Tissue processing apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Tissue processing apparatus including a cassette defining a chamber to receive a tissue specimen for processing, the cassette having at least one opening to allow processing fluids to enter and exit from said chamber and means for closing said opening automatically to retain within said chamber molten wax or an analogous tissue supporting medium introduced into said chamber in a final processing stage until solidification of such wax or analogous medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for processing tissue samples for histological examination comprises a cassette defining a chamber to receive a tissue specimen and having an opening to allow processing fluids to enter and leave the chamber and to allow, eventually, molten wax to enter the chamber for embedding the tissue sample. The apparatus incorporates a temperature-sensitive valve mechanism for closing said opening once the cassette, with the tissue specimen therein, has been immersed in a container of hot molten wax, so that the wax can be retained in the cassette, around the specimen, when the cassette is withdrawn from the molten wax container, until the wax around the specimen has solidified. The temperature sensitive valve mechanism may comprise a shape-memory element.
56 Citations
6 Claims
- 1. Tissue processing apparatus including a cassette defining a chamber to receive a tissue specimen for processing, the cassette having at least one opening to allow processing fluids to enter and exit from said chamber and means for closing said opening automatically to retain within said chamber molten wax or an analogous tissue supporting medium introduced into said chamber in a final processing stage until solidification of such wax or analogous medium.
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5. A tissue processing cassette defining a specimen chamber to receive a tissue specimen for processing, the cassette having at least one opening to allow processing fluids to enter and exit from said chamber, and further having a gas chamber in communication with said specimen chamber and adapted, in at least one orientation of the cassette in a surrounding liquid to hold captive a body of gas which can contract or expand, by the entry of such liquid into the gas chamber or the exit of such liquid from the gas chamber, in response to increase or reduction, respectively, of the pressure of said surrounding liquid.
Specification