Frozen tissue microarray
AssigneeCovance, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Postoyalko, John Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tissue microarray includes frozen tissue cores that extend from the top of the tissue microarray to a release. The release is a material from which embedding material of the tissue microarray can easily be removed. A stiffener is used with the release to maintain a flat shape of the release. The tissue cores may be formed from whole (i.e., paraffin-free) frozen tissue. A method and tool for manufacturing the tissue microarray are also disclosed.
Claims23
A tissue recipient block for holding a tissue sample in a core extending from a top surface of the block to an internal surface of the block, the block comprising:
- an embedding material extending between the top surface of the block and a bottom surface of the block below the internal surface of the block;
- a release disposed at the internal surface of the block, the release being a material from which the embedding material can be separated, such that the core extends from the top surface of the block to the release;
- and
- a stiffener below the release for maintaining the release to have a substantially flat surface.
A method of manufacturing a tissue recipient block for holding a tissue sample in a core extending between a top surface of the block and an internal surface of the block, the method comprising:
- partially filling a mold with a first amount of a liquid embedding medium;
- leveling the exposed surface of the embedding medium to form a substantially flat surface on the embedding medium;
- freezing the first amount of the embedding medium;
- placing a release, from which the embedding medium can be separated, on the substantially flat surface of the first amount of the embedding medium;
- placing a stiffener, for maintaining the release to have a substantially flat surface, on the release;
- placing a cassette within the mold for forming a bottom of the tissue recipient block;
- filling the remainder of the mold with a second amount of the liquid embedding medium;
- and
- freezing the first and second amounts of the embedding medium.
A tool for manufacturing a tissue recipient block for holding a tissue sample in a core extending from a top surface of the block to an internal surface of the block, the tool comprising:
- a mold defining an outer periphery and top surface of the block;
- a leveler having a flat surface for positioning against the exposed surface of a liquid embedding medium partially filling the mold, for forming a substantially flat surface on the embedding medium, wherein the leveler is removable from the embedding material after the embedding material has been frozen;
- and
- a cassette, discrete from the embedding material, that fits within the mold to define a bottom surface of the block.
A moisture barrier for a microarrayer, the moisture barrier comprising a plastic sheet for covering a slide mechanism of the microarrayer and having a first opening for accommodating a vertical slide of the microarrayer, a second opening for accommodating a micrometer knob, and a third opening for accommodating another micrometer knob;
- wherein outer edges of the plastic sheet, and the edges of the first opening, are attachable to a base plate of the microarrayer;
- and
- wherein the plastic sheet is configured for allowing motion of the slide mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.