Histology cassette stack
AssigneeCellpath Ltd.
InventorsPaul Webber, Philip Webber, Richard Titcombe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A histology processing cassette stack having a plurality of cassettes for use in analyzing or processing biological samples is disclosed. The stack of cassettes are arranged in register and threaded on a connecting strip which passes through an aperture in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the cassette though a front wall of the cassette. The cassettes are held in fixed relation and may be transported and inserted en bloc into a magazine in a printing system by the connecting strip having a retaining part abutting the bottom cassette and able to bear the weight of the stack of cassettes when suspended. A printing system comprising a housing having a void for receiving a magazine loaded with the stack of cassettes is also disclosed.
Claims12
A histology processing cassette stack configured for insertion into a magazine in a printing system, said stack comprising a plurality of histology processing cassettes adapted to receive a biological sample for analysis or processing, the cassettes being threaded on a non-adhesive connecting strip, the connecting strip being a rigid tape, such that the cassettes are arranged in register wherein the cassettes have a bottom face comprising at least in part a sample support surface, two side walls, a back wall and a front wall and a top face and an aperture in the form of a slot in the top face for receiving the connecting strip in a generally perpendicular direction to a plane of the cassette and a plane of the side walls wherein the connecting strip comprises a connecting part upon which the cassettes are threaded and a retaining part which abuts the bottom cassette in the stack wherein the connecting strip and the aperture in the cassette have the same cross-sectional shape and are dimensioned such that there is a snug sliding fit so that the cassettes are freely movable along the strip and do not move laterally of the strip to a material extent, and wherein the cassettes are not adhered to the strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.