Method and apparatus for infiltrating tissue samples with paraffin

A method for infiltrating tissue samples with carrier material, comprising the method steps of:

• (a) opening a retort and placing at least one first tissue sample in the retort;
• (b) closing the retort and applying a vacuum to the retort for filling the retort from a first container via a distributor with a first carrier material having a first degree of purity;
• (c) treating the at least one first tissue sample in a first treatment step in the retort with the first carrier material having a first degree of purity;
• (d) determining whether the first carrier material has reached a predetermined degree of contamination;
• (e) applying a pressure to the retort for removing the first carrier material from the retort into the first container;
• (f) applying a vacuum to the retort for filling the retort from a second container via the distributor with a second carrier material that is similar to the first carrier material and has a second degree of purity that is higher than the first degree of purity;
• (g) treating the at least one first tissue sample in a second treatment step performed subsequently to the first treatment step with the second carrier material;
• (h) applying a pressure to the retort for removing the second carrier material via the distributor from the retort into the second container;
• (i) applying a vacuum to the retort for filling the retort from a third container via the distributor with a third carrier material that is similar to the first carrier material and has a third degree of purity that is higher than the second degree of purity;
• (j) treating the at least one first tissue sample in a third treatment step performed subsequently to the second treatment step with the third carrier material;
• (k) applying a pressure to the retort for removing the third carrier material via the distributor from the retort into the third container;
• (l) opening the retort and removing the at least one first tissue sample from the retort;
• (m) using the retort with no samples contained in the retort as a temporary container for distributing the liquid carrier material to containers in the subsequent steps (n)-(t) as follows:
• (n) closing the retort and applying a vacuum to the retort for filling the retort via the distributor from the first container with the first carrier material;
• (o) applying a pressure to the retort for removing the first carrier material from the retort and discard it directly through a conduit when it was determined in step (d) that the first carrier material has reached a predetermined degree of contamination;
• (p) keeping a supply of uncontaminated fourth carrier material ready in a supply station for use in a melted state;
• (q) applying a vacuum to the retort for filling the retort via the distributor from the supply with the uncontaminated fourth carrier material;
• (r) applying a pressure to the retort for removing the uncontaminated fourth carrier material via the distributor from the retort into the first container;
• (s) resequencing the carrier materials for the further treatment of tissue samples by using the formerly second carrier material in future as a first carrier material, using the formerly third carrier material in future as a second carrier material, and using the fourth uncontaminated carrier material in future as the third carrier material;
• and
• (t) (repeating steps (a)-(l) for treatment of at least one second tissue sample.