Non-contact, on-slide fluid mixing
AssigneeVentana Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsEmily Alkandry, Anik Duttaroy, Evan Graves
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microscope slide holder comprising a slide support member and at least one acoustic source for introducing acoustic waves to a microscope slide in communication with the slide support member such that one or more fluids present on the surface of the microscope slide are contactlessly mixed.
Claims21
A slide holder for contactlessly mixing fluid disposed on the surface of a specimen-bearing microscope slide, wherein the slide holder comprises a slide support and at least one transducer in communication with the slide support, wherein the at least one transducer operates at a frequency ranging from between about 1 Hz to about 1 kHz.
A method of processing a specimen-bearing slide comprising:
- (i) contacting a sample disposed on a surface of on the specimen-bearing slide with a first reagent;
- and (ii) uniformly distributing the first reagent disposed on the surface of the specimen-bearing by introducing low frequency acoustic waves to the specimen-bearing slide, the low frequency acoustic waves having a frequency ranging from about 1 Hz to about 1 Khz.
A method of staining a sample comprising:
- (a) dispensing a reagent into a fluid puddle present on a surface of a sample-bearing microscope slide;
- (b) contactlessly dispersing the reagent into the fluid puddle by introducing low frequency acoustic waves to the slide, wherein the dispersing of the reagent occurs without damaging cells or tissue within the sample, wherein an acoustic source for introducing the low frequency acoustic waves is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical transducer, piezoelectric transducer, and a surface acoustic wave device, and wherein the acoustic source operates at a frequency ranging from between about 100 Hz to about 200 Hz.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.