Anti-stick histological specimen slide feeder and method
AssigneePrimera Technology, Inc.
InventorDarren W. Haas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for feeding histology specimen slides from a stack of the slides in a slide printer. The stack of slides includes first, next-to-be removed and second slides having adjacent surfaces. A flow of gas is applied to a location that the adjacent surfaces of the first and second slides meet when removing the first slide from the stack. The flow of gas, which may be a jet or blast of air applied through a nozzle, and which may be applied before and/or during the removal of the slide from the stack, helps un-stick the slides to enhance the feeding action.
Claims23
A method for feeding histology specimen slides from a structure supporting a stack of the slides in a slide printer, including:
- providing a stack of slides, including first and second slides having adjacent surfaces;
- removing the first slide from the stack;
- and
- applying a flow of gas to a location that the adjacent surfaces of the first and second slides meet when removing the first slide from the stack.
A histology slide printer, including:
- a slide receiving structure configured to receive a stack of histology slides including a first, next-to-be-removed slide and a second slide having adjacent surfaces;
- a printhead;
- a drive mechanism to remove slides from the slide receiving structure and move the slides toward the printhead;
- a pressurized gas source;
- a nozzle coupled to the pressurized gas source, to direct gas from the source to a location that the adjacent surfaces of the next-to-be-removed and second slides meet;
- and
- a control system coupled to the drive mechanism and the source of pressurized gas, the control system configured to:
- actuate the drive mechanism to remove the next-to-be removed slides from the slide receiving structure, and
- actuate the pressurized gas source when the drive mechanism is removing the next-to-be-removed slides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.