Specimen preparation apparatus, specimen preparation/analysis system and specimen plate

• US 8,309,027 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Nakaya, Masanori, Hyousa, Yoshihiro, Kitagawa, Shigeru, Kobayashi, Eisuke, Higuchi, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nagpaul, Jyoti
• Application Number:
  US13/538,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20120267440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 137 Days
• Field of Search: 422 63- 66, 359/391, 359/396
• US Class Current: 422/65
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 with step of insertion or removal from test line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114998 with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.]

Abstract

Provided is a specimen preparation apparatus capable of supplying a specimen from the specimen preparation apparatus to a specimen analyzer without burdening an operator. This specimen preparation apparatus comprises a stained specimen preparation part for preparing a specimen on a slide glass and staining the specimen, a keeping part for storing the stained specimen slide glass prepared in the stained specimen preparation part and a control part for deciding whether to supply the stained specimen slide glass to the keeping part or to the external apparatus.

Claims

1. A specimen plate comprising:

a rectangular slide glass;

a specimen preparation area extensive on the slide glass for preparation of a stained specimen;

an information display area in which specimen-related information is recordable, the information display area being extensive on the slide glass adjacent to one longitudinal side thereof next to the specimen preparation area; and

a resin coating applied to cover at least part of the information display area, the resin coating being made of a material durable against an organic solvent for use in staining the specimen, wherein

the information display area comprises a first display area in which the specimen-related information is coded in a two-dimensional bar code which is printed on the resin coating with an ink durable against the organic solvent, and a second display area in which at least some of the specimen-related information is printed on the resin coating with the ink in a human-readable format.

2. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the specimen preparation area and the information display area are arranged adjacent to each other along longitudinal length of the rectangular slide glass, and the resin coating is formed to extend from the information display area along the longitudinal length of the rectangular slide glass so as to surround the specimen preparation area.

3. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional bar code has a substantially square shape.

4. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional bar code comprises a data matrix.

5. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional bar code comprises a QR code.

6. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the specimen-related information coded in the two-dimensional bar code comprises at least one of a sample number, a date, a serial number and a name of a patient.

7. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the specimen-related information coded in the two-dimensional bar code comprises a sample number, a date, a serial number and a name of a patient.

8. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the specimen-related information coded in the two-dimensional bar code comprises a result of analysis of the stained sample prepared in the specimen preparation area.

9. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least some of the specimen-related information printed in the human-readable format comprises at least one of a sample number, a date and a name of a patient.

10. The specimen plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least some of the specimen-related information printed in the human-readable format comprises a sample number, a date and a name of a patient.

11. A specimen plate comprising:

a rectangular slide glass;

a specimen preparation area extensive on the slide glass for preparation of a stained specimen;

an information display area in which specimen-related information is recordable, the information display area being extensive on the slide glass adjacent to one longitudinal side of the slide glass next to the specimen preparation area; and

a resin coating applied to cover at least part of the information display area, the resin coating being made of a material durable against an organic solvent for use in staining the specimen, wherein

the information display area records the specimen-related information in a machine readable format which is printed on the resin coating with an ink durable against the organic solvent, and the information display area separately records at least some of the specimen-related information in a human-readable format which is printed on the resin coating with the ink, and further wherein the machine-readable format comprises a two-dimensional bar code.

12. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the specimen preparation area and the information display area are arranged adjacent to each other along a longitudinal length of the rectangular slide glass, and the resin coating is formed to extend from the information display area along the longitudinal length of the rectangular slide glass so as to surround the specimen preparation area.

13. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the two-dimensional bar code has a substantially square shape.

14. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the two-dimensional bar code comprises a data matrix.

15. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the two-dimensional bar code comprises a QR code.

16. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the specimen-related information coded in the two-dimensional bar code comprises at least one of a sample number, a date, a serial number and a name of a patient.

17. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the specimen-related information coded in the two-dimensional bar code comprises a sample number, a date, a serial number and a name of the patient.

18. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the specimen-related information coded in the two-dimensional bar code comprises a result of analysis of the stained sample prepared in the specimen preparation are.

19. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the at least some of the specimen-related information printed in the human-readable format comprises at least one of a sample number, a date and a name of a patient.

20. The specimen plate according to claim 11, wherein the at least some of the specimen-related information printed in the human-readable format comprises a sample number, a date and a name.