US 5,654,199 A · Method for rinsing a tissue sample mounted on a slide

Abstract

An automated immunostaining apparatus having a reagent application zone and a reagent supply zone. The apparatus has a carousel slide support (24) supporting a plurality of slide supports (26) thereon, and drive means (48) engaging the carousel slide support (24) for consecutively positioning each of a plurality of slide supports (26) in the reagent application zone. The apparatus also has a carousel reagent support (10) having a plurality of reagent container supports (11) thereon, and drive means (14) engaging the carousel for rotating the carousel and positioning a preselected reagent container support (11) in the reagent supply zone. The apparatus also has a reagent delivery actuator means (18) positioned for engaging a reagent container (12) positioned on a container support (11) in the reagent delivery zone and initiating reagent delivery from the reagent container (12) to a slide supported on a slide support (26) in the reagent receiving zone.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method for rinsing a slide having a tissue sample positioned on an upper surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a layer of rinse liquid onto one or more rinse liquid impact zones positioned between the tissue sample and a proximal end of the upper surface of the slide to form a layer of rinse liquid which covers the tissue sample;
and
sweeping the layer of rinse liquid off of the slide using a gas stream, wherein the slide is substantially in the horizontal position and wherein the gas stream impacts the slide in the liquid impact zones at an angle such that the rinse liquid is removed from the slide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

08/474,359Filed 6 Jun 1995 · division

Priority

2 Mar 1990

Granted

5 Aug 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

Family

Serial488,601Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Mar 1990

Serial924,052Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Aug 1992

Serial352,966Parent of this division · filed 9 Dec 1994

US 5,595,707 AParent of this division

US 5,654,199 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method for rinsing a tissue sample mounted on a slide

Life of this patent

Method for rinsing a tissue sample mounted on a slide

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9