Patent ID: 8109184

Claim:
A method for cutting a slice of a specimen tissue comprising the steps of: providing a base and a specimen holder attachable to said base, said specimen holder including: a diagonal slide carriage on said base, said diagonal slide carriage being supported for movement diagonally with respect to said specimen holder, wherein the diagonal slide carriage includes a movable diagonal slide platform and a diagonal slide rail and further includes a diagonal slide platform drive motor; a support arm on said diagonal slide carriage and movable with said diagonal slide carriage; a vibrating blade support on said support arm and movable horizontally with respect to said specimen holder; and a specimen cutting blade on said vibrating blade support, said specimen cutting blade being movable in a compound diagonal and vibrating movement with respect to said specimen holder; attaching a specimen to be sliced to said specimen holder; supporting said specimen cutting blade for horizontal vibrating movement and for diagonal sliding movement with respect to said specimen holder; extending a free end of said specimen from said specimen holder; and severing a slice of said specimen by vibrating and diagonally sliding said specimen cutting blade with respect to said specimen.