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US 2019/0101554 A1Published application
Slide inventory and reinsertion system
AssigneeLeica Biosystems Imaging, Inc.
InventorsNicholas NEWBERG, Prentash DJELOSEVIC, Aaron STEARRETT, Peyman NAJMABADI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slide rack inventory and reinsertion system for use with a digital slide scanning apparatus is provided that determines, prior to scanning of glass slides in a slide rack, a status of each slot in the slide rack as properly occupied, improperly occupied, or empty. The system also determines whether a slide that has been removed from the slide rack for processing has been properly reinserted into the slide rack.
Claims18
A digital slide scanning apparatus, comprising:
- a motor configured to position a slide rack within the digital slide scanning apparatus, the slide rack configured to hold a plurality of glass slides in a plurality of slots, wherein each slot has an opening at a first end of the slot and a barrier at a second end of the slot;
- a sensor pair comprising a transmitter element and a receiver element positioned for line-of-sight communication, the transmitter element positioned on a first side of a sensor mount and the receiver element positioned on a second side of the sensor mount;
- and
- a processor configured to control the motor to move the slide rack to pass a rear portion of each of the plurality of slots of the slide rack through the line-of-sight communication of the sensor pair, the processor further configured to receive a signal from the sensor pair and analyze the signal to determine a status of each slot of the slide rack.
1 more element
A method in a digital slide scanning apparatus that comprises
- a motor configured to position a slide rack within the digital slide scanning apparatus, the slide rack configured to hold a plurality of glass slides in a plurality of slots,
- a sensor pair comprising a transmitter element and a receiver element relatively positioned for line-of-sight communication, and
- at least one processor,
- the method comprising, by the at least one processor:
- driving the motor to move the slide rack between the transmitter element and the receiver element;
- passing a rear portion of each of the plurality of slots of the slide rack through the line-of-sight communication of the sensor pair during said movement of the slide rack;
- receiving a signal from the sensor pair during movement of the slide rack;
- correlating at least a portion of the signal from the sensor pair to each of the plurality of slots of the slide rack;
- analyzing the portion of the signal from the sensor pair corresponding to each of the plurality of slots;
- and
- determining a status of each of the plurality of slots based on the analysis.
8 more elements
A digital slide scanning apparatus, comprising:
- a motor configured to position a slide rack having a plurality of slots and holding a plurality of glass slides;
- a sensor pair comprising a transmitter element and a receiver element positioned for line-of-sight communication passing through a rear portion of a first slot of the slide rack;
- and
- a processor configured to receive a signal from the sensor pair during reinsertion of a first glass slide into the first slot of the slide rack and analyze the signal to determine a reinsertion status of the first slide into the first slot.
1 more element
A method in a digital slide scanning apparatus that comprises
- a motor configured to position a slide rack within the digital slide scanning apparatus, the slide rack configured to hold a plurality of glass slides in a plurality of slots,
- a sensor pair comprising a transmitter element and a receiver element positioned for line-of-sight communication passing through a rear portion of a first slot of the slide rack, and
- at least one processor,
- the method comprising, by the at least one processor:
- receiving a signal from the sensor pair during reinsertion of a first glass slide into the first slot of the slide rack;
- and
- analyzing the signal to determine a reinsertion status of the first slide into the first slot.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.