Automated histological processing of biological specimens and associated technology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10254202-B2
Application number	US-201615179784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

Automated system configured to perform and methods for performing one or more slide processing operations on slides bearing biological samples. The system and methods enable high sample throughput while also minimizing or limiting the potential for cross-contamination of slides. The automated systems can include features that facilitate consistency, controllability of processing time, and/or processing temperature.

First claim

We claim:

1. An automated slide processing apparatus for staining a specimen on a microscope slide located within the slide processing apparatus, the slide processing apparatus comprising:
a liquid removal device movable relative to the slide, the liquid removal device including
a gas knife configured to generate a gas curtain that tends to collect liquid on an upper surface of the slide at a collection zone at least partially defined by the gas curtain as the liquid removal device moves relative to the slide, and
a suction element positioned to remove liquid collected at the collection zone from the upper surface as the liquid removal device moves relative to the slide,
wherein the gas knife includes a plurality of first outlets and a plurality of second outlets, wherein the first outlets are configured to produce a first portion of the gas curtain that extends between the collection zone and a first longitudinal edge of the slide and wherein the second outlets are configured to produce a second portion of the gas curtain that extends between the collection zone and a second longitudinal edge of the slide.

2. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas curtain is V-shaped.

3. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the suction element includes an inlet positioned at least proximate to a vertex of the gas curtain.

4. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid removal device is movable lengthwise along the slide such that the gas knife and the suction element cooperate to urge the liquid toward a central longitudinal axis of the slide.

5. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas knife and the suction element cooperate to produce a low pressure region defining the collection zone when the gas knife outputs the gas curtain and the suction element draws a partial vacuum.

6. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions meet at an angle.

7. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas knife is angled relative to the upper surface of the slide such that the gas curtain is not perpendicular to the upper surface of the slide.

8. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the gas curtain defines an angle with the upper surface of the slide that is in a range from about 70 degrees to about 80 degrees.

9. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the gas curtain is uniplanar.

10. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas curtain is multiplanar.

11. The automated slide processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas curtain is nonplanar.

12. A slide processing apparatus for staining a specimen on a microscope slide located within the slide processing apparatus, the slide processing apparatus comprising:
a liquid removal device movable relative to the slide, the liquid removal device including a gas knife having one or more gas outlets positioned to generate an elongate gas curtain that extends across a width of the slide, wherein the one or more gas outlets are in a non-linear arrangement such that the elongate gas curtain urges a volume of liquid on an upper surface of the slide toward a central collection zone on the upper surface when the liquid removal device moves lengthwise along the slide, the central collection zone being at least partially defined and surrounded by the elongate gas curtain.

13. The slide processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the non-linear arrangement is V-shaped.

14. The slide processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the one or more gas outlets include a plurality of first discrete gas outlets positioned to form a first gas curtain in a first plane and a plurality of second discrete gas outlets positioned to form a second gas curtain in a second plane, the first plane and the second plane intersecting at an angle in a range from about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees.

15. A slide processing apparatus, comprising:
a suction element; and
a gas knife including a plurality of gas outlets in a non-linear arrangement, the gas knife is robotically movable relative to a microscope slide carrying a specimen held in the slide processing apparatus to captivate at least a portion of a volume of liquid covering the specimen,
wherein the suction element is positioned directly between two or more of the gas outlets, and the suction element and the gas knife are configured to cooperate to draw most or all of the volume of liquid into the suction element.

16. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the suction element and the gas knife are configured to cooperate to draw most of the volume of liquid from an upper surface of the slide while keeping a total volume of the liquid, if any, that falls off the slide less than 5% by volume of a total volume of the liquid that was on the upper surface of the slide prior to captivating the volume of liquid using the gas knife.

17. The slide processing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the suction element and the gas knife are configured to cooperate to draw at least 95% of the volume of liquid on the upper surface of the slide into the suction element.

18. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the gas knife and an inlet of the suction element are configured to move together to urge the volume of liquid toward the inlet of the suction element.

19. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the gas knife is positioned to move lengthwise along the slide to urge the liquid toward an inlet of the suction element.

20. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the suction element includes an inlet having a circular orifice.

21. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the suction element includes an inlet having a non-circular orifice.

22. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the suction element includes an orifice for receiving the liquid, and wherein the orifice has a maximum diameter in a range of about 0.5 mm to about 4 mm.

23. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the suction element has an inlet port positioned in a range from about 0.8 mm to about 3 mm above the upper surface when the liquid is removed from the upper surface.

24. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the suction element has an inlet port and is configured to produce a gas flow through the inlet port in a range of about 30 liters/minute to about 50 liters minute.

25. The slide processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the suction element is configured to produce a vacuum level in a range of about −0.3 psi to about −0.45 psi.

26. An automated slide processing apparatus for staining a specimen on a microscope slide located within the slide processing apparatus, the slide processing apparatus comprising:
a liquid removal device movable relative to the slide, the liquid removal device including
a gas knife configured to generate a gas curtain that tends to collect liquid on an upper surface of the slide at a collection zone at least partially defined by the gas curtain as the liquid removal device moves relative to the slide, and
a suction element position to remove liquid collected at the collection zone from the upper surface as the liquid removal device moves relative to the slide, wherein the gas knife includes a plurality

Assignees

• Ventana Med Syst Inc

Inventors

• Capps Kayla
• Groll Henning
• Kram Brian Howard
• Mette Matthew
• Mousavi Ali
• Tse Christine
• Ward Glen
• O'Connor Daniel
• Paluszcyk Troy
• Randall Benjamin David
• Stumpe Ken

Classifications

• G01N35/10

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N1/312 Primary

  for samples mounted on planar substrates · CPC title

• G01N35/00029

  provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides (G01N35/028 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2035/00138

  Slides · CPC title