Instrument for constructing tissue arrays

Abstract

A simple, robust and precise instrument for constructing tissue arrays. The instrument includes multiple punches mounted on a punch platform, the punch platform displaceable between precisely defined positions. Mechanical d+E,acu e+EE tentes or stops are provided which mechanically arrest the movement of the punch platform in the precisely defined positions. This arrangement greatly saves time and improves accuracy over use of conventional precision linear positioning means. By the simple step of moving the punch platform from a first position to a second position, either punch can be quickly brought into operating position (and the other moved into a non-interfering position) by either manually or by automatic means, making it possible to quickly alternate from one punch to the other.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a simple, firm and precise instrument for constructing tissue arrays. The instrument can be run manually or automatically. Background technique [0002] Some cancer patients respond well to a specific cancer therapy or combination of therapies, while other patients do not respond to that therapy but respond to a different treatment approach. Scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Tampere in Finland and the University of Basel in Switzerland are collaborating to develop a new research tool they call a "tissue chip." They hope this tool will eventually help them learn how to distinguish between several subtypes of cancer patients, and ultimately predict which subtypes will respond to specific therapies. They believe the tissue chip technology will also help them shed light on how cancer develops. This detailed new information could be ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0014] However, this device has several disadvantages: First, since there is only one stylet, and the outer diameter of the stylet is sized to fit the inner diameter of the punch, the instrument uses two The inner diameter of the punches must be the same (and therefore the outer diameter must also be the same)

But the needle-shaped donor and acceptor punches are usually of different sizes, so this instrument is not suitable for microarrays

Second, in order to make a tissue array, each core needs to be perforated and inserted. These two steps need to be repeated as many as 1,000 times, and each step may introduce operational errors. The number of steps must be reduced

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to overcome the heavy work and inaccuracy existing in the prior art, and provide a simple and accurate positioning of two needle punches in a tissue microarray construction instrument installation

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