The laser microtome is an instrument used for non-contact sectioning of biological tissues or materials. It was developed by the Rowiak GmbH, a spin-off of the Laser Centre, Hannover.In contrast to mechanically working microtomes, the laser microtome does not require sample preparation techniques such as freezing, dehydration or embedding. It has the ability to slice tissue in its native state. Depending on the material being processed, slice thicknesses of 10 to 100 micrometers are feasible.