CARTRIDGE FOR HISTOLOGICAL SPECIMEN SLIDES

• US 20130220156A1
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Primera Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Primera Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Haas, Darren W., Cummins, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,254,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/477
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/24 for printing on flat surfaces of polyhedral articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00801 Holders for sample carriers, e.g. trays, caroussel, racks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00861 printing and sticking of identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers

Abstract

A cartridge for histological specimen slides includes a generally enclosed body and a slide holder. The body is configured for removable insertion into a specimen slide printer, and includes a slide holder receiving opening and a slide feed opening. The slide holder holds a plurality of specimen slides and is configured to be positioned within and removed from the body through the slide holder receiving opening. When loaded in the body the slide holder positions and presents the slides to the slide feed opening in the body. A memory chip for storing information relating to the slides can be mounted to the holder, and is located adjacent an access opening in the body when the holder is positioned in the body.

Claims

1. A cartridge for histological specimen slides, including:

a generally enclosed body configured for removable insertion into a specimen slide printer, including;

a slide holder receiving opening; and

a slide feed opening; and

a slide holder to hold a plurality of specimen slides, the slide holder configured to be positioned within and removed from the body through the slide holder receiving opening, and to position and present the slides in the holder to the slide feed opening in the body.

2. The slide cartridge of claim 1 wherein the body further includes a cover over the slide holder receiving opening.

3. The slide cartridge of claim 2 wherein the body further includes a hinge to mount the cover to the body.

4. The slide cartridge of claim 1 wherein:

the body includes top and bottom walls, inner and outer walls, and side walls; and

the slide feed opening extends through the bottom wall.

5. The slide cartridge of claim 4 wherein:

the slide feed opening in the bottom wall is adjacent to the inner wall; and

the inner wall has an bottom edge above the bottom wall so the slide feed opening extends through a bottom portion of the inner wall.

6. The slide cartridge of claim 5 wherein the slide holder receiving opening is in a side wall of the body.

7. The slide cartridge of claim 6 wherein the body further includes a cover over the slide holder receiving opening.

8. The slide cartridge of claim 5 wherein the slide holder is configured to hold a plurality of vertically stacked specimen slides.

9. The slide cartridge of claim 8 wherein:

the slide holder is a generally enclosed structure having a slide receiving opening and slide feed opening; and

the slide feed opening of the slide holder is located adjacent the slide feed opening of the body when the slide holder is positioned in the body.

10. The slide cartridge of claim 9 wherein the slide holder includes top and bottom walls, an inner wall, side walls and a slide receiving opening opposite the inner wall.

11. The slide cartridge of claim 10 wherein a length of the slide holder is less than a length of the slides, so ends of the slides extend from the slide holder when the slides are in the holder.

12. The slide cartridge of claim 10 and further including a memory chip on the inner wall of the slide holder.

13. The slide cartridge of claim 12 wherein the body further includes a memory chip assess opening adjacent to the memory chip when the slide holder is positioned in the body.

14. The slide cartridge of claim 1 wherein the slide holder further includes a memory chip.

15. The slide cartridge of claim 14 wherein the body further includes a memory chip access opening adjacent the memory chip when the slide holder is positioned in the body.

16. A cartridge for histological specimen slides, including:

a body configured for removable insertion into a specimen slide printer, including;

top and bottom walls, inner and outer walls and side walls;

a memory chip access opening in one of the walls;

a slide holder receiving opening in one of the walls; and

a slide feed opening in the bottom wall; and

a slide holder configured to hold a plurality of specimen slides and to be positioned within and removed from the body through the slide holder receiving opening, including;

a bottom wall having a slide feed opening, wherein the slide feed opening is located adjacent the slide feed opening in the body when the slide holder is positioned in the body; and

a memory chip, wherein the memory chip is located adjacent the memory chip access opening in the body when the slide holder is positioned in the body.

17. The slide cartridge of claim 16 and further includes a plurality of slides in the slide holder.

18. A slide holder for use in connection with a histological specimen slide cartridge of the type also having a body with a slide holder receiving opening and a slide feed opening, the slide holder including an enclosure configured to receive a plurality of specimen slides, to be positioned within and removed from the cassette body through the slide holder receiving opening, and a slide feed opening to position the slides in the holder adjacent the slide feed opening in the body when the slide holder is positioned in the body.

19. The slide holder of claim 18 wherein the slide holder is configured to hold a plurality of vertically stacked specimen slides.

20. The slide holder of claim 19 wherein:

the slide holder is a generally enclosed structure having a slide receiving opening and a slide feed opening; and

the slide feed opening of the slide holder is located adjacent the slide feed opening of the body when the slide holder is positioned in the body.

21. The slide holder of claim 20 wherein the slide holder includes top and bottom walls, an inner wall, side walls and a slide receiving opening opposite the inner wall.

22. The slide holder of claim 21 wherein the slide feed opening is on the bottom wall.

23. The slide holder of claim 22 wherein a length of the slide holder is less than a length of the slides, so ends of the slides extend from the slide holder when the slides are in the holder.

24. The slide holder of claim 23 and further including a memory chip on the inner wall of the slide holder.

25. The slide holder of claim 18 and further including a memory chip on the slide holder.

26. The slide holder of claim 18 wherein the memory chip is programmed with information representative of slides in the holder.

27. A method for using the slide holder of claim 18, including reading information from the memory chip and using the information to control a slide printer.

28. The method of claim 27 and further including updating information stored on the memory chip.

29. The slide holder of claim 18 and further including a plurality of slides in the slide holder.

30. A body for use in connection with a histological specimen slide cartridge of the type also having a slide holder for holding a plurality of specimen slides, the body configured for removable insertion into a specimen slide printer and including a slide holder receiving opening for receiving the slide holder and a slide feed opening though which slides from the slide holder can be fed into the printer.