Same goal, different jobs
Both instruments cut tissue into sections only a few microns thick, but they are used in different situations.
The microtome
A microtome (commonly a rotary microtome) cuts sections from paraffin wax blocks — the routine workflow for almost all histopathology. Sections are floated flat on a warm water bath, picked up on a slide, dried, then stained.
The cryostat
A cryostat is essentially a microtome housed in a freezing chamber. It cuts frozen tissue for frozen section — rapid answers during surgery (see our frozen-section guide).
Which does your lab need?
- Routine reporting → rotary microtome + floatation bath + slide warming table.
- Intraoperative / frozen section → cryostat microtome.
- Most hospital labs → both, because they serve different clinical needs.
Supporting equipment
Clean microtomy depends on more than the cutting instrument: a stable tissue floatation bath to flatten ribbons and a slide warming table for proper section adhesion both directly affect slide quality.