RU2440562C2 - Automatic device to colour smears on microscope slide - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: machine building.

SUBSTANCE: proposed device comprises sealed work chamber, stand, baths, pans, work table accommodating stations with bath positioning devices, pans, movable stand drive equipped with gripper, lifting mechanism and drive, and control unit. Automatic device incorporates also sealed work chamber with sealing side, drying chamber, driven rotation mechanism, stand with "П"-shape handle, stand base is rounded and skewed at 20÷70°. Stand sidewall inner surface supports separators made up of a comb with ledge thickness of 1÷4 and spacing width of 1.1÷2.0 of microscope slide thickness. Movable stand drive incorporates gripper made up of rectangular-section bucket. Note here that gripper moves along circular arc within 0÷40°. Baths and pans are provided with eyelets. Stations are equipped with positioning devices made up of cone pairs with truncated apex and cylindrical location flange, its diameter making 0.80÷0.95 of eyelet diameter. Aforesaid "П"-shape handle has length making 1.1÷1.2 of relation between gripping height and drive arm lifting angle cosine. Bath wall skew makes 5÷20°, wall facing stand drive.

EFFECT: higher efficiency and reliability, ruled out fouling.

1 tbl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to medicine, namely to devices for staining biological preparations (smears) on glass slides.

In hematology, cytology, microbiology, the preparation of microscopic preparations for research is widely used, it is necessary, in particular, for determining the leukocyte blood count, diagnosing cancer, detecting infection with microorganisms, etc.

The pre-analytical stage includes taking a biological sample, for example, directly from the patient’s body, applying a smear to a glass slide, pre-processing, fixing and staining with special technological fluids, for example, a set of technological fluids for Gram staining. Staining of drugs allows you to identify various structural elements of the bioassay and, accordingly, effectively carry out microscopic examination and diagnosis.

A known apparatus for painting smears on slides (prototype, US patent No. 5573727, 1996), containing

- sealed chamber with a lid;

- bathtubs, pallets;

- a tripod with a U-shaped handle and a base having curves and bevels, and separators in the form of a comb are mounted on the inner surface of the side walls of the tripod using fasteners;

- control and monitoring unit;

- the desktop on which the stations are located;

- a movable tripod carrier having a grip;

- a lifting mechanism driven by a lifting drive.

A disadvantage of the known device: the movement of the gripper of the movable carrier tripods is limited. The capture can change its position only along the vertical axis of the movable tripod carrier, which prevents the full flow of the process fluid from the surface of the slides.

With incomplete swelling of the process fluid from the surface of the slide on the surface of the smear, spots, crystalline precipitates may appear that impede the qualitative examination of the smear; due to the transfer of the process fluid on the surface of the slides and in the amount of smear from the bath to the bath, the process fluid is contaminated.

When using the known device for painting smears on slides, insufficiently complete swelling of the process fluid from the surface of the slides can lead to marriage.

The technical result corresponding to the claimed machine for staining smears on slides is that an efficient uniform change of process fluids on the surface of the smear is provided due to the rinsing, activation, dipping, and soaking conditions, and an efficient and uniform removal of process fluid from the glass surface and from smear volume due to modes of removal, shaking and drying; this does not produce environmental pollution, since all operations of the painting process take place in a closed chamber.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the machine for painting smears on slides has a sealed working chamber with a sealing edge, a cover, a tripod with a U-shaped handle, a movable tripod carrier is an arrow with step drives and with a grip made in the form of a rectangular bucket, the capture is made with the possibility of moving along an arc in the range 0 ÷ 40 °, the pallets and baths have positioning means in the form of pairs of eyes; stations with positioning means have positioning means in the form of pairs of cones with a truncated apex and a cylindrical installation belt, the diameter of which is 0.80 ÷ 0.95 of the diameter of the eyes, pallets and bathtubs are made with bevels of the side walls, U-shaped tripod handle with bevels and roundings has a length equal to 1.1 ÷ 1.2 of the ratio of the height of the catcher to the cosine of the angle of elevation of the gripping arm in the engaged position of the gripping - tripod handle, the bathtubs have a bevel of the wall facing the movable carrier of the tripods at an angle of 5 ÷ 20 °.

A comparison of the properties of the set of features of the known device and the claimed shows that

- the inventive machine is equipped with a drying station, absent in the known device;

- in contrast to the known, the inventive movable tripod carrier has a rotation mechanism with a rotation drive;

- the capture of the movable carrier tripods in the known device can only move vertically, and in the inventive device, the capture connected to the tilt drive can move along an arc in the range 0 ÷ 40 °;

- the capture is made in the form of a bucket of rectangular cross section;

- bevels of the base of the tripod are made at an angle of 20 ÷ 70 °;

- unlike the known apparatus, in the inventive device, the movable tripod carrier can work in the modes of shaking, activation, slow lifting due to the presence of drives with a stepper motor and programmed control;

- in the inventive device, the tripods are equipped with a U-shaped handle with bevels and roundings, having a length equal to 1.1 ÷ 1.2 the ratio of the grip height to the cosine of the boom angle of the movable tripod carrier, and the base of the tripod is made with roundings and bevels at an angle of 20 ÷ 70 °;

- in the inventive device, bathtubs are made with bevels of walls facing the movable carrier of the racks at an angle of 5 ÷ 20 °;

- in the inventive device, the capture has a shape and size, ensuring jamming in it of the U-shaped tripod handle in the engaged position and the free position of the handle in the capture in the lower position;

- in contrast to the known, in the inventive device, the motor and drive are mounted on the same shaft, which ensures high reliability of the mechanisms of lifting and rotation of the movable tripod carrier;

- in the inventive device, the stations have positioning means in the form of pairs of cones, which greatly facilitates the cleaning of the working chamber;

- in the inventive device, pallets and baths have positioning means in the form of pairs of eyes.

Therefore, the claimed device is characterized by distinctive features that determine the inventive step of the technical solution.

The structure of the device and its operation are illustrated in Table 1 "Protocol of the technological program of painting according to Gram" and graphic materials of figures 1-4,

where 1 is the working chamber; 2 - sealing side; 3 - cover; 4 - desktop; 5 - bath; 6 - pallet; 7 - pairs of cones; 8 - cylindrical installation belt; 9 - eyes; 10 - movable tripod carrier; 11 - capture; 12 - arrow; 13 - control unit, 14 - touch screen; 15 - tripod; 16 - glass slides; 17 - handle; 18 - painting station; 19 - washing station; 20 - drying station; 21 - parking station; 22 - presence sensors; 23 - separator; 24 - ledges; 25 - slots for glass slides.

Figure 1. General view of the machine for painting smears on slides.

Figure 2. Placement of bathtubs, pallets on the desktop.

Figure 3. Operating positions of the movable carrier of tripods and tripod with slide,

where b = (1,1 ÷ 1,2) h / cosα,

b - the length of the tripod handle vertically;

h is the grip height;

α is the angle of elevation of the jib boom.

a) the initial position of the carrier tripod and tripod with a slide;

b) engagement position: tripod handle with specimen slides engaged with gripper;

c) the transport position of the tripod carrier and the tripod with glass slides.

Figure 4. Tripod with slides.

The machine for painting smears on glass slides consists of a rectangular working chamber 1 with a sealing edge 2 having transparent walls, with a cover 3. On the work table 4 there are coloring stations (Fig. 2, p. 18), washing (Fig. 2, p .19), drying (figure 2, item 20) and parking (figure 2, item 21), equipped with positioning means for the bath 5 and the tray 6 in the form of pairs of cones 7. The cones 7 have a truncated apex and a cylindrical installation belt 8 whose diameter is 0.80 ÷ 0.95 of the diameter of the eyes. The wall of the bath 5, facing the movable carrier of the racks, has a bevel at an angle of 5 ÷ 20 °. Pallet 6 has curves and bevels at an angle of 20 ÷ 70 °. The bath 5 and the pan 6, in turn, are equipped with lugs 9 for positioning at stations by attaching to the cones 7. The movable carrier of the tripods 10 has a grip 11, a lifting mechanism driven by a lifting drive, a rotation mechanism with a rotation drive (not shown) . The programs for painting smears on slides are carried out using the control and monitoring unit 13. The touch screen 14 allows you to monitor the movement of the tripod 15 with the slides 16 from station to station. The tripod 15 is equipped with a U-shaped handle 17 with bevels and curves. The gripper 10 of the movable carrier of the tripods 9 has a shape and dimensions that ensure that the U-shaped handle 17 is jammed in it when engaged, in the transport position and the released state is in the lower position.

The separators 23 are mounted on the inner surface of the side walls of the tripod 15 using fasteners and are made in the form of a comb with the thickness of the protrusions 24 equal to 1 ÷ 4, and the width of the grooves 25 equal to 1.1 ÷ 2.0 of the thickness of the glass, which ensures the installation of the subject glass in the separator vertically, without distortions.

Automatic execution of the programmed methodology by the mobile carrier of the tripods 9 includes:

1) jamming of the handle 17 of the tripod 15 in the grip 11 (figb);

2) the rise of the tripod 15 with the slide 16 in an arc with an inclination;

3) transferring the tripod from station to station (figv) and installing the tripod in the bath or directly on the pallet (figa).

4) the movement of the tripod in the process fluid and outside it in predetermined modes (rinsing, holding, activation, dipping, slow lifting, shaking).

Fixing, painting, washing and drying are carried out in a closed working chamber at painting, washing, drying stations (station is a section of the working table equipped with positioning tools for bathtubs, pallets, racks with glass slides and intended for their placement) according to a given program, moving glass slides occurs inside a closed working chamber with the help of a movable tripod carrier, to ensure effective and uniform contact of a biological preparation with process fluids personal sequences of movement of the tripod with glasses both in the process fluid and outside it (lowering the glass into the process fluid, rinsing the glass in the process fluid (1-3 reciprocating movements up and down immediately after lowering the glass into the process fluid); activation ( periodic reciprocating movements in the process fluid up and down with a subsequent pause, period - 1 ÷ 60 sec; dipping glass into the process fluid for a short period of time 0.2 ÷ 2.0 sec followed by short a fast exposure outside the process fluid for 0.2 ÷ 10.0 sec with an accuracy of at least ± 0.006 sec, exposure of glass in the process fluid for several minutes or tens of minutes: 0.5 ÷ 60.0 min, slow removal of glass from the process liquids with a speed of not more than 10 ÷ 12 mm / sec for effective removal of the process fluid from the glass and from the space between the glasses, shaking a tripod with glasses to effectively remove residual process fluid from the glass and from the space between the glasses, drying the glasses in a heat stream th air between the individual operations for removing liquid from the surface of the glass and smear volume, final drying after all the process steps in the process fluid. To control the drying process, automatic temperature adjustments are provided; To control the presence of bathtubs and pallets at the stations of painting, washing, drying, presence sensors are installed.

The operation of the machine is as follows.

The researcher applies a smear on a glass slide 16 using a spatula or otherwise, for example using a centrifuge, dries the smear for 1–5 minutes at a temperature of 15–35 ° C and sets the glass slide in a tripod 15. Then the researcher programs through the menu on the touch screen the operation of the machine for painting smears on slides (Fig. 1), in accordance with the chosen coloring technique, is installed inside the working chamber 1 of the bath 5 with process liquids and pallets 6 in the order corresponding to the program of the machine, and the staff 15 with slides 16 - on the pallet of the parking station 21. After filling the tripod with 15 slides, the operator places the tripod on the pallet, closes the cover 3 of the smear dyeing machine (Fig. 1), the machine detects an untreated tripod and starts the assigned process program using at least two process fluids for painting and washing smears.

From the parking station 21, the movable carrier of the tripods 9 moves the tripod 15 with the glass slides 16 to the painting station 18, where the glass slides with smears are exposed in the fixative-dye solution for a predetermined time program.

In order to uniformly carry out the technological parameters, to wash away the liquid from the previous bath from the glass surface and to ensure contact of the smear with the process fluid, the tripod is rinsed when immersed in the process fluid (up and down reciprocating movement 1–5 times).

To activate the process of painting smears on slides, the movable carrier of the tripods 10 periodically raises and lowers the tripod.

To ensure processing in a mixture of different process fluids, a single or multiple consecutive rapid dipping of a tripod is applied first to one process fluid and then to another; during subsequent exposure, films of various process fluids on the surface of the smear are mixed by diffusion, and the smear is processed in a mixture of process liquids. This allows you to implement a number of high-speed techniques that are impossible in manual mode and / or reduce the number of baths with process fluid.

To remove the process fluid from the glass and tripod due to the surface tension of the process fluid, slowly remove the glass and tripod from the process fluid.

To remove residual process fluid from the glass and tripod, shake the glass and tripod.

To remove the process fluid from the glass and from the smear, an intermediate (between other technological operations) or final drying is used.

At the end of the process, the movable carrier of the tripods 9 moves the tripod 15 with the slides to the original pallet in the parking station and notifies the laboratory assistant about the end of the process.

Coloring and washing smears on slides can be carried out in several bathtubs with various process fluids. The removal of process fluids from the surface of the treated specimen slides is facilitated by the slow rise of the tripod along the arc with the tilt of the tripod and the operation of the movable carrier of the tripods 10 in shaking mode.

The final operation is the transportation of a tripod with glass slides to the parking station 21.

It is possible to execute several programs at the same time.

The mobile carrier of the racks 10 focuses on the signal coming from the presence sensors 22, which monitor the presence of bathtubs with process fluids at the stations. The presence of a tripod with a slide in the bath is stored in the memory of the movable tripod carrier.

All stations, except for the drying station, are combined, i.e. can be used as parking when installing pallets in them, and can be used as technological when installing bathtubs with technological liquid in them.

In the case of using all combined stations for bathtubs with process liquids, the processing stand is placed in a drying station.

The automatic machine for painting smears on slides is made in the conditions of the workshops of OOO EMKO. There is technological documentation confirming repeated reproduction of the device.

Therefore, the claimed device meets the criterion of "industrial applicability".

Claims (1)

A machine for painting smears on glass slides, including a sealed working chamber, a tripod, bathtubs, pallets, a desktop on which stations with positioning means for bathtubs, pallets, a movable tripod carrier equipped with a gripper, a lifting mechanism with a lifting drive, a control and monitoring unit are placed characterized in that the machine has a sealed working chamber with a sealing side, a drying station, a rotation mechanism with a rotation drive, a tripod with a U-shaped handle, the base of which is made with roundings and bevels at an angle of 20 ÷ 70 °, separators in the form of a comb with a protrusion thickness equal to 1 ÷ 4 and a groove width equal to 1.1 ÷ 2.0 of the thickness of the glass slide are mounted on the inner surface of the side walls of the tripod using fasteners; the movable tripod carrier has a grip in the form of a bucket of rectangular cross section, and the grip is made with the possibility of moving along an arc in the range 0–40 °, the bathtubs and pallets are equipped with eyes, the stations have positioning means in the form of pairs of cones with a truncated apex and a cylindrical installation girdle, the diameter of which equal to 0.80 ÷ 0.95 of the diameter of the eyes, and the U-shaped handle with bevels and roundings has a length equal to 1.1 ÷ 1.2 of the ratio of the grip height to the cosine of the boom angle of the movable tripod carrier; bathtubs have a bevel of the wall facing the movable carrier of the racks, at an angle of 5 ÷ 20 °.

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