Dear Marjorie,
if you can't get what you want, modify your 1512's by removing the macro
advance wheel and getting your engineering dept. to fix to it instead a
handle approx 3" - 4" radius with a knob fixed with a brass bush that spins
freely, so you only have to grip the knob and crank it like and egg beater.
You can now safely use the mechanism to advance and back off for both
trimming and sectioning.
Believe me it works, and the action is now more evenly distributed through
fingers, hand , wrist and forearm, unlike the standard fitting which
concentrates all the action in the wrist accentuating RSI.
I did this some 15 years ago when I was doing up to 160 blocks a day (that's
embedding and staining the lot), I do much less, but I haven't had a
recurrence. My wrist was so dammaged however that I have to be very careful
what I lift with my left hand as it is now prone to dislocation simply by
lifting a 20 litre drum- but microtomy, I don't have a problem- so easy has
the modification made it.
We advised Wild/Leitz at the time (now Leica) with photographs etc, incl.
calculated forces and work done and they were not even remotely interested
in modifying the 1512 as a single client complaint was not representitive.
Regards Mike (Downunder)
-----Original Message-----
From: Hagerty, Marjorie A. <mhagerty@emc.org>
To: 'Histonet' <histonet@Pathology.swmed.edu>
Date: Wednesday, 2 June 1999 2:44
Subject: Automatic Microtomes


>Hi Everyone,
>
>The two techs that cut most of the time have both developed carpal tunnel.
I
>asked the director if we could get automatic microtomes and he is going to
>go to bat for us.
>
>Of course I don't know anything about automatic tomes. Would some of you
>mind sharing your recommendations/opinions/experiences with me?
>
>We currently have 3 Leica 1512, like them very much, and produce top
quality
>slides.
>
>Thanks in advance for your help.
>
>Marg
>Marjorie Hagerty, H.T. (ASCP) H.T.L., Q IHC
>Supervisor, Anatomic Pathology
>Eisenhower Medical Center
>39000 Bob Hope Drive
>Rancho Mirage, California 92270
>760.773.2013
>FAX:760.773.1587
>mhagerty@emc.org
>
>
>