CryoJane® Tape-Transfer Process

To minimize ice-crystal size, tissue is snap-frozen with a chilled heat extractor.

Snap-freezing and embedding

A blockholder is placed on the Gentle Jane® snap-freezing device. Cryo-Gel® or other embedding media is dispensed onto the blockholder and a tissue specimen is positioned on top. The chilled heat extractor is placed in its holder and released. When the heat extractor contacts the specimen, the tissue and embedding medium is snap-frozen into a flat block. The plane of the flat block face minimizes trimming. When specimen shape or orientation are essential, the tissue is snap-frozen using the Cryo-Gel® / Rubber Mold method.

To minimize ice-crystal size, tissue is snap-frozen with a chilled heat extractor.

Cutting

After the block is trimmed, a cold adhesive tape is adhered to the block face. The tape supports and captures the section as it is being cut, eliminating the need for a brush or anti-roll device.

To minimize ice-crystal size, tissue is snap-frozen with a chilled heat extractor.

Transfer to Slide

A cold adhesive-coated slide is placed on a temperature-controlled pad. The adhesive tape is placed section-side-down on the adhesive-coated slide, and is laminated to the adhesive layer using a cold roller.

To minimize ice-crystal size, tissue is snap-frozen with a chilled heat extractor.

Curing the Adhesive Coating

A flash of ultraviolet light passes through the slide to polymerize the adhesive layer on the slide into a hard, solvent-resistant plastic, tightly anchoring the section to the slide.

To minimize ice-crystal size, tissue is snap-frozen with a chilled heat extractor.

Removal of Tape

The tape is peeled away leaving the still frozen section tightly bonded to the plastic layer.

The slide can then be:

a) Fixed in the Instrumedics Aqueous Fixative.

b) Freeze-dried or freeze substituted in the cryostat before "anyhdrous" fixation.

c) Melted or air-dried and fixed with the fixative of your choice.