US 7,118,918 B2 · Automated biological reaction method

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 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 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 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.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a method for automatically staining a biological sample, the biological sample being on a support medium and substantially covered by a first aqueous solution, and an evaporation-inhibiting liquid phase covering the first aqueous solution, the improvement comprising:

a) dispensing a reagent onto the evaporation-inhibiting liquid phase;
and
b) sending at least one stream of air to a surface of the evaporation-inhibiting liquid phase to move the evaporation-inhibiting liquid phase, thereby stirring the reagent with the biological sample on the support medium while preserving the biological sample from dehydration from the stream of air.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/931,513Filed 16 Aug 2001 · continuation

Priority

2 Mar 1990

Published

US 2002/0001849 A13 Jan 2002

Granted

10 Oct 2006

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

Application07/488,601Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Mar 1990

Application07/924,052Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Aug 1992

Application08/352,966Parent of this division · filed 9 Dec 1994

Application08/479,415Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Jun 1995

Application08/906,678Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Aug 1997

Application09/452,309Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Dec 1999

US 2002/0001849 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Jan 2002

US 6,352,861 B1Parent of this continuation

US 5,654,200 AParent of this continuation

US 5,595,707 AParent of this division

Application08/479,415Parent of this division

Application08/352,966Parent of this continuation

Application07/924,052Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 7,118,918 B2This patent

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

Automated biological reaction method

Life of this patent

Automated biological reaction method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12