Requires A LOT of practice to perfect, particularly for users who are new to electrophysiology and tissue preparation.
BENEFITS OF SLIGHT COMPRESSION FOR TISSUE SLICING
When using the Compresstome®, you will embed your tissue in agarose inside a specimen tube. The open end of the specimen tube has a slightly tapered edge. As tissue and agarose cross the edge of the tube, it gets slightly compressed. This compression helps stabilize the tissue during sectioning, and allows the Compresstome® to section at speeds up to 5x faster than other market vibrating microtomes. Overall, the Compresstome® provides a significant improvement on the health and longevity of live slices, and virtually eliminates chattermarks in fixed tissue slices.
Don’t worry–The agarose embedding does not decrease cell viability. Rather, it enhances cell survival because of tissue stability. The agarose solution is quickly cooled down with a chilling block during sample preparation. With the Compresstome®, your tissue can be sectioned faster because of the agarose-induced stability. As a result, cells are never without oxygenation for a long time, and the added stability of the compression significantly reduces any blade damage.
OWNLOAD AUTO ZERO-Z® EXPLANATIONS
WHAT IS AUTO ZERO-Z® TECHNOLOGY? HOW DOES IT BENEFIT TISSUE SLICING?
Compresstome® slicer models marked with “-0Z” mean that the model has our patented Auto Zero-Z® technology. These vibrating heads are precisely aligned to eliminate vibrations in the Z-axis. Auto Zero-Z® technology helps reduce damage to surface cells on live tissue samples, and further reduce chattermarks on thin sections for improved imaging results.
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