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US 12,392,789 B2Granted
Assay reaction controller magazine
AssigneeVentana Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsJoshua Harrison, Benjamin James, Matthew Ketterer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and methods for providing and dispensing opposables onto slides are provided in which magazines loaded with opposables include retention arms to reduce movement of the opposables during shipment and processing and to reduce or eliminate contamination.
Claims13
A method for dispensing an opposable from a cartridge, comprising:
- providing a magazine for holding a stack of opposables, the magazine having a retention arm and a guidepost proximate the retention arm and positioned along a lateral side of the stack of opposables, wherein a topmost opposable of the stack of opposables includes a first edge, a second edge, and a generally linear portion that extends across a width of the topmost opposable between the first and second edges, wherein the retention arm has an overhanging portion with a contact surface that contacts the linear portion, and wherein the retention arm, when in a first resting state, is configured to restrict movement of the stack of opposables in the magazine;
- positioning a pick-up device proximate the topmost opposable in the magazine;
- retracting the retention arm to a second retracted state to deflect the contact surface away from the linear portion of the stack of opposables while the guidepost is biased toward the stack of opposables to restrict movement of each of the stack of opposables;
- activating the pick-up device to engage and retain the topmost opposable;
- raising the pick-up device with the topmost opposable engaged therewith;
- and
- after raising the pick-up device and the topmost opposable away from the stack of opposables,
- returning the retention arm to the first resting state, and
- raising the stack of opposables to contact the contact surface.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- positioning a pick-up device proximate a topmost opposable of a stack of opposables in a magazine, wherein the magazine has a retention arm and a guidepost proximate the retention arm and positioned along a lateral side of the stack of opposables, wherein the topmost opposable includes two or more edge portions with a generally flat portion extending across a middle of the topmost opposable and between at least two of the two or more edge portions, wherein the retention arm has an overhanging portion with a contact surface contacting the generally flat portion of the topmost opposable, and wherein the retention arm, when in a first resting state, is configured to restrict movement of the stack of opposables in the magazine;
- retracting the retention arm to a second retracted state while the guidepost restricts movement of the stack of opposables;
- operating the pick-up device to engage and retain the topmost opposable;
- and
- moving the pick-up device carrying the topmost opposable so as to move the topmost opposable away from the magazine.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.