Processing of slide mounted material
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for sequential multi-step processing of biological material mounted on a surface of a slide comprising:
- (a) a plurality of processing stations, each of said processing stations comprising;
(1) block means defining a cavity and having fluid pathway means for inputting and removing fluid from said cavity, and(2) releasable holding means for positioning a slide bearing said biological material adjacent said cavity to define a chamber;
(b) a plurality of fluid supply reservoir means, each including conduit means for conducting fluid therefrom to said chamber;
(c) valve means for selectively individually interconnecting each one of said supply reservoir means with each one of said processing stations so that fluid can flow from a selected one of said reservoirs to said pathway means of at least one of said processing stations into said chamber, including associated conduit means; and
(d) regulatable pump means for pumping fluid from a so interconnected supply reservoir to said so interconnected pathway means;
whereby material can be processed at each of said processing stations identically or variously relative to material being processed at other processing stations.
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Abstract
An apparatus for the sequential multi-step processing of slide surface portions. The apparatus includes subassemblies and assemblies and a computer driven control system therefor. The apparatus permits at least one step of such a process sequence to be carried out with minimal amounts of processing liquids which is advantageous for specimen treatment with costly reagents, such as aqueous compositions containing probes. Immunochemical and in situ hybridization procedures can be carried out.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for sequential multi-step processing of biological material mounted on a surface of a slide comprising:
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(a) a plurality of processing stations, each of said processing stations comprising; (1) block means defining a cavity and having fluid pathway means for inputting and removing fluid from said cavity, and (2) releasable holding means for positioning a slide bearing said biological material adjacent said cavity to define a chamber; (b) a plurality of fluid supply reservoir means, each including conduit means for conducting fluid therefrom to said chamber; (c) valve means for selectively individually interconnecting each one of said supply reservoir means with each one of said processing stations so that fluid can flow from a selected one of said reservoirs to said pathway means of at least one of said processing stations into said chamber, including associated conduit means; and (d) regulatable pump means for pumping fluid from a so interconnected supply reservoir to said so interconnected pathway means;
whereby material can be processed at each of said processing stations identically or variously relative to material being processed at other processing stations. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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2. The apparatus for sequential, multi-step processing of biological material mounted on a surface of a slide of claim 28 wherein the relationship between said slide and said holding means is such that the initial volume of said chamber is not greater than about 500 microliters.
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13. Apparatus for the multi-step, sequential processing of biological material mounted on a surface of a slide by fluid contacting comprising in combination:
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(a) a processing station having a definable chamber through which fluids can be passed, including station inlet and outlet means for said chamber, (b) station reservoir means having an outlet means that is connected by a station conduit means to said station inlet means and further having two inlet means, (c) restriction means associated with said station conduit means for regulating fluid flow through said processing station, (d) a multiple position valve means having a plurality of input ports and a single output port and including internal means for adjustably interconnecting individual ones of said input ports with said output port, and further including external conduit means connecting said single output port to said reservoir inlet means, (e) a plurality of individual fluid supply reservoir means, each one thereof having reservoir inlet and outlet means, and the outlet means for each said supply reservoir means being connected by external conduit means to a different one of said multiple position valve input ports, (f) a plurality of openable and closable valve means, each one thereof being associated with a different inlet means of one of said supply reservoirs, and an additional one thereof being associated with one of said multiple position valve input ports, (g) a variable fluid flow regulating valve means associated with the second of said reservoir inlet means, (h) a pressurizing fluid bus line connected with the input side of each one of said open/close valve means, said bus line including means for connection thereof to a source of regulated pressurized fluid, and (i) means for regulating the operation of each of said openable and closable valve means, said multiple position valve means, and said variable flow regulating valve means, so that a fluid selected from the fluid group consisting of fluid in each one of said supply reservoir means and said pressurized fluid is passable through said processing station at a predetermined flow rate, and so that other individual fluids of said group can each be subsequently sequentially individually passed through said processing station at a predetermined rate.
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14. Apparatus for the sequential, multi-step controlled processing of biological material mounted on a surface of a slide comprising in combination:
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(a) a plurality of processing stations, each of said stations having (1) block means defining a processing chamber wherein a slide bearing said biological material is located associated with said block means, (2) delivery reservoir means, and (3) pulse width modulatable solenoid actuated valve means associated with said delivery reservoir means for releasing regulated amounts of compressed gas into said delivery reservoir means so that liquid is transferred by applied gas pressure form said delivery reservoir to said processing chamber; (b) a plurality of liquid supply reservoirs; (c) a solenoid actuated openable and closable valve means associated with each one of said reservoirs, and one further solenoid actuated openable and closable valve means; (d) a first solenoid stepped rotary switching valve means having a single output port and multiple input ports, each of said reservoirs being associated by conduit means with a different one of said multiple input ports, and said one further valve means being associated by conduit means with another one of said multiple input ports, (e) a second solenoid stepped rotary switching valve means having multiple output ports and a single input port, each of said delivery reservoir means of said processing stations being functionally associated with a different one of said multiple output ports, and said single input port thereof being associated with said single output port of said first solenoid activated switching valve means; (f) gas conduit means for supplying compressed gas to each one of (1) said pulse width modulatable valve means, and (2) said openable and closable valve means; and (g) solenoid actuated shunt valve means functionally interconnected with such conduit means for purging and bleeding; (h) a control system for said apparatus;
so that by operation of said valves and application of compressed gas to said gas conduit means;(1) liquid from any one of said supply reservoirs is transferable to any one of said delivery reservoir means; (2) liquid rom any one of said delivery reservoirs is transferrable through said block means; and (3) liquid is purgeable and/or bleedable from associated selected such conduit means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification