Apparatus for execution of treatment operations on microscope slices with tissue specimens
An apparatus for automatic execution of different treatment operations in connection with staining of tissue specimens on microscope slides, wherein the apparatus ( 1 ) comprises an assembly of vessels ( 4 ) for receiving different liquids for staining of the tissue specimens, a loading station ( 2 ) for microscope slides ( 28 ), a conveyor ( 5 ) for transfer of carriers with microscope slides from vessel to vessel in accordance with a treatment program, an unloading station ( 8 ) for treated microscope slides, and a control unit ( 18 ) for controlling the treatment operations in accordance with a data program. The apparatus comprises different levels (I, II) having units for execution of the relevant treatment operations. Thus, a first level (I) comprises the loading station ( 2 ) and the assembly of said vessels ( 4 ) with the appurtenant conveyor ( 5 ) and a second level (II) comprises a station ( 6 ) for application of cover glasses on the stained microscope slides ( 28 ), a succeeding station ( 7 ) for drying of the cover-slipped microscope slides, and the unloading station ( 8 ), a means ( 9 ) being provided for gripping and transfer of carriers ( 10 ) with stained microscope slides from the first level (I) to the cover-slipping station ( 6 ) on the second level (II).
1. An apparatus for processing tissue specimens on microscope slides, the apparatus comprising:
a first area comprising a plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations, each tissue processing station configured to perform a treatment operation on the tissue specimens in accordance with a selected treatment program;
a second area comprising a cover slipping station configured to place cover slips on the microscope slides;
a hoisting device configured to transport the microscope slides from the first area to the second area, and wherein the apparatus is configured to vary the orientation of the microscope slides from a substantially vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation prior to or upon reaching the second area; and
a third area comprising a plurality of reagent storage tanks, wherein each tank is connected via a reagent supply line to at least one of the plurality of tissue processing stations.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first area comprises a loading station to load the microscope slides carrying tissue specimens onto the apparatus.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first area comprises a conveyor to transport the microscope slides between the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to control the execution of the different treatment operations.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second area is situated above the first area.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third area is situated below the first area.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a pump is connected to each of the reagent supply lines to pump reagent from the reagent storage tank to one or more of the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a filter on each of the reagent supply lines to filter the reagent pumped from the reagent storage tank to one or more of the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations comprises an assembly of vessels, each vessel configured to receive a different reagent for processing the tissue specimens on the microscope slides.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second area comprises a drying station for drying the cover-slipped microscope slides.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second area comprises an unloading station for unloading the cover-slipped microscope slides from the apparatus.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hoisting device comprises a gripping tool and a lifting tool, the gripping tool configured to grasp the processed microscope slides from a dedicated area on the first area and the lifting tool configured to transfer the processed microscope slides to the cover slipping station on the second area.
13. An apparatus for processing tissue specimens on microscope slides, the apparatus comprising:
a first area comprising a plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations, each tissue processing station configured to perform a treatment operation on the tissue specimens in accordance with a selected treatment program;
a second area comprising a cover slipping station configured to place cover slips on the microscope slides;
a hoisting device configured to transport the microscope slides from the first area to the second area; and
a third area comprising a plurality of reagent storage tanks, wherein each tank is connected via a reagent supply line to at least one of the plurality of tissue processing stations.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first area comprises a loading station to load the microscope slides carrying tissue specimens onto the apparatus.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first area comprises a conveyor to transport the microscope slides between the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a control unit configured to control the execution of the different treatment operations.
17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second area is situated above the first area.
18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the third area is situated below the first area.
19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a pump is connected to each of the reagent supply lines to pump reagent from the reagent storage tank to one or more of the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a filter on each of the reagent supply lines to filter the reagent pumped from the reagent storage tank to one or more of the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations.
21. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of horizontally separated tissue processing stations comprises an assembly of vessels, each vessel configured to receive a different reagent for processing the tissue specimens on the microscope slides.
22. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second area comprises a drying station for drying the cover-slipped microscope slides.
23. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second area comprises an unloading station for unloading the cover-slipped microscope slides from the apparatus.
24. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the hoisting device comprises a gripping tool and a lifting tool, the gripping tool configured to grasp the processed microscope slides from a dedicated area on the first area and the lifting tool configured to transfer the processed microscope slides to the cover slipping station on the second area.