JP4795181B2 - Sample block surface placement method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for placing a sample block used in a thin-section sample preparation device for preparing a thin-section sample used for physicochemical sample analysis or microscopic observation of biological samples.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a microtome is widely known as an apparatus for producing a thin slice sample used for physicochemical sample analysis or microscopic observation of a biological sample. The microtome is an apparatus for producing a thin slice by slicing a surface layer portion of a sample block in which a specimen such as a biological sample is embedded in an embedding material such as paraffin, with a cutter.

  The thin slice produced by the microtome is collected in a tank filled with a liquid for extension such as water or hot water using a brush, paper, etc., and the heel is extended, and then an adhesive solution (for example, water) Is attached to the slide glass. Or the said thin slice is directly arrange | positioned on the slide glass which apply | coated the adhesive agent, and an extension, such as a wrinkle, is performed and affixed on a slide glass by heating a slide glass. The thin slice attached to the slide glass is closely fixed to the slide glass as the adhesive solution evaporates, and is used as a thin slice sample for tissue observation.

  Conventionally, the preparation work of a thin slice sample using a microtome as described above has been manually performed by an operator, and has required a great deal of labor and labor. Even a worker skilled in the use of a microtome usually takes several days to process dozens of sample blocks, but the same work is repeated, so both physically and mentally The worker was overburdened. For this reason, while reducing the burden of an operator, the apparatus which reduces the fall of the precision of a thin section sample was calculated | required.

  In Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-28910), a sample block prepared by embedding a sample in paraffin or the like is sliced into a thin slice sample with a cutter, and the thin slice sample is held on a carrier tape. A thin-section sample pasting device is disclosed in which a carrier tape is run to feed a sliced sample to the front surface of the slide glass, and then the carrier tape is adhered to the surface of the slide glass to attach the sample to the surface of the slide glass. .

  In this apparatus, the sample book is conveyed in a state where the surface layer portion of the sample block is in contact with the cutting edge of the cutter, and the surface layer portion of the sample block is sliced to produce a thin slice sample.

  By the way, since the sample embedded in the sample block is sliced along the sample block conveyance direction, the surface of the top surface of the sample block is important. That is, if the sample block is inclined with respect to a predetermined angle, the thickness of the thin slice sample is affected, and a thin slice sample having a uniform thickness cannot be produced.

Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 3565005) discloses a method for preparing a sample by adjusting the tilt angle of the sample when a microtome is used. In this document, the surface of the sample block is formed by pressing the surface of the sample block on which a flat surface has been formed in advance against a reference surface.
JP 2004-28910 A Japanese Patent No. 3565005

  However, since the method disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document presses a part of the sample block against the reference surface, it is not hygienic, and the sample in the sample block may be affected by being pressed. .

  That is, since the sample block is formed by embedding the sample in paraffin or the like, the sample block is relatively soft, and the sample block may be damaged or broken by pressing the sample block against the reference surface with a predetermined pressure. In addition, the sample itself is often very soft biological tissue, and pressing the reference surface not only has a hygienic problem, but also has a problem of causing the sample to collapse.

  Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, to provide a sample block surface-exposing method that does not cause a sample block defect and has no sanitary problem.

  In order to solve the above technical problem, the present invention provides a method for chamfering a sample block having the following configuration.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the sample block having a smooth top surface is configured to be able to adjust the tilt angle and the height position in the Z-axis direction with respect to the XY orthogonal biaxial directions, and convey the sample block in the X-axis direction. Part, a line sensor having a light projecting part and a light receiving part that are arranged in the Y-axis direction and emit light having a width in the Z-axis direction, and a surface layer portion of the sample block that is transported in the X-axis direction by the transport part In the thin-section sample preparation device that includes a cutter extending in the Y-axis direction, and sticks a thin section of the sample block sliced by the cutter to a slide glass, the inclination angle of the top surface of the sample block is A method for chamfering a sample block to be adjusted,
A first step of driving the transport unit so that an intermediate position in the X-axis direction of the sample block is an installation position of the line sensor;
A second step of detecting an amount of light received by the line sensor while adjusting an inclination direction of the sample block in the Y-axis direction;
A third step of fixing the tilt angle in the Y-axis direction of the sample block at an angle at which the amount of light received by the line sensor is maximized;
A fourth step of driving the transport unit to move the sample block back and forth by a predetermined amount in the X-axis direction and detecting the amount of light received by the line sensor at the position;
A fifth step of calculating an X-axis direction tilt angle of the sample block based on a predetermined amount of the sample block in the X-axis direction and information on the amount of light received by the line sensor at each position;
And a sixth step of adjusting the tilt angle of the transport unit so that the calculated tilt angle in the X-axis direction is a predetermined angle with respect to the XY plane. .

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the Z axis direction of the sample block is such that the light reception amount of the line sensor becomes a predetermined amount by the light shielding by the sample block between the first step and the second step. There is provided a sample block surface-exposing method according to a first aspect, which includes a height adjusting step of driving the transport unit so as to adjust a height position.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the sixth step, the tilt angle of the transport unit is adjusted so that the calculated tilt angle in the X-axis direction is parallel to the XY plane. A sample block surface-exposing method according to a first aspect is provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the inclination angle of the sample block can be measured by detecting the amount of light shielded by the sample block using a line sensor having a projector and a light receiver. Surface contact can be performed without contact. In addition, the adjustment of the tilt angle with respect to the light projection direction of the line sensor detects the part where the amount of light received by the line sensor is maximized considering that it is a semi-transparent sample block made of paraffin. By doing so, the inclination angle in this direction can be made parallel to the light projection direction.

  In addition, the adjustment of the tilt angle in the direction intersecting the light projection direction of the line sensor cannot be detected simply by the amount of light received by the sample block, so the amount of light received at each position by shifting the position of the sample block Is detected, the inclination angle of the sample block can be calculated, and the inclination angle can be calculated.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, arithmetic control based on the amount of light received by the line sensor can be facilitated by arranging the sample block so as to be in a predetermined height direction position.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, by making the X-axis direction inclination angle parallel to the XY plane, the received light amount of each of the line sensors detected when driven to move around a predetermined amount is made the same value. Therefore, adjustment control of the tilt angle can be facilitated.

  Hereinafter, a thin-section sample preparation apparatus that performs a chamfering method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration and operation of the thin-section sample device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a thin-section sample device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a sample sticking chamber of the thin-section sample device of FIG.

  In FIG. 1, a thin-section sample apparatus 100 transfers a thin-section sample 24 to a slide glass 22 and a sample preparation chamber 100A in which a series of components for preparing a thin-section sample 24 by slicing a sample block 20 is disposed. And a sample pasting chamber 100B in which a series of components to be firmly pasted are arranged.

  As an example, the sample block 20 to be sliced in the thin-section sample device 100 uses a specimen such as a biological sample embedded in an embedding material such as paraffin. When such a sample block 20 is cut with the surface layer portion being dried, the cut surface is likely to be scratched or deformed, and on the other hand, it is prone to expansion and contraction due to subtle changes in temperature and humidity. At times, there is a problem that unevenness tends to occur in the thickness of the thin slice. Therefore, the internal temperature and humidity of the sample preparation chamber 100A are set so as to maintain a constant temperature (for example, 25 ° C.) and a constant high humidity (for example, 65% or more) by a cooler and a humidifier (not shown). Has been. The temperature and humidity may be set as appropriate depending on the type of the subject and the embedded body.

  The sample preparation chamber 100A includes a sample storage unit 30, a sample block transport unit 1, a first charging unit 2, a cooling unit 3, a second charging unit 4, a cutter unit 5, and a supply reel 6. A carrier tape guide 8 is disposed.

  A winding reel 7, a transfer unit 9, a slide glass transport unit 10, an adhesive liquid supply unit 11, an extension unit 12, and a slide glass storage unit 40 are arranged in the sample pasting chamber 100B. A control unit 50, which will be described later, is connected to each of the above-described units, and is configured to appropriately operate in response to a control signal from the control unit 50.

  The sample block transport unit 1 takes out one sample block 20 to be sliced next from the sample storage unit 30 that stores a large number of sample blocks, transports the sample block 20 onto the position A, and then moves the sample block 20 to the position A. It is comprised so that reciprocating conveyance is possible between -D. The positions A to D are linearly aligned in the horizontal direction (± X direction shown in FIG. 1), and the sample storage unit 30 stores the sample block 20 in the same temperature and humidity environment as the sample preparation chamber 100A. ing. Further, the sample block transport unit 1 is configured so that, for example, when the sample block 20 is sliced by a cutter 5a included in the cutter unit 5 as described later, even if a force is applied to the sample block 20 in the −X direction, The sample block 20 can be firmly held at the sample block mounting position so that the accuracy of the thin section sample 24 is not deteriorated due to the position of the sample block 20 being displaced from the sample block mounting position (not shown). Has been.

  Moreover, the sample block conveyance part 1 is a position where the cutting surface which is the surface layer part after the thin slice of the sample block 20 is positioned above the position D and can be sliced by a cutter 5a provided in the cutter part 5 described later ( Hereinafter, the height position of the sample block 20 (the position in the ± Z direction orthogonal to the ± X direction) can be adjusted so as to be positioned at the sliceable position h).

  The first charging unit 2 is disposed above the sample block transport unit 1 at the position A. The first charging unit 2 applies a positive charge to the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 transported to the position A, and charges the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 to a plus.

  In the vicinity of the first charging unit 2, a leveling sensor described later is provided. The configuration and operation of this sensor will be described later in detail. The leveling sensor 60 is a line sensor including a projector 61 and a light receiver 62. The light projector 41 emits a linear laser having a width (10 mm) in the Z-axis direction along the Y-axis direction, and the light receiver 62 receives the laser from the light projector and receives the light out of the emitted light. It is configured to be able to measure the amount of light. The amount of received light may be detected directly from the amount of light applied, or may be detected from the position of the light incident on the scanning line of the light receiver.

  The cooling unit 3 is disposed above the sample block transport unit 1 at the position B. The cooling unit 3 converts the sample block 20 conveyed to the position B and a part of the carrier tape 21 that is supplied above the sample block 20 and faces the sample block 20 as will be described later into the temperature atmosphere of the sample preparation chamber 100A. Cool to a lower temperature. By this cooling, the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 can be easily sliced, and the thin slice sample 24 can be easily attached to the part of the carrier tape 21. The cooling temperature is preferably set so low that the part of the carrier tape 21 is condensed. Thereby, the said effect can be enlarged.

  The second charging unit 4 is disposed above the sample block transport unit 1 at the position C. As will be described later, the second charging unit 4 applies a negative charge to the part of the carrier tape 21 supplied from above the position B to above the position C in synchronization with the movement of the sample block 20, thereby The part of the tape 21 is negatively charged.

  The cutter unit 5 includes a cutter 5a, and the cutter 5a is separated from the slicable position h by the thickness of the thin slice sample 24 (for example, 3 μm to 10 μm) toward the sample block 20 (−Z direction side). Arrange so that the cutting edge comes on a plane. The cutter unit 5 fixes the cutter 5a so that the cutting edge extends in the Y-axis direction. In this state, the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment is transported in the + X direction by the sample block transport unit 1 and moved to the sliceable position h, whereby the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment is performed. A thin slice sample 24 is prepared by slicing the surface layer portion. The side surface on the + X direction side of the sample block 20 is preferably formed, for example, so as to be perpendicular to the XY plane, that is, parallel to the YZ plane, in order to make it easy to slice with the cutter 5a.

  The supply reel 6 is disposed above the position A and the position B together with a feeding motor (not shown). The supply reel 6 is configured such that the carrier tape 21 functioning as a thin-cut auxiliary member can be fed by driving the feeding motor.

  The take-up reel 7, together with the motor 7 a, is arranged further on the downstream side than the position E located on the downstream side (+ X direction side) of the traveling (supply) path of the carrier tape 21 from the position D. A constant torque is always applied to the take-up reel 7 by always driving the motor 7a, and the carrier tape 21 fed from the supply reel 6 by the feed motor can be wound at the same time as being fed. Has been. Driving of the feeding motor and the motor 7a for feeding and winding the carrier tape 21 is controlled by the control unit 50.

  The carrier tape guide unit 8 includes a plurality of guide rollers 81, 82, 83, 91, 92, 93. The plurality of guide rollers 81, 82, and 83 are drawn from the supply reel 6, and the carrier tape 21 that is taken up by the take-up reel 7 is between the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 and the cooling unit 3 that is conveyed to the position B. Between the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 transported to the position C and the second charging unit 4 and in a region near the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 transported above the position D and on the position D. Is done. Further, the guide rollers 91 and 92 are configured by a pair of rollers configured to guide and fix the carrier tape 21 above the position E. The guide roller 93 is configured to be able to guide the take-up reel 7 around the carrier tape 21 on the downstream side of the position E.

  The supply reel 6 and the take-up reel 7 are not limited to the arrangement as described above, and the carrier tape 21 can be guided as described above by the carrier tape guide portion. The arrangement and the number thereof are not limited.

  The thin-section pasting portion 9 includes a pair of guide rollers 91 and 91 disposed above the position E and upstream (−X direction side) of the traveling path of the carrier tape 21, and above the position E and the carrier tape. The thin slice sample held on the carrier tape 21 is attached to the slide glass between a pair of guide rollers 92 and 92 arranged on the downstream side (+ X direction side) of the travel path 21. For example, a part of the carrier tape 21 to which the thin slice sample 24 is attached is sandwiched between the pair of guide rollers 91, 91 and the pair of guide rollers 92, 92, and in this state, the pair of guide rollers 92, 92 or By moving the pair of guide rollers 91, 91 in the −Z direction, the carrier tape 21 is bent downward, and the adhesive liquid 23 is supplied to the upper surface, as will be described later, and the upper surface of the slide glass 22 positioned at the position E is thinned. The section sample 24 is brought into contact, and the thin section sample 24 is adhered to the upper surface of the slide glass 22. Hereinafter, the slide glass to which the thin section is transferred is referred to as a slide glass with a thin section.

  The slide glass transport unit 10 transports one slide glass 22 to which the thin section sample 24 is next attached onto the position F from the slide glass storage unit 40 that stores a large number of slide glasses 22, and the positions F, E, It conveys in order of the position G, and it mounts on the heater 61 with which the extension part 12 is equipped at the position G (refer FIG. 2).

  The adhesive liquid application unit 11 is disposed above the slide glass transport unit 10 at the position F, and supplies the adhesive liquid 23 to the upper surface of the slide glass 22 transported to the position F. Examples of the adhesive liquid 23 include water or water containing ethyl alcohol. The detailed configuration of the adhesive liquid application part will be described later.

  The extension unit 12 includes a heater (not shown). The slide glass 22 with a thin section placed on the heating plate by the slide glass transport unit 10 is heated to a first temperature (for example, 40 ° C.) by the heater. ˜60 ° C., several seconds to several tens of seconds), the fold of the thin slice sample 24 is extended and the adhesive force of the thin slice sample 24 to the slide glass 22 is increased.

  The control unit 50 is connected to each of the above constituent members and controls the operation of each constituent member based on an operation program stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown). The operation program is configured so that various settings such as the number of manufactured slide glasses with thin slices and the number of thin slices attached to one slide glass can be performed by an input unit (not shown). Yes.

  Next, the manufacturing operation of the thin-section sample 24 of the thin-section sample apparatus 100 will be described. The production operation of the thin slice sample 24 is performed under the control of the control unit 50.

  In order to manufacture the thin slice sample 24 with high accuracy, the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 with unevenness or the like can be sliced in advance with the cutter 5a, and the cut surface that is the surface layer portion after the slice cutting of the sample block 20 can be sliced. It is preferable to be parallel to a plane with the position h (XY plane). In order to perform this parallelism, the following initial operation is performed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the initial operation. These operations are executed when the control unit 50 operates each member as described below.

  First, the size of the sample block 20 is input to the control unit 50 in advance. Specifically, the sample block 20 has four sizes of 15 × 15 × 5 mm, 24 × 24 × 5 mm, 24 × 30 × 5 mm, and 24 × 37 × 5 mm. The controller 50 is input and stored regarding which size to use to prepare a thin-section sample (# 1). Thereafter, one sample block 20 to be sliced is taken out from the sample storage unit 30, and conveyance is started by the sample block conveyance unit 1 (# 2).

  Next, the sample block transport unit 1 transports the sample block 20 along the X axis, and aligns the sample block 20 with respect to the leveling sensor 60 in the X axis direction (# 3). The alignment is performed such that the laser irradiation position of the projector 61 of the leveling sensor 60 is positioned in the vicinity of the middle portion of the dimension of the sample block 20 in the X-axis direction. Specifically, the leveling sensor 60 detects the amount of laser light received by the light receiver 62 while the sample block transport unit 1 is moving. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the sample block 20 reaches the position of the laser L, a part of the laser L is shielded, and as a result, the amount of light detected by the light receiver 62 changes. Further, as described above, since the size of the sample block 20 is stored in the control unit in advance, how much the sample block 20 is transported from the position where the amount of light received by the light receiver is changed. It is possible to calculate whether the laser L is located at an intermediate position of 20. That is, the controller 50 transports the sample block 20 so that the laser L is positioned at an intermediate position of the sample block 20 after the amount of laser light received by the light receiver 62 decreases.

  Next, the height of the sample block 20 is adjusted (# 4). The height of the sample block is adjusted by moving the sample block 20 (the height of the sample block transport unit 1 is adjusted as the operation of the control unit 50) in the Z-axis direction, as indicated by an arrow 70 in FIG. Thus, the amount I of the laser beam L shielded by the sample block 20 is made constant. In the present embodiment, specifically, the shielding amount I of the laser L by the sample block 20 is 7 mm. The value of the shielding amount is not limited to 7 mm. For example, an appropriate value can be selected according to the thickness dimension of the sample block, the distance between the projector 61 and the sample block 20, and the like. By making the shielding amount constant, the initial value of detection by the light receiver 60 can be made constant, and the following light reception amount control can be facilitated. Further, when the shielding amount is small, the laser L is reflected on the surface of the sample block, and the amount of received light is difficult to stabilize. Therefore, a large shielding amount (7 mm to 9 mm) is set so that the reflected light is not received. Even when the shielding amount is small, it is also possible to prevent the reflected light from being received by moving the light receiver away from the sample block.

  Next, the control unit 50 moves the sample block transport unit 1 in the Y-axis direction, detects a change in the amount of light received by the leveling sensor 60, and performs tilting processing in the Y-axis direction (# 5). ). The tilting direction of the sample block 20 in which the sample block transport unit 1 can operate is two directions, that is, an X-axis direction 71 and a Y-axis direction 72 as shown in FIG. This tilt direction is defined as follows. That is, the X-axis direction 71 is a direction in which the sample block 20 is swung so as to change the inclination of the side 20x extending in the direction along the X-axis, and the Y-axis direction 72 extends in the direction along the Y-axis. This is a direction in which the sample block 20 is raised so as to change the inclination of the existing side 20y.

  At this time, the leveling sensor 60 detects a change in the amount of light received by the light receiver 62 during the tilting operation of the sample block 20 in the Y-axis direction. In other words, when the top surface of the sample block 20 is inclined with respect to the laser L, the area shielded by the laser is increased by the sample block 20. Therefore, by minimizing the light shielding amount of the laser, the tilt amount of the sample block in the Y-axis direction can be calculated, and the flattening in the Y-axis direction can be performed. When the light shielding amount of the laser is minimum, that is, when the light receiving amount of the light receiver has the maximum value, it means that the laser irradiation direction and the top surface of the sample block are parallel. Since the laser is irradiated in the Y-axis direction as described above, the tilt angle of the sample block 20 in the Y-axis direction can be made parallel to the Y-axis by detecting this value.

  Next, an operation for detecting a tilt angle in the X-axis direction is performed. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of detecting the tilt angle in the X-axis direction. In this process, the following processes are continuously performed. First, from the state shown in FIG. 7A, the sample block transport section 1 is driven to move the sample block by a predetermined width B in the X-axis direction (# 6). FIG. 7B shows a state in which the sample block has moved by a predetermined width B. The predetermined width B is determined by the size of the sample block 20. Specifically, the predetermined width B is 5.0 mm for a 15 × 15 × 5 mm sample block, 8.5 mm for a 24 × 24 × 5 mm sample block, 10.0 mm for a 24 × 30 × 5 mm sample block, In the sample block of 24 × 37 × 5 mm, it is set to be 16.0 mm. That is, the predetermined width B is as long as possible with respect to the sample block and can be reliably detected by the leveling sensor 60 in order to calculate the tilt angle in the X-axis direction.

  In the state shown in FIG. 7B, the position where the sample block is moved by the predetermined width B is set as the first position, and the amount of light received b of the light receiver 62 is detected (# 7). When the sample block 20 is tilted in the X-axis direction, the received light amount b in a state where the sample block 20 is moved by the predetermined width B is changed from the received light amount a in the initial state.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, the sample block is moved by a predetermined width C in the X-axis direction from the initial position shown in FIG. That is, the sample block transport unit 1 moves by B + C in the −X axis direction (# 8). Here, the predetermined width C may be the same width as the width B or may be a different width. In the present embodiment, the predetermined width C is set to the same width as the width B.

  Next, in the state shown in FIG. 7C, the position where the sample block is moved by the predetermined width C is set as the second position, and the amount of light received c of the light receiver 62 is detected (# 9).

  The tilt angle in the X-axis direction of the sample block 20 is calculated from the values of the light reception amount b at the first position and the light reception amount c at the second position obtained as described above (# 10). FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the principle of tilt angle calculation. As described above, by detecting the light reception amount b at the first position and the light reception amount c at the second position, the height at each position in the vicinity of the end of the sample block 20 can be calculated. That is, since the width Lh in the Z-axis direction of the laser L is known, the height of the top surface 20t of the sample block 20 can be detected by calculating the amount of light received b or c. Further, since the sample block is moved by the predetermined widths B and C, the interval between the first position and the second position can be calculated as the sum of B and C. Therefore, the inclination angle θ with respect to the parallel surface of the top surface 20t can be calculated.

  The sample block transport unit 1 adjusts the tilt angle of the tilt angle in the X-axis direction based on the calculated tilt angle θ in the X-axis direction (# 11). This tilt adjustment may be such that the top surface 20t of the sample block 20 is horizontal or has a predetermined angle. That is, depending on the sample embedded in the sample block 20, there is a sample in which the angle of this slice is determined, and it may be required to produce a thin slice in accordance with the angle. When this operation is completed, the X-axis direction tilt angle of the sample block is fixed as a predetermined value, and the surface layer cutting operation described below is performed (# 12).

  In the slicing operation, the sample block 20 is transported by the sample block transport unit 1 so as to pass over the positions A, B, and C, and the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 is moved during the transport. The height position (position in the ± Z direction) of the sample block 20 is adjusted so that the sample block 20 is positioned on the XY plane where the sliceable position h is located, so that the sample block 20 can be sliced on the position D. (See FIG. 1).

  By moving the sample block 20 to the slicing possible position h, the cutter 5a of the cutter unit 5 fixed at the slicing preparation position H slices the surface layer portion of the sample block 20 into the sample block 20. A cutting surface parallel to a plane (XY plane) having the sliceable position h is formed. That is, after the X-axis direction inclination angle is determined to be a predetermined value as described above, the surface layer portion of the top surface 20t of the sample block 20 is scraped by the cutter portion 5a (# 12). The processing for flattening the sample block is performed as follows, and the preparation for performing the thinning operation shown below is completed.

  In the slicing operation, the sample block 20 whose cutting surface is parallel to the XY plane is moved from the position D to the position A by the sample block transport unit 1 and the cutting surface of the sample block 20 can be sliced. The height position (the position in the ± Z direction) of the sample block 20 is adjusted so that it is positioned on the XY plane with h.

  Next, the sample block 20 whose height position is adjusted so that the cutting surface is positioned on the XY plane where the sliceable position h is present can be sliced from the position A to the position D by the sample block transport unit 1. It is conveyed toward position h.

  At this time, when the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment passes over the position A, a positive charge is applied to the cut surface of the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment by the first charging unit 2. Is supplied, and the cut surface of the sample block 20 is positively charged.

  Further, when the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment passes over the position B, the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment is positioned above the position B and the cutting surface of the sample block 20 and the height. A portion of the carrier tape 21 facing the sample block 20 after the position adjustment is cooled by the cooling unit 3.

  Next, when the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment moves from the position B to the position C, the part of the carrier tape 21 is synchronized with the movement of the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment. The feeding motor (not shown) is driven so as to move while maintaining the opposed state to the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment.

  Next, when the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment passes over the position C, the carrier tape 21 moved above the position C in synchronization with the movement of the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment. Negative charges are supplied to the part by the second charging unit 4. As a result, the part of the carrier tape 21 is negatively charged.

  Next, when the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment is transported from the position C to the sliceable position h on the position D by the sample block transport unit 1, the sample block after the height position adjustment is performed. The 20 surface layer portions abut against the cutter 5a of the cutter unit 5 fixed at the slicing preparation position H, and the sample block transport unit 1 is transported to be sliced to produce one thin slice sample 24. . At this time, the carrier tape 21 travels in synchronism with the conveyance speed of the sample block conveyance unit 1, and the thin slice sample sliced by the cutter 5 a is attached to the carrier tape 21 and held.

  When the carrier tape 21 moves to the sample attaching chamber 100B, the thin slice sample 24 is positively charged as described above, and the part of the carrier tape 21 facing the thin slice sample 24 is negatively charged. Therefore, the carrier tape 21 is stuck to the part due to static electricity and the cooling effect of the cooling unit 3 described above.

  The thin slice sample 24 sent to the sample sticking chamber 100B is stuck on a slide glass as will be described later to produce a slide glass with a thin slice.

  In the above, when the thin slice sample 24 is moved to above the position E, the sample block 20 stopped at the sliceable position h on the position D is used for the preparation of the next thin slice sample 24. The sample block transport unit 1 returns the position from the position D to the position A, and the cut surface of the sample block 20 after the first thin slice sample 24 is formed on the XY plane where the sliceable position h is located. The height position (position in the ± Z direction) of the sample block 20 is adjusted so as to be positioned.

  Thereafter, the sample block 20 is transported from the position A to the position D by the sample block transport unit 1 in the same manner as described above, and the slicing operation is automatically and continuously repeated an arbitrary number of times. A section sample 24 is prepared.

  When the cutting surface of the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment is sliced by the cutter 5a of the cutter unit 5, the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment is a sliceable position h on the position D. The portion of the carrier tape 21 that moves in synchronism with the movement of the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment exits the sample preparation chamber 100A and stops at the position where the slice can be performed h. The movement is continued to above the position E located in the sticking chamber 100B.

  At this time, as described above, the thin slice sample 24 produced by the cutter unit 5 is positively charged as the thin slice sample 24 which is the cut surface of the sample block 20 after the height position adjustment is performed. Since the part of the carrier tape 21 facing the sample 24 is negatively charged, it sticks to the part of the carrier tape 21 due to static electricity and the effect of cooling, and moves to above the position E.

  On the other hand, during the movement of the sample block 20 from the position A to the position D and the movement of the thin-section sample 24 to the position F after the height position adjustment, the thin-section sample 24 is then moved by the slide glass transport unit 10. One slide glass 22 to be pasted is transported from the slide glass storage unit 40, transported to position F, supplied with the adhesive liquid 23 on the upper surface by the adhesive liquid supply unit 11, and then transported to position E. Thereby, in the position E, the thin slice sample 24 and the slide glass 22 will be in an opposing state.

  Next, the portion of the carrier tape 21 to which the thin slice sample 24 is adhered is bent downward by the transfer unit 9, and the thin slice sample 24 is pressed against the adhesive liquid 23 on the upper surface of the slide glass 22, thereby thin slice sample 24. Is transferred from the part of the carrier tape 21 to the upper surface of the slide glass 22.

  The slide glass 22 with the thin section to which the thin section sample 24 has been transferred is transported from the position E to the position G in the extension section 12 by the slide glass transport section 10. The slide glass 22 with a thin section transported to the position G is first heated (for example, about 40 ° C. to 60 ° C., several seconds to several tens of seconds) by the extension section 12, and the eyelid of the thin section sample 24 is extended. And the sticking force of the thin slice sample 24 to the slide glass 22 is strengthened. Thereafter, the second heating (for example, about 40 ° C. for several hours) is further performed, the water is completely evaporated, and the thin-section sample 24 is firmly fixed to the slide glass 22. Thereby, the manufacturing operation of the first thin slice sample 24 is completed.

  As described above, according to the method for chamfering the sample block of the present invention, the top surface of the sample block can be leveled by a simple process using the leveling sensor 60, and the inclination in the X-axis direction can be performed. The corner can be set to any value. Further, since the flattening is performed in a non-contact state with the sample block, there is no sample block loss or sanitary problem. In addition, since the inclination angle of the sample block surface can be set to an arbitrary angle, the inclination angle of the cutting surface and the surface of the sample block when the thin slice sample is manufactured can be made parallel. As a result, a sample sliced in parallel with the sample block surface can be manufactured.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can implement in another various aspect. In the present embodiment, the leveling sensor 60 is provided in the vicinity of the first charging unit, but is not limited thereto. For example, it can be provided in the vicinity of the cutter unit, and can also be used as a sensor for adjusting the height position of the sample block used during the slicing operation.

  The method of chamfering a sample block according to the present invention makes it possible to automatically and continuously produce a sliced sample, and to reduce the burden on the operator while maintaining the accuracy required for the sliced sample. It is useful for a thin-section sample preparation apparatus for preparing a thin-section sample used for physicochemical sample analysis or microscopic observation of biological samples.

It is a front view which shows schematic structure of the thin section sample apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the general | schematic structure in the sample sticking chamber of the thin section sample apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of initial stage operation. It is a schematic diagram which shows the positional relationship of the laser and sample block at the time of the alignment of the X-axis direction in initial operation | movement. It is explanatory drawing of the height adjustment operation | movement of the sample block in initial operation | movement. It is explanatory drawing of the tilt direction of the sample block in initial operation. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement which detects the tilt angle of a X-axis direction. It is a figure explaining the principle of inclination-angle calculation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sample block conveyance part 2 1st charging part 3 Cooling part 4 2nd charging part 5 Cutter part 5a Cutter 6 Supply reel 7 Take-up reel 8 Carrier tape guide part 9 Transfer part 10 Slide glass conveyance part 11 Adhesive liquid supply part 12 Extension unit 20 Sample block 20t Sample block top surface 21 Carrier tape 22 Slide glass 23 Adhesive liquid 24 Thin slice sample 50 Control unit 60 Leveling sensor 61 Projector 62 Receiver

Claims (3)

The sample block having a smooth top surface can be adjusted in the tilt angle and the Z-axis height position with respect to the XY orthogonal two-axis directions, and is arranged in the Y-axis direction, respectively, and a conveyance unit that conveys the sample block in the X-axis direction. A line sensor having a light projecting part and a light receiving part for emitting light having a width in the Z-axis direction, and extending in the Y-axis direction to slice a surface layer portion of the sample block conveyed in the X-axis direction by the conveying part In the thin-section sample preparation device that includes a cutter for attaching a thin section of the sample block sliced by the cutter to a slide glass, the sample block is a chamfering method for adjusting an inclination angle of the top surface of the sample block. And
A first step of driving the transport unit so that a substantially intermediate position in the X-axis direction of the sample block is an installation position of the line sensor;
A second step of detecting an amount of light received by the line sensor while adjusting an inclination direction of the sample block in the Y-axis direction;
A third step of fixing the tilt angle in the Y-axis direction of the sample block at an angle at which the amount of light received by the line sensor is maximized;
A fourth step of driving the transport unit to move the sample block back and forth by a predetermined amount in the X-axis direction and detecting the amount of light received by the line sensor at the position;
A fifth step of calculating an X-axis direction tilt angle of the sample block based on a predetermined amount of the sample block in the X-axis direction and information on the amount of light received by the line sensor at each position;
And a sixth step of adjusting the tilt angle of the transport section so that the calculated tilt angle in the X-axis direction is a predetermined angle with respect to the XY plane.   Between the first step and the second step, the conveyance is performed so that the height position in the Z-axis direction of the sample block is adjusted so that the amount of light received by the line sensor becomes a predetermined amount due to light shielding by the sample block. 2. The method for chamfering a sample block according to claim 1, further comprising a height adjusting step of driving the portion.   2. The surface of the sample block according to claim 1, wherein in the sixth step, the tilt angle of the transport unit is adjusted so that the calculated tilt angle in the X-axis direction is parallel to the XY plane. How to put out.

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