US 2014/0178169 A1 · IMAGING SYSTEMS, CASSETTES, AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME

Abstract

A microscope slide holding cassette includes a main body for surrounding and protecting microscopes, and shelves capable of holding the microscope slides. The shelves have support members that extend outwardly in order to support label ends of slides. Catches carried at the end of the support members are capable of limiting movement of the slides during transport of the cassette. To transport slides to different workstations, a pickup device can use a vacuum to pick up a slide without contacting areas of the slide that may have glue. The pickup device can load and unload the cassette. The pickup device can have a low-profile configuration in order to access relatively small spaces for processing flexibility.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A microscope slide holding cassette, comprising:

a main body for surrounding and protecting microscope slides, the main body including a first sidewall and a second sidewall;
a plurality of shelves capable of supporting microscope slides, the plurality of shelves are positioned between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and are vertically spaced apart from one another when the microscope slide holding cassette is in an upright orientation;
and
a plurality of support members extending away from respective shelves, at least one of the support members including
an elongate body coupled to one of the shelves, and
a catch protruding upwardly from the elongate body and being capable of limiting movement of a microscope slide positioned on the elongate body.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Imaging systems, cassettes, and methods of using the same

Life of this patent

Imaging systems, cassettes, and methods of using the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30