GB2206083A - Marking of biological sample supports - Google Patents

Marking of biological sample supports Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2206083A
GB2206083A GB08713594A GB8713594A GB2206083A GB 2206083 A GB2206083 A GB 2206083A GB 08713594 A GB08713594 A GB 08713594A GB 8713594 A GB8713594 A GB 8713594A GB 2206083 A GB2206083 A GB 2206083A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
engraving
support
machine
biological sample
marking
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08713594A
Other versions
GB2206083B (en
GB8713594D0 (en
Inventor
Margaret Louise Knowles
Norman Harrison
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Novartis AG
Original Assignee
Ciba Geigy AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ciba Geigy AG filed Critical Ciba Geigy AG
Priority to GB8713594A priority Critical patent/GB2206083B/en
Publication of GB8713594D0 publication Critical patent/GB8713594D0/en
Publication of GB2206083A publication Critical patent/GB2206083A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2206083B publication Critical patent/GB2206083B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B21/00—Microscopes
    • G02B21/34—Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
    • B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
    • B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
    • B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
    • B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
    • B44B3/009—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings using a computer control means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
    • B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
    • B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
    • B44B3/06—Accessories, e.g. tool or work holders
    • B44B3/065—Work holders

Abstract

Method of automatically engraving characterising markings on to a biological sample support, preferably a microscope slide or tissue cassette, comprises applying the markings on to the support automatically by means of an engraving machine. An automatic engraving device comprises a holder (4) for a plurality of biological sample supports, an engraving tool and a means (1) for automatically instructing the machine (3) to perform marking operations upon a sample support. <IMAGE>

Description

MARKING OF ARTICLES The present invention relates to biological sample supports, especially microscope slides or tissue cassettes having automatically-applied markings thereon.
In the field of biology, there is an acknowledged requirement for maintaining stocks of clearly-marked, retrievable samples, stored usually on microscope slides or in tissue cassettes.
Current practice in marking these slides or cassettes involves manually scratching slides with a diamond tool, or marking slides with a pencil as an intermediate step, prior to fixing a printed label on to the slide. As for tissue cassettes made of plastics, these are usually marked using hot foil printing techniques.
These conventional techniques are time consuming and are susceptible to human error in terms of poor legibility and/or accuracy.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved method of marking supports for biological samples, which method should be free from the disadvantages associated with known procedures.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of automatically engraving characterising markings on to a biological sample support, preferably a microscope slide or a tissue cassette, comprising applying the markings on to the support automatically by means of an engraving machine.
Any engraving machine capable of applying markings on to a hard surface will be useful in the method of the invention. One particular machine that has proved satisfactory is a "Gravograph".
In a preferred mode of carrying out the method of the present invention, the biological sample support, or a plurality of such supports, are placed upon a moveable or fixed holder for the support(s) in position for engagement with the engraving tool of the engraving machine. The engraving tool is then moved into contact with the support and the desired marking is applied to one surface of the support.
In the interest of speed, the engraving machine will normally be electronically linked to a computer which supplies automatic marking instructions to the machine.
The machine will preferably be equipped with means for positioning a support e.g. a slide or a series of slides for engagement with the engraving tool, as well as means for progressing each support into position for engraving, in any desired sequence.
In order to cope with any desired modification in a pre-set program of markings, it is preferred to interpose an interface between the computer and the engraving machine in order to provide means for manually over-riding, if necessary, the marking instruction built into the computer program.
The present invention also includes biological supports marked by the method of the present invention; as well as an automatic engraving device for marking biological sample supports, which device comprises: a) a holder for a plurality of biological sample supports; b) an engraving tool adapted for engagement with, and engraving of a sample support mounted on holder a); and c) means for automatically instructing the machine to perform marking operations upon a sample support.
One convenient arrangement for performing the method of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying Figure 1 which is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement.
The computer 1 is linked, via interphase 2 to the engraving machine 3. Computor 1 is programmed to intruct machine 3 to carry out a pre-determined sequence of engravings on to each individual of a spaced series of supports not shown, e.g.
microscope slides mounted upon a holder 4. If necessary, the interface 2 can be actuated to override, manually, the programmed instructions from the computer 1.
Relative to conventional methods of engraving microscope slides and tissue cassettes, the method of the present invention offers improved speed, reproducibility, indelibility, legibility and accuracy in permanently recording the desired information.
In addition, the method offers considerable savings in technician's time.

Claims (9)

  1. Claitns
    Claims 1. A method for automatically engraving characterising markings on to a biological sample support, comprising applying the markings automatically by means of an engraving machine.
  2. 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the support is a microscope slide or a tissue cassette.
  3. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a plurality of biological sample supports is placed upon a moveable or fixed holder for the supports in position for engagement with the engraving tool of the engraving machine; the engraving tool is moved into contact with the support; and the desired marking is applied to one surface of the support by the tool.
  4. 4. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the engraving machine is electronically linked to a computer which supplies automatic marking instructions to the machine.
  5. 5. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the engraving machine is equipped with means for positioning a plurality of supports for engagement with the engraving tool.
  6. 6. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the engraving machine is equipped with means for progressing each support into position for engraving, in any desired sequence.
  7. 7. A method according to any of claims 4 to 6 wherein an interface is interposed between the computer and the engraving machine in order to provide means for manually overridng, if necessary, the marking instructions built into the computer program.
  8. 8. A biological sample support when engraved according to a method an claimed in any of the preceding claims.
  9. 9. An automatic engraving device, for marking biological sample supports, comprising a) A holder for a plurality of biological sample supports; b) an engraving tool adapted for engagement with, and engraving of a sample support positioned on holder a); and c) means for automatically instructing the machine to perform marking operations upon a sample support.
GB8713594A 1987-06-10 1987-06-10 Marking of articles Expired - Lifetime GB2206083B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8713594A GB2206083B (en) 1987-06-10 1987-06-10 Marking of articles

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8713594A GB2206083B (en) 1987-06-10 1987-06-10 Marking of articles

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8713594D0 GB8713594D0 (en) 1987-07-15
GB2206083A true GB2206083A (en) 1988-12-29
GB2206083B GB2206083B (en) 1991-05-01

Family

ID=10618697

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8713594A Expired - Lifetime GB2206083B (en) 1987-06-10 1987-06-10 Marking of articles

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2206083B (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2235163A (en) * 1989-06-30 1991-02-27 Lamb Pauline Diana Marking supports for laboratory samples
EP1245395A2 (en) 2001-03-27 2002-10-02 Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH Method and device for printing on cassettes or object supports for histological preparations
US6766593B2 (en) 2001-03-27 2004-07-27 Leica Microsystems Nussloch Gmbh Device for drying solvent-based ink
WO2007135388A1 (en) 2006-05-18 2007-11-29 Thomas Fergus Hughes Device and method for marking a cassette for laboratory samples
DE202011005278U1 (en) * 2011-04-15 2012-09-20 Euroimmun Medizinische Labordiagnostika Ag slides

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0088834A1 (en) * 1982-03-11 1983-09-21 Dema Glass Limited Method and apparatus for gauging vessels

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0088834A1 (en) * 1982-03-11 1983-09-21 Dema Glass Limited Method and apparatus for gauging vessels

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2235163A (en) * 1989-06-30 1991-02-27 Lamb Pauline Diana Marking supports for laboratory samples
GB2235163B (en) * 1989-06-30 1992-08-19 Lamb Pauline Diana Device for marking supports for laboratory samples
EP1245395A2 (en) 2001-03-27 2002-10-02 Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH Method and device for printing on cassettes or object supports for histological preparations
US6715870B2 (en) 2001-03-27 2004-04-06 Leica Microsystems Nussloch Gmbh Method and apparatus for printing onto cassettes or specimen slides for histological preparations
US6766593B2 (en) 2001-03-27 2004-07-27 Leica Microsystems Nussloch Gmbh Device for drying solvent-based ink
DE10115066B4 (en) * 2001-03-27 2012-10-04 Leica Biosystems Nussloch Gmbh Device for drying solvent-based ink
WO2007135388A1 (en) 2006-05-18 2007-11-29 Thomas Fergus Hughes Device and method for marking a cassette for laboratory samples
US7944460B2 (en) 2006-05-18 2011-05-17 Raymond A. Lamb Limited Device and method for marking a cassette for laboratory samples
AU2007253109B2 (en) * 2006-05-18 2013-03-07 Shandon Diagnostics Limited Device and method for marking a cassette for laboratory samples
DE202011005278U1 (en) * 2011-04-15 2012-09-20 Euroimmun Medizinische Labordiagnostika Ag slides

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2206083B (en) 1991-05-01
GB8713594D0 (en) 1987-07-15

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19940610