Slide rack carousel
AssigneeLeica Biosystems Imaging, Inc.
InventorsNicholas Newberg, Prentash Djelosevic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A digital slide scanning apparatus slide rack carousel allows continuous loading and unloading of slide racks into the carousel while the digital slide scanning apparatus is simultaneously digitizing glass slides. The slide rack carousel includes a base having an interior portion of its upper surface at an angle. The slide rack carousel also includes plural rack spacers extending upward from the base and adjacent rack spacers define a rack slot. Each rack spacer also includes a rack stopper on each side such that adjacent rack spacers have rack stoppers facing each other. The rack stoppers prevent a slide rack from moving further toward the center of the carousel than desired.
Claims19
A digital slide scanning apparatus carousel for holding a plurality of glass slide racks, comprising:
- a base having a lower surface, an upper surface and an exterior edge, the exterior edge of the base being generally circular from a top view perspective;
- a plurality of rack spacers extending upward from the base, wherein adjacent pairs of rack spacers define a rack slot bordered on three sides by the base, a first side of a first rack spacer and a second side of a second rack spacer, and wherein each rack spacer comprises:
- a first rack stopper on a first side of the rack spacer,
- a second rack stopper on a second side of the rack spacer,
- wherein at least a portion of the upper surface of the base angles downward from a more external position on the base toward a more central position on the base and the angle is at least 1 degree;
- and
- wherein the base is configured to rotate 360 degrees in either direction.
A digital slide scanning apparatus carousel for holding a plurality of glass slide racks, comprising:
- a base having a lower surface, an upper surface and a circular shaped exterior edge, the upper surface having an angled central portion and a flat exterior portion, wherein at least a portion of the upper surface of the base angles downward from a more external position on the base toward a more central position on the base and the angle is at least 1 degree;
- a plurality of rack spacers extending upward from the base, wherein adjacent pairs of rack spacers define a rack slot bordered on three sides by the upper surface of the base, a first side of a first rack spacer and a second side of a second rack spacer;
- and
- a motor configured to drive the base 360 degrees in either direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.