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US 11,630,038 B2Granted
System and method for sample processing
AssigneeVentana Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsDaniel Bauer, Michael Otter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system are described for processing tissues according to particular processing protocols that are established based on time-of-flight measurements as a processing fluid is diffused into a tissue sample. In one embodiment, measurement of the time it takes about 70% ethanol to diffuse into a tissue sample is used to predict the time it will take to diffuse other processing fluids into the same or similar tissue samples. Advantageously, the disclosed method and system can reduce overall processing times and help ensure that only samples that require similar processing conditions are batched together.
Claims21
A method of processing a tissue sample, comprising:
- a. obtaining time of flight data from an acoustic monitoring device for a first tissue sample immersed in a first processing fluid, wherein the time of flight data is based on acoustic signals transmitted through the first tissue sample while the first tissue sample is immersed in the first processing fluid;
- b. determining a first processing time sufficient for a predetermined amount of the first processing fluid to diffuse into the first tissue sample based on the obtained time of flight data;
- c. determining a second processing time sufficient for a predetermined amount of a second processing fluid to diffuse into the first sample, wherein the second processing time is calculated based on:
- (i) the first processing time determined in step (b), and (ii) a pre-determined functional relationship for calculating the second processing time from the first processing time, wherein the pre-determined functional relationship comprises a correlation of a plurality of data pairs, each data pair of the plurality of data pairs comprises first data indicating a measured processing time sufficient for the pre-determined amount of the first processing fluid to diffuse into a specific type of tissue sample and comprising second data indicating a measured processing time sufficient for the pre-determined amount of the second processing fluid to diffuse into the specific type of tissue sample;
- and
- d. immersing the first tissue sample in the second processing fluid for the determined second processing time, wherein the first and second processing fluids are different.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a. a tissue processing system;
- b. a processor communicatively coupled to the tissue processing system and a memory, the memory having stored thereon a database of protocol instructions including processing protocols for particular types, shapes and/or sizes of tissue samples and/or one or more groups of particular types, sizes and/or shapes of tissue samples that share substantially similar processing protocols;
- and
- c. a user interface for providing a user with a data entry function, wherein the data entry function permits the user to enter a type, shape and/or size of a tissue sample or select a group to which the type, shape and/or size of the tissue sample belongs, wherein upon entry of the type, size and/or shape of the tissue sample or selection of a group to which the tissue sample type, shape and/or size belongs, where the processor will control the tissue processing system to process the tissue according to the processing protocol stored in the database for the entered tissue type, shape and/or size or the selected group, wherein the processing protocol comprises processing the tissue in (i) a first processing fluid for a first processing time;
- and
- iii) a second processing fluid for a second processing time;
- wherein the first and second processing fluids are different.
4 more elements
A time of flight enabled tissue processing system, comprising:
- a. a first bath in which a tissue sample is immersed in a first processing fluid;
- b. an acoustic monitoring device configured to obtain TOF data from the tissue sample based on passing a signal through the tissue sample while it is immersed in the first processing fluid;
- c. a processor configured to receive the TOF data and calculate a first processing time sufficient for predetermined amount of the first processing fluid to diffuse into the tissue sample based on the received TOF data;
- d. the processor further configured to calculate a second processing time sufficient for a predetermined amount of a second processing fluid to diffuse into the tissue sample, wherein the second processing time is calculated based on ci) the first processing time determined in step (c), and iii) a pre-determined functional relationship for calculating the second processing time from the first processing time, wherein the pre-determined functional relationship comprises a correlation of a plurality of data pairs, each data pair of the plurality of data pairs comprises first data indicating a measured processing time sufficient for the pre-determined amount of the first processing fluid to diffuse into a specific type of tissue sample and comprising second data indicating a measured processing time sufficient for the pre-determined amount of the second processing fluid to diffuse into the specific type of tissue sample;
- and
- e. a second bath in which the tissue sample is immersed in the second processing fluid, wherein the processor monitors the time of immersion of the tissue sample in the second processing fluid and when the second processing time is reached, either alerts a user to remove the tissue sample from the second bath or causes the system to automatically remove the tissue sample from the second processing fluid of the second bath.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.