Automated processing systems and methods of thermally processing microscope slides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656168-B2
Application number	US-201615179853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Methods and apparatus that enable drying and curing a plurality of specimens carried by a plurality of microscope slides. Slide carriers are positioned at a first position while the slide carrier holds the microscope slides. Each of the specimens can be carried by one of the microscope slides. The slide carrier can be robotically moved to move the slide carrier into a circulation loop defined by a heater apparatus. The specimens and/or microscope slides can be convectively heated while the slide carrier is located in the circulation loop.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for drying a plurality of specimens carried by a plurality of microscope slides, the method comprising:
positioning a slide carrier at a first position while the slide carrier holds the plurality of microscope slides, wherein each of the specimens is carried by one of the plurality of microscope slides;
robotically moving the slide carrier from the first position to a second position to move the slide carrier into a circulation loop defined by a heater apparatus, wherein the second position is oriented vertically relative to the first position such that a longitudinal axis of at least one of the plurality of microscope slides is positioned at an angle between about 70 degrees and about 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane; and
convectively heating the specimens and/or microscope slides with a substantially laminar flow stream configured to parallelly pass across an entire specimen-bearing surface of each of the plurality of microscope slides while the slide carrier is at the second position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein robotically moving the slide carrier into the second position includes positioning a longitudinal axis of at least one of the plurality of microscope slides at an angle of about 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein robotically moving the slide carrier from the first position to a second position includes pivoting the slide carrier about 70 degrees to about 90 degrees.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the microscope slides has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end is labeled, and wherein the method further comprises positioning the slide carrier such that, in the second position, the first end is positioned above the second end.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein convectively heating the specimens and/or microscope slides further includes:
delivering a gas flow through a turbulent flow portion of the circulation loop; and
delivering the gas flow from the turbulent flow portion through a laminar flow promotor configured to transition at least a portion of the gas flow to laminar gas flow in a laminar flow portion of the circulation loop.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein convectively heating the specimens and/or microscope slides includes:
heating a gas flow to produce a heated gas flow along the circulation loop;
inducing turbulence in the heated gas flow to produce a turbulent gas flow along the circulation loop; and
reducing turbulence of the turbulent gas flow with a laminar flow promoter to produce a laminar gas flow along the circulation loop.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminar flow stream is a heated gas flow.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein convectively heating the specimens and/or microscope slides includes delivering a heated gas flow upwardly across the microscope slides.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein convectively heating the specimens and/or microscope slides includes delivering a heated gas flow across the microscope slides such that two or more of the specimens are at substantially the same temperature.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of microscope slides includes a first specimen, and a second specimen and a difference between an average temperature of the first specimen and an average temperature of the second temperature of less than 3° C.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering a gas flow across the microscope slides at an average flow rate of about 1.8 m/s to about 2.9 m/s.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering a gas flow along the circulation loop at an average temperature of between about 74° C. and about 80° C.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising robotically moving the slide carrier out of the circulation loop.

14. A method for drying a plurality of specimens carried by a plurality of microscope slides, the method comprising:
positioning a slide carrier at a first position while the slide carrier holds the plurality of microscope slides, wherein each of the specimens is carried by one of the plurality of microscope slides;
robotically moving the slide carrier from the first position to a second position to move the slide carrier into a circulation loop defined by a heater apparatus, wherein the second position is oriented vertically relative to the first position; and
convectively heating the specimens and/or microscope slides with a substantially laminar flow stream configured to parallelly pass across an entire specimen-bearing surface of each of the plurality of microscope slides while the slide carrier is at the second position,
wherein positioning the slide carrier at the first position includes:
automatically opening a door assembly of a dryer apparatus; and
delivering the slide carrier to the door assembly such that the door assembly holds the slide carrier at the first position, and

wherein robotically moving the slide carrier from the first position to the second position includes automatically closing the door assembly such that the door assembly moves the slide carrier from the first position to the second position.

15. An apparatus for heating a plurality of specimens carried by a plurality of microscope slides, the apparatus comprising:
a housing at least partially defining a circulation loop;
a blower positioned to produce a gas flow along the circulation loop;
a door assembly moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein
when in the first position, the door assembly is configured to receive a slide carrier that carries the plurality of microscope slides, and
when in the second position, the door assembly is configured to hold the slide carrier at a vertically-oriented position along the circulation loop;

a heat source configured to heat the gas flow along the circulation loop; and
a laminar flow promotor configured to produce a substantially laminar gas flow along a laminar flow portion of the circulation loop such that the specimens are convectively heated by the laminar gas flow traveling parallel to the specimen-bearing surface of each of the plurality of microscope slides when the door assembly holds the slide carrier along the circulation loop.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second position is angled relative to a horizontal plane.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second position is substantially vertical relative to a horizontal plane.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a turbulence promoter positioned along the circulation loop and configured to create a turbulent gas flow along a turbulent flow portion of the circulation loop.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the laminar flow promoter is positioned downstream of the first portion of the circulation loop.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a first flow modifier positioned along the circulation loop and configured to promote a turbulent gas flow along a first portion of the circulation loop, wherein the laminar flow promoter is configured to promote the laminar gas flow along a second portion of the circulation loop.

21. An apparatus for heating a plurality of specimens carried by a plurality of microscope slides, the apparatus comprising:
a housing at least partially defining a circulation loop;
a blower positioned to produce gas flow along the circulation loop;
a first flow modifier positioned along the circulation loop and configured to create a turbulent gas

Assignees

• Ventana Med Syst Inc

Inventors

• Barnett Donald Michael
• Clarke Delroy Eccleston
• Leporini Joseph
• Randall Benjamin David
• Raves William Eric
• Singer Robert Bennett
• Snyder Duwayne Dennis
• Thompson Michael James
• Thurman Matthew Annin

Classifications

• B01L9/52

  Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips · CPC title

• G01N2035/00386

  using fluid heat transfer medium · CPC title

• G01N2035/00039

  Transport arrangements specific to flat sample substrates, e.g. pusher blade · CPC title

• B01L7/00

  Heating or cooling apparatus (autoclaves B01J3/04); Heat insulating devices · CPC title

• G01N2035/00138

  Slides · CPC title