US 5,595,707 AGranted

Automated biological reaction apparatus

AssigneeVentana Medical Systems, Inc.

InventorsKeith G. Copeland, Thomas M. Grogan, Charles Hassen, William R. Humphreys, Charles D. Lemme, Phillip C. Miller, William L. Richards, Wayne A. Showalter

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An automated immunostaining apparatus having a reagent application zone and a reagent supply zone. The apparatus has a carousel slide support supporting a plurality of slide supports thereon, and drive means engaging the carousel slide support for consecutively positioning each of a plurality of slide supports in the reagent application zone. The apparatus also has a carousel reagent support having a plurality of reagent container supports thereon, and drive means engaging the carousel for rotating the carousel and positioning a preselected reagent container support in the reagent supply zone. The apparatus also has a reagent delivery actuator means positioned for engaging a reagent container positioned on a container support in the reagent delivery zone and initiating reagent delivery from the reagent container to a slide supported on a slide support in the reagent receiving zone.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An automated biological reaction apparatus comprising:

a rotatable slide support carousel;
a plurality of slide supports mounted on the slide support carousel in a circular array for supporting a plurality of slides;
drive means engaging the slide support carousel for rotating the slide support carousel;
a reagent delivery system for applying a predetermined quantity of reagent to one of the slides on one of the slide supports positioned, by rotation of the slide support carousel, in a reagent delivery zone;
an evaporation inhibiting liquid application station comprising at least one nozzle positioned for directing a stream of evaporation inhibiting liquid onto a preselected evaporation inhibiting liquid impact zone of one of the slides on one of the slide supports;
a vortex mixing assembly positioned at a vortex agitation zone, the vortex mixing assembly having a nozzle for directing fluid at a vortex agitation zone of one of the slides on one of the slide supports and being positioned at the vortex agitation zone;
a heat zone for heating samples positioned on one of the slides on one of the slide supports;
at least one rinse station at a rinse zone, the rinse station comprising at least one nozzle positioned for directing a stream of rinse liquid onto a rinse liquid impact zone of one of the slides on one of the slide supports positioned at the rinse zone;
and
a draining means for draining rinse liquid from one of the slides on one of the slide supports.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/352,966Filed 9 Dec 1994 · continuation
Priority: 2 Mar 1990
Granted: 21 Jan 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification27 codes

G01N 35/10
Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor:…
B01F 25/10
Flow mixers; Mixers for falling materials, e.g. solid particles: mixing by creating a vortex flow, e.g. by tangential introduction of flow components
B01F 33/40
Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers: mixers using gas or liquid agitation, e.g. with air supply tubes
B01F 33/407
Mixers using gas or liquid agitation, e.g. with air supply tubes: by blowing gas on the material from above