Method and apparatus for preparing cytological specimens
View Patent ↗An automated system for preparing a plurality of cytological specimens from a plurality of fluid samples in vials includes an apparatus for collecting a monolayer of cells from each sample and transferring the cells to a microscope slide for fixing, staining, and inspection. The system includes a first loading station for receiving the sample vials, a second loading station for receiving consumables such as filter membranes, a slide dispenser, and an unloading area for removing completed specimen slides. To maintain one-to-one correlation between the samples and specimens produced therefrom, the system includes a subsystem for identifying each sample and permanently marking each slide with corresponding indicia prior to transferring the specimen thereto.
1. A method for processing a specimen from a fluid sample comprising particles in a suspended liquid using an automated specimen preparing system, the method comprising the consecutively performed operations of:
(a) identifying indicia corresponding to the sample using a reader operatively connected to the automated specimen preparing system;
(b) marking an analytical element with indicia corresponding to the sample indicia using a printer operatively connected to the automated specimen preparing system;
(c) reading the element indicia using the reader;
(d) verifying that the element indicia is readable and that the element indicia corresponds to the sample indicia using a processor operatively configured to perform the verification; and
(e) transferring a specimen from the sample to the element if the element indicia corresponds to the sample indicia and the element indicia is readable, wherein transferring is performed using a porous membrane for collecting a spatial distribution of the particles from the liquid suspension that are then disposed on a stratum of the element.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the spatial distribution comprises substantially a monolayer and the stratum comprises a slide.
3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of breaching the porous membrane after the specimen transferring step to prevent reuse of the membrane.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the element is marked with ink transferred thereto by a printer.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the marking step comprises a first ink transfer substep at a first location and a second ink transfer substep at a second location, wherein the second location is offset spatially from the first location.
6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the sample indicia comprises a bar code.
7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the sample indicia identifying step utilizes a bar code scanner.
8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the element indicia comprises an alphanumeric character.
9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the element indicia reading step utilizes an optical character recognition system.