Method and device for accelerated treatment of thin sample on surface
AssigneeFisher Scientific Company
InventorsDouglas J. Koebler, Carlo Cuomo, David J. Brigati
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thin sample on a surface such as a tissue specimen on a microscope slide is exposed to treatment liquid such as a stain, antibody of nucleic acid probe. The treatment is accelerated by exposing the treatment liquid on the surface to infrared radiation. A device is disclosed for placing such slides into a treatment chamber, for example as a plurality of slide pairs held vertically, with treatment liquid held in capillary gaps between each slide pair. An infrared radiation source provides radiation into the treatment chamber to accelerate the treatment of samples on such slide (on one or both surfaces facing each capillary gap) by the treatment liquid.
Claims24
A method for treating a thin sample on a surface which comprises:
- (a) providing a thin sample on a first surface,
- (b) maintaining a second surface substantially parallel to and spaced by a first distance from the first surface, thereby providing a gap between the first and second surfaces,
- (c) introducing a treating liquid into the gap,
- (d) drawing the treating liquid by capillary action within the gap into contact with the thin sample, and
- (e) generating infrared radiation so as to expose the treating liquid in contact with the thin sample to the infrared radiation for a sufficient exposure level and time to accelerate the treatment of the thin sample by the treating liquid.
A method for accelerating the treatment of a biological specimen by a treating liquid which comprises the steps:
- (a) providing a thin sample on a portion of a first surface,
- (b) forming a thin layer of a treating liquid on the first surface in contact with the thin sample,
- (c) generating infrared radiation, and
- (d) exposing the thin layer of treating liquid to the infrared radiation at a sufficient exposure level and for a sufficient exposure time to accelerate the treatment of the thin sample by the treating liquid.
A device for accelerated treatment of thin samples by treating liquid which comprises:
- (a) a treatment chamber having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, the treatment chamber forming an upper opening,
- (b) holding means for engaging the upper ends of a plurality of planar pieces and maintaining the planar pieces in parallel array extending downward from the holding means in a substantially vertical direction,
- (c) flange means associated with the holding means for cooperating with the holding means to substantially cover the upper opening formed by the treatment chamber, and
- (d) radiation means for generating infrared radiation within the treatment chamber with the flange means and holding means substantially covering the upper opening and for exposing the planar pieces to the infrared radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.