Device and method to accurately and easily assemble glass slides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9314797-B2
Application number	US-201414557183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Aug 18, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments provide a slide assembly device having a static tooling base which is statically and solidly affixed to a base such as a table and a moveable tooling arm that is rotatable about a hinge connected to the static tooling base, so that moveable tooling arm rotates about the hinge in a manner similar to a book cover opening and closing. The embodiments further provide an upper slide chuck that is removably attachable to the moveable tooling arm and a lower slide receiver that is removably attachable to the static tooling base. The upper slide chuck is configured to hold an experimental slide via a vacuum mechanism to engagedly hold the experimental slide to the upper slide chuck while the moveable tooling arm is rotated about the hinge from an open-book position to a closed-book position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a static tooling base having a first surface;
a moveable tooling base that is operably connected with the static tooling base, said moveable tooling base having a second surface;
wherein the moveable tooling base is configured to rotate from a first position to a second position, such that the second surface becomes parallel with, and oriented to face, the first surface;
wherein the static tooling base is configured to hold a first slide on the first surface;
wherein the moveable tooling base is configured to hold a second slide on the second surface, such that the second slide remains held on the second surface when the moveable tooling base is rotated from the first position to the second position; and
wherein when the moveable tooling base is in the second position, the device is configured to release the second slide onto the first slide.

2. The device as in claim 1 , further comprising a base to which the static tooling base is affixed.

3. The device as in claim 2 , wherein the base is mounted on a mounting.

4. The device as in claim 3 , wherein said mounting comprises one of a table, lab bench, and stand.

5. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the moveable tooling base is operably connected with the static tooling base by a connection module.

6. The device as in claim 1 , further comprising a first slide receiver that is removably attachable to the first surface of the static tooling base, wherein the first slide receiver comprises a third surface, and wherein the first slide receiver is configured to hold the first slide on the third surface.

7. The device as in claim 6 , further comprising a hybridization chamber base affixed on the first surface of the static tooling base, wherein the first slide receiver is configured to be part of the hybridization chamber base.

8. The device as in claim 6 , wherein the first slide receiver comprises first tooling points that are configured to hold the first slide so as to prevent the first slide from shifting with respect to the first slide receiver, and configured such that, when the moveable tooling base is rotated from the first position to the second position, the first tooling points, the first slide receiver, and the first slide do not interfere with the rotation of the moveable tooling base, nor interfere with the second slide receiver or the second slide.

9. The device as in claim 6 , further comprising a second slide receiver that is removably attachable to the second surface of the moveable tooling base, wherein the second slide receiver comprises a fourth surface, and wherein the second slide receiver is configured to hold the second slide on the fourth surface, such that the second slide remains held on the fourth surface when the moveable tooling base is rotated from the first position to the second position.

10. The device as in claim 9 , further comprising a vacuum source, wherein the vacuum source is configured to generate a vacuum sufficient to hold the second slide on the fourth surface when the moveable tooling base is rotated from the first position to the second position, and the vacuum source is further configured to release the vacuum to atmospheric pressure when the moveable tooling base is in the second position, so as to release the second slide onto the first slide by force of gravity.

11. The device as in claim 10 , wherein the fourth surface has a groove thereon, and wherein the second slide receiver further comprises:
a vacuum opening in the fourth surface, wherein the groove forms a closed path around said vacuum opening, and wherein a flexible seal is fitted within the groove;
a vacuum connection to which the vacuum source is connected; and
a vacuum path under the fourth surface, said vacuum path being configured between the vacuum opening and the vacuum connection, wherein the second slide receiver is configured to hold the second slide against the flexible seal on the fourth surface, using the vacuum generated by the vacuum source, when the moveable tooling base rotated from the first position to the second position.

12. The device as in claim 11 , wherein the flexible seal includes an o-ring.

13. The device as in claim 11 , wherein the second slide receiver further comprises a side surface substantially perpendicular to the fourth surface, and wherein the vacuum connection is located on the side surface.

14. The device as in claim 11 , wherein the vacuum is set to a pressure of about 2.5 to 25 mbar.

15. The device as in claim 11 , further comprising at least one valve through which air is released when the vacuum is generated or when the vacuum is released to atmospheric pressure.

16. The device as in claim 15 , wherein the at least one valve is located in at least one of the second slide receiver and the vacuum source.

17. The device as in claim 11 , wherein the vacuum source is an external vacuum source.

18. The device as in claim 11 , wherein the vacuum source is an on-board vacuum source including a pipette bulb.

19. The device as in claim 11 , wherein the vacuum source is an on-board vacuum source including an air cylinder.

20. The device as in claim 19 , wherein the air cylinder is configured to provide the vacuum, which is sufficient to pull the second slide against the flexible seal, and wherein the air cylinder is connected to the vacuum connection via a flexible tube.

21. The device as in claim 20 , wherein the air cylinder comprises:
a spring return cylinder having a spring therein;
an air-tight piston moveable within the spring return cylinder from a first piston position to a second piston position;
a manually actuated button connected to the piston; and
a cylinder vacuum connection to which the flexible tube is connected, wherein when the manually actuated button is depressed a first time, the piston is pushed from the first piston position to the second piston position within the spring return cylinder, which causes the spring to push the piston from the second piston position back to the first piston position thereby creating the vacuum, which is sufficient to pull the second slide against the flexible seal, and wherein when the manually actuated button is depressed a second time, the piston is pushed again from the first piston position to the second piston position within the spring return cylinder, thereby releasing the vacuum to atmospheric pressure, and thus releasing the second slide.

22. The device as in claim 9 , wherein the second slide receiver further comprises second tooling points that are configured to hold the second slide so as to prevent the second slide from shifting with respect to the second slide receiver, and configured such that, when the moveable tooling base is rotated from the first position to the second position, the second tooling points, the second slide receiver, and the second slide do not interfere with the first tooling points, the first slide receiver, or the first slide.

23. The device as in claim 1 , configured such that, when the moveable tooling base is in the second position, a distance between the first slide and the second slide is about 1 mm or less.

24. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the static tooling base comprises extraction grooves thereon that are configured to allow an extraction device to be positioned between the static tooling base and the assembled slide to remove the assembled slide from the device.

25. The device as

Assignees

• Somalogic Inc

Inventors

• Aldred Jeff
• Foreman Alexis Stuart
• Keeney Tracy R
• Vaught Jonathan
• Bock Chris
• Kraemer Stephan

Classifications

• B01L2300/043

  Hinged closures · CPC title

• B01L2300/0636

  Integrated biosensor, microarrays · CPC title

• B01L2300/0822

  Slides · CPC title

• B25B11/005

  Vacuum work holders · CPC title

• B01L2200/025

  Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other · CPC title