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Why Compresstome®?

The Compresstome is a revolutionary vibrating microtome designed to create higher-quality slices than traditional vibratomes.  This overview explains everything you need to know about the Compresstome so you can start creating better-quality slices.

Problems with Other Vibrating Microtomes
How the Compresstome Works
What Makes the Compresstome Different?
The Benefit of Compression for Tissue Slicing
Compresstomes vs. Other Vibratomes

Problems with Other Vibrating Microtomes

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—these effects may damage cells and tissue architecture.

Other vibratomes have blades that push the tissue while cutting, because the sample cannot be stabilized.

Even with a small agar block, other vibratomes will press the tissue sample which can harm cells.

How the Compresstome Works

Watch this short video to learn how the Compresstome vibrating microtome works.

Compresstome Produces Higher Quality Tissue Slices

The Compresstome vibrating microtome has been scientifically proven to create more consistent tissue sections for immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology than other vibratomes. In the figure below, you can see the significant reduction in chattermarks in tissue slices produced with our Compresstome tissue slicer versus sections (A, C). Slices made at the same cutting speed and oscillation on another market vibratome produce chattermarks on the surface of tissue slices.

Comparison of tissue slices sectioned with a Compresstome vibrating microtome vs. another leading market vibratome

Mouse brains sectioned with a Compresstome® yields significantly higher number of healthy, live neurons for electrophysiology compared to slices made by other leading market vibratomes.

What's the biggest difference about the Compresstome Tissue Slicer?

Specimen tubes

 

The Compresstome vibrating microtome’s unique feature is that you embed your tissue sample into a stainless steel tube (called a “specimen tube“) and surround it with agarose. The agarose provides 360-degree stability around your tissue during the entire cutting process, allowing you to achieve higher-quality slices.

The Benefit of Compression for Tissue Slicing

Embedding tissue in agarose is simple and proven to keep the tissue from harm. Agarose stabilizes the tissue during cutting with the Compresstome. This yields slices with smooth surfaces and does not harm or disrupt the tissue. Agarose embedding allows you to cut consistent, even tissue slices without chatter marks.

What is Auto Zero-Z Technology? How does it benefit tissue slicing?

Compresstome slicer models marked with “-0Z” mean that they have 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 reduces chattermarks on thin sections for improved imaging results.

Compresstomes vs. Other Vibratomes at a Glance

Compression to increase tissue stability

Automation

Cutting Speed

Stabilization Technology

Weight

Footprint

Precisionary VF-510-0Z

Compression to increase tissue stability​

Yes

Automation:

Fully Automated

Cutting Speed

0.01 - 10 mm

Stabilization Technology​:

Auto Zero-Z technology included

Weight:

13 pounds

Footprint:

330 x 255 x 195 mm

Competitor

Leica VT1200S

Compression to increase tissue stability​

No

Automation:

Fully Automated

Cutting Speed

0.01 - 1.5 mm

Stabilization Technology​:

Manual adjustment after each blade change

Weight:

123 pounds

Footprint:

600 x 250 x 469 mm plus control unit

Competitor

Campden Instruments 7000smz-2

Compression to increase tissue stability​

No

Cutting Speed:

Fully Automated

Cutting Speed

0.01 - 5 mm

Stabilization Technology​:

Manual adjustment after each blade change

Weight:

73 pounds

Footprint:

420 x 400 x 270 mm

Talk to a Tissue Sectioning Expert

Our team is always here to answer any tissue sectioning questions you may have. Get in touch today.

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