Assembly and system including a biological sample treatment chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022042885-A1
Application number	US-202117501386-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2019
Publication date	Feb 10, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to specimen processing assemblies including (a) a lower plate (10), (b) an upper plate (30) complementary to the lower plate, and (c) a chamber formed therefrom. In some embodiments, the formed chamber is adapted to perform an unmasking operation, e.g. antigen retrieval and/or target retrieval. In some embodiments, the specimen processing assemblies are configured to maintain a specimen-bearing substrate (15) horizontal during all processing steps. The present disclosure is also directed to systems including one or more independently operable specimen processing assemblies.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
(i) at least one unmasking chamber having a predetermined internal volume, wherein the at least one unmasking chamber comprises an upper plate and a lower plate, wherein the lower plate includes a lower engagement surface and one or more substrate stages adapted to hold a substrate horizontally within the at least one unmasking chamber, and wherein the upper plate includes an upper engagement surface which is complementary to the lower engagement surface and a cavity recessed relative to the upper engagement surface; and wherein at least one of the upper plate and the lower plate includes at least one of a heating element or a cooling element; and (ii) a staining module.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined internal volume ranges from between about 14 cm 3 to about 25 cm 3 .

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more substrate stages are raised relative to the lower engagement surface.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lower and/or upper plates further comprises one or more temperature sensors which contact the horizontally held substrate or a fluid disposed thereon.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper plate comprises one or more steam injection ports.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a body of the lower plate and a body of the upper plate comprise complementary wedge-based shapes.

7 . The system of claim 1 , where the upper and lower plates are independently movable.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one substrate transfer device, wherein the at least one substrate transfer device is selected from the group consisting of a gripper device, a forklift device, and carrier transport.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the lower plate is modular, wherein the modular lower plate is transportable to the upper plate.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper plate is coupled to a force generating member, and wherein the force generating member is configured to give way if a pressure within the chamber exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11 . A system comprising:
(i) at least one unmasking chamber having a predetermined interior volume, wherein the at least one unmasking chamber comprises an upper plate and a lower plate, wherein the lower plate includes a lower engagement surface and one or more substrate stages adapted to hold a substrate horizontally within the at least one unmasking chamber, and wherein the upper plate includes an upper engagement surface which is complementary to the lower engagement surface and a cavity recessed relative to the upper engagement surface; and wherein the upper plate comprises one or more steam injection ports for introducing steam into the at least one unmasking chamber; (ii) a staining module; and (iii) a steam reservoir.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the upper plate is coupled to a force generating member, wherein the force generating member is selected from the group consisting of a motor, a spring, a screw, a level, a piston, a cam, or any combination thereof.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one unmasking chamber comprises a predetermined internal volume ranging from between about 14 cm 3 to about 25 cm 3 .

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the lower and/or upper plates further comprise one or more temperature and/or pressure sensors.

15 . A system comprising:
(i) at least one specimen processing assembly comprising: (1) a lower plate comprising a body, the body comprising (a) a substrate stage having an upper surface adapted to support a substrate horizontally, (b) a lower engagement surface, and (c) a first lower temperature regulation element in thermal communication with the substrate stage; and (2) an upper plate comprising an upper engagement surface complementary to the lower engagement surface; and (ii) a staining module.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first lower temperature regulation element is positioned beneath the substrate stage.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the lower plate further comprises a second lower temperature regulation element and a third lower temperature regulation element, wherein the second and third lower temperature regulation elements are each positioned adjacent the first lower temperature regulation element, and wherein the first lower temperature regulation element has a first thermal output, the second lower temperature regulation element has a second thermal output, and the third lower temperature regulation element has a third thermal output, wherein the first thermal output is less than either of the second and third thermal outputs.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein a thermal gradient is maintained between the first and second lower temperature regulation elements and between the first and third temperature regulation elements.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the thermal gradient maintained between the first and second lower temperature regulation elements ranges from between 2° C. to about 10° C.; and wherein the thermal gradient maintained between the first and second lower temperature regulation elements ranges from between 2° C. to about 10° C.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first lower temperature regulation element in thermal communication with the substrate stage is configured such that the substrate stage or a substrate disposed thereon remains the coldest component within a chamber formed from the upper and lower plates.

Assignees

• Ventana Med Syst Inc

Inventors

• Barnett Heidi
• Bennett Vanessa J
• Brown Patrick
• Crum Nathan
• Graves Evan T
• Keller Timothy J
• Kram Brian H
• Kurycki Daniel R
• Laing Alastair
• Mette Matthew D
• Otter Michael
• Phillips-Portillo James E
• Psota Samuel
• Roessler Christian
• Weir Kenneth S
• Willems Jr John D

Classifications

• G01N1/44

  Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat · CPC title

• G01N1/42

  Low-temperature sample treatment, e.g. cryofixation · CPC title

• G01N1/312 Primary

  for samples mounted on planar substrates · CPC title