Method and System for Distributing and Agitating an Amount of Liquid Over a Microscope Slide
AssigneeVictorious Medical Systems ApS
InventorLars Winther
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for distributing and agitating an amount of a liquid over a microscope slide, wherein a distribution plate having a microtextured lower surface and at least one passage extending through the plate is secured at a predetermined distance of 10-250 μm above the microscope slide. Liquid passes through the passage in the distribution plate, and the distribution plate is transversely reciprocated relative to the microscope slide in the plane of the lower surface of the distribution plate or the plane of the upper surface of the microscope slide.
Claims20
A method for distributing and agitating an amount of a liquid over a microscope slide, comprising:
- (a) providing a distribution plate defining an upper surface and a microtextured lower surface, and at least one passage extending through the plate from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof;
- (b) securing the distribution plate at a predetermined distance of 10-250 μm above the microscope slide with the lower surface of the distribution plate facing an upper surface of the microscope slide and with the distribution plate essentially overlapping the microscope slide, whereby a gap of 10-250 μm is provided between the upper surface of the microscope slide and the lower surface of the distribution plate;
- (c) subsequently causing the liquid to pass through said passage in a direction from a passage inlet at the upper surface of the distribution plate towards a passage outlet at the lower surface of the distribution plate;
- (d) transversely reciprocating the distribution plate relative to the microscope slide in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the lower surface of the distribution plate or the plane of the upper surface of the microscope slide, while said liquid is present in the gap between the upper surface of the microscope slide and the lower surface of the distribution plate;
- (e) causing at least some of the amount of liquid, which exits said passage outlet at the lower surface of the distribution plate to distribute equally in said gap between the upper surface of the microscope slide and the lower surface of the distribution plate under the action of capillary forces caused by the surface tension between the liquid and the microtextured lower surface of the distribution plate.
A system for distributing and agitating an amount of a liquid over a microscope slide, comprising:
- a distribution plate defining an upper surface and a microtextured lower surface, and at least one passage extending through the plate from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof;
- a mechanism for securing the distribution plate at a predetermined distance of 10-250 μm above the microscope slide with the lower surface of the distribution plate facing an upper surface of the microscope slide and with the distribution plate essentially overlapping the distribution plate;
- a supply of the liquid arranged to cause the liquid to pass through said at least one passage in a direction from a passage inlet at the upper surface of the distribution plate towards a passage outlet at the lower surface of the distribution plate;
- a structure for transversely reciprocating the distribution plate relative to the microscope slide in the plane of the lower surface of the distribution plate or the plane of the upper surface of the microscope slide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.