TissueSurgeon
Non-contact cutting with femtosecond laser technology
Overview
The TissueSurgeon is the world's first laser microtome, designed for non-contact cutting, ablating and structuring of biological tissues and various materials, such as ceramics and polymers. It is optionally available with a Navigation Module for three-dimensional imaging. This special add-on module is based on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a three-dimensional imaging technology, allowing for OCT navigated cutting.
Advantages at a glance
- non-contact cutting, ablating and structuring of biological tissues and materials
- cutting of native tissue without time-consuming sample preparation
- cutting of hard tissues such as bone and tooth without decalcification
- precision: 1 µm
- available with an integrated OCT imaging system for 3D navigated cutting
Details
The TissueSurgeon is a multi-purpose sectioning instrument, equipped with a femtosecond laser. It enables non-contact cutting as well as ablating and structuring inside biological tissues and various materials. An integrated camera allows the online-monitoring of the cutting process.The TissueSurgeon is optionally available with a Navigation Module for three-dimensional imaging of specimens. This add-on module is based on Optical Coherence Tomography and enables 3-D navigated cutting. Laser microtomy with integrated OCT imaging technology provides a unique combination of three-dimensional imaging and cutting, faciliating analysis and dissection of samples.
A cost- and time-saving benefit of the TissueSurgeon is the ability to slice different biological tissue in its native state. Extensive and time-consuming sample preparation techniques are not required. In particular the TissueSurgeon is an optimal solution for sectioning tissue which is sensitive to chemical fixation. Even sectioning of hard tissues such as bone and tooth is possible without decalcification. Depending on the material being processed, slice thicknesses of 7 to 100 µm are feasible.
Main component of the TissueSurgeon is a femtosecond laser, tight focussed into the specimen by a high-numerical aperture objective. The high intensities inside the focal volume lead to nonlinear absorption processes and finally to the disruption of the illuminated material. This effect is limited to the focal diameter of about 1 µm. To produce tissue slices both the laser beam and the specimens are moved simultaneously – the laser beam by a fast scanner and the specimen by a piezo driven positioning stage.
The TissueSurgeon is suited for applications in life science as well as in microtechnology. The TissueSurgeon is available in two different configurations: either as stand-alone system or as table-top system.