5. Working with the Instrument
5.2Control Elements on the VT1200 Control Panel
Switch on the instrument.
1 = on 0 = off
Caution: To practice the key functions, always make sure there are no blades installed! Do not install the blades until you are familiar with all of the key functions.
When the instrument is switched on, to make it easier to insert a specimen, the specimen receptacle automatically moves into the lowest position (the LED in the DOWN key lights up) and the blade holder moves into the rearmost position (the LED in "Blade away" from the specimen lights up).
The last parameters used before the instrument was switched off are called up again: blade feed rate (SPEED), selected amplitude (AMPL) and the sec- tion thickness that was saved using the MEMO key.
The LED illumination is switched on automatically. You can switch it off using the ON/OFF key (lamp symbol).
5.2.1 Moving the Specimen Receptacle Vertically
When the DOWN key is pressed, the specimen receptacle automatically moves quickly into the lowest position. (The LED in the DOWN key lights up when the lower end position is reached.) The ∑μm display is set to "0". If the DOWN key is pressed a second time while the specimen receptacle is mov- ing downwards, the specimen receptacle comes to a stop. The current position appears on the ∑μm display (lowest position = 0). The ∑μm display does not change while the specimen receptacle is in motion.
When the UP key is pressed and held, the specimen receptacle moves quickly upwards into the desired position. After the UP key has been released, the current position of the specimen receptacle appears on the ∑μm display. If the specimen receptacle reaches the upper end position, the LED in the UP key lights up (uppermost position = 20,000μm). The ∑μm display does not change while the specimen receptacle is in motion.
You can reset the display for the current position of the specimen holder to zero at any point using the CLEAR/∑μm key. The section thicknesses are then added in the ∑μm display. Switch to μm by pressing the μm/∑μm key.
Leica VT1200 and VT1200S – Microtome | 19 |