Pathology slide automation system and method

Inventors

Mette, Matthew D. • Reynolds, Clayton • Rose, Curtis C. • Ventura, Franklin R.

Assignees

Ventana Medical Systems Inc

Abstract

A slide carrier includes: a base support; and a slide platform having a surface that is parallel to a first plane defined by a first vector and a second vector, wherein a vector extending in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity is normal with respect to a second plane defined by a third vector and a fourth vector, an angle between the first vector and the third vector is greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees, and an angle between the second vector and the fourth vector is greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees.

Core Innovation

A slide carrier includes a base support and a slide platform having a surface parallel to a first plane defined by a first vector and a second vector. A vector extending in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity is normal with respect to a second plane defined by a third vector and a fourth vector, and the angle between the first vector and the third vector and the angle between the second vector and the fourth vector are greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees such that the first vector and the second vector are tilted relative to the third vector and the fourth vector.

The slide platform is configured to allow a slide to move between locations under gravity and to align at a predetermined location on the slide platform. The geometry of the platform includes long edges in which the first long edge has a higher elevation than the second long edge, and a barrier protruding from the slide platform at the second long edge can be included to define the platform region associated with the lower-elevation long edge.

Further refinements describe elongated and narrow support portions on the slide platform, including an additional elongated support portion that runs in the platform length direction and is separated from another elongated support portion by a gap. Additional geometry constraints compare widths between support portions, including a smaller spacing between narrow support portions than the spacing between elongated support portions.

Claims Coverage

The provided content includes one independent claim and several dependent refinements. The inventive features focus on a tilted slide platform geometry relative to two planes defined by vectors oriented with respect to gravity, together with optional dependent features that refine edge elevation, barriers, and support-portion geometry for gravity-driven shifting and registration at a predetermined location.

Overall, the claim set centers on a slide platform whose orientation is defined by nonzero, non-right tilting between planes relative to gravity, optionally combined with long-edge elevation differences, a barrier at the second long edge, and support-portion geometry constraints that refine how the slide shifts and registers under gravity at a predetermined location.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications