Systems and methods for processing tissue samples for histopathology

A system for processing tissue biopsy samples during a histopathology process, comprising:

• a tissue carrier constructed to carry a tissue biopsy sample during steps of the histopathology process;
• a machine-readable and writable indicator physically associated with the tissue carrier, the machine-readable and writable indicator storing a reference identified with the tissue biopsy sample, and further storing information associated with at least one physical attribute of the tissue biopsy sample;
• and
• an electronic control operative to read the reference and the information stored on the machine-readable and writable indicator, and implement at least a portion of the tissue processing procedure in accordance with the accessed information.

A system for embedding tissue biopsy samples during a histopathology process, comprising:

• a tissue carrier constructed to carry a tissue biopsy sample during an embedding procedure;
• an embedding device operative to embed the tissue biopsy sample for subsequent microtomy;
• a database storing information associated with the embedding process;
• a machine-readable indicator physically associated with the tissue carrier, the machine-readable indicator including a machine-readable reference identified with the tissue biopsy sample;
• and
• an electronic control operatively coupled with the embedding device and capable of reading the reference and the information stored on the machine-readable indicator, accessing the information in the database, and implementing at least a portion of the embedding procedure in accordance with the information.

A system for processing tissue biopsy samples during a histopathology process, comprising:

• a tissue carrier constructed to carry a tissue biopsy sample during a procedure for enabling subsequent embedding of the tissue biopsy sample;
• a tissue processor operative to subject the tissue biopsy sample to the procedure for enabling subsequent embedding of the tissue biopsy sample;
• a database storing information associated with the procedure;
• a machine-readable indicator physically associated with the tissue carrier, the machine-readable indicator including a machine-readable reference identified with the tissue biopsy sample;
• and
• an electronic control operatively coupled with the tissue processor and capable of reading the reference, accessing the information in the database using the reference, and implementing at least a portion of the procedure in accordance with the information.

A system for carrying out at least a portion of a histopathology process, comprising:

• a tissue carrier constructed to carry a tissue biopsy sample;
• a machine-readable indicator physically associated with the tissue carrier, the indicator providing a machine-readable reference identified with the tissue biopsy sample;
• and
• a database storing a tissue sample record associated with the reference of the machine-readable indicator, whereby information in the tissue sample record is usable to assist with the performance of at least one step in the histopathology process of the biopsy tissue sample.

A system for processing tissue biopsy samples during a histopathology process, comprising:

• a plurality of tissue carriers each constructed to carry a tissue biopsy sample during the histopathology process;
• a machine operative to carry out at least one procedure during the histopathology process;
• a database storing information associated with the procedure;
• a plurality of machine-readable indicators respectively physically associated with the tissue carriers, each machine-readable indicator including a unique machine-readable reference identified with the tissue biopsy sample associated with the corresponding tissue carrier;
• and
• an electronic control operatively coupled with the machine and capable of reading the references accessing the information in the database using the unique references, and implementing at least a portion of the procedure based on like information stored with respect to the different references.

A method of processing tissue biopsy samples during a histopathology process, comprising:

• reading a machine-readable indicator physically associated with a tissue carrier to obtain a reference associated with a tissue biopsy sample carried by the carrier;
• accessing information in a database associated with the reference obtained from the machine-readable indicator;
• and
• performing at least procedure during the histopathology process using the information.

A method of processing tissue biopsy samples during a histopathology process, comprising:

• reading a machine-readable indicator physically associated with a tissue carrier to obtain information associated with the tissue biopsy sample carried by the tissue carrier;
• accessing an electronic tissue sample record based at least partially on the information;
• and
• controlling at least one procedure during the histopathology process using the accessed information, the procedure selected from the group consisting of:
• tissue fixation, tissue embedding, microtomy, microscope slide preparation, microscope slide staining, and preparation of a pathology report.