In situ heat induced antigen recovery and staining apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354145-B2
Application number	US-201314035669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2005
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Contemplated herein is an automated microscope slide antigen recovery and staining apparatus and method that features a plurality of individually operable miniaturized pressurizable reaction compartments for individually and independently processing a plurality of individual microscope slides. The apparatus preferably features independently movable slide support elements each having an individually heatable heating plate. Each slide support element preferably supports a single microscope slide. Each microscope slide can be enclosed within an individual pressurizable reaction compartment. Pressures exceeding 1 atm or below 1 atm can be created and maintained in the reaction compartment prior to, during or after heating of the slide begins. Because of the ability to pressurize and regulate pressure within the reaction compartment, and to individually heat each slide, each slide and a liquid solution or reagent thereon can be heated to temperatures that could not be obtained without the enclosed pressurized environment of the reaction compartment. A reagent dispensing strip having a plurality of reconfigurable reagent modules may also be used.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a biological specimen, comprising:
disposing a microscope slide having the biological specimen thereon onto a slide support element of an automated apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of reaction compartments, each having an inner space; and
a plurality of slide support elements, wherein each slide support element is sized to support a single microscope slide thereon, and wherein each slide support element is associated with one of the reaction compartments;

positioning the biological specimen adjacent the inner space of the reaction compartment;
causing the inner space of the reaction compartment to be sealed with a pressure-tight seal to form a sealed inner space containing the biological specimen; and
pressurizing the sealed inner space of the reaction compartment to maintain an internal pressure above atmospheric pressure by heating a reagent or solution within the sealed inner space to a temperature exceeding 100° C.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sealed inner space is also pressurized by introducing a pressurized gas into the sealed inner space.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of reaction compartments are contained within a chamber and wherein each slide support element associated with the reaction compartment is independently movable for independently moving each microscope slide thereon to positions for placement of the microscope slide on the slide support element or for removal therefrom.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the reaction compartment to position the biological specimen adjacent the inner space of the reaction compartment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each reaction compartment is operable independently of each other reaction compartment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises processing components which are selected from the group of reagent dispensers, reagent strip support devices, reagent strips, aspiration devices, reagent conduits, rinse ports, vacuum ports, drainage ports, mixing jets, air cooling ducts, liquid cooling ducts, pressure ports, waste ports, and heating devices.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each reaction compartment is independently pressurizable.

8. A method of treating a biological specimen, comprising:
disposing a microscope slide having the biological specimen thereon onto a slide support element of an automated apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of reaction compartments, each having an inner space; and
a plurality of independently movable slide support elements, wherein each slide support element is sized to support a single microscope slide thereon, and wherein each slide support element is associated with a reaction compartment;

positioning the biological specimen adjacent the inner space of the reaction compartment;
causing the inner space of the reaction compartment to be sealed with a pressure-tight seal to form a sealed inner space containing the biological specimen; and
pressurizing the sealed inner space of the reaction compartment to maintain an internal pressure therein above atmospheric pressure by heating a reagent or solution within the sealed inner space to a temperature exceeding 100° C.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the sealed inner space is also pressurized by introducing a pressurized gas into the sealed inner space.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of reaction compartments are contained within a chamber and wherein each slide support element associated with the reaction compartment is independently movable for independently moving each microscope slide thereon to positions for placement of the microscope slide on the slide support element or for removal therefrom.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising moving the reaction compartment to position the biological specimen adjacent the inner space of the reaction compartment.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein each reaction compartment is operable independently of each other reaction compartment.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the apparatus comprises processing components which are selected from the group of reagent dispensers, reagent strip support devices, reagent strips, aspiration devices, reagent conduits, rinse ports, vacuum ports, drainage ports, mixing jets, air cooling ducts, liquid cooling ducts, pressure ports, waste ports, and heating devices.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein each reaction compartment is independently pressurizable.

15. A method of treating a biological specimen, comprising:
disposing a microscope slide having the biological specimen thereon onto a slide support element of an automated apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of reaction compartments, each having an inner space; and
a plurality of slide support elements, wherein each slide support element is sized to support a single microscope slide thereon, and wherein each slide support element is associated with a reaction compartment;

positioning the biological specimen within the inner space of the reaction compartment;
causing the inner space of the reaction compartment to be sealed with a pressure-tight seal to form a sealed inner space containing the biological specimen; and
pressurizing the sealed inner space of the reaction compartment to maintain an internal pressure therein above atmospheric pressure by heating a reagent or solution within the sealed inner space to a temperature exceeding than 100° C.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the sealed inner space is also pressurized by introducing a pressurized gas into the sealed inner space.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of reaction compartments are contained within a chamber and wherein each slide support element associated with the reaction compartment is independently movable for independently moving each microscope slide thereon to positions for placement of the microscope slide on the slide support element or for removal therefrom.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising moving the reaction compartment to position the biological specimen adjacent the inner space of the reaction compartment.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein each reaction compartment is operable independently of each other reaction compartment.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the apparatus comprises processing components which are selected from the group of reagent dispensers, reagent strip support devices, reagent strips, aspiration devices, reagent conduits, rinse ports, vacuum ports, drainage ports, mixing jets, air cooling ducts, liquid cooling ducts, pressure ports, waste ports, and heating devices.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein each reaction compartment is independently pressurizable.

22. A method of treating a biological specimen, comprising:
disposing a microscope slide having the biological specimen thereon onto a slide support element of an automated apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of reaction compartments, each having an inner space; and
a plurality of independently movable slide support elements, wherein each slide support element is sized to support a single microscope slide thereon, and wherein each slide support element is associated with a reaction compartment;

positioning the biological specimen within the inner space of the reaction compartment;
causing the inner space of the reaction compartment to be sealed with a pressure-tight seal to form a sealed inner space containing the biol

Assignees

• Angros Lee H

Inventors

• Angros Lee H
• Byers Thomas L

Classifications

• A61F7/12

  Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities · CPC title

• A61F7/0085

  Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids · CPC title

• G01N35/00029

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

• Y10T436/25

  including sample preparation · CPC title

• B01L2300/0822

  Slides · CPC title