GB570430A - Improvements in automatic immersion apparatus for subjecting articles successively to the action of various liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

570,430. Treating microscopic specimens and other articles with liquids. WEISKOPF, E. C. July 5, 1943, No. 10889. [Class 97 (i)] An immersion apparatus for subjecting articles successively to the action of various liquids, especially for preparing tissue for microscopic examination, comprises a holder for the article adapted to be raised and lowered relatively to liquid in a receptacle and to be rotated when the article is immersed and stopped when raised from the liquid by means controlled by the vertical movement of the holder. The apparatus comprises one or more holders 98 mounted on a radial arm or arms 22 secured to a disc 20 carried by a shaft 16 adapted to be lifted by a slide 62 driven by a link 60 connected to a worm-wheel 52 driven by a motor in a cabinet 10 under a table 12. The shaft 16 is lowered by gravity against a, shock-absorbing spring 71. The shaft 16 is rotated intermittently by a Geneva mechanism 74, connected by a. retractable pin 84 to a Geneva mechanism 76, to carry the holder 98 in succession to a series of receptacles 14 carried on the circular table 12. The holder 98 is detachably connected to a cover-plate 124 which fits, when lowered, over the receptacles 14, and which carries an electric motor to rotate the holders, when they are in the lowered position 14, by closing contact strips to close the motor circuit. A timing device with a notched control disc is positioned in the cabinet 10 to control the periods of immersion to which the articles may be successively subjected. The liquids in the receptacles 14 are, when a tissue is under preparation prior to the cutting of sections for microscopic examination, successively such as to fix the tissue, to wash it, to remove the fixative, to dehydrate the tissue, clear the tissue and then to infiltrate it with an agent such as paraffin.