Holding apparatus for receiving specimen slides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9733163-B2
Application number	US-201615066364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2010
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a holding apparatus ( 10 ) for receiving specimen slides ( 1 ), having a holder ( 3, 4, 5 ) for handling the holding apparatus ( 10 ) and having at least two identification units ( 2 a, 2 b ) that make available different information items to enable characterization of the orientation of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) in a stainer or coverslipper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A holding apparatus ( 10 ) comprising:
a receiving element configured to receive specimen slides ( 1 );
a holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) for handling of the holding apparatus ( 10 ), the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) being pivotally connected to the receiving element via two mounting points, the two mounting points defining an axis which the holder is rotatable about, wherein the holder is rotatable between a first position and a second position; and
at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) located on the holder, each identification unit having unique information items for characterizing an orientation of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) in a stainer or coverslipper, wherein the identification units include RFID transponders ( 2 a , 2 b ), and wherein the unique information items in one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) characterizes a front of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) or a back of the holding apparatus ( 10 );
wherein in the first position, the holder prevents removal of the specimen slides from the receiving element, and in the second position, the holder allows the specimen slides to be removed from the receiving element.

2. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a first identification unit ( 2 a ) of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) is attached at a first point and a second identification unit ( 2 b ) of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) is attached at a second point.

3. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the holding apparatus ( 10 ) has a vertical axis, the second point being located 180-degrees about the vertical axis from the first point so that the first point is symmetric with the second point with respect to the vertical axis.

4. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) has an asymmetrical shape.

5. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) is a bracket.

6. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) is foldable.

7. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) comprises a bottom ( 3 ), a top ( 4 ), and a frame ( 5 ).

8. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) are arranged on the bottom ( 3 ) of the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ).

9. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) are arranged on the top ( 4 ).

10. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) are arranged between the bottom ( 3 ) and the top ( 4 ).

11. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) is mounted eccentrically on two oppositely located sides of the holding apparatus ( 10 ), wherein a first portion of the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) extends upwardly, away from the two oppositely located sides, and a second portion of the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) extends perpendicularly away from the first portion of the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ).

12. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) has information items relating to the holding apparatus.

13. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) has information items relating to specimen slides ( 1 ) received by the holding apparatus ( 10 ).

14. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) has information items relating to a treatment in a stainer or coverslipper.

15. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) makes available information items relating to the holding apparatus ( 10 ), relating to specimen slides ( 1 ) received by the holding apparatus ( 10 ), and relating to a treatment in a stainer or coverslipper.

16. A holding apparatus ( 10 ) comprising:
a receiving element configured to receive specimen slides ( 1 );
a holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) for handling of the holding apparatus ( 10 ), the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) being pivotally connected to the receiving element via two mounting points, the two mounting points defining an axis which the holder is rotatable about, wherein the holder is rotatable between a first position and a second position; and
at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) located on the holder, each identification unit having unique information items for characterizing an orientation of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) in a stainer or coverslipper, wherein the identification units include RFID transponders ( 2 a , 2 b ), and wherein the unique information items in one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) characterizes a front of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) or a back of the holding apparatus ( 10 );
wherein in the first position, the holder prevents removal of the specimen slides from the receiving element, and in the second position, the holder allows the specimen slides to be removed from the receiving element, wherein a first identification unit ( 2 a ) of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) is attached at a first point and a second identification unit ( 2 b ) of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) is attached at a second point, and wherein the holding apparatus ( 10 ) has a vertical axis, the second point being located 180-degrees about the vertical axis from the first point so that the first point is symmetric with the second point with respect to the vertical axis.

17. The holding apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) makes available information items relating to one or more of the holding apparatus ( 10 ), specimen slides ( 1 ) received by the holding apparatus ( 10 ), or a treatment in a stainer or coverslipper.

18. A holding apparatus ( 10 ) comprising:
a receiving element configured to receive specimen slides ( 1 );
a holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) for handling of the holding apparatus ( 10 ), the holder ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) being pivotally connected to the receiving element via two mounting points, the two mounting points defining a longitudinal rotation axis which the holder is rotatable about, wherein the longitudinal rotation axis is offset from a central longitudinal axis of the receiving element, wherein the holder is rotatable between a first position and a second position; and
at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) located on the holder, each identification unit having unique information items for characterizing an orientation of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) in a stainer or coverslipper, wherein the identification units include RFID transponders ( 2 a , 2 b ), and wherein the unique information items in one of the at least two identification units ( 2 a , 2 b ) characterizes a front of the holding apparatus ( 10 ) or a back of the holding apparatus ( 10 );
wherein in the first position, the holder prevents removal of the specimen slides from the receiving element, and in the second position, the holder allows the specimen slides to be removed from the receiving element.

19.

Assignees

• Leica Biosystems Nussloch Gmbh

Inventors

• Berberich Markus
• Wilke Christian
• Tenhaef Jurgen

Classifications

• B65D85/48

  for glass sheets · CPC title

• G01N1/31 Primary

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• G01N35/00732

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