Hi John,

Unfortunately the EXAKT system was a bit out of our price range :) ,=20
though we have collaborators in Switzerland who swear by it. Why are you 
embedding specimens in PMMA for SEM work? Or did you mean TEM? All our 
SEM stuff has been modified freeze-fracture and gold coating methods.

Our protocol is actually a mixture of MMA/GMA (85/10) and the folks who 
used it around here have been sectioning it on a Polycut I believe. We 
are just having some issues on accessibility and seem to be flush in the 
cash dept for some reason so I've been designated as the system spec=20
person.

Anyway, thanks for the note and Happy Holidays to you too,

Tony Norman
UW-Orthopaedics
Seattle, WA

On Wednesday, December 18, 2002, at 01:07 PM, John Baker wrote:

> Hello Tony, We here at the U of M Orthopaedic Research Lab use the
> EXAKT cutting and grinding system for PMMA embedded undecalcified
> bone. Our sections are 200µm or larger and then polished down for
> staining or SEM. Please let me know what you come up with for a
> system that will cut sections at approx. 20µm.  Wow, that would be
> great!  For GMA sections we use the Reichert-Jung Polycut-E with
> tungsten-carbide blade of course.  Were you referring to GMA? Thanks
> and Happy Holidays, John
>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I am on the market for a new microtome to section methacrylate
>> embedded, undecalcified bone and soft tissues. Since we are an
>> orthopaedics department and don't believe in doing anything small,
>> the specimens will likely be on the large side (approximately 40mm x
>> 40mm .. probably larger at some point).
>>
>> I have obtained a quote on the Leica SM2500 E and a Microm 440 E.
>> Hopefully, I will be receiving information on a system from Hacker
>> Instruments soon. The main question I have is whether anyone out
>> there has used these for such projects and their pros/cons. Aside
>> from the obvious price differences, I want to make sure the system
>> we select is able to reliably reproduce ~20 um thick sections of
>> publication quality. The Leica literature indicates it is designed
>> specifically for such endeavors while the Microm literature remains
>> a little vague on the facts. While the Microm has the ability to
>> rotate the blade holder, I'm thinking this is not necessarily a plus
>> in my application. I have little knowledge of what the Hacker
>> systems might be capable of yet, though the sales folks indicated it
>> was similar to the Leica system (despite not being all that familiar
>> with the specific model I was mentioning).
>>
>> Any thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping
>> to try and get this through my purchasing dept before the first of
>> the year since Leica is apparently raising their prices another 6%
>> then.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Tony Norman
>> Graduate Research Assistant
>> University of Washington
>> Box 356500
>> Seattle, WA 98195
>> Tel: 206.543.3690
>> FAX: 206.685.3139
>
>
> --
> John A. Baker
> The University of Michigan
> Orthopaedic Research Laboratories
> Histology Unit
> 400 North Ingalls, G160
> Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0486
> Main lab office phone:734-763-9674
> Histology office:734-936-1635