Method and apparatus for automatic staining of tissue samples

• US 9,599,630 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dako Denmark A/S (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweet, Doug, Key, Marc, Feingold, Gordon, Buchanan, Kristopher, Lathrop, Bob, Favuzzi, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner, William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENKEL, DANIELLE B
• Application Number:
  US14/151,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20140186218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/30 Staining; Impregnating ; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/31 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00039 Transport arrangements specific to flat sample substrates, e.g. pusher blade
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00306 Housings, cabinets, control panels (details)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00366 Several different temperatures used
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00376 Conductive heating, e.g. heated plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00435 Refrigerated reagent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00891 Displaying information to the operator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/009 alarms, e.g. audible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0091 GUI [graphical user interfaces]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00712 Automatic status testing, e.g. at start-up or periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 : Tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 : Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 : with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 : 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.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

The present invention concerns an apparatus for staining tissue samples, said apparatus including a reagent section or reagent containers; at least one staining section or tissue samples, a robotic head or robotic element that may move reagent to a predetermined tissue sample, said robotic element being moveable above the reagent and the staining sections, a control element that may manage a staining process, a 2-D optical sensor to detect two-dimensional image data of a relevant property and that can feed the captured image data to the control element. By providing the robotic element with a 2-D optical sensor, a common image processor may be provided having multiple functions. By using a 2-D optical image processing system, the control system of the apparatus may easily be adapted to read various types of data presentations, just as actual images for sections of the apparatus may be identified in order to assess the condition of the apparatus. The optical sensor may be used to automatically identify the slides and the reagent containers present in the apparatus, just as the optical sensor may be used for checking if a slide is misplaced at or absent from a slide position, etc.

Claims

1. An automatic staining apparatus comprising:

at least one removable reagent container positioned within at least one reagent section;

at least one slide positioned within a slide section;

a robotic element configured to move above the slide section during a staining process, wherein the at least one reagent section is situated to enable the at least one removable reagent container to be added to or removed from the apparatus without interrupting the movement of the robotic element during dispensing of at least one reagent during the staining process; and

wherein the slide section is situated to enable the at least one slide to be added to or removed from the apparatus without interrupting the movement of the robotic element during dispensing of at least one reagent during the staining process;

an optical sensor associated with the robotic element; and

a control element, the control element configured to

establish communication with a server;

direct operation of the robotic element;

direct operation of the optical sensor to obtain data;

communicate the data obtained by the optical sensor to the server;

continue movement of the robotic element and dispensing of at least one reagent during insertion or removal of the at least one removable reagent container; and

continue movement of the robotic element and dispensing of at least one reagent during insertion or removal of the at least one slide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the a least one slide to be inserted or removed during processing is arranged in a staining section capable of retaining a batch of slides.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor detects the misplacement or absence of a slide.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the detection of the misplacement or absence of a slide produces a warning.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is adapted to locate pre-selected reference features for self-calibration of the robotic element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a sample is placed on the at least one slide, and wherein the optical sensor is adapted to record an image of the finalized sample after said sample has been subjected to the staining process.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one element provided on the at least one removable reagent container and the at least one slide.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises a two-dimensional high-resolution symbology code.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises a datamatrix code.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises a bar code.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at east one element comprises an adhesive label.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises a two dimensional symbology zone.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one element comprises a human readable text zone.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is configured to identify a feature selected from a group consisting of:

the texture of the sample, the outline of the sample, a visual property of the sample, and an individual identification feature of the sample.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises a camera.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the camera comprises a CCD element.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is configured to image at least one optical identification element.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the optical identification element has reiterated information, and the reiterated information comprises multiple reiterated information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said reiterated information comprises redundant information.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said optical identification element comprises an element selected from a group consisting of:

a two-dimensional high-resolution symbology code, a datamatrix code, and a bar code.