US 5,180,606 AGranted

Apparatus for applying a controlled amount of reagent to a microscope slide or the like

AssigneeWescor, Inc.

InventorsBarry O. Stokes, Gary D. Bradshaw, Wayne K. Barlow

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Apparatus for applying a controlled amount of reagent to one or more miscroscope slide or the like includes a spray chamber and a carousel adapted to hold a plurality of slides and to be mounted for rotation in the spray chamber. Nozzles are mounted to spray reagent onto the slides in the carousel as they rotate by the nozzles. Accurate control of the time or angular rotation during which the reagent is sprayed from the nozzles is obtained by placing a control valve in the flow line between a reagent pump and the nozzle and operating the valve to control flow of reagent. Control circuitry determines the position of the slides and carousel in the spray chamber and coordinates operation of the pumps, valves, and rotation of the carousel to accurately cause spray of reagent onto the slides. The slide holding carousel may be replaced by an interchangable centrifuge rotor when it is desired to perform cytocentrifuging tests.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for gram staining bacterial specimens on slides using automatic staining equipment including carousel means for holding a plurality of slides having bacterial specimens thereon to be stained, means for rotating the carousel means at predetermined speeds in the spray chamber, and means for directing and controlling spray of reagents onto the slides and specimens during rotation of the carousel means, comprising directing a spray of crystal violet reagent onto the slides in the carousel in the spray chamber so as to saturate the bacterial specimens on the slides with crystal violet reagent;

directing a spray of water onto the slides in the carousel in the spray chamber to rinse crystal violet reagent from the slides;
directing a spray of iodine reagent onto the slides in the carousel in the spray chamber so as to saturate the bacterial specimen on the slides with iodine reagent;
directing a spray of water onto the slides in the carousel in the spray chamber to rinse iodine reagent from the slides;
directing a spray of a mixture reagent which is a mixture of decolorization solvent and counterstain onto the slides in the carousel int eh spray chamber and accurately controlling the amount of mixture reagent that is applied to the slides so that a desired amount of mixture reagent is accurately applied to each slide in the carousel;
and directing a spray of water onto the slides in the carousel in the spray chamber so as to rinse the mixture reagent from the slides.

2 more elements

Apparatus for applying a controlled amount of reagent to a microscope slide, comprising a spray chamber;

carousel means for holding a plurality of slides to be sprayed and rotatably mounted in the spray chamber;
nozzle means located int he spray chamber adjacent a portion of the carousel means for directing spray of reagent toward the slides held in the portion of the carousel means adjacent the nozzle means;
means for rotating the carousel means at predetermined speeds in the spray chamber so as to move the slides mounted in the carousel means pst the nozzle means;
reagent reservoir means for storing a supply of reagent;
pump means for pumping reagent from said reservoir means to said nozzle means;
flow line means extending between said pump means and said nozzle means through which reagent can flow between said pump means and nozzle means;
control valve means to control flow of reagent between said pump means and said nozzle means;
means to determine and monitor the angular position of the carousel means in the spray chamber;
and control means responsive to the means to determine and monitor the angular position of the carousel means to coordinate operation of said pump means, valve means, and carousel means to accurately cause spray of reagent during predetermined known passage of the carousel means past the nozzle means whereby spray of reagent onto the slides is accurately controlled as the slides pass the nozzle means.

6 more elements

Apparatus for applying a controlled amount of reagent to a microscope slide, comprising a spray chamber;

rotation means for receiving a rotatable element to be rotated in the spray chamber;
a plurality of rotatable elements, each rotatable element of the plurality being received by the rotation means at a selected time for a selected different operation of the apparatus, at least one of said plurality of elements being carousel means for holding a plurality of slides to be sprayed;
nozzle means located int he spray chamber for directing spray of reagent into the chamber and toward slides held in a portion of a carousel means adjacent the nozzle means when the carousel means is received by the rotation means;
means for rotating the rotation means at predetermined speeds in the spray chamber so as to move a rotatable element received by the rotation means past the nozzle means;
reagent reservoir means for storing a supply of reagent;
supply means for controllably supplying reagent from said reservoir means to said nozzle means to be sprayed therefrom at desired times;
means to determine and monitor the angular position of the rotation means in the spray chamber;
and control means responsive to the means to determine and monitor the angular position of the rotation means to coordinate and cause desired operation of said supply means and said means for rotating the rotation means for the rotatable element received by the rotation means in the spray chamber.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/690,781Filed 23 Apr 1991 · continuation in part
Priority: 9 May 1989
Granted: 19 Jan 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G02B 21/34
Microscopes: microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides
G01N 1/312
Apparatus therefor: for samples mounted on planar substrates
G01N 1/2813
Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q: producing thin…
G01N 35/025
Using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations: having a carousel or turntable…