Automated coverslipper for large format slides with switchable compatibility to handle multi format slides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024329066-A1
Application number	US-202218575482-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2022
Priority date	Jul 1, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for performing coverslipping includes multiple zones, where a coverslipper device is designated to move from one or more zones. An input zone comprises a slide tray, which comprises a stack of stained slides and a slide that is designated to be picked up by a slide pick-up platform. The picked-up slide reaches a dispensation zone and a mountant medium is dispensed via a nozzle and the slide pickup platform moves to a coverslipping zone. The coverslipper device picks the cover slips from a slip pick-up zone and moves to a coverslipping zone. The slide pick-up platform positions itself in the coverslipping zone while the picked coverslip is mounted over the slide. The processed cover slipped slide is transported by a slide conveyor and inserted into a slide tray, which is moved up and down and is positioned to accommodate the next processed slide.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A system for performing coverslipping:
a coverslipper device assembled onto a frame and designated to move from one or more zones; an input zone that comprises a slide tray, wherein the slide tray comprises a stack of stained slides, wherein a slide is designated to be picked up by a coverslipper device from a slide pick-up platform; a dispensation zone, wherein the slide picked up from the slide pick-up platform reaches the dispensation zone, and a mountant medium is dispensed via a wedge-shaped nozzle; a slip pick-up zone, wherein the coverslipper device picks the cover slips stacked in a coverslip tray present in the slip pick-up zone, and moves to a coverslipping zone; the coverslipping zone, wherein the slide pick-up platform positions itself in the coverslipping zone while the picked coverslip is mounted over the slide and an output zone, wherein the processed cover slipped slide is transported by a slide conveyor and inserted into a slide tray of the output zone, wherein the slide tray is moved up and down and is positioned to accommodate the next processed slide.

2 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coverslipper device is capable of processing large format slides of sizes 6″×8″ and 5″×7″ and is adaptable with customized modifications to slides of smaller sizes including 1″×3″ and 2″×3″.

3 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the slide tray comprises the stack of stained slides that are inserted into evenly spaced grooves, wherein the slide tray is positioned to pick up the designated slide by the slide pick-up platform.

4 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wedge-shaped nozzle dispenses the mountant medium uniformly over the slide from a container.

5 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser nozzle park zone, wherein the wedge-shaped nozzle, after dispensing, is rested at a home position, wherein solvent containers are placed to prevent clogging of nozzle tips, and wherein the wedge-shaped nozzles are partially immersed into solvent containers.

6 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein pick and place mechanism of the coverslipper device is controlled by a dedicated algorithm to facilitate accurate and uniform placement, and to prevent and eliminate formation of air bubbles.

7 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an actuator that moves linearly at a predefined speed and dispenses the mountant medium on the slide using the wedge-shaped nozzle, and after the dispensing, the actuator retreats to a home position, wherein tip of the wedge-shaped nozzle stays immersed into the mountant medium that is contained in a tray to avoid drying of nozzle tip.

8 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a combination algorithm that monitors real time suction pressure in a line that supplies suction force to the vacuum suction cups and facilitates vertical position sensing, wherein the combination algorithm detects the picking-up of the coverslip based on build-up of the suction pressure and once the suction pressure crosses a threshold, a vertical downward motion of the coverslipper device is stopped.

9 . A system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a sensing system that works in communication with the combination algorithm to pick each slide and to provide feedback to a processor to perform next operation.

10 . A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coverslipper device comprises:
a vertical plate that comprises a pinion gear that rotates on a shaft connected to one side of the vertical plate; a first curved plate comprising a rack gear on top, wherein the pinion gear rotates over the rack gear; and a second curved plate attached below the first curved plate, wherein a set of vacuum suction cups are attached to a lower side of the second curved plate, wherein rotation of the pinion gear over the rack gear translates the second curved plate along a predefined path, and wherein the vacuum suction cups detachably attach on a coverslip from a first end to a second end of the coverslip to lift the cover slip.

11 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the predefined path of the second curved plate is achieved by a simultaneous multi-axis motion algorithm that enables a unique locus of motion, to prevent occurrence of air pockets and bubbles below the cover slip.

12 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rack facilitates an overall movement profile that mimics the human ankle motion between Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion positions.

13 . The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the predefined path of the second curved plate is a rolling motion, which is a combination of movements of the mechanism in all axes, namely, X, Y and theta axis, wherein the combination algorithm facilitates movement along the respective X, Y and theta axis, to result in a user defined locus of motion.

14 . The system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the rack has a curved profile to ensure the distance between the centre of the pinion gear and end of the vacuum suction cups is always the same regardless of the position of the rack and pinion gears, and wherein points of contact between the coverslip and the slide are at the same level regardless of the orientation of the second curved plate holding the vacuum suction cups.

15 . The system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein regardless of an angle of orientation of the coverslipper device, the points of contact between the coverslip and the slide are at same distance from the centre of the coverslipper device.

16 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the process of coverslipping using the coverslipper device comprises to:
dispense a mountant medium on a slide; position a coverslip using the coverslipper device directly above the slide exactly matching the slide's position; bring the first end of coverslip towards slide and place on the slide, wherein starting contact area between coverslip and the slide is less than an empirically determined level to prevent air pockets; roll the coverslipper device towards end of slide to spread the mountant medium all over slide area uniformly; and release the coverslip from the coverslipper device by releasing suction force from the vacuum suction cups.

17 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the coverslip alignment mechanism is built with a custom designed coverslip tray with an alignment mechanism diagonally mounted for aligning the coverslips during each pickup of the coverslip, wherein the coverslips are stacked in the coverslip tray, wherein the coverslips are made of glass with a smooth surface, which results in the coverslips on stack to tend to slip when a topmost coverslip is picked from the coverslip tray, which causes an edge reference of the coverslip to change and results in laying of the coverslip, and wherein the edge reference of coverslip and the slide are not at same reference, which prevents coverslip breakage and tissue sample being un-used.

18 . The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the coverslip tray is in built with coverslip aligners which are connected to linear actuators and controlled by control software.

19 . The system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein process of picking coverslip involves:
initialising system, which extracts the aligners, enabling the user to load stack of coverslips; initialising system and aligning all the stacked coverslips to ensure that the coverslips are in same reference line; picking of the coverslip, wherein once the topmost coverslip is picked

Assignees

• Indian Institute Of Tech Madras

Inventors

• Joseph Jayaraj
• Sivaprakasam Mohanasankar
• Vasan Jayaraman Kiruthi
• K Ramdayalan
• Manoj Rahul
• Chandrasekaran Sudhan
• Narayanan Hari P

Classifications

• G01N2035/00138

  Slides · CPC title

• G01N2035/00079

  Evaporation covers for slides · CPC title

• 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

• G01N1/36

  Embedding or analogous mounting of samples · CPC title

• G01N2035/00089

  Magazines · CPC title