Abstract: An automatic thin-section manufacturing system for manufacturing thin sections by thinly cutting out an embedded block having embedded therein a biological sample while setting said embedded block at a predetermined rake angle, and said system comprising: a long cutting blade having a cutting edge on one end; a holder disposed in such a manner that it makes the rake angle with respect to the surface of the embedded block; a mounting plane which is provided to the front end of the holder, on which plural cutting blades are mounted and aligned with their cutting edges exposed to the outer side; an adsorptive member provided along the mounting plane, which maintains the posture of the cutting blades by adsorbing the base end side of the cutting blades mounted on the mounting plane; a first pressing member provided to the holder, which presses, among the plural cutting blades that are mounted and aligned on the mounting plane, the cutting blade allocated to the predetermined position against the mounting plane; a

Abstract: The container comprises a cylindrical member 20 which constitutes the side wall member, a bottom member 30 which is in contact with the bottom plane of the cylindrical member 20 and which constitutes the bottom part, and an engaged fixing part 35 for engaging the cylindrical member 20 with the bottom member 30; the cylindrical member 20 and the bottom member 30 sandwiches the carrier tape T from one side T1 of the carrier tape T and from the other side T2 of the carrier tape T, respectively, such that one of the plural thin section samples P1 may be disposed inside the cylindrical member 20. Accordingly, without cutting a sequence of tapes carrying thereon the thin section samples of biomedical tissues, each of the thin section samples of the biomedical tissues can be individually processed with different chemicals depending on the required observation for various types of biomedical tissues.

Abstract: An identification code labeling tape that is used by attaching to an embedding cassette for use simultaneously as a container for paraffin substitution treatment of a biological sample and as a mounting stage for mounting thereon an embedded block comprising an embedding agent having embedded therein the paraffin substituted biological sample, provided that the embedding cassette comprises a cassette body and a lid part that are fixed freely detachable and that a flat plane is formed on the surface of the cassette body, said identification code labeling tape comprising: a tape body having a color at least differing in value from the color of the cassette body; and an adhesive layer coated on the back plane of the tape body, which adheres the tape body on the flat plane; provided that the tape body displays the identification code on engraving along an irradiated laser beam.

Abstract: A thin-section conveyor apparatus for transporting thin sections that have been prepared by thinly cutting an embedded block, which transports the thin sections to a liquid bath by mounting them on the upper plane of a conveyor belt having a longitudinal linear body extended along the direction of transportation and a transverse linear body disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal linear body, provided that the density of the transverse linear body for the part on which the thin sections are to be mounted is lower than that of the transverse linear body of the other places. It provides thin sections almost free of entraining bubbles. A thin-section scooping tool and a method for transporting thin sections are also proposed.

Abstract: An embedding cassette to which an identification code can be engraved using a laser beam, which enables display of a clear identification code free from peeling off and unaffected by paraffin; the embedding cassette comprises a cassette body having formed thereon an open concave enclosing part having a flat plane for placing therein the biological sample, a lid part fixed freely detachable to the cassette body, which shuts the concave enclosing part, and a thin film layer provided on the flat plane, with a color at least differing in value with respect to that of the cassette body, provided that the thin film layer displays the identification code by being engraved upon irradiating a laser beam.

Abstract: To fabricate automatically a high quality sliced piece by preventing a temperature change of a surface of an enveloped block, there is provided an automatic sliced piece fabricating apparatus including a fixed base for mounting to fix an enveloped block, cutting means including a cut blade arranged on the fixed base for cutting out a sliced piece from the enveloped block by moving the cut blade and the fixed base relative to each other, a cabinet for containing the fixed base and the cutting means at inside thereof, sliced piece carrying means for carrying the cut-out sliced piece to outside of the cabinet, and temperature adjusting means for adjusting at least a surrounding temperature of the enveloped block to a predetermined temperature by supplying cold wind a temperature of which is controlled from outside at inside of the cabinet.

Abstract: To be able to alleviate burden on an operator and automatically fabricate a necessary number of sheets of prepared slides from respective embedded blocks while pertinently interchanging the respective embedded blocks, there is provided an automatic instrument for fabricating prepared slide of tissue section including a store house for storing a plurality of embedded blocks embedded with a living body sample by an embedding medium, cutting means for cutting out a section by cutting the embedded block by a predetermined thickness, first carrying means for putting in and out a selected one of the embedded block to and from the store house and carrying the selected one of the embedded block to a position of being cut by the cutting means, second carrying means for carrying the section to a storage tank stored with a liquid to be floated on a liquid surface, transcribing means for fabricating a prepared slide by transcribing the section floated on the liquid surface onto a base plate, and a control portion for con

Abstract: To provide an instrument for fabricating a prepared slide of a tissue section and a sectioning method capable of easily changing a direction of a cut face relative to a cut blade while observing the cut face of an embedding block and capable of increasing an efficiency of a rough cutting operation by specifying a section face by an inconsiderable burden regardless of skill of an operator, an instrument for fabricating a prepared slide of a tissue section includes a cut blade moving along one imaginary plane, a collimated on axis illuminating system having an optical axis in parallel with Z axis orthogonal to the one imaginary plane, an observing system having an image taking portion arranged with an image taking element, not illustrated, having an image taking axis the same as the optical axis and a display portion for displaying an image based on an image taking data acquired by the image taking portion, a base portion including a support base (support portion) for mounting an embedding block, a pivoting mec

Abstract: A sliced piece is continuously cut from plural sample blocks with a less fear of failing to make a sliced piece specimen even if continuously operated and, moreover, without causing a hand to intervene.

Abstract: To provide a sectioning instrument capable of fabricating a section having an accurate and uniform thickness to be carried to a next step automatically without deforming a surface of an embedded block and while observing the surface of the embedded block, a sectioning instrument includes a sample base for fixing an embedded block, a cutter for fabricating a section by sectioning the embedded block, carrying means for carrying the section, and a feed mechanism for moving the sample base in a predetermined feed direction, the carrying means includes a belt, a direction switching portion provided on an upper side of the cutter, and a rear roller, the belt is inserted to between the cutter and the direction switching portion from a rear side of the cutter, folded back to an upper side by the direction switching portion and is reeled back to the rear side of the cutter by the rear roller substantially in parallel with the feed direction of the feed mechanism in a plane view thereof.

Abstract: A gene detection system for detecting a target gene upon hybridization with a probe comprising a probe-immobilizing support on which a probe is immobilized, and heating and cooling means disposed in contact with another location different from the surface of the probe-immobilizing support on which the probe is immobilized, whereby genes can be rapidly detected with high sensitivity through hybridization.

Abstract: A gene detection system for detecting a target gene upon hybridization with a probe comprising a probe-immobilizing support on which a probe is immobilized, and heating and cooling means disposed in contact with another location different from the surface of the probe-immobilizing support on which the probe is immobilized, whereby genes can be rapidly detected with high sensitivity through hybridization.

Abstract: A sample introducing apparatus for an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric and spectrochemical analyzer is provided to have a branch pipe at a sample pipe of a plasma torch for introducing an oxygen gas controllable in flow rate. The sample, after mixed with a sufficient amount of oxygen, is burnt by a plasma to oxidize and vaporize carbon.

Abstract: Simplified measurements may be conducted using a plasma ion source mass spectrometer by performing an ion count while scanning an ion beam and setting voltages applied to electrodes of at least an ion lens and a deflector at values which maximize the count value. The mass spectrometer comprises a plasma ion source for ionizing a sample in a plasma, a vacuum vessel containing deflection, detection and monitoring devices, a sampling interface for introducing the ionized sample into the vacuum vessel, and a data processing unit. An ion lens collects and condenses the ionized sample. A mass filter separates ions in the ion beam by mass. A deflector deflects the ion beam by 90 degrees to prevent light from the plasma from entering the mass filter. A scanning electrode scans the ion beam, and a detector detects ions that have passed through the mass filter and provides a corresponding output signal.

Abstract: In order to provide an ion beam lens to which a film causing a charge and rendering the analysis unstable will not adhere, the ion lens is provided with a deflector for deflecting an ion beam 90.degree.. The side of the deflector opposite the sampling interface is provided with an opening. Also, a correction electrode having at least a pair of elements is interposed between the deflector and a mass filter. Not only may a minute amount of impurities in a sample be detected, but also measurements may be conducted on a consistently stable basis.

Abstract: An inductively coupled mass spectrometer for detecting impurities present in infinitesimal concentrations in a sample. The basic spectrometer structure includes: a nebulizer connected to receive a solution of the sample and a gas for causing the nebulizer to produce a spray in the form of a mist composed of droplets of the sample solution; a spray chamber disposed for receiving the spray and classifying the droplets in the spray; a plasma torch operative for conducting a stream composed of the sample solution and at least one gas; a high frequency power source and a work coil coupled to the plasma torch for supplying energy to generate and maintain a plasma which ionizes the sample solution in the stream; and a mass detector disposed for receiving the ionized sample solution from the plasma torch and operative for detecting impurities in the ionized sample solution.

Abstract: A structure for enabling control of the plasma potential of an ICP-MS. The structure includes: a shield plate 10 made of metal inserted between a plasma torch 1 and a high-frequency coil 2, a variable capacitor 11 connected between the shield plate 10 and ground, and an insulation member 15 is arranged to prevent contact of the high-frequency coil 2 with the shield plate 10. Even if a sample is introduced into ICP by any known method, it becomes capable to perform ICP-MS analysis while optimizing the response to interfering ions and detection sensitivity.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass-analyzing ions contained in plasma. A first vacuum chamber is maintained in a relatively low vacuum state and has a first aperture disposed adjacent to a plasma source for admitting therethrough the plasma into the first vacuum chamber. A second vacuum chamber is maintained in a relatively medium vacuum state and has a second aperture communicating between the first and second vacuum chambers. An ion extracting electrode is disposed in the second vacuum chamber for extracting ions contained in the plasma through the second aperture to form an ion stream composed of the extracted ions. A third vacuum chamber is maintained in a relatively high vacuum state and has a third aperture communicating between the second and third vacuum chambers.