Automated high volume slide staining system

• US 7,303,725 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Showalter, Wayne, Richards, William, Reinhardt, Kurt, Ward, Glen, Lemme, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon; Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US10/414,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422 63- 67, 422/68.1, 436/174, 436/43, 436/46
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0822 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/36 Embedding or analogous mounting of samples
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation

Abstract

An automated slide processing apparatus includes a plurality of work stations arranged in a stack, and a transport/elevator for transporting slides between the various work stations.

Claims

1. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station for processing specimen slides, and comprising, a reservoir containing an aqueous-based de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid;

a heater for heating said aqueous-based fluid;

a sprayer for spraying said heated aqueous-based fluid onto said slides;

a collector for collecting and returning the aqueous-based fluid to the reservoir; and

a filter for filtering the aqueous-based fluid for reuse.

2. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said filter is located between said collector and said reservoir.

3. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a tray for holding a plurality of specimen slides, spaced from one another, in a substantially horizontal orientation.

4. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a plurality of spray nozzles for spraying said de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid onto said slides.

5. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tray has a sloped bottom wall, and further including an aspirator for drawing spent de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid from adjacent a low point of said sloped bottom wall.

6. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tray includes a rack for holding said plurality of slides, spaced from one another, above the bottom wall of the tray.

7. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rack includes a plurality of supports that limit axial, lateral and vertical movement of slides in the tray.

8. A de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rack is adapted to hold a plurality of slides in spaced-apart rows.

9. A method of automatically preparing a tissue sample on a microscope slide for pathological analysis, comprising:

baking the tissue sample onto the slide by having the instrument apply heat to the tissue sufficient to adhere it to the slide;

deparaffinizing the tissue sample by contacting it with deparaffinizing fluid at a temperature above the melting point of the paraffin, and subsequently rinsing the liquefied paraffin away;

staining the tissue sample by contacting it with a staining reagent; and

coverslipping the slide.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said slide is coverslipped by contacting the stained tissue sample on the slide with a pre-glued coverslip and an adhesive activating fluid.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said deparaffinizing fluid comprises water and a surfactant.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said staining reagent comprises hematoxylin and cosin.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said staining reagent comprises a chemical stain to highlight morphology of the tissue sample.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said deparaffinizing step further comprises pre-heating the slide to soften an embedding medium.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of slides is held in a tray in a substantially horizontal position in the same plane.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said baking and/or said deparaffinizing step comprises directing radiant heat onto the surface of the slide.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said baking step comprises drying the slide.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein said baking step comprises softening paraffin on the slide.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein said deparaffinizing step comprises heating said de-paraffinizing fluid applied to said slide.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein staining comprises employing fresh stain.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein baking comprises directing a flow of heated air across the slide.

22. The method of claim 9, further comprising transporting a tray holding a plurality of slides between a plurality of workstations.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said plurality of workstations is arranged in one or more towers.

24. The method of claim 9, wherein said de-paraffinizing step comprises advancing a pair of nozzles mounted on a moveable fixture from slide pair to slide pair of a plurality of slides arranged in a tray in a horizontal grid two slides wide.

25. The method of claim 9, wherein said deparaffinizing step includes heating said de-paraffinizing fluid in a fluid supply.

26. The method of claim 9 further comprising filtering and reusing said deparaffinizing fluid.

27. The method of claim 9 further comprising moving the slide to a heating/drying station after said coverslipping step to accelerate curing.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising placing said tray in a parking garage.

29. An automated slide processing apparatus comprising:

a tray holding a plurality of slides in substantially horizontal and co-planar, spaced positions;

a plurality of work stations arranged vertically in a stack, at least one of said workstations comprising a de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station, said de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station including a plurality of fluid dispensing nozzles arranged to supply a de-waxing or deparaffinizing fluid onto said slides and a filter and recirculator for filtering and recirculating said de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid; and

a transport/elevator for transporting said fray between said work stations and for moving said tray into and out of said workstations.

30. A combined baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station for processing specimen slides, comprising a radiant beater for heating said slides;

a sprayer for spraying de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid from a reservoir onto said heated slides;

a tray for holding a plurality of specimen slides spaced from one another in a substantially horizontal orientation, wherein said tray has a sloped bottom wall; and

an aspirator for drawing spent de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid from adjacent a low point of said sloped bottom wall.

31. A combined baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station for processing specimen slides, comprising a radiant heater for heating said slides;

a sprayer for spraying de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid from a reservoir onto said heated slides; and

a tray for holding a plurality of specimen slides spaced from one another in a substantially horizontal orientation, wherein said tray includes a rack for holding said plurality of slides, spaced from one another, above the bottom wall of the tray.

32. A combined baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 31, wherein said rack includes a plurality of supports that limit axial, lateral and vertical movement of slides in the tray.

33. A combined baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station as claimed in claim 31, wherein said rack is adapted to hold a plurality of slides in spaced-apart rows.