Design and Basic Performance Evaluation of a Multi-Axis Microtome System for Precision Sectioning

Tissue sectioning is an essential preprocessing for pathological diagnosis, tissue analysis, and biomaterial evaluation, and its reliability depends on the section-thickness uniformity and repeatability. We designed and fabricated a multi-axis mechatronic microtome system to realize a target section thickness of 4-5 μm and performed sectioning experiments. The system comprises X-, Y-, and Z-axis ball screw-based linear feeding mechanisms and auxiliary posture-adjustment structures. FEM modal and static structural analyses were conducted to examine the dynamic stability and front-structure deformation. The basic driving performance was evaluated using displacement sensor-based microfeeding tests and input pulse analysis. Under a 2-pulse input, the X- and Y-axis feed displacements were 0.61301 μm and 0.59247 μm, respectively. The 3σ in-position stability values were ±0.1753 μm, ±0.1609 μm, and ±0.1528 μm for the X-, Y-, and Z-axis, respectively, confirming repeatable micro-feeding; effective strokes were approximately 100 mm for the X/Y axes and 120 mm for the Z-axis.