Automated high volume slide staining system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An automated slide processing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of work stations arranged vertically in a stack;
a tray holding a plurality of slides in substantially horizontal and co-planar, spaced positions; and
a transport/elevator for transporting said tray between said work stations and for moving said tray into and out of said workstations.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
307 Citations
47 Claims
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1. An automated slide processing apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of work stations arranged vertically in a stack; a tray holding a plurality of slides in substantially horizontal and co-planar, spaced positions; and a transport/elevator for transporting said tray between said work stations and for moving said tray into and out of said workstations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An automated slide processing apparatus comprising:
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a tray adapted to hold a plurality of slides in a substantial coplanar arrangement; a plurality of work stations arranged vertically in a stack, the work stations are configured to receive the tray that holds the plurality of slides in the substantially coplanar arrangement while the work stations process specimens on said slides; and a transport/elevator for transporting the tray between said work stations, the transport/elevator being configured to move the tray into the work stations to process the specimens on said slides while said slides are held in the tray and the transport/elevator being configured to move the tray holding said slides out of the work stations, wherein one of said work stations comprises a combined baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A combined baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station comprising:
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a radiant heater for heating a plurality of slides; a sprayer for spraying de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid onto said slides after the radiant heater has heated the slides; a tray for holding the 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.
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35. An automated slide processing apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of work stations arranged vertically in a stack; and a tray transporter including a transfer mechanism that is vertically movable between the work stations, the transfer mechanism being configured to move a tray held by the tray transporter into and out of said workstations. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. An automated slide processing apparatus, comprising:
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a tray holding a plurality of spaced apart slides in a substantial planar arrangement; a plurality of work stations arranged vertically in a stack, the work stations dimensioned to receive the tray holding the plurality of slides in the substantially coplanar arrangement while the work stations process specimens on the slides, at least one of the work stations is a baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station including a heater positioned to be spaced apart from and to heat said slides when the tray holding the slides is in the baking or drying and de-waxing or de-paraffinizing station, and a sprayer including a spray nozzle through which the de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid flows, the spray nozzle being positioned to spray de-waxing or de-paraffinizing fluid onto the slides held by the tray; a transport/elevator for transporting the tray between said work stations, the transport/elevator being configured to move the tray into the work stations to process the specimens on said slides while the slides are held by the tray and the transport/elevator being configured to move the tray holding said slides out of the work stations. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification