Systems and methods for monitoring tissue sample processing
AssigneeVentana Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsJefferson Curtis Taft, David Chafin, Michael Otter, Benjamin Stevens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tissue sample that has been removed from a subject can be evaluated. A change in speed of the energy traveling through the sample is evaluated to monitor changes in the biological sample during processing. The monitoring can detect movement of fluid with the sample and cross-linking. A system for performing the method can include a transmitter that outputs the energy and a receiver configured to detect the transmitted energy.
Claims18
A method for preparing a tissue sample having a thickness of not more than 5 mm, comprising:
- immersing a tissue sample, which is in an unfixed state, in a fixative having a temperature ranging from between about −15° C. to about 15° C.;
- monitoring diffusion of the fixative across a thickness of the tissue sample by continuously monitoring a rate of change in time of flight of acoustic waves that travel through the tissue sample, wherein the rate of change in time of flight (TOF) is calculated by a system comprising a computing device communicatively coupled to a transmitter and a receiver, wherein:
- said transmitter outputs acoustic waves that pass through the tissue sample,
- said receiver receives the acoustic waves that have passed through the tissue sample and sends signals to the computing device in response to the received energy, and
- the computing device analyzes signals from the receiver to calculate the TOF;
- continuing diffusion at least until a target rate of change of TOF is achieved;
- and
- increasing the temperature of the fixative in which the tissue sample is immersed to a temperature in a range from about 22° C. to about 50° C. after the fixative has diffused across most of a thickness of a tissue sample.
A method for preparing a fixed tissue sample having a thickness of not more than 5 mm, comprising:
- immersing a tissue sample, which is in an unfixed state, in a cold fixative wherein the cold fixative is at a temperature ranging from between about 0° C. to about 10° C.;
- monitoring a rate of change in time of flight of acoustic waves that travel through the tissue sample, wherein the rate of change in time of flight (TOF) is calculated by a system comprising a computing device communicatively coupled to a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter outputs acoustic waves that pass through the tissue sample, the receiver receives the acoustic waves that have passed through the tissue sample and sends signals to the computing device in response to the received energy, and the computing device analyzes signals from the receiver to calculate the TOF;
- continuing diffusion of the cold fixative at least until a target rate of change of TOF is achieved;
- and
- after the target rate of change of TOF is achieved, heating the tissue sample to promote cross-linking of the tissue sample at a temperature ranging from between about 22° C. to about 50° C., wherein the target rate of change is a rate of change indicative that the cold fixative has diffused across most of a thickness of the tissue sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.