Joyce, 

We semi-regularly cut whole human brain cross sections - the largest requiring a
5.5x6in. slide. We have an old Reichert-Jung sliding 'tome, and routinely cut at
10-15um. There are all sizes of slides available - many in our drawers come from
Kodak or Corning or Surgipath. We also have glass coverslips for all these
oversize slides. 

-brice
Neuropathology
Brigham & Women's Hospital
Boston, MA

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Monson, Frederick C. [SMTP:fmonson@wcupa.edu]
> Sent:	Tuesday, April 02, 2002 3:16 PM
> To:	'Weems, Joyce'
> Cc:	'List-HistoPath'
> Subject:	RE: Questions
> 
> 1.  Largest I have seen was piece of brain in the 2" x 4" range.  Largest I
> have cut with it was about 1.5" x 2".  Rabbit urinary bladder half fluted
> with razor to flat embedment, 2" x 3" block.  Using a 9" hollow-ground blade
> we cut serial, horizontal sections <10um and mounted them on 2" x 3" slides.
> Same slides we used for canine prostates, though we cut those with an LKB,
> retracting, paraffin microtome.
> 2.  Yes.  Lantern slide glass.  Optically clear and about 1mm thick.
> 3.  I have an AO 860 sledge Microtome (~18" sliding bed with capacity to
> hold a 12" knife).  Ever time I think of getting rid of the 50lb albatross,
> I find another use for it.  I finally gave up and decided to saddle my
> children with it by leaving it to all four and forcing them to place it in a
> happy home. 
> 
> Hope this suffices from one who not only has the instrument, but the little
> green book as well.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Fred Monson
> 
> Frederick C. Monson, PhD   
> Center for Advanced Scientific Imaging
> Schmucker II Science Center
> West Chester University
> South Church Street 
> West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA, 19383
> Phone:  610-738-0437
> FAX:  610-738-0437
> fmonson@wcupa.edu
> CASI URL:  http://darwin/wcupa.edu/casi/
> WCUPA URL:  http://www.wcupa.edu/
> Visitors URL:  http://www.wcupa.edu/_visitors/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > ----------
> > From: 	Weems, Joyce
> > Sent: 	Tuesday, April 2, 2002 1:52 PM
> > To: 	'Histonet'
> > Subject: 	Questions
> > 
> > A friend and I were talking today and came up with questions about
> > microtomes and tissue size that we are not familiar with. Could you
> > experts
> > in the field help us?
> > 
> > 1.	What is the largest tissue one can cut with a sliding microtome?
> > 
> > 2.	Are there 2" x 4" glass slides that can be used for large pieces of
> > tissue?
> > 
> > 3.	How many sliding microtomes are still being used? 
> > 
> > Thanks for your help! J
> >  
> > Joyce Weems
> > Pathology Manager
> > Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta
> > 
> > 
> >