Home Page Abbreviated Contents Customer Login Quick Order / View Order
Contact Us Search Indexes Finish Order

back to Dissections Tools/Blades
back to Vibratome® Accessories
knife cleaning and/or blade cleaning

Sapphire Knife / Blade

sapphire knife

A sectioning blade for use with Vibratomes®, Microslicers and other Vibrating Microtomes

Produce thinner sections
Developed specifically for the Vibratome®, this sapphire microtomy knife makes it possible for the first time to cut thin Vibratome sections with microscopic resolution similar to that obtained with thick (1 micron) plastic sections. Made from synthetic single-crystal sapphire, the sapphire knife allows serial sectioning with a Vibratome® 1000 of a thickness in the 6-10 micron range. With good technique and fixed material, revealing subcellar features never before seen in Vibratome® sections. Now the vibrating Microtome is an attractive alternative to the cryostat when you need thin sections of fresh or lightly fixed tissue for fluorescent labeling, autoradiography, immunohistochemistry, etc. Gives maximum surface smoothness.

Durable knife
Sapphire, while not as hard as tungsten carbide or diamond, is still hundreds of times harder than steel razor blades. This hardness translates into increased durability and sharper edges resulting in improved section quality, particularly in electrophysiology applications. By making a cleaner cut, the surface cells remain alive and intact, thereby available for the researcher to more easily explore the live and responsive interior cells. With proper care, they can produce thousands of sections.

Sapphire knives can be resharpened
When returned, your knife is restored to the original condition of its cutting edge. Quick turn-around time means that your down time is kept to a minimum.

Specifications

Material: synthetic single crystal sapphire
Edge length: 1.5" (40mm)
Blade height: 0.5" (12mm)
Blade thickness: 0.035" (0.9mm)


Prod #DescriptionUnitPriceOrder / Quote
121-18
Sapphire Knife
each
$650.00
Qty:
121-18R
Sapphire Knife Resharpening
each
400.00
Qty:

PELCO® Technical Notes, Sapphire Knife 1.5" (40mm) L (PDF File)