Device and method for rapid tissue preparations for histological investigations

• US 20050118670A1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Microsystems Gmbh (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Leica Microsystems Gmbh (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Lihl, Reinhard, Pauliny, Ferdinand, Goll, Hubert
• Granted Patent: US 7,514,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/40.500
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/31 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/44 Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/364 using resins, epoxy

Abstract

The device (1) for fast tissue processing for histological examination consists of a housing (2) that is covered by a transparent hood (70). A baseplate (3) divides the device (1) into an upper part (4a) and a lower part (4b). Several process chambers that are served by a transport mechanism (6) with holders (40) for tissue specimens are provided for on the baseplate (3). At least one reservoir (74) is provided for in the lower part (4b) of the device, which has a flow connection to at least one process chamber. An operating panel (76) allows the user to enter the appropriate data.

Claims

1. Device for fast tissue processing for histological examination, with a housing (2), which is divided into an upper part (4a) and a lower part (4b) by a baseplate (3);

several process chambers (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), which define a side wall (9) and a floor (10), and are arranged on the baseplate (3) and may be filled with a reagent;

a transport mechanism (6), which transfers the tissue samples to the process chambers (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), characterized in that the transport mechanism is (6) provided with a transport arm (7) to which a holder (40) is attached for several cassettes (50) for histological tissue samples;

in that the transport arm (7) is lowered by gravity thereby introducing the holder (40) into the process chamber; and

in that at least one process chamber exhibits a first opening (81) in the side wall (9) or in the floor (10) by which the process chamber may be filled or emptied with reagent.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a lid (17) is attached to the top of the holder (40) such that when the holder (40) is lowered into the process chamber, the process chamber is closed.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the lid (17) has a certain freedom of movement, so that, when the holder (40) is shaken in the process chamber by the transport mechanism (6), the lid (17) remains seated on the process chamber.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport mechanism (6) is situated in the center (5) of the baseplate (3) and the process chambers are arranged on the baseplate (3) around the central transport mechanism (6).

5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the process chambers are arranged linearly on the baseplate (3).

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one process chamber is provided with a second opening (91), which together with the first opening (81) makes possible continuous pumping of reagent through the process chamber.

7. Device according to claims 1 through 6, characterized in that at least one process chamber is designed with no opening and is heatable.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one process chamber is designed with no opening and is manually filled with wax.

9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that one drive mechanism (30) is provided for, which causes a relative movement between the transport mechanism (6) and the process chambers (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16);

and in that the lowering of the holder (40) into the process chamber is accomplished by gravity.

10. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the process chambers (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) are designed in the form of a cup with a side wall (9) and a floor (10), and in that the first opening (81) and the second opening (91) are built into the floor (10) of the process chamber.

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the volume of the process chambers (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) is a multiple of the volume of tissue sample contained in the holder (40).

12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the holder (40) manufactured out of plastic and is designed for single-use processing.

13. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that several replaceable reservoirs (74, 75) for reagent are provided for under the baseplate (3) in the housing (2) of the device (1), such that the reagent may be pumped from one of the reservoirs (74, 75) into the process chamber and from the process chamber back into that reservoir (74, 75).

14. Method for fast processing of histological tissue samples in several process chambers (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), which define a side wall (9) and a floor (10), characterized by the following steps:

lowering of a holder (40) with cassettes for histological processing into a loading position, whereby the loading position consists of a first process chamber (11) in which a reagent for intermediate storage of the tissue samples is provided for;

lifting of the holder (40) by means of a transport arm (7) attached to a transport mechanism (6);

transfer of the holder (40) to a second process chamber (12), such that during the intervening time, the second process chamber (12) is filled with reagent through an opening (81) in the floor (10) of the second process chamber (12).

lowering of the holder (40) into the second process chamber (12), such that the holder (40) remains there for time t₁;

removal of the holder (40) and transfer of the holder (40) to a third process chamber (13), such that the second process chamber (12) is emptied during the intervening time, and the third process chamber (13) is filled;

lowering of the holder (40) into the third process chamber (13), such that the holder (40) remains there for time t₂;

removal of the holder (40) from the third process chamber (13), such that the third process chamber (13) is emptied after removal of the holder (40);

lowering of the holder (40) into a wax-filled process chamber (14), such that the holder remains there for time t₃; and

lowering of the holder into an unloading station.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that time t₁ in the second process chamber (12), which is filled with the reagent ethanol, does not exceed 30 seconds.

16. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that time t₂ in the third process chamber (13), which is filled with the reagent acetone, does not exceed 6 minutes.

17. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that time t₃ in the wax-filled process chamber (14) does not exceed 6 minutes.

18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that another wax-filled process chamber (114) is downstream from the wax-filled process chamber (14) in order to reduce transfer and contamination with solvent.

19. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the process chambers are filled and emptied from and into one of the replaceable reservoirs (74, 75), and in which the reservoirs (74, 75) are provided for in a lower part (4b) of the housing (2), and in which the lower part (4b) is separated from an upper part (4a) by a baseplate (3).

20. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that a relative movement is generated between the process chambers (11,12,13,14,15,16) and the transport arm (7) in order to achieve transfer of the holder (40) from one process chamber to the next process chamber.