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Capillary‐tube units for individual block preparation in light and electron microscopy *
Author(s) -
Galey Frank R.,
Dunn Robert F.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1971.tb03705.x
Subject(s) - capillary action , electron microscope , tube (container) , materials science , block (permutation group theory) , process (computing) , computer science , optics , composite material , physics , geometry , mathematics , operating system
SUMMARY Short lengths of 4‐mm capillary tubing are fitted with teflon caps for processing individual blocks in preparation for light‐ and electron‐microscopic observation. The processing units hold a nickel mesh grid to prevent tissue loss. Advantages include: (1) the ability to process very small blocks otherwise lost during processing; (2) separation of tissue from specifically mapped areas; (3) conservation of processing fluids and time. For routine tissue dehydration and infiltration, it is generally possible to process many tissue blocks collectively. However, instances frequently occur in which it is necessary to treat individual blocks separately. Examples include processing of single muscle fibres, and individual sensory regions where it is desirable to separate various segments of the sensory organ. This paper describes specially prepared capped capillary tubes for the purpose of individual block preparation. These containers are advantageous in conservation of fluids, ease of specimen transfer, and most importantly strict isolation of the individual blocks of tissue.