A pathological section scanner

Abstract

The utility model relates to a pathological section scanning appearance, through the mechanical linkage clamping structure of bevel clamping push rod, the avoidance design of telescopic edge movable block, realize the automatic accurate clamping and complete scanning of section, and with Y axle module movement cooperation, promote scanning efficiency and image quality, through carousel formula multichannel layout, middle rotation switching mechanism and excitation module detachable design, realize the quick switching of excitation channel, flexible replacement and whole machine accurate adaptation, promote multichannel scanning efficiency and versatility of fluorescence.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical device technology, specifically to a pathological slide scanner. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the scanning module of a pathology slide scanner, the stage is the core component that carries the slide and works with the Y-axis module to achieve slide movement and scanning. Its positioning accuracy, clamping stability, and structural adaptability directly affect the quality and integrity of the scanned image.

[0003] However, existing stages have the following shortcomings: poor reliability of slice clamping. Traditional stages mostly use manual clamping or fixed blocks for positioning. Manual operation is inefficient, and fixed blocks cannot adapt to slices of different sizes, which can easily lead to slice loosening and scanning deviation. Some automatic clamping structures rely on motor drive, which increases control complexity and the response delay can easily miss the best clamping time. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on the above description, this utility model provides a pathological slide scanner to solve the problems of poor slide clamping reliability, low manual operation efficiency, and inability to adapt to slides of different sizes in related technologies.

[0005] The technical solution of this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: A pathological slide scanner includes a slide stage module, which includes: a stage body, slidably mounted on a Y-axis module, a slide positioning groove is provided on the top of the stage body, and a linear slide rail is provided on the left side of the slide positioning groove; a clamping push rod, slidably mounted on the linear slide rail, a guide shaft is fixed on the side of the clamping push rod away from the slide positioning groove, the guide shaft passes through the guide hole of the stage body, and a first compression spring is fitted on the outside of the guide shaft, the first compression spring abutting between the clamping push rod and the stage body.

[0006] Based on the above technical solution, the present invention can be further improved as follows.

[0007] Furthermore, a surface light source base plate is provided below the stage body, and the surface light source base plate is mounted on the scanning module frame. A first stop block is provided on the left side of the surface light source base plate. A connecting rod is vertically fixed to the bottom of the clamping push rod, and a bearing is installed at the lower end of the connecting rod. When the stage body moves to the right along the Y-axis module, the bearing hits the first stop block and pushes the clamping push rod to the left to compress the first compression spring.

[0008] Furthermore, a groove is provided on the right side of the platform body, and an edge movable block is movably installed in the groove. The two ends of the edge movable block are connected to the platform body by plug screws. A second compression spring is fitted on the outside of the plug screws, and the second compression spring abuts against the edge movable block and the platform body.

[0009] Furthermore, a surface light source base plate is provided below the platform body, and a second stop block is provided on the right side of the surface light source base plate. The second stop block is located on the right side of the edge movable block. When the platform body moves to the right along the Y-axis module, the edge movable block hits the second stop block and pushes the edge movable block to move to the left to compress the second compression spring.

[0010] Furthermore, the pathological slide scanner also includes a fluorescence scanning module, which comprises: a turntable body with multiple excitation module mounting slots evenly spaced along its circumference; and a drive unit connected to the center of the turntable body.

[0011] Furthermore, the turntable body has a turntable mounting groove at its center, and a positioning boss corresponding to the excitation module mounting groove is provided on the outer side of the turntable mounting groove.

[0012] Furthermore, multiple guide blocks are installed on the turntable body, and the excitation module mounting slot is located between two adjacent guide blocks.

[0013] Furthermore, a ball-head plunger is installed on the side of the guide block near the mounting slot of the excitation module.

[0014] Furthermore, the positioning boss is dovetail-shaped and is used to engage the excitation module.

[0015] Furthermore, multiple sensor baffles are installed on the turntable body, and each sensor baffle corresponds to a mounting slot of the excitation module. The sensor baffles are connected to the photoelectric sensor.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application has the following beneficial technical effects: By pushing the clamping push rod to the left along the linear slide rail to compress the first compression spring, the space of the slice positioning groove expands, and the slice can be pushed in smoothly. Then the compression spring resets and pushes the clamping push rod to the right, clamping the slice through the clamping push rod, realizing automatic and precise clamping of the slice. The clamping reliability is good, the operation efficiency is high, and it can adapt to slices of different sizes. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pathology slide scanner slide stage module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2A schematic diagram of the pathology slide scanner slide stage module provided in an embodiment of this utility model from another angle; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the fluorescence switching module of the pathology slide scanner provided in this embodiment of the utility model; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the working structure of the fluorescence switching module of the pathology slide scanner provided in this embodiment of the utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the pathological slide scanner provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows: 1. Stage body; 2. Y-axis module; 3. Linear slide rail; 4. Clamping push rod; 5. Guide shaft; 6. First compression spring; 7. Surface light source base plate; 8. First stop block; 9. Connecting rod; 10. Bearing; 11. Slice positioning groove; 12. Edge movable block; 13. Plug screw; 14. Second compression spring; 15. Second stop block; 16. Turntable body; 17. Excitation module mounting slot; 18. Turntable mounting slot; 19. Positioning boss; 20. Guide block; 21. Excitation module; 22. Fluorescence switching module; 23. Slice stage module; 24. X-axis module; 25. Slice ejection mechanism; 26. Ball plunger; 27. Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application will be thorough and complete.

[0020] This utility model provides a pathological slide scanner. Through a mechanical linkage clamping structure with a beveled clamping push rod and a retractable edge movable block avoidance design, it achieves automatic and precise clamping and complete scanning of slides. Furthermore, it coordinates with the Y-axis module movement to improve scanning efficiency and image quality. Through a turntable-type multi-channel layout, an intermediate rotation switching mechanism, and a detachable excitation module design, it enables rapid switching of excitation channels, flexible replacement, and precise adaptation to the whole machine, thereby improving the scanning efficiency and versatility of multi-fluorescence channels.

[0021] Specifically, the slicing stage module 23 of this utility model is installed on the Y-axis module 2 of the scanning module and moves synchronously with the Y-axis module 2. It works with the surface light source base plate 7 to realize slice loading and scanning. It mainly includes a stage body 1, a slice clamping assembly, and a retractable edge movable block assembly. The specific structure is as follows: (1) Platform body and slice positioning base Stage body 1: Made of high-strength aluminum alloy, with anodized surface. A slice positioning groove 11 is provided on the top, and a surface light source transmission hole is provided at the bottom of the groove to ensure that the surface light source can evenly illuminate the slice.

[0022] Y-axis module connection: The bottom of the stage body 1 is fixed to the slider of the Y-axis module 2 by bolts. It moves along the scanning direction (left and right direction) with the Y-axis module 2, with a movement accuracy of ±0.005mm, which meets the position control requirements during scanning.

[0023] (2) Slicing clamping assembly (automatic clamping core) The component is installed on the left side of the slicing positioning groove 11, including two sets of symmetrically arranged clamping push rods 4, a miniature linear slide rail, a guide shaft-compression spring mechanism, and a connecting rod-bearing linkage, specifically including: Clamping push rods 4: Two clamping push rods 4 are arranged in parallel on the left side of the slice positioning groove 11. The end face of the clamping push rod 4 that contacts the slice is a 45° bevel. The bevel design can avoid scratching the slice edge and increase the contact area with the slice, thereby improving clamping stability. The bottom of the clamping push rod 4 is connected to the linear slide rail 3 through a slider. The linear slide rail 3 is fixed to the stage body 1 to ensure that the clamping push rod 4 slides smoothly in the left and right directions.

[0024] Guide shaft-compression spring mechanism: A guide shaft 5 is vertically fixed at the end of the clamping push rod 4 away from the slice. A first compression spring 6 is fitted on the outside of the guide shaft 5. The end of the guide shaft 5 passes through the guide hole (gap 0.05mm) of the stage body 1. The two ends of the first compression spring 6 abut against the end face of the push rod and the inner wall of the stage body, respectively. Under normal conditions, the first compression spring 6 is in a pre-compressed state and applies clamping force to the slice through the clamping push rod 4.

[0025] Connecting rod-bearing linkage: The bottom of each of the two clamping push rods 4 is vertically fixed with a connecting rod 9, and the end of the connecting rod 9 is mounted with a miniature bearing via a pin; the surface light source base plate 7 (fixed to the scanning module frame) has a first stop 8 at the corresponding position on the left side. When the Y-axis module 2 moves the stage to the right to feed the material, the bearing 10 will hit the first stop 8, pushing the connecting rod 9 to drive the clamping push rod 4 to compress the first compression spring 6, and move to the left along the linear slide rail 3. The space of the slice positioning groove 11 expands, and the slice can be pushed in smoothly; when the Y-axis module 2 moves the stage to the left to scan, the bearing 10 moves away from the first stop 8, the first compression spring 6 resets and pushes the clamping push rod 4 to the right, clamping the slice through the inclined plane.

[0026] (3) Scalable edge active block assembly (to solve scan occlusion) The component is located on the right edge of the stage body 1 and is designed separately from the stage body. It includes an edge movable block 12, a screw-spring connection mechanism, and a stop block linkage component, specifically including: Edge movable block 12: Made of aluminum alloy, it is adapted to the groove on the right edge of the stage body 1. Under normal conditions, the top of the edge movable block 12 is flush with the top surface of the stage body 1 and is used to support the right edge of the slice. The bottom of the edge movable block 12 is provided with two guide holes, which cooperate with the guide post of the stage body 1 to ensure that the edge movable block 12 can extend and retract vertically.

[0027] Screw-Spring Connection Mechanism: Two screws 13 pass through the oblong holes of the edge movable block 12 and are threadedly connected to the platform body 1. The gap between the screw and the oblong hole is 0.2mm, allowing the edge movable block 12 to move up and down. A second spring 14 is installed between the edge movable block 12 and the platform body 1. The second spring 14 is sleeved on the outside of the screws 13 and pushes the top of the edge movable block 12 to be flush with the platform body 1 under normal conditions.

[0028] Stop block linkage: A second stop block 15 is fixed on the right side of the surface light source base plate 7. When the Y-axis module 2 drives the stage to move to the right to load the material, the bottom of the edge movable block 12 will hit the second stop block 15, pushing the edge movable block 12 to compress the second compression spring 14, which extends to the left along the guide post and protrudes from the bottom edge of the stage body 1 to assist in carrying the slice. When the stage moves to the left away from the second stop block 15, the second compression spring 14 resets and pushes the edge movable block 12 back to the right until it is flush with the stage body 1. At this time, the slice has been clamped by the left clamping push rod 4, and the slice edge is not obstructed, so it does not affect the slice scanning range.

[0029] The advantages of the slicing stage module 23 of this utility model are as follows: Automatic and precise clamping: Through the mechanical linkage between the Y-axis module movement and the stop, the clamping is automatically released during slice loading and automatically clamped during scanning. No additional motor drive is required, the clamping force is stable, and the slice positioning deviation is ≤±0.01mm, avoiding scanning offset.

[0030] Solving scan occlusion: The retractable edge movable block assists in carrying the slide during loading and retracts to avoid obstruction during scanning, completely preventing the stage edge from occluding the tissue area of ​​the slide, improving scan integrity to 100%, especially suitable for slides with lesions at the edges.

[0031] Simple and reliable structure: all actions rely on mechanical linkage and spring reset, without complex electronic control components, reducing the failure rate by more than 60%; strong synergy with Y-axis module and surface light source base plate, no additional control program required, improving scanning efficiency.

[0032] High versatility: The inclined design of the clamping push rod and the retractable edge movable block are adapted to standard pathological slides of different sizes, eliminating the need to change the stage and reducing equipment adaptation costs.

[0033] The fluorescence switching module 22 of this utility model is integrated above the scanning station of the pathology slide scanner and is electrically connected to the motion control module and image acquisition module of the whole machine. It includes a turntable assembly, an intermediate rotation switching mechanism, an excitation module and a positioning and locking assembly, and the specific structure is as follows: (1) Turntable assembly (6-channel layout) Turntable body 16: Made of high-strength aluminum alloy, with a circular structure, and six excitation module mounting slots 17 are evenly opened along the circumference (slot spacing 60°, slot size matches the excitation module 21, gap 0.1-0.2mm), ensuring that the six sets of excitation modules 21 are distributed in a ring.

[0034] Drive unit: The center of the turntable is connected to the scanning frame of the whole machine through a precision bearing (deep groove ball bearing, radial clearance 0-0.005mm). The bottom is coaxially fixed with a synchronous pulley. The turntable is driven by the stepper motor of the whole machine in conjunction with the synchronous belt. The speed of the turntable can be adjusted by the whole machine control system (0-10r / min) to ensure that the channel switching speed is <0.5s.

[0035] Positioning scale: The turntable is equipped with 6 sensor baffles (corresponding to 6 channels), which, together with the whole machine's photoelectric sensor, achieve a turntable positioning accuracy of ±0.1°, ensuring that the excitation module is aligned with the center of the scanning stage.

[0036] (2) Intermediate rotary switching mechanism (channel switching core) Rotary shaft: Made of stainless steel, it is vertically positioned directly below the center of the turntable. The bottom is connected to the stepper motor via a synchronous wheel, and the top is fixed to the "channel switching platform".

[0037] Switching platform: It is circular with an "excitation light through hole" at the bottom (coaxial with the center of the scanning stage). The platform edge has 6 "guide grooves" (corresponding to the 6 mounting grooves of the turntable). When the rotating shaft drives the platform to rotate, the guide grooves can guide the excitation light of the excitation module to be precisely focused on the stage slice.

[0038] Synchronous control: The drive motors of the rotating shaft and the turntable are both connected to the motion control module of the whole machine. Through pulse signal synchronous control, it is ensured that when the turntable rotates to the target channel, the switching platform rotates synchronously to the corresponding guide groove, so as to achieve precise alignment of the excitation light and the slice, with a synchronization error ≤0.05s.

[0039] (3) Detachable excitation module (channels can be flexibly replaced) Module structure: Each excitation module has ball-head plungers 26 on both sides of its outer shell and a groove on the rear side, which matches the positioning boss 19 of the turntable mounting slot 18 to achieve precise positioning and quick insertion and removal.

[0040] Replacement procedure: When disassembling, pull the excitation module 21 upwards to remove the module from the turntable mounting slot 18; when installing, align the groove on the back of the module with the positioning boss 19 and press it until the ball head plunger 26 is locked in place. No recalibration is required after replacement, and it can be adapted to different wavelength channel requirements.

[0041] The advantages of the fluorescence switching module 22 of this utility model are as follows: Highly efficient switching: The rotary 6-channel layout with a central rotating switching mechanism achieves a channel switching speed of less than 0.5 seconds, which is more than 4 times faster than the traditional translational type, making it suitable for high-speed scanning requirements of the entire machine.

[0042] Flexible and versatile: The excitation module is detachable, and the replacement time is less than 30 seconds. It supports multi-wavelength channel customization, and there is no need to disassemble the overall structure, making it suitable for a variety of fluorescence scanning scenarios.

[0043] Reliable precision: Turntable positioning accuracy ±0.1°, module loosening deviation ≤0.01mm, synchronization control error ≤0.05s, ensuring precise alignment of excitation light and slice, and improving fluorescence image clarity by 20%.

[0044] Overall compatibility: Standardized installation and signal interface allow for direct integration with existing pathology slide scanners without significant modifications to the overall structure, reducing adaptation costs.

[0045] When using the module, the assembly steps are as follows: Turntable installation: Connect the turntable to the scanning frame of the whole machine through precision bearings, install the synchronous pulley and drive motor, calibrate the turntable level to ≤0.02mm / m, and adjust the positioning accuracy to ±0.1° through photoelectric sensors.

[0046] Switching mechanism installation: Fix the rotating shaft vertically to the center of the turntable, connect the switching platform and the stepper motor, and debug the synchronous control of the rotating shaft and the turntable to ensure that the synchronization error is ≤0.05s.

[0047] Excitation module installation: Insert the 6 sets of excitation modules with different wavelengths into the turntable mounting slots, check the tightness of the clips and the contact of the electrical contacts, and ensure that the modules are not loose and the signals are normal.

[0048] The whole machine adaptation and debugging steps are as follows: Position calibration: Adjust the module installation height to make the excitation light aperture coaxial with the center of the scanning stage of the whole machine, with a deviation of ≤0.01mm; Functional test: Send channel switching command through the whole machine control system to test the switching speed (requirement <0.5s) and positioning accuracy (requirement ±0.1°) of the 6 channels.

[0049] Stability test: 100 fluorescent slides were scanned continuously, and the operating temperature of the excitation module (≤45℃) and image clarity were recorded to ensure that there was no loosening or deviation and that the image pass rate was ≥99.5%.

[0050] The channel replacement test steps are as follows: Disassemble the existing excitation module (press the clips to remove it) and install the new wavelength module (e.g., replace the 488nm module with a 561nm module), which takes less than 30 seconds.

[0051] Start the scan to test the excitation light intensity and image quality of the new module. It works normally without recalibration, verifying the ease of replacement and versatility.

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0053] It is understood that spatial relation terms such as "below," "under," "below," "below," "above," "above," etc., can be used here to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, the element or feature described as "below" or "below" of the other element or feature will be oriented "above" the other element or feature. Therefore, the exemplary terms "below" and "below" can include both upper and lower orientations. Furthermore, the device may also include other orientations (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the spatial descriptive terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0054] It should be noted that when one element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or connected to the other element through an intermediary element. In the following embodiments, "connection" should be understood as "electrical connection," "communication connection," etc., if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc., have the transmission of electrical signals or data between them.

[0055] When used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” or “having,” etc., specify the presence of the stated feature, whole, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0056] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A pathological slide scanner, comprising a slide stage module, characterized in that, It includes: The platform body (1) is slidably mounted on the Y-axis module (2). The top of the platform body (1) is provided with a slice positioning groove (11), and the left side of the slice positioning groove (11) is provided with a linear slide rail (3). The clamping push rod (4) is slidably mounted on the linear slide rail (3). A guide shaft (5) is fixed on the side of the clamping push rod (4) away from the slice positioning groove (11). The guide shaft (5) passes through the guide hole of the stage body (1). A first compression spring (6) is fitted on the outside of the guide shaft (5). The first compression spring (6) abuts between the clamping push rod (4) and the stage body (1).

2. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The platform body (1) is provided with a surface light source base plate (7) below it. The surface light source base plate (7) is installed on the scanning module frame. The surface light source base plate (7) is provided with a first stop block (8) on its left side. The bottom of the clamping push rod (4) is vertically fixed with a connecting rod (9), and the lower end of the connecting rod (9) is equipped with a bearing (10). When the platform body (1) moves to the right along the Y-axis module (2), the bearing (10) strikes the first stop (8) and pushes the clamping push rod (4) to the left to compress the first compression spring (6).

3. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The right side of the platform body (1) is provided with a groove, and an edge movable block (12) is movably installed in the groove. The two ends of the edge movable block (12) are connected to the platform body (1) by a screw (13). A second compression spring (14) is fitted on the outside of the screw (13). The second compression spring (14) abuts between the edge movable block (12) and the platform body (1).

4. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 3, characterized in that: The platform body (1) is provided with a surface light source base plate (7) below it, and a second stop block (15) is provided on the right side of the surface light source base plate (7). The second stop block (15) is located on the right side of the edge movable block (12). When the platform body (1) moves to the right along the Y-axis module (2), the edge movable block (12) strikes the second stop block (15) and pushes the edge movable block (12) to move to the left to compress the second compression spring (14).

5. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pathological slide scanner further includes a fluorescence scanning module, which comprises: The turntable body (16) has multiple excitation module mounting slots (17) evenly opened along the circumference. The drive unit is connected to the center of the turntable body (16).

6. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The turntable body (16) has a turntable mounting groove (18) at its center, and a positioning boss (19) corresponding to the excitation module mounting groove (17) is provided on the outside of the turntable mounting groove (18).

7. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 6, characterized in that: Multiple guide blocks (20) are installed on the turntable body (16), and the excitation module mounting slot (17) is located between two adjacent guide blocks (20).

8. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 7, characterized in that: A ball-head plunger (26) is installed on the side of the guide block (20) near the excitation module mounting slot (17).

9. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 6, characterized in that: The positioning boss (19) is dovetail shaped and is used to snap onto the excitation module (21).

10. The pathological slide scanner according to claim 5, characterized in that: Multiple sensor baffles are installed on the turntable body (16), and the sensor baffles correspond one-to-one with the excitation module mounting slot (17). The sensor baffles are connected to the photoelectric sensor.

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