Automated high volume slide processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528918-B2
Application number	US-201314082092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2013
Priority date	Apr 15, 2002
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

An automated system is provided for performing slide processing operations on slides bearing biological samples. In one embodiment, the disclosed system includes a slide tray holding a plurality of slides in a substantially horizontal position and a workstation that receives the slide tray. In a particular embodiment, a workstation delivers a reagent to slide surfaces without substantial transfer of reagent (and reagent borne contaminants such as dislodged cells) from one slide to another. A method for automated processing of slides also is provided.

First claim

We claim:

1. An automated method for processing a plurality of slides, the method comprising:
robotically transporting a slide carrier to a stainer workstation while the slide carrier carries the plurality of slides;
staining biological samples carried by the slides by separately dispensing reagent onto individual slides of the plurality of slides via a dispense manifold, which is fluidically coupled to a first container and a second container, after robotically transporting the slide carrier to the stainer workstation, wherein separately dispensing the reagent onto the individual slides includes:
pumping a first staining solution out of the first container, through at least one line, and out the dispense manifold such that a first volume of the first staining solution is delivered onto a first one of the plurality of slides to stain a first biological sample of the biological samples,
clearing the first staining solution from the at least one line, and
pumping a second staining solution out of the second container, through the at least one line, and out the dispense manifold such that a second volume of the second staining solution is delivered onto a second one of the plurality of slides to stain a second biological sample of the biological samples; and

after staining the biological samples, robotically removing the slide carrier from the stainer workstation while the slide carrier carries the plurality of slides.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slides includes a first slide and a second slide, wherein the first biological sample is positioned on the first slide and the second biological sample is positioned on the second slide, and wherein staining the biological samples comprises:
performing a first set of slide processing operations on the first slide, the first set of slide processing operations includes at least
depositing the first volume of the first staining solution onto an upper surface of the first slide,

maintaining contact between the first staining solution deposited onto the upper surface of the first slide and the first biological sample for a predetermined first period of time, and
performing a second set of slide processing operations on the second slide, the second set of slide processing operations includes at least
depositing the second volume of the second staining solution onto an upper surface of the second slide, and
maintaining contact between the second staining solution deposited onto the upper surface of the second slide and the second biological sample for a predetermined second period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein staining the biological samples carried by the slides includes delivering reagent towards one of the slides without contacting any other slides of the plurality of slides with the delivered reagent.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
flowing the first staining solution from the first container, into the dispense manifold, and out one or more nozzles of the dispense manifold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein separately dispensing the reagent includes sequentially delivering streams of the reagent toward upper surfaces of the slides.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein separately dispensing the reagent includes:
(a) positioning a dispense manifold relative to a slide of the plurality of slides;
(b) delivering the reagent from the dispense manifold to the slide of the plurality of slides; and
(c) repeating (a) and (b) to deliver reagent onto all the slides.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein separately dispensing the reagent includes separately dispensing hematoxylin and/or eosin to each of the slides.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein staining the biological samples includes:
removing dispensed reagent from at least one slide of the plurality of slides; and
dispensing another reagent onto the at least one slide.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein removing dispensed reagent includes delivering fluid toward the at least one slide such that the fluid causes removal of the dispensed reagent.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fluid is air, reagent, and/or wash solution.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein staining the biological samples includes removing reagent that has been dispensed onto at least one slide of the plurality of slides by directing air and/or reagent toward the at least one slide.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein directing air and/or reagent toward the first slide includes delivering air and/or reagent out of nozzles positioned above the slide carrier.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein robotically transporting the slide carrier to the stainer workstation includes moving the slide carrier into a chamber of the stainer workstation using a transporter mechanism.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slide carrier is a slide tray that holds the slides at substantially horizontal orientations.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein after robotically removing the slide carrier from the stainer workstation, the method further comprises:
transporting the slide carrier to an automated coverslipper workstation while the slide carrier carries the plurality of slides; and
coverslipping each individual slide of the plurality of slides with a respective coverslip using the automated coverslipper workstation while the individual slides are held in spatially co-planar, substantially horizontal positions in the slide carrier such that the coverslips on the slides are spaced apart from one another.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pumping reagents that have been dispensed by the stainer workstation out of the stainer workstation.

17. An automated method for processing a plurality of slides individually bearing biological samples, comprising:
transporting a slide carrier to a stainer workstation using a transporter mechanism while the slide carrier holds the plurality of slides in a spaced apart horizontal arrangement;
after transporting the slide carrier to the stainer workstation, separately delivering reagent onto each individual slide of the plurality of slides held by the slide carrier such that a substantial amount of the reagent applied to one slide of the plurality of slides does not contact any other slides of the plurality of slides, wherein separately delivering the reagent onto each individual slide includes
pumping staining solutions from containers located outside of the stainer workstation into the stainer workstation, through a movable dispense manifold within the stainer workstation, and out of the movable dispense manifold; and

after separately delivering the reagent onto the individual slides, removing the slide carrier from the stainer workstation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein separately delivering the reagent onto the slides includes directing reagent streams of reagent toward respective slides.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein
the plurality of slides includes a first slide and a second slide, and
directing reagent streams of reagent toward the respective slides includes:
directing a first reagent stream toward the first slide; and
directing a second reagent stream toward the second slide.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein separately delivering the reagent onto the slides includes flowing the staining solutions from at least one of the containers, through a fluidics module, and out at least one dispense nozzle positioned above the slide carrier.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
performing a first st

Assignees

• Ventana Med Syst Inc

Inventors

• Reinhardt Kurt
• Lemme Charles D
• Ward Glen
• Richards William L
• Showalter Wayne
• Ambler Brandon
• Ashby Austin Micheil
• Borchert Chris
• Campbell Devon C
• Christensen Kimberly
• Freeman Matthew
• Ghusson Andrew
• Griebel Rick
• Hendrick Kendall B
• Holubec Miroslav
• Mehta Parula
• Rizzo Vince

Classifications

• G01N35/00732

  Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers · CPC title

• G01N2035/00138

  Slides · CPC title

• Y10T436/2575

  Volumetric liquid transfer · CPC title

• G01N1/36

  Embedding or analogous mounting of samples · CPC title

• G01N1/312

  for samples mounted on planar substrates · CPC title