JPH0532809Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] a. Purpose of the invention (industrial application field) The slide glass transport mechanism for a microscope specimen preparation device according to this invention is a slide glass transfer mechanism for a microscope specimen preparation device, which transfers an even thinner layer onto the top surface of a slide glass on which a sliced pathological specimen, etc. is pasted. Attach the cover piece, incorporate it into the microscope specimen preparation device used for making a microscope specimen, and feed the slide glass stored in the slide case to the inclusion position.
Used when putting it back into the slide case.

(Prior art) In order to use a pathological specimen excised from an affected area as a microscopic specimen, the pathological specimen is embedded in paraffin, sliced, affixed to the surface of a glass slide, stained, and further processed. Attach a thin cover piece to the The device used to produce such microscopic specimens is a slide case that houses multiple glass slides to which thinly sliced pathological specimens have been pasted, but no cover pieces have been pasted to one end. , take out the above glass slides one by one from this slide case, stick a transparent synthetic resin cover piece cut to a certain length on top of the slide glass, and then attach the slide glass with this cover piece attached. A device for attaching cover pieces for preparing a microscope specimen is known, which is sequentially stored in a separate slide case provided at the other end.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a coil 3 of a transparent belt-shaped cover piece 2 whose surface is coated with adhesive is provided above the conveyor 1 disposed horizontally, and from this coil 3 there is a roller 4, The cover piece 2 pulled out by a constant length by the cutter 4a is cut by the cutter 5, and further sent to the upper surface of the slide glass 8 placed on the conveyor 1 via the rollers 6 and 7. Since an adhesive solvent (encapsulant) has been dripped from a nozzle 9 onto the top surface of the slide glass 8 in advance, the cover piece 2 cut to a certain length by the pressure roller 10 provided directly above the conveyor 1 is placed on the slide glass 8. By pressing the cover piece 2 to the top surface, the cover piece 2 is pasted to the top surface of the slide glass 8, and the pathological specimen previously pasted to the top surface of the slide glass 8 is sandwiched between the slide glass 8 and the cover piece 2. state. On the upper surface of the conveyor 1, slide glasses 8 with stained specimens attached but not yet attached with cover pieces are fed out one by one from a slide case 11 located on the left side of the drawing, and a pressing roller 10
The slide glass 8 to which the cover piece 2 has been pasted passes through the chute 13 and is housed in the slide case 12 located on the right side of the drawing.

When a cover piece is attached to a slide glass to which a thinly sliced and stained specimen has been attached in advance using a cover piece attaching device for preparing a microscope specimen, a plurality of slide glasses are stored in the slide case 11 as described above. As shown in FIG.
Slide glasses 8 are sent out one by one to the top.
After attaching the cover piece 2 to the upper surface of the receiver, the receiver is housed in the receiving side slide case 12 at the right end in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, this receiving side slide case 12 is movable diagonally up and down, as shown by arrow a in FIG. 5, by first and second guide rails 14 and 15 facing each other. By the action of a lowering control mechanism (not shown), each time a slide glass is fed in, it is lowered by one pitch of the slide glass storage protrusion formed inside the slide case 12. Since this lowering control mechanism has been widely known, detailed explanation will be omitted.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional microscope specimen preparation apparatus constructed and operated as described above, the following disadvantages occur.

That is, a conveyor 1 is used to send out a slide glass to which a cover piece has not yet been attached from a slide case 11, to which a cover piece 2 is attached, and then to another slide case 12. and a guide plate (not shown) to prevent the slide glass from coming off laterally.
However, because it stretches with use or wears out due to sliding contact with the side edges of the hard glass slide, it is necessary to repair and replace it frequently.

In addition, since the slide case 12 for receiving the slide glass with the cover piece pasted is lowered in an inclined state, the sliding surface of the slide case 12 and the guide rails 14 and 15 for guiding the slide case 12 is The sliding movement between the two surfaces is likely to become defective due to adhesion of dirt, etc., and if this occurs, the slide case 12 will not descend smoothly.
It is no longer possible to accept glass slides with cover pieces attached.

In order to solve this inconvenience, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a single slide case 11 is used, and the slide glass 8 with no cover piece attached is sent out from this slide case 11. After pasting the cover piece 2 on the glass 8, the slide glass 8 is moved in the opposite direction to the sending direction, and the slide glass 8 with the cover piece pasted is returned to its original position in the slide case 11. A microscopic specimen preparation device is being considered.

In this improved microscope specimen preparation device, the slide case 11 is placed near the guide rail that supports the slide case 11 so that it can move up and down in the vertical direction, in synchronization with the work of pasting the cover piece 2. A lowering control mechanism is provided to lower the slide glass 8 housed inside one pitch at a time.

Further, a table 16 with a horizontal top surface is provided at a position opposite to the opening side of the slide case 11 supported by the guide rail in order to send the slide glass 8 sent out from the slide case 11 to the inclusion table. ing. Above this table 16, there is a nozzle 9 for dripping the encapsulant onto the upper surface of the slide glass 8 to which the cover piece is not attached, and a nozzle 9 for cutting the cover piece 2 into a certain length to form a slide glass to which the cover piece is not attached. A cover piece supply mechanism similar to that built into conventional devices that supplies the mounting medium to the mounting medium dripping area on the top surface, and a pressure force that presses the cover piece 2 supplied to the top surface of the slide glass toward the slide glass 8. A roller 10 is provided.

Further, the slide glass 8 inside the slide case 11 is moved horizontally at a position directly above the table 16 in synchronization with the progress of the cover piece pasting work, to a position sandwiching the slide case 11 supported by the guide rails. A pair of pressing plates 17, 1 that send the material to the enclosed portion and return it back into the slide case 11.
A slide glass transport mechanism with 8 is attached. 1 that constitutes this slide glass transport mechanism
Between the opposing edges of the pair of pressing plates 17 and 18, there is a gap of at least the width of one glass slide so that one glass slide can be held between the pressing plates 17 and 18. There is.

When using the improved microscope specimen preparation device configured as described above to attach the cover piece 2 to the slide glass 8 housed in the slide case 11 and to which no cover piece has been attached, the conventional specimen preparation device is used. As in the case of , the slide case 11 supported by the guide rail is lowered by one pitch of the slide glass 8 in the slide case 11, and the slide glass 8 is sent out along the table 16 to the enclosure area, and this slide After pasting the cover piece 2 on the upper surface of the glass 8, the slide glass 8 is moved backwards on the table and the slide glass 8 with the cover piece pasted is stored in its original position.

The improved microscope specimen preparation device is configured and operates as described above, and this device has a slide glass 8 housed in a slide case 11.
Take out the slides one by one and use the same slide case 1 again.
A slide glass transport mechanism is required to return the slide glass to the inside.

This slide glass transport mechanism not only needs to be able to reliably take out the slide glasses 8 one by one from the slide case 11, but also to avoid breaking the slide glasses 8 to which important specimens have been affixed even in the event of malfunction. It is necessary to have a suitable structure.

The slide glass transport mechanism for a microscope specimen preparation apparatus of the present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances.

b. Structure of the invention (means for solving the problem) In the slide glass transport mechanism for a microscope specimen preparation device of the present invention, a guide rail arranged parallel to the transport direction of the slide glass has a first,
A second slider and a third slider sandwiched between both sliders and driven by a motor are mounted so as to be movable along the guide rail and spaced apart from each other.

Of the three sliders mentioned above, base ends of first and second extending plates extending perpendicularly to the guide rail are fixed to the two sliders located at both ends. . At the side edges facing each other of both of the extending plates, a first plate is provided for contacting the edge of the slide glass and for pushing the slide glass.
The base end portions of the second pressing plates are each fixed. As described above, there is a gap slightly longer than the length of the slide glass between the opposing edges of the first and second pressing plates.

Further, the base ends of first and second connecting plates extending from both sliders toward the third slider are fixed to the first and second sliders, and the tip edges of both connecting plates are fixed to the first and second sliders. is matched against the third slider located in the center. A tension spring is provided between the first connecting plate and the third slider, and between the second connecting plate and the third slider, so that the leading edges of both connecting plates are connected to the third slider. It is pressed elastically against the

Further, a cam plate is fixed to the third slider, and the switching parts of the first and second switches fixed to the first and second connecting plates are brought into contact with the side edges of this cam plate. .

(Function) The slide glass transfer mechanism for the microscope specimen preparation device of the present invention configured as described above delivers the slide glass stored in the slide case to the enclosure section and returns it to the same slide case again. It is as follows.

That is, by rotating the motor for driving the third slider forward or backward, the third slider is moved along the guide rail.

As the third slider moves, the first and second sliders are connected to the third slider via the first and second tension springs and the first and second connection plates. moves along the guide rail, and the first and second press plates connected to each slider via an extension plate move parallel to the guide rail, causing the tip edge of one of the press plates to slide. This glass slide is transported by contacting the edge of the glass.

If for some reason there is resistance to transferring the slide glass and there is a risk that the slide glass will break if it is forcibly transferred, the third slider and the first and second sliders Of the first and second tension springs provided between the first and second tension springs, the tension spring located at the rear in the direction of movement of the third slider stretches, and even if the third slider moves, the first and second tension springs do not move. The second slider will no longer move.

In this way, if the movement of the third slider and the movement of the first or second slider become out of synchronization, the first or second connection fixed to the first or second slider The switching portion of the first or second switch fixed to the plate comes off the cam plate fixed to the third slider, stopping the motor that had been driving the third slider.

(Example) Next, the present invention will be explained in more detail by explaining the illustrated embodiment.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the slide glass transport mechanism for a microscope specimen preparation apparatus of the present invention.

Of the first and second guide rails 19 and 20 arranged parallel to each other, the first guide rail 19 has a
The first and second sliders 21 and 22, and the third slider 23 sandwiched between both sliders 21 and 22,
freely movable along the first guide rail 19;
In addition, they are installed at a distance from each other.

Among these, the third slider 23 located in the center
is movable along the first guide rail 19 by a drive mechanism as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. That is, two driven pulleys 35, 3 are rotatably supported near both ends of the first guide rail 19.
5, the upper middle part of the cable 36 is connected to the third slider 23, and the lower middle part of the cable 36 is fixed to the output shaft of a motor (not shown) that can freely rotate forward and reverse. It is wrapped around 37.

Also, among the first to third sliders 21 to 23, both the first and second sliders 2 located at both ends
First and second extending plates 2 extending perpendicularly to the first guide rail 19 are provided on the upper surfaces of the first and second guide rails 1 and 22.
The proximal ends of 4 and 25 are fixed, respectively.
The tips of both the extending plates 24 and 25 are connected to the second guide rail 20 by the first and second sliders 21,
The sliders 26 and 27 are fixed to the upper surfaces of fourth and fifth sliders 26 and 27, respectively, which are mounted at the same intervals as the sliders 22.

At the mutually opposing side edges of both the extending plates 24 and 25, there are base ends of first and second pressing plates 17 and 18 that abut against the edge of the slide glass 8 and push the slide glass. Each part is fixed. As described above, there is a gap slightly longer than the length of the slide glass 8 between the opposing edges of the first and second press plates 17 and 18.

Further, on the side surfaces of the first and second sliders 21 and 22, first and second connecting plates 28 and 29 extending from both sliders 21 and 22 toward the end surface of the third slider 23 are provided. The proximal end is fixed. The leading edges of both the first and second connecting plates 28 and 29 are brought into contact with the end surfaces of the third slider 23 located in the center, respectively, and the first to third sliders 21 to 23 are
The interval is maintained at a predetermined value. A first tension spring 30 is installed between the first connecting plate 28 and the third slider 23 that play such a role, and a first tension spring 30 is installed between the second connecting plate 29 and the third slider 23. A second tension spring 31 is provided to elastically press the tip edges of the first and second connecting plates 28 and 29 against the end surface of the third slider 23.

Further, a trapezoidal cam plate 32 is fixed to the third slider 23. Switching portions of first and second switches 33 and 34 fixed to the first and second connecting plates 28 and 29 are brought into contact with the side edges of this cam plate 32.

By the slide glass transport mechanism for the microscope specimen preparation apparatus of the present invention constructed as described above, the slide glass 8 stored in the slide case 11 (Figs. 3 and 4) is sent to the enclosed area on the table 16 and then transported again. The operation when returning to the same slide case 11 is as follows.

To transfer the slide glass 8, the cable 36 is circulated by rotating the motor for driving the third slider 23 in the forward or reverse direction, and the third slider 23 connected to the middle part of this cable is moved. It is moved along the first guide rail 19.

As the third slider 23 moves along the first guide rail 19 in this way, the first and second tension springs 30, 31 and the third First and second connecting plates 28, 2
First and second sliders 2 connected via 9
1 and 22 move along the guide rail 19, and first and second press plates 17 and 18 are connected to each slider 21 and 22 via first and second extension plates 24 and 25. Both first and second guide rails 1
Move parallel to 9 and 20.

Since both the first and second pressing plates 17, 18 are located on the same plane as the slide glass 8 to be transferred, with the parallel movement, either of the pressing plates 17, 18 The tip edge of the slide glass 8
The slide glass 8 is transferred by contacting the edge of the slide glass 8.

For some reason, resistance occurs when transferring the slide glass 8, and if the slide glass 8 is forcibly transferred, this slide glass 8
If there is a risk of cracking, the third slider 23 of the first and second tension springs 30 and 31 provided between the third slider 23 and the first and second sliders 21 and 22 The tension spring located at the rear in the direction of movement of is extended. For example, when the third slider 23 moves from left to right in FIG. The first spring 30 is extended, and the edge of the first connecting plate 28 is separated from the end surface of the third slider 23. The extension of this first spring 30 increases as the third slider 23 moves to the right, so even if the third slider 23 moves, the first slider 21 does not move and the first pressing plate 17 will no longer push the slide glass with a force greater than the elasticity of the first spring 30.

In this way, when the movement of the third slider 23 and the movement of the first slider 21 (the same applies to the second slider 22) become out of synchronization, the first connecting plate fixed to the first slider 21 The switching portion of the first switch 33 fixed to the slider 28 is removed from the cam plate 32 fixed to the third slider 23.

This first switch 33 (second switch 34
Since the signal from the third slider 23 is input to the control circuit of the motor for driving the third slider 23, as the switching section is removed from the cam plate 32, the control circuit is Three slider 2
Stop the motor that was driving 3.

c. Effects of the invention The slide glass transfer mechanism for the microscope specimen preparation device of the present invention is constructed and operates as described above, so it is not only possible to reliably take out the slide glasses one by one from the slide case, but also to prevent malfunctions. There is no need to break glass slides with precious specimens attached.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the slide glass transport mechanism for a microscopic specimen preparation device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view showing the driving part, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of a microscopic specimen preparation device in which this transfer mechanism is incorporated. A schematic side view showing the first example; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the second example;
Fig. 5 is a schematic side view showing a conventional microscope specimen preparation device, and Fig. 6 shows a slide case support section.
It is a view taken along arrow A in the figure. 1...Conveyor, 2...Cover piece, 3...Coil, 4, 4a...Roller, 5...Cut, 6,7
... Roller, 8 ... Slide glass, 9 ... Nozzle, 10 ... Press roller, 11, 12 ... Slide case, 13 ... Chute, 14, 15 ... Guide rail, 16 ... Table, 17, 18 ...Press plate, 19...First guide rail, 20...Second guide rail, 21...First slider, 2
2...Second slider, 23...Third slider, 24...First extension plate, 25...Second extension plate, 26...Fourth slider, 27...Fifth slider Slider, 28...first connection plate, 29...second connection plate, 30...first tension spring, 31...
Second tension spring, 32...Cam plate, 33...
First switch, 34...Second switch, 35
... Driven pulley, 36 ... Cable, 37 ... Drive pulley.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A first slider, a second slider, and a third slider sandwiched between both sliders and driven by a motor are moved along a guide rail arranged parallel to the direction in which the slide glass is transported. first and second extension plates that are freely attached at intervals from each other and extend perpendicularly to the guide rail on two sliders located at both ends of the three sliders; The bases of the first and second pressing plates are fixed to the opposing side edges of both extending plates, and are used to abut the edge of the slide glass and push the slide glass. The ends of the first and second pressing plates are fixed with a gap slightly longer than the length of the slide glass between the opposing edges of the first and second pressing plates. The proximal ends of the first and second connecting plates extending from both sliders toward the third slider are fixed to the slider, and the leading edges of both connecting plates are pushed to the third slider located in the center. In addition, tension springs are provided between the first connecting plate and the third slider, and between the second connecting plate and the third slider, so that the leading edges of both connecting plates are connected to the third slider. A cam plate is fixed to the third slider, and switching parts of the first and second switches fixed to the first and second connecting plates are attached to the side edges of the cam plate. A slide glass transfer mechanism for a microscope specimen preparation device, which is made of abutting elements.