Automated specimen processing systems and methods
Inventors
Durrant, Timothy James • Ketterer, Matthew • Schurig, Michael • Quijada, Jorge Nicholas • Willems, Jr., John Douglas
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12332154-B2
Publication Date
2025-06-17
Expiration Date
Abstract
The disclosure presents systems and methods for processing a specimen slide using a specimen processing system. Specimen slides may sequentially be ejected from a slide carrier towards a label reader to determine an appropriate processing protocol for the slides. A cracking element may be engaged with the slide carrier prior to ejecting the slide, in order to break or “crack” any residual adhesive bond between edges of a slide and walls of the carrier. The specimen slides may be horizontally aligned and resting on a corresponding plurality of flat shelves, enabling even spacing via gravitational forces. The slides are therefore evenly spaced, enabling damage-free ejection of slides, and proper positioning for additional operations including scanning, viewing, heating, washing, and other processing. The label reader may process scanned information from the label of the slide to determine one or more attributes of the slide, and to generate an order or sequence of operations to be thereafter performed on the slide.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to processing a specimen by cracking an adhesive bond between a slide and a slide carrier using a cracking element. The cracking element has a cracking surface and is coupled to an actuator, and is movable between a first position located adjacent to but not in contact with a wall of the slide carrier and a second position in contact with the wall but not in contact with the slide.
After cracking, the invention ejects the slide from the slide carrier using a slide ejector while the slide is in a substantially horizontal position. The slide carrier includes evenly spaced flat shelves coupled to the at least one wall, where each flat shelf supports a slide in a substantially horizontal position relative to the ground. The substantially horizontal orientation is maintained during ejection.
The method further includes reading a label of the slide using a label reader. A processor utilizes the label read by the label reader to determine one or more processes to be performed on the slide. The method is usable for breaking adhesive bonds between the slide and the slide carrier and, in one claim set, between the slide and one or more adjacent slides within the slide carrier.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes three independent claims, which share a core workflow: breaking an adhesive bond with a cracking element, ejecting the slide while it is substantially horizontal, and then reading a label to determine one or more processes to be performed on the slide. Claim 14 extends the bond-breaking to include bonds between a slide and adjacent slides in the slide carrier, while claim 16 includes obtaining the slide carrier and breaking adhesive bonds by applying force to the carrier with the cracking element before ejecting the slide(s) and then performing label-based process determination.
Cracking an adhesive bond with a movable cracking element
Cracking an adhesive bond between a slide and a slide carrier with a cracking element by contacting the cracking element with at least one wall of the slide carrier with a force sufficient to crack the adhesive bond, wherein the cracking element has a cracking surface and is coupled to an actuator, and wherein the cracking element is movable between a first position adjacent to but not in contact with the at least one wall and a second position in contact with the at least one wall but not in contact with the slide.
Ejecting a slide while supported substantially horizontally on evenly spaced flat shelves
Ejecting the slide from the slide carrier using a slide ejector, wherein the slide carrier comprises a plurality of evenly spaced flat shelves coupled to the at least one wall, wherein each evenly spaced flat shelf supports the slide in a substantially horizontal position relative to the ground, and wherein the slide is ejected with the slide ejector while in the substantially horizontal position.
Label reading and processor-determined processing based on the read label
Reading a label of the slide using a label reader; and utilizing a processor for determining one or more processes to be performed on the slide based on the label read by the label reader.
Cracking an adhesive bond between a slide and adjacent slides within the slide carrier
Cracking an adhesive bond between a slide and a slide carrier and/or between the slide and one or more adjacent slides within the slide carrier with a cracking element by contacting the cracking element with at least one wall of the slide carrier, wherein the cracking element has a cracking surface and is coupled to an actuator, and wherein the cracking element is movable between a first position located adjacent to but not in contact with the at least one wall of the slide carrier and a second position in contact with the at least one wall of the slide carrier but not in contact with the slide.
Cracking adhesive bond and ejecting while substantially horizontal using a wall and evenly spaced flat shelves carrier
Obtaining a slide carrier including at least one slide having an adhesive bond between the at least one slide and the slide carrier, wherein the slide carrier comprises at least one wall and a plurality of evenly spaced flat shelves coupled to the at least one wall, wherein each evenly spaced flat shelf supports the slide in a substantially horizontal position relative to the ground; contacting the slide carrier with a force sufficient to break the adhesive bond by contacting the at least one wall of the slide carrier with a cracking element having a cracking surface and coupled to an actuator; ejecting the at least one slide having the broken adhesive bond from the slide carrier using a slide ejector while the at least one slide having the broken adhesive bond is substantially in a horizontal position; reading a label of the slide using a label reader; and utilizing a processor for determining one or more processes to be performed on the slide based on the label read by the label reader.
Across the independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on a label-driven specimen slide processing method that cracks an adhesive bond using a movable cracking element, ejects the slide while maintaining a substantially horizontal position using evenly spaced flat shelves, and then determines one or more processes from the read label. Claim 14 additionally covers cracking adhesive bonds involving adjacent slides within the slide carrier.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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