Device and method for the automatic insertion of a reference material during the processing of a biological sample

A method for processing a biological sample hosted on a support, wherein said biological sample comprises at least one biological tissue included in a block of containment material, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an automated transport line comprising an automatic conveyor defining a transport surface on which the support of the biological sample is transported, in order to advance said support hosting said biological sample towards an image acquisition system comprising an optical detector,
• acquiring at least one image of said biological sample by means of said optical detector,
• sending a first signal emitted by said optical detector and indicative of the acquired biological sample image to an electronic processing unit associated with said image acquisition system and configured to emit a second signal on a basis of said first signal, and
• sending the second signal emitted by said electronic processing unit to an electronic controller,
• providing an operator apparatus placed downstream of said image acquisition system, towards which said support hosting the biological sample is advanced by means of said transport line, said operator apparatus comprising at least one operating head which is configured to be moved in a controlled way both along a plane xy parallel to said transport surface of the automatic conveyor, and along a z axis perpendicular to said transport surface of the automatic conveyor,
• the electronic processing unit associated with said image acquisition system is programmed in such a way that said second signal is indicative of a position into space of at least a portion of said block of containment material where there is no biological tissue,
• said electronic controller controls said operator apparatus on a basis of said second signal coming from said electronic processing unit to position the at least one operating head in correspondence with said portion of the block of containment material where there is no biological tissue and subsequently to make said operating head perform the following operations in order:
• (a) removal of a predefined volume of the block of containment material in correspondence with said portion of the block of containment material where there is no biological tissue, and
• (b) insertion of at least one reference material in replacement of said volume of the block of containment material which has been removed.