Thin section transport device and thin section specimen preparation system

Abstract

To provide a thin section transport device and the like capable of transporting a thin section cut out from a specimen block by a water flow while maintaining the appropriate orientation to a position where the thin section is scooped up by a substrate. [Solution] The thin section transporting device is a thin section transporting device for transporting thin sections in a thin section specimen preparation system that transfers thin sections sliced ​​from a specimen block onto a substrate, and is equipped with a water channel arranged downstream of a thin sectioning blade that slices the specimen block, having a bottom and two opposing walls connected to the bottom, configured to allow liquid to flow between the two walls, and two sets of rotating belts provided along the two walls, with each belt surface arranged between the two walls with a predetermined gap between them, and the opposing belt portions configured to move toward the downstream side of the water channel.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a thin section transport device and a thin section preparation system for transporting thin sections cut from a specimen block in which a biological sample is embedded. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, pathological testing is known as a method for testing samples taken from a living body. In pathological testing, a biological sample is first embedded in an embedding material such as paraffin to prepare a specimen block. This specimen block is sliced ​​(thinly sliced) to a thickness of about several μm (e.g., 2 to 5 μm), and the resulting thin sections are transferred (also called transfer) onto a slide glass, and then dried and stained to prepare a thin-section specimen. This thin-section specimen is observed under a microscope to make a diagnosis. The specimen block is also called an embedding block.

[0003] Microtomes are known as devices for slicing specimen blocks to prepare thin sections (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Typically, a technician preparing a microscope specimen operates a handle on the microtome to cut thin sections one by one from the specimen block, and floats the thin sections on water or hot water in a tank. This makes it possible to smooth out any curls or wrinkles that may have occurred in the thin sections during slicing. The technician then transfers each of the thin sections floating on the water surface to a glass slide using tweezers, a brush, or the like.

[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, devices that automatically transfer the cut thin sections onto glass slides have been developed (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 to 6).

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses an automatic thin section preparation device that fixes a prepared thin section on a substrate and automatically prepares a thin section preparation. In this device, the cut thin section is attracted to the tip of an arm and transported, and when the arm reaches the top of a water tank, the arm is lowered to put the tip into the water, so that the thin section is immersed in the water and floats, and the thin section is scooped up by a slide held by a slide glass handling robot.

[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses a thin section transport device that transports rectangular thin sections, prepared by slicing an embedded block in which a biological sample is embedded, from a transport point to which the thin sections are transported to a processing point where the thin sections are scooped up onto a substrate and processed. In this device, the water channel moves while adjusting the attitude of the thin sections so that the thin sections are oriented in a predetermined direction when the thin sections reach the processing point.

[0007] Patent Document 4 discloses a thin section specimen preparation device that includes a liquid tank in which the end of a transport body is immersed in stored liquid, a gripping part that grips the substrate so that the width direction of the substrate is parallel to one side of the thin section, a lifting mechanism that lifts the gripping part along the substrate, and a control part that controls the operation timing and lifting speed of the mechanism, and that scoops up the thin section floating on the liquid surface onto the substrate as it detaches from the transport body.

[0008] Patent Document 5 discloses a thin section preparation preparation device that prepares a thin section preparation by transferring a rectangular thin section transported by a transporting means to a rectangular substrate arranged away from the transporting means. In this device, a relay having a fixing surface on which the thin section is detachably fixed is moved to the transporting means, the thin section transported by the transporting means is received and fixed on the fixing surface, the relay is moved to the substrate, and the thin section fixed on the fixing surface is detached and transferred to the substrate.

[0009] Patent document 6 discloses a thin section preparation device including a thin section transporting mechanism that transports cut thin sections to a storage tank and floats them on the liquid surface, a slide glass handling mechanism that places the thin sections floating in the storage tank onto a slide glass, and a rotor that is provided between the thin section transporting mechanism and the slide glass handling mechanism and rotates with the thin section placed on its outer surface to transport the thin section toward the slide glass handling mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2019-534461 [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-192606 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2008-26176 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2009-180546 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2010-261794 A [Patent Document 6] JP 2014-95589 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] In general, in pathological examinations for diagnostic purposes, a dozen or so specimens are prepared from one specimen block at a time. Depending on the size of the facility, such as a hospital, one technician may handle dozens to hundreds of specimen blocks in a day. Therefore, manually performing the above-mentioned tasks from slicing the specimen block to transferring the images places a heavy physical and mental burden on the technician. In addition, the quality of the thin sections depends largely on the technician's skill, and there is also the problem that it takes time to train technicians. Furthermore, manual work also has the problem that the quality of the specimens is likely to vary. For example, if one specimen block is to be re-examined at a later date, if there is variation in the quality of the thin sections between the previous specimen and the current specimen, it may affect the staining.

[0012] For these reasons, there is a strong demand for a system that can automatically perform the process from cutting thin sections from a specimen block to transferring them to glass slides.

[0013] However, when the thin sections are transported using a transport means such as a conveyor or an intermediate body, the cut surfaces of the thin sections come into direct contact with the surface of the transport means, etc., which raises concerns that the cut surfaces may be affected in some way.

[0014] On the other hand, when the thin section is transported by a water flow, even if the thin section is placed on the water flow in accordance with the orientation of the slide glass, the orientation of the thin section can easily change with a slight change in the water flow, making it very difficult to maintain the orientation of the thin section.

[0015] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a thin section transporting device and a thin section specimen preparation system that can transport a thin section cut from a specimen block using a water flow while maintaining the appropriate orientation to a position where it can be scooped up by a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the thin section transport device of the present invention is a thin section specimen preparation system that transfers thin sections sliced ​​from a specimen block onto a substrate, the thin section transport device transporting thin sections, the thin section transport device being arranged downstream of a thin section blade that slices the specimen block, and comprising: a water channel having a bottom and two opposing walls connected to the bottom; and two sets of rotating belts arranged along the two walls, with the respective belt surfaces arranged between the two walls facing each other at a predetermined interval, and the opposing belt portions configured to move toward the downstream side of the water channel, and configured to transport the thin sections while floating them on liquid flowing between the opposing belt portions.

[0017] In the above-mentioned thin section transport device, the two sets of rotating belts may be configured to rotate at the same speed.

[0018] In the above-mentioned thin-section transport device, the distance between the opposing belt surfaces of the two sets of rotating belts may be 25 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

[0019] In the above-mentioned thin section transport device, each of the two sets of rotating belts may be made of steel or a resin material.

[0020] The thin-section transport device may further comprise a pinch roller capable of adjusting the gap between the opposing belt surfaces of the two sets of rotating belts.

[0021] In the above-mentioned thin section transport device, the bottom of the water channel may include a first region located on the upstream side of the water channel and having a first depth relative to the upper ends of the two wall portions, a second region located on the downstream side of the water channel and having a second depth deeper than the first depth, and an intermediate region located between the first region and the second region and increasing in depth from the first depth to the second depth.

[0022] In the above-mentioned thin-section transport device, the depth of the first area may be 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and the depth of the second area may be 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

[0023] The thin section transport device may further include one or more nozzles arranged in the intermediate region of the bottom portion and configured to inject liquid upwardly toward the downstream side of the water channel.

[0024] The thin-section transport device may further comprise a water tank capable of accommodating the water channel and storing the liquid flowing out from the water channel.

[0025] In the above-mentioned thin-section transport device, the water channel may be attached so that a tip side of the water channel can be lifted up relative to the water tank.

[0026] The thin section transport device may further include a holding block that holds the water channel downstream of the water channel and is rotatably attached to the water tank around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the water channel.

[0027] The thin section transport device may further include a motor for driving the two rotating belts and a power transmission means for transmitting the power of the motor, and the motor and the power transmission means may be attached to the holding block.

[0028] In the above-mentioned thin section transporting device, the height of at least a portion of the rear end side wall of the water channel may be lower than the height of the upper ends of the two walls of the water channel, and the water tank may be provided with an area for storing liquid that flows out from the water channel through at least a portion of the rear end side wall.

[0029] The thin section transporting device may further include one or more second nozzles arranged upstream of the water channel and configured to inject liquid into the water channel, and a pump configured to circulate liquid accumulated in the storage area to the one or more second nozzles.

[0030] The thin-section transport device may further comprise a filter disposed above the storage area for removing solid matter from the liquid flowing out of the water channel.

[0031] The thin-section transport device may further include one or more second nozzles arranged upstream of the water channel and configured to flow liquid toward the cutting edge of the thin-cutting blade to fill the water channel.

[0032] In the above-mentioned thin section transport device, the water channel is partitioned into a cold water channel which is an upstream area and a hot water channel which is a downstream area, and is configured so that the thin section can be moved from the cold water channel to the hot water channel while floating in the liquid, and the device may further include a first temperature control system configured to control the temperature of the liquid flowing through the cold water channel to a first temperature range, and a second temperature control system configured to control the temperature of the liquid flowing through the hot water channel to a second temperature range higher than the first range.

[0033] In the above-mentioned thin section transport device, the water channel is partitioned into an upstream area, a cold water channel, and a downstream area, a hot water channel, and is configured so that the thin section can be moved from the cold water channel to the hot water channel while floating in the liquid.The device further includes a first temperature control system configured to control the temperature of the liquid flowing through the cold water channel to a first temperature range, and a second temperature control system configured to control the temperature of the liquid flowing through the hot water channel to a second temperature range higher than the first range, and the first temperature control system may be configured to control the temperature of the liquid injected into the cold water channel from one or more nozzles to the first temperature range.

[0034] In the thin-section transport device, the first temperature range may be 20° C. or less, and the second temperature range may be 40° C. or more and 55° C. or less.

[0035] In the above-mentioned thin section transport device, the water channel is provided with a drain port for draining the liquid when the liquid level in the cold water channel reaches or exceeds a predetermined height, and the device further includes a water tank capable of accommodating the water channel, the water tank having a first storage section configured to store liquid flowing out from the cold water channel through the drain port and a second storage section configured to store liquid flowing out from the hot water channel, the first temperature control system having a cooling unit configured to cool the liquid discharged from the first storage section and a first pump configured to circulate the liquid cooled by the cooling unit through the cold water channel, and the second temperature control system having a heating unit configured to heat the liquid discharged from the second storage section and a second pump configured to circulate the liquid heated by the heating unit through the hot water channel.

[0036] In the thin-section transport device, a heat insulating area may be provided between the first storage section and the second storage section.

[0037] Another aspect of the present invention, a thin section specimen preparation system, comprises the above-mentioned thin section transport device and a handling unit configured to grasp the substrate and use the substrate to scoop up the thin sections that have been sliced ​​by the cutting blade and flow between the two sets of rotating belts.

[0038] Another aspect of the present invention is a thin section specimen preparation system that includes the above-mentioned thin section transporting device and a cutter unit that is attached to the upstream end of the thin section transporting device and holds the thin section blade so that the direction in which the cutting blade tip extends forms a predetermined angle with the longitudinal direction of the water channel. In the above-mentioned thin-section specimen preparation system, the direction in which the cutting edge extends and the longitudinal direction of the water channel do not have to be perpendicular to each other. Effect of the Invention

[0039] According to the present invention, a thin section cut from a specimen block can be transported by a water flow while maintaining the appropriate orientation to a position where it can be scooped up by a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sliced ​​specimen preparing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a sliced ​​specimen preparing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a thin-section transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear end side. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a top view of a thin-section transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] 1 is a top view of a transport waterway provided in the thin-section transporting device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a side view of a transport channel provided in the thin-section transport device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a top view of a water tank provided in the thin-section transport device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a side view of a water tank provided in the thin-section transport device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a holding block that holds the transport waterway. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a power transmission means to a rotating belt. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cutter unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the tip end of the transport waterway in a raised state. [Figure 11A] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a thin section transport device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along plane CC of FIG. 11A. [Figure 12A]FIG. 11 is a top view of a transport channel provided in the thin-section transporting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is an enlarged view of the cross section DD of FIG. 12A. [Figure 13A] FIG. 11 is a top view of a water tank provided in the thin-section transport device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13B] FIG. 11 is a side view of a water tank provided in the thin-section transport device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13C] 13B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 13A taken along an E-E line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Hereinafter, a thin-section transport device and a thin-section specimen preparation system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In addition, in the description of each drawing, the same parts are indicated by the same reference numerals.

[0042] The drawings referred to in the following description merely show the shape, size, and positional relationship in a schematic manner to the extent that the contents of the present invention can be understood. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the shape, size, and positional relationship exemplified in each drawing. In addition, there may be cases where the dimensional relationship and ratio of each part differs between the drawings.

[0043] <First embodiment> (Configuration of thin section preparation system) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the schematic configuration of a sliced ​​specimen preparation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the same system. The sliced ​​specimen preparation system 1 according to the first embodiment is a system that transfers a thin section 3 sliced ​​from a specimen block 2 onto a substrate 4 such as a slide glass. The specimen block 2 is biological tissue embedded in an embedding material such as paraffin.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the thin-section specimen preparation system 1 includes a cutter unit 20 configured to slice a specimen block 2, a thin-section conveying device 30 configured to convey a thin-sectioned thin section 3 by liquid, and a handling unit 40 configured to scoop up the thin section flowing through the thin-section conveying device 30 by a substrate 4. Each of these parts is fixed to a base 1a by bolts or the like. The thin-section specimen preparation system 1 may further include a specimen block slide unit 10, a magazine unit 60 that is a storage for the substrate 4, a control unit 90, and various sensors. Examples of the sensors include a camera 91 provided above the thin-section conveying device 30 and a thin-section blade sensor (camera) 93 provided near the thin-section blade. Furthermore, the thin-section specimen preparation system 1 may be provided with a temporary water storage tank 73 for storing water to be supplied to the thin-section conveying device 30.

[0045] In the following, with reference to the transport direction of the thin section 3 in the thin section transport device 30, the upstream side may be referred to as the leading end side, and the downstream side may be referred to as the trailing end side.

[0046] Here, the liquid for transporting the thin section 3 can be ordinary water (tap water), but is not limited to this. For example, an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, a specific float liquid, etc. can also be used. In the following, the explanation will be given assuming that water is used as the liquid for transporting the thin section 3.

[0047] The cutter unit 20 holds the cutting blade and is attached to the tip of the thin-section transport device 30. In addition, a specimen block slide unit 10 is installed upstream of the cutter unit 20. The specimen block slide unit 10 holds the specimen block 2 and slides the specimen block 2 while maintaining a predetermined angle relative to the cutting blade. As a result, the portion of the specimen block 2 that comes into contact with the cutting blade is thinly sliced.

[0048] The direction in which the specimen block 2 is slid relative to the cutting blade (hereinafter, also referred to as the specimen feed direction v1) is not particularly limited. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, in a plane parallel to the cut surface 2a of the specimen block 2, the angle of the specimen feed direction v1 with respect to the axis v0 perpendicular to the direction in which the cutting edge of the cutting blade extends (see the direction v3 shown in FIG. 4A described later) is also referred to as the cutting blade inclination angle θ. The cutting blade inclination angle θ is positive in the counterclockwise direction with respect to the axis v0 as a reference when viewed from the downstream side of the conveying direction (see FIG. 1). For example, when the cutting blade is perpendicular to the specimen feed direction v1, the cutting blade inclination angle θ is 0°. Also, for example, in the case of the direction shown in FIG. 2, the cutting blade inclination angle θ is in the range of more than 0° and less than 90°. The cutting blade inclination angle θ may be 0°, more than 0° and less than 90° (for example, about 30° to 60°, or near 45°), or more than -90° and less than 0°.

[0049] In the thin-section transport device 30, a water flow is formed that flows from the cutter unit 20 side. The thin sections 3 sliced ​​by the thin-section blade are floated on the water surface of the thin-section transport device 30 as they are, and are transported downstream by the water flow.

[0050] The handling unit 40 has a gripping part 41 that grips the substrate 4, a turning mechanism 42 that turns the gripping part 41 about a vertical axis R1, and a swing mechanism 44 that rotates the gripping part 41 about an axis R2.

[0051] The control unit 90 controls the operation of the entire thin-section specimen preparation system 1 including the thin-section transport device 30. For example, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the motor 362 so that the belt surfaces of the rotating belts 375 and 376 described below move at an appropriate speed. The control unit 90 also controls the operation of the handling unit 40, based on an image taken by the camera 91, to scoop up the thin sections 3, which have been sliced ​​from the specimen block 2 and transported by the thin-section transport device 30, with the substrate 4 and store them in the magazine unit 60.

[0052] (Operation of thin section preparation system 1) Next, an outline of the operation of the sliced ​​specimen preparing system 1 will be described. First, the specimen block 2 is surfaced (precut) while a water flow is being generated in the thin-section transport device 30. That is, the specimen block 2 is slid by the specimen block slide unit 10, and sliced ​​by the thin-cutting blade until the surface containing the biological tissue is exposed. At this point, the shavings cut out from the specimen block 2 are discharged by the water flow.

[0053] After the pre-cutting is completed, the thin section 3 is sliced ​​(main cut). After the pre-cutting is completed and before the main cut is performed, the operation of the specimen block slide unit 10 may be temporarily stopped, and during that time, preparations such as having the handling unit 40 hold the substrate 4 may be performed. The thin section 3 sliced ​​from the specimen block 2 is floated on the water surface of the thin section transport device 30 and transported by the water current. By floating the thin section 3 on the water, the thin section 3 is stretched. The handling unit 40 waits with at least a part of the held substrate 4 inserted into the water channel (the area between the two rotating belts 375, 376), and scoops up the thin section 3 that has flown by using the substrate 4. After that, the handling unit 40 stores the substrate 4 in the magazine unit 60.

[0054] (Configuration of thin section transport device) Next, a detailed configuration of the thin section transport device 30 according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the thin section transport device 30 as viewed from the rear end side. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the thin section transport device 30 has a water tank 32 having a transport water channel 34 disposed therein, a water supply unit 72 that supplies and drains water to the water tank 32, and a moving unit 80 that moves the water tank 32 along the longitudinal direction. The configuration of the water supply unit 72 will be described later.

[0055] The moving unit 80 has a base 801 to which the water tank 32 is fixed, a slide block 802 attached to the base 801, a slide rail 804 connected to the slide block 802 via a bearing 803, and a motor 805 that drives the slide block 802. The moving unit 80 can move the water tank 32 in micron units. Every time a thin section 3 is sliced, the moving unit 80 moves the water tank 32 upstream by a predetermined distance (e.g., several μm), so that a new surface of the specimen block 2 can be cut out by the thin-cutting blade installed upstream of the water tank 32.

[0056] FIG. 4A is a top view of the thin section transporting device 30. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a top view of a transport channel provided in the thin section transporting device 30. FIG. 5B is a side view of the transport channel. FIG. 6A is a top view of a water tank provided in the thin section transporting device 30. FIG. 6B is a side view of the water tank. Note that the moving unit 80 is omitted from FIGS. 4A and 4B.

[0057] 4A and 4B, the thin-section transport device 30 includes a water tank 32 and a transport water channel 34 disposed inside the water tank 32. The water tank 32 has a capacity capable of accommodating the transport water channel 34 and storing water flowing out from the transport water channel 34.

[0058] The cutter unit 20 described above is attached to the outside of the water tank 32, and holds the thin cutting blade at the upstream end of the conveying waterway 34 so that the direction in which the cutting edge extends forms a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the conveying waterway 34 (i.e., the conveying direction). Here, as shown in FIG. 4A, the angle of the direction v3 in which the cutting edge extends with respect to the conveying direction v2 is also referred to as the blade installation angle α. The blade installation angle α is positive in the counterclockwise direction with respect to the conveying direction v2 as a reference, as viewed from above. The blade installation angle α may be set according to the cutting edge inclination angle θ. For example, when the cutting edge inclination angle θ is 0°, the blade installation angle α may be 90°. Furthermore, when the cutting edge inclination angle θ is other than 0°, the conveying direction v2 and the direction v3 do not need to be perpendicular to each other. For example, when the cutting edge inclination angle θ is greater than 0°, the blade setting angle α may be less than 90°, and when the cutting edge inclination angle θ is less than 0°, the blade setting angle α may be greater than 90°. Preferably, the blade setting angle α can be set as α=90°-θ. For example, when the cutting edge inclination angle θ is 30°-60°, the blade setting angle α may be 60°-30°, and when the cutting edge inclination angle θ is near 45°, the blade setting angle α may be near 45°. When the blade setting angle α is set in this way, the thin section 3 sent out from the thin-cutting blade in an oblique direction can be introduced into the conveying waterway 23 so as to be parallel to the conveying direction by making the cutting edge inclination angle θ greater than 0°.

[0059] One or more nozzles 353 are arranged on the upstream side of the transport channel 34, which are configured to flow water toward the cutting edge of the cutting blade and inject the water into the transport channel 34. By continuously flowing liquid from the nozzles 353 toward the cutting edge of the cutting blade while the specimen block 2 is being sliced, the sliced ​​slice 3 is smoothly separated from the cutting edge and introduced into the transport channel 34. The water flowing into the transport channel 34 can also generate a water current in the transport channel 34.

[0060] Although not limited thereto, the nozzles 353 are preferably installed on both ends of the cutting blade as exemplified in FIG. 4A. In this case, it is more preferable to discharge water from both nozzles 353 at approximately the same flow rate. As a result, the water discharged from both nozzles 353 meets approximately near the center of the cutting blade and cancels out each other's flow rates, so that the force applied to the thin section 3 cut by the cutting blade in a direction parallel to the cutting blade can be reduced. As a result, the thin section 3 can be introduced into the water channel (the area between two rotating belts 375, 376 described later) without being displaced.

[0061] The flow rate of the water discharged from the nozzle 353 should be at least sufficient to allow the water to reach approximately the center of the cutting blade, and can be adjusted appropriately depending on the cutting blade length, the distance between the two nozzles 353, the thickness of the thin section 3, etc.

[0062] Of course, the nozzle 353 may be provided only near one end of the cutting blade, or a plurality of nozzles 353 may be provided at a plurality of locations near the cutting edge of the cutting blade.

[0063] The transport waterway 34 is held by a holding block 361 on the downstream side, and is attached to the water tank 32 via the holding block 361. In the first embodiment, the holding block 361 is attached to the water tank 32 via an axis 355 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transport waterway 34 so as to be rotatable around the axis 355.

[0064] The conveying waterway 34 is attached so that a space is secured between the rear end side of the conveying waterway 34 and the water tank 32. This space becomes an overflow area 331 that receives water flowing out from the rear end side of the conveying waterway 34. A filter attachment part 332 for attaching a filter 333 is provided on the inner wall of the overflow area 331. The filter 333 is attached to the upper part of the overflow area 331 so as to cover the entire overflow area 331. In FIG. 4A, the filter 333 is omitted to avoid making the figure unclear. By providing the filter 333, solid matter contained in the water flowing out from the rear end side of the conveying waterway 34 can be removed, and the water that has passed through the filter 333 can be recirculated to the conveying waterway 34. The solid matter includes shavings generated during thin slicing and slices generated during pre-cutting.

[0065] The conveying waterway 34 has a bottom 340 and two walls 341 connected to the bottom 340 and facing each other. Two sets of rotating belts 375, 376 are provided inside the conveying waterway 34 along the two walls 341. The rotating belts 375, 376 are arranged between the two walls 341 so that the belt surfaces of the rotating belts 375, 376 face each other parallel to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. In the first embodiment, the rotating belts 375, 376 are configured so that the belt portions facing each other move toward the downstream side of the conveying waterway 34. The thin slices 3 are conveyed floating on the liquid flowing between the belt portions. The rotating belts 375, 376 are preferably controlled to rotate at the same speed. The speeds of the rotating belts 375, 376 can be appropriately set according to the frequency of slicing in the cutter unit 20, the length of the conveying waterway 34, the conveying speed, the type of liquid (such as water), and the like. As an example, when tap water is flowing, the speed of the straight portions of the rotating belts 375, 376 can be set to about 5 to 30 mm / sec.

[0066] The interval w between the opposing belt surfaces of the rotating belts 375, 376 can be determined according to the size of the substrate 4. Here, the slide glass used as the substrate 4 for the pathological specimen has a standard size, and a size of 75×25 mm or 76×26 mm is generally used. In addition, the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS R3703) specifies that the size of a microscope slide glass (standard type) is 76.0 mm in length and 26.0 mm in width. In these cases, the interval w between the belt surfaces can be set to about 25 mm to 30 mm. Of course, the size of the substrate 4 that can be used in the thin-section specimen preparation system 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned standard size. When using a substrate of a size other than the above-mentioned standard size, the interval w between the belt surfaces can be appropriately adjusted.

[0067] Specifically, the interval w between the belt surfaces is set to be equal to or slightly longer than the length (width) of the short side of the substrate 4 used. In other words, the interval w is set so that when the substrate 4 is inserted into the water channel, the substrate 4 fits exactly between the opposing belt surfaces, or there is a slight gap between the substrate 4 and the belt surfaces on both sides. Specifically, the interval w is preferably set to be equal to or less than the length of the short side of the substrate 4 plus 4 mm (a gap of 2 mm on each side), more preferably equal to or less than the length of the short side plus 3 mm (a gap of 1.5 mm on each side), and even more preferably equal to or less than the length of the short side plus 2 mm (a gap of 1 mm on each side).

[0068] For example, when a substrate 4 having a short side length of 25 mm is used, the lower limit of the interval w is preferably 25 mm or more and the upper limit is preferably 29 mm or less, more preferably 28 mm or less, and even more preferably 27 mm or less. When a substrate 4 having a short side length of 26 mm is used, the lower limit of the interval w is preferably 26 mm or more and the upper limit is preferably 30 mm or less, more preferably 29 mm or less, and even more preferably 28 mm or less.

[0069] Two pulleys are arranged at a predetermined interval on the inside of each of the two walls 341 of the conveying waterway 34. The rotating belt 375 rotates around the pulleys 371 and 373, and the rotating belt 376 rotates around the pulleys 372 and 374. Of these, the upstream pulleys 373 and 374 are attached to the conveying waterway 34 by fitting their rotating shafts into through holes 345 and 346 (see FIG. 5A) formed in the bottom 340 of the conveying waterway 34. The downstream pulleys 371 and 372 are attached to the holding block 361 (see FIG. 4B). As described later, the motor 362 (see FIG. 3) and a power transmission means for transmitting the power of the motor 362 to the pulleys 371 and 372 are also attached to the rotating belt 375 in the holding block 361.

[0070] Pinch rollers 381 capable of adjusting the belt surface interval w may be further provided on the inner side of each of the rotating belts 375 and 376. In this case, the pinch rollers 381 can be installed via the roller unit 38 fixed to the holding block 361.

[0071] The material of each of the rotating belts 375, 376 is not particularly limited as long as it is resistant (e.g., corrosion-resistant) to the liquid (e.g., water) flowing through the conveying waterway 34. Specifically, the rotating belts 375, 376 may be, for example, a steel belt or a resin belt. In addition, it is preferable that the surface side of the rotating belts 375, 376 has no or extremely low adhesiveness. This is to prevent the thin section 3 from being wound into the rotating belts 375, 376 in the unlikely event that the thin section 3 comes into contact with the rotating belts 375, 376.

[0072] In this way, by providing the rotating belts 375, 376 inside the transport waterway 34 and moving the opposing belt portions downstream together, a stable water flow with little variation in flow rate can be formed. This makes it possible to suppress the rotation of the thin section 3 on the water surface during transport, and makes it possible to transport the thin section 3 to the scooping point P1 while maintaining substantially the same orientation as when the thin section 3 was introduced into the transport waterway 34.

[0073] In the first embodiment, the entire rotating belts 375, 376 are arranged inside the conveying waterway 34, but a part of the rotating belts 375, 376 may span the outside of the conveying waterway 34. In short, it is only necessary that the opposing belt surfaces of the rotating belts 375, 376 are arranged inside the conveying waterway 34.

[0074] 5A and 5B, the bottom 340 of the transport channel 34 includes a first region 342 located on the upstream side of the transport channel 34 and having a first depth d1 relative to the upper ends of the two wall portions 341, a second region 343 located on the downstream side of the transport channel 34 and having a second depth d2 deeper than the first depth d1, and an intermediate region 344 located between the first region 342 and the second region 343 and increasing in depth from the first depth d1 to the second depth d2. The substrate 4 held by the handling unit 40 is inserted into the second region 343 and waits for the thin section 3 flowing through the transport channel 34.

[0075] The depth d1 of the first region 342 is preferably 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. By setting the depth d1 in this range, the flow rate can be made uniform in the depth direction as well, and a stable water flow can be formed. This allows the thin section 3 to be stably transported after it has been separated from the thin-cutting blade and introduced into the transport channel 34. On the other hand, the depth d2 of the second region 343 is preferably 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less. By setting the depth d2 in this range, it is possible to prevent the substrate 4 from contacting the bottom 340 of the transport channel 34 when the handling unit 40 inserts the substrate 4 into the scooping region P1.

[0076] One or more (two in Figs. 5A and 5B) through-holes 347 are formed in the intermediate region 344, and one or more (same as above) nozzles 348 that inject water upward downstream are fitted into each of the through-holes 347. Water is supplied to these nozzles 348 from an external pump (not shown). Injecting water from the nozzles 348 can suppress a decrease in flow rate that accompanies an increase in the depth in the intermediate region 344.

[0077] The bottom 340 on the rear end side of the transport waterway 34 is provided with bolt holes 350 for fixing the transport waterway 34 to the holding block 361. As shown in Fig. 5A, the rear end side of the transport waterway 34 itself is open, and by attaching the transport waterway 34 to the holding block 361, a rear end side wall portion of the transport waterway 34 can be provided.

[0078] Further, a nozzle holder 352 for holding a nozzle 353 for spraying water on the cutting edge of the cutting blade is provided in the tip region 351 of the conveying water channel 34 . Further, the conveying waterway 34 may be provided with a handle 357 for lifting the conveying waterway 34 .

[0079] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, water tank 32 has left, right and rear wall portions 321 and a bottom portion 322. Bottom portion 322 may be provided on the same plane over the entire water tank 32, or, as shown in Figure 6B, a portion of the tip side of bottom portion 322 (raised bottom portion 323) may be raised. By providing raised bottom portion 323 within a range that does not interfere with transport waterway 34, the capacity of water tank 32 can be reduced.

[0080] Water tank 32 is provided with fixing portion 324 for fixing water tank 32 to base 801 (see FIG. 2) from above with a bolt, and fixing portion 325 for fixing water tank 32 to base 801 from a side with a bolt. By fixing water tank 32 to base 801 from two directions in this way, it is possible to prevent water tank 32 from shifting in position relative to base 801.

[0081] Openings 326, 327 for draining water from water tub 32 are provided in wall portion 321 on one side of water tub 32. Opening 326 is provided near the upper end upstream of overflow area 331 to prevent water from overflowing from water tub 32. A drain pipe 721 of plumbing unit 72 (see FIG. 3) is connected to opening 326. Water flowing out from drain pipe 721 is drained via drainage tank 724 (see FIG. 2).

[0082] The other opening 327 is provided near the lower end of the overflow area 331. A drain pipe 722 (see FIG. 3) is connected to this opening 327. A valve 723 is provided on the drain pipe 722, and water can be drained from the water tank 32 by opening the valve 723. The water flowing out from the drain pipe 722 is drained through a drain tank 724.

[0083] In the water tank 32, a plug 329 for closing a through hole 36g (described later) provided in the holding block 361, and a support portion 328 for supporting the plug 329 are arranged.

[0084] The tip region 334 of the water tank 32 has a bottomless shape. The cutter unit 20 is fitted into this tip region 334.

[0085] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a holding block 361 that holds the transport waterway 34. Of these, Fig. 7(a) shows the top surface, Fig. 7(b) shows the rear end surface, Fig. 7(c) shows the right side surface, Fig. 7(d) shows the left side surface, and Fig. 7(e) shows the bottom surface.

[0086] As shown in (a) to (e) of Fig. 7, the holding block 361 is a member in which the ceiling plate 36a, the wall portion 36b, and the bottom plate 36c are connected to form a substantially U-shape. The conveying waterway 34 is fitted into the opening portion 36d of the U-shape and fastened at the bolt hole 36e shown in (e) of Fig. 7 (see the bolt hole 350 shown in Fig. 5A). As a result, the wall portion 36b becomes the rear end side wall portion of the conveying waterway 34.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 7(b), the upper part of the wall part 36b is largely cut out. The height of the cutout part 36f is lower than the upper end surface 34a of the wall part 341 of the transport water channel 34, as shown in Fig. 3. The cutout part 36f serves as an outlet for allowing water to flow out from the rear end of the transport water channel 34 to the overflow area 331 of the water tank 32.

[0088] A through hole 36g is formed below the wall portion 36b. The through hole 36g is an outlet for discharging water from the transport water channel 34, and is closed by a plug 329 during slicing, as shown in Fig. 4B.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 7(a), the ceiling plate 36a is formed with a recess 36h for fitting the motor 362 (see Fig. 3), a through hole 36i through which the rotating shaft of the motor 362 is inserted, and through holes 36j, 36k through which the rotating shafts of the pulleys 371, 372 are inserted. As shown in Fig. 7(e), the bottom plate 36c is formed with through holes 36l, 36m, 36n corresponding to the through holes 36i, 36j, 36k, as well as through holes 36p, 36q through which the rotating shafts of the gears are inserted.

[0090] 7(c), a through hole 36r penetrating in the lateral direction is formed in the holding block 361. A shaft 355 fixed to the water tub 32 is inserted into the through hole 36r.

[0091] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a power transmission means to the rotating belts 375 and 376. Gears 363, 364, 365, 366, and 367 are attached below the holding block 361 (see also Fig. 3). These gears 363, 364, 365, 366, and 367 are fixed to a rotating shaft inserted through the through holes 36l, 36m, 36p, 36q, and 36n. The rotation of the motor 362 is transmitted to the pulley 371 via the gears 363 and 364, and further transmitted to the pulley 372 via the gears 365, 366, and 367 meshing with the gear 364, so that the opposing belt portions of the rotating belts 375 and 376 can be moved in the same direction.

[0092] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the cutter unit 20. As shown in Fig. 9, the cutter unit 20 includes a cutting blade 201, and a first block 202 and a second block 203 that hold the cutting blade 201 between them. The first block 202 and the second block 203 are fastened by a bolt 204, and the cutting blade 201 can be removed and replaced by loosening the bolt 204. The cutter unit 20 holds the cutting blade 201 so that its cutting edge is approximately aligned with the height of two walls 341 of the conveying waterway 34.

[0093] The cutter unit 20 is fitted into the tip region 334 of the water tank 32 shown in Fig. 6A, and fixed to a base 801 of the moving unit 80 by bolts 205. A flat portion 206 is formed on the upper portion of the second block 203 to receive a tip region 351 (see Fig. 5A) of the bottom portion 340 of the conveying water channel 34. A seal member 359 may be attached to the tip region 334 of the water tank 32 to prevent water leakage between the tip region 334 and the upper end of the second block 203. The seal member 359 may be formed of, for example, a rubber sheet.

[0094] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the tip side of the conveying waterway 34 is lifted up. As described above, the conveying waterway 34 is rotatably attached to the water tank 32 around the axis 355. Therefore, by lifting the handle 357, the tip side of the conveying waterway 34 can be lifted up as shown in FIG. 10. This makes it easy to replace the thin cutting blade 201 in the cutter unit 20.

[0095] When the tip end side of the transfer waterway 34 is pulled up, the plug 329 comes out of the through hole 36g of the holding block 361. This allows the water that has accumulated in the transfer waterway 34 to be discharged into the water tank 32 through the through hole 36g.

[0096] As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, two sets of rotating belts 375, 376 are provided in the conveying waterway 34, and the opposing belt portions are moved in the same direction inside the conveying waterway 34. This allows a stable water flow to be formed between the opposing belt portions. Therefore, the thin section 3 cut out from the specimen block 2 can be carried by this water flow and conveyed to the position where it is scooped up on the substrate 4 while maintaining the appropriate orientation.

[0097] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, by setting the blade installation angle α with respect to the conveying direction according to the cutting blade inclination angle θ when slicing, the thin slice 3 can be introduced into the conveying channel 23 so that it is oriented parallel to the conveying direction even when the cutting blade inclination angle θ is greater than 0°.

[0098] <Modification> In the first embodiment, the two rotating belts 375, 376 provided in the conveying waterway 34 are driven by one motor 805, and the opposing belt portions move in the same direction at the same speed. However, two motors for rotating the rotating belts 375, 376 may be provided. The rotation speed and direction of the rotating belts 375, 376 may be controlled individually. For example, the rotation speeds of the two rotating belts 375, 376 may be made different from each other, or only one of the rotating belts may be temporarily stopped. Alternatively, the two rotating belts 375, 376 may be temporarily rotated in opposite directions (opposing belt portions may be moved in opposite directions). By performing such control, it is possible to adjust the attitude of the thin section 3 conveyed in the waterway (the area between the two rotating belts 375, 376).

[0099] The control unit 90 may control the rotational speed and direction of each rotating belt 375, 376 based on images captured by a camera 91 provided above the thin section transport device 30 or by an additional camera provided upstream of the camera 91.

[0100] <Second embodiment> Fig. 11A is a schematic diagram of a thin section transporting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11B is a partial cross-sectional view in plane CC of Fig. 11A. Fig. 12A is a top view of a transporting waterway provided in the thin section transporting device. Fig. 12B is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line DD of Fig. 12A. Fig. 13A is a top view of a water tank provided in the thin section transporting device. Fig. 13B is a side view of the water tank. Fig. 13C is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of Fig. 13A.

[0101] 11A and 11B, the thin-section transport device 30A according to the second embodiment includes a system for controlling the temperature of a liquid (e.g., tap water) flowing through the thin-section transport device 30A. Such a thin-section transport device 30A can be applied in place of the thin-section transport device 30 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) in the thin-section preparation system 1 shown in FIG.

[0102] Here, the thin-sectioning of the specimen block 2 with the thin-section blade is preferably performed in an environment of as low a temperature as possible (for example, 20° C. or lower) to prevent the specimen block 2 from softening, although this depends on the type of specimen. On the other hand, after thin-sectioning, it is preferable to stretch the thin section 3 by immersing it in a warm liquid (for example, about 40° C.). Therefore, in the thin-section transport device 30A, a low-temperature liquid (for example, cold water) is circulated in the water channel on the upstream side (the cutter unit 20 side), and a warm liquid (for example, hot water) is circulated in the water channel on the downstream side (the handling unit 40 side). The configuration of the thin-section transport device 30A will be described below using tap water as an example of the liquid.

[0103] As shown in Fig. 11A, the thin-section transport device 30A includes a transport water channel 34A disposed downstream of the thin-cutting blade. As described later in detail, the transport water channel 34A is divided into a cold water channel 74a, which is an upstream region, and a hot water channel 74b, which is a downstream region, and is configured so that the thin section 3 can move from the cold water channel 74a to the hot water channel 74b while floating on the water. The thin-section transport device 30A also includes a cold water control system (first temperature control system) 76 configured to control the temperature of the water flowing through the cold water channel 74a to a first temperature range, and a hot water control system (second temperature control system) 78 configured to control the temperature of the water flowing through the hot water channel 74b to a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range.

[0104] The temperature range of the water (cold water) flowing through the cold water passage 74a is not limited, but is preferably 20°C or less, and can be, for example, about 10°C to 20°C. The cold water control system 76 injects cold water of a predetermined temperature range into the cold water passage 74a from one or more nozzles (for example, nozzle 353 that sprays water on the thin cutting blade). The temperature of the injected cold water may be within the above temperature range (for example, about 10°C to 20°C), or cold water of a temperature lower than the above temperature range may be injected, taking into account the possibility that the temperature may rise slightly in the cold water passage 74a.

[0105] The temperature range of the water (hot water) flowing through the hot water passage 74b is a temperature range capable of stretching the thin section 3, and may be, but is not limited to, about 40°C to 55°C. The hot water control system 78 injects hot water of a predetermined temperature range into the hot water passage 74b from one or more nozzles (for example, nozzle 348 that injects water into the intermediate region 344). The temperature of the injected hot water may be within the above-mentioned temperature range (for example, about 40°C to 55°C), or, taking into consideration the possibility that the temperature may drop slightly in the hot water passage 74b, hot water of a temperature higher than the above-mentioned temperature range may be injected within a range in which the embedding material, such as paraffin, does not melt.

[0106] The cold water control system 76 and the hot water control system 78 may operate under the control of a controller 90 or may be manually operable.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 12A, the overall configuration of the transport water channel 34A is generally similar to that of the transport water channel 34 in the first embodiment, but the transport water channel 34A in the second embodiment is provided with a partition 741 that divides the transport water channel 34A into an upstream region and a downstream region. The region upstream of the partition 741 is a cold water channel 74a through which cold water flows, and the region downstream of the partition 741 is a hot water channel 74b through which hot water flows. The partition 741 is preferably located within the first region 342 located on the upstream side of the bottom 330, or near the boundary between the first region 342 and the intermediate region 344. The nozzle 348 located in the intermediate region 344 is located on the hot water channel 74b side.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 12B, a notch 742 is formed in a part of the upper end surface of the partition 741. The width of the notch 742 is approximately the same as the width of the thin section 3 or slightly larger than the width of the thin section 3. The height h1 of the notch 742 is lower than the height h2 of the wall portion 341 of the transport water channel 34A. This creates a gap between the notch 742 and the upper end surface of the transport water channel 34A, and by making the water level (see liquid level 5) higher than the height of the notch 742, the thin section 3 can move from the cold water channel 74a to the hot water channel 74b while floating on the water. Instead of forming the notch 742, the height of the entire partition 741 may be lower than the height h2 of the wall portion 341.

[0109] The partition 741 has four slits 743 into which the rotating belts 375 and 376 are inserted to prevent interference with the rotating belts 375 and 376. By providing such a partition 741, the thin section 3 can be transported from the cold water passage 74a to the hot water passage 74b by the water flow, while the amount of cold water flowing from the cold water passage 74a to the hot water passage 74b can be restricted.

[0110] A drain port 745 is provided at one or more locations (two locations in FIG. 12A) of the cold water passage 74a. As shown in FIG. 12A, the drain port 745 is cylindrical with an open top and is provided to drain cold water when the water level in the cold water passage 74a reaches a predetermined height or higher. As shown in FIG. 12B, the height of the opening of the drain port 745 is higher than the height h1 of the notch 742 of the partition 741 and lower than the height h2 of the wall portion 341. This makes it possible to prevent cold water from overflowing from the cold water passage 74a into the hot water passage 74b or the surroundings while maintaining a water level that allows the thin section 3 to pass over the notch 742.

[0111] The shape of the opening of the drainage port 745 is not particularly limited, and may be rectangular as shown in Fig. 12A, or may be other shapes (for example, circular or elliptical). The position of the drainage port 745 is not particularly limited as long as it does not interfere with the rotating belts 375, 376 or the thin sections 3 flowing between them. In Fig. 12A, the drainage port 745 is disposed on the inner side of each of the rotating belts 375, 396.

[0112] In the intermediate region 344 located in the hot water passage 74b, a through hole 746 is formed, through which a nozzle 789 (see FIG. 11B) provided separately from the nozzle 348 is inserted.

[0113] 11A and 11B again, the thin-section transport device 30A further includes a water tank 32A capable of accommodating the transport water channel 34A and storing the liquid flowing out of the transport water channel 34A. As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the overall configuration of the water tank 32A is generally similar to that of the water tank 32 in the first embodiment, but the water tank 32A in the second embodiment is provided with partitions 751 and 752 that separate the water tank 32A into an upstream side and a downstream side. The upstream side of the partition 751 is a cold water storage section (first storage section) 75a configured to store cold water flowing out of the drainage port 745 of the cold water channel 34a, and the downstream side of the partition 752 is a hot water storage section (second storage section) 75b configured to store hot water flowing out of the rear end of the hot water channel 74b. The raised bottom 323 (see FIG. 4B) described in the first embodiment may or may not be provided so long as it does not interfere with the piping described below.

[0114] The partitions 751, 752 have the same shape. As shown in FIG. 13C, a notch 754 is formed on the upper surface of the partitions 751, 752 to fit the transport water channel 34A. A space 753 is provided between the partitions 751 and 752 as a heat insulating area. This provides a heat insulating effect between the cold water storage section 75a and the hot water storage section 75b. The space 753 may be filled with a heat insulating material. Of course, only one partition may be provided, and in this case, the partition may be formed of a heat insulating material.

[0115] As shown in Fig. 13B, an opening 326 to which drain pipe 721 (see Fig. 2) is connected and an opening 327 to which drain pipe 722 (see Fig. 2) is connected are provided on each side of cold water storage section 75a and hot water storage section 75b. Opening 326 is provided near the upper end to prevent overflow from cold water storage section 75a and hot water storage section 75b. Opening 327 is provided near the lower end to drain water from cold water storage section 75a and hot water storage section 75b.

[0116] Instead of providing dividers 751, 752 in an integrated water tank, cold water storage section 75a and hot water storage section 75b may be formed separately and connected to form water tank 32A.

[0117] 13A, the tip region 334 of the water tub 32A is bottomless because the cutter unit 20 is fitted into it. Therefore, in order to prevent water leakage from the gap between the tip of the bottom 322 and the cutter unit 20, a seal member may be attached to the tip of the bottom 322. Alternatively, a side wall that follows the side shape of the cutter unit 20 may be provided at the tip of the bottom 322.

[0118] One or more (one in FIG. 13A) through-holes 755 through which one or more nozzles 767 (see FIGS. 11A and 11B) are inserted are formed in an upstream region of bottom 322 of cold water storage section 75a. Also, one or more (three in FIG. 13A) through-holes 756 serving as drainage ports are formed in a downstream region of bottom 322 of cold water storage section 75a.

[0119] One or more (three in FIG. 13A) through-holes 757 through which one or more nozzles 787 (see FIG. 11B) are inserted are formed in an upstream region of bottom 322 of hot water storage section 75b. Also, one or more (three in FIG. 13A) through-holes 758 serving as drainage ports are formed in a downstream region of bottom 322 of hot water storage section 75b.

[0120] 11A and 11B, the cold water control system 76 includes a cooling unit 761 configured to cool water supplied to the cold water passage 74a, and pipes 764, 765, and 766. Among these, the cooling unit 761 includes a cold water tank 762, a water cooler 763, and pumps P1 and P2 that supply cold water to the pipes 765 and 766, respectively.

[0121] A water level sensor S1 and a temperature sensor T1 are installed in the cold water tank 762. When it is detected that the water level in the cold water tank 762 is below a predetermined value, tap water is supplied from the outside to the cold water tank 762. In addition, when it is detected that the water temperature in the cold water tank 762 is above a predetermined value, the water cooler 763 is operated to cool the water in the cold water tank 762.

[0122] A pipe 764 is connected to the through hole 756 of the cold water storage portion 75a. The pipe 764 is disposed so as to pass through the inside of the cold water tank 762, and is connected to a pipe 765 for supplying cold water to the nozzle 353 via the pump P1.

[0123] A valve B1 is provided on the pipe 765, and the valve B1 is opened when the thin section 3 is transported. This causes cold water to be injected from the nozzle 353 into the cold water passage 74a. This flow of cold water and the rotation of the rotating belts 375, 376 form a water flow for transporting the thin section 3. A part of the cold water flows into the hot water passage 74b beyond the partition 741, and the remainder flows into the cold water reservoir 75a through the drainage port 745.

[0124] Water flowing into pipe 764 from through hole 756 of cold water storage section 75a is cooled by passing through cold water tank 762, and is supplied to pipe 765 via pump P1. In this manner, cold water circulates.

[0125] A water level sensor S2 is installed in the cold water storage section 75a. When it is detected that the water level in the cold water storage section 75a has fallen below a predetermined value, the pump P2 pumps up the cold water from the cold water tank 762 and the valve B2 is opened, and the cold water is injected into the cold water storage section 75a through the pipe 766 and the nozzle 767.

[0126] A temperature sensor T2 is installed in the cold water passage 74a. When it is detected that the water temperature in the cold water passage 74a has reached a predetermined value or higher, the water cooler 763 is operated to cool the water in the cold water tank 762 and the pipe 764 arranged in the water.

[0127] The hot water control system 78 includes a heating unit 781 configured to heat water supplied to the hot water passage 74b, and pipes 784, 785, 786, and 788. Of these, the heating unit 781 includes a hot water tank 782, a heater 783, and pumps P3, P4, and P5 that supply hot water to the pipes 785, 786, and 788, respectively.

[0128] A water level sensor S3 and a temperature sensor T3 are installed in the hot water tank 782. When it is detected that the water level in the hot water tank 782 has fallen below a predetermined value, tap water is supplied from the outside to the hot water tank 782. Also, when it is detected that the water temperature in the hot water tank 782 has fallen below a predetermined value, the heater 783 is operated to heat the water in the hot water tank 782.

[0129] A pipe 784 is connected to the through hole 758 of the hot water storage section 75b. The pipe 784 passes through the hot water tank 782 and is arranged so as to branch thereafter. One of the branched pipes is connected to a pipe 785 for supplying hot water to the nozzle 348 via a pump P3, and the other pipe is connected to a pipe 786 for supplying hot water to a nozzle 787 via a pump P4.

[0130] A valve B3 is provided on the pipe 785, and the valve B3 is opened when the thin section 3 is transported. This causes hot water to be injected into the hot water passage 74b from the nozzle 348. This flow of hot water and the rotation of the rotary belts 375 and 376 form a water flow for transporting the thin section 3.

[0131] The hot water supplied to the hot water passage 74b flows out from the rear end side of the transport passage 34A, passes through a filter 333 provided in the overflow area 331, and flows into the hot water storage section 75b. The water that flows into the pipe 784 from the through hole 758 of the hot water storage section 75b is heated by passing through the hot water tank 782, and is supplied to the pipe 785 via the pump P3. In this manner, the hot water circulates.

[0132] A valve B4 is provided on the pipe 786, and when this valve B4 is opened, hot water is injected into the hot water storage portion 75b from a nozzle 787. This causes the hot water to circulate in the hot water storage portion 75b, and the water temperature is kept uniform.

[0133] A water level sensor S4 is installed in the hot water passage 74b. When it is detected that the water level in the hot water passage 74b has fallen below a predetermined value, the pump P5 pumps hot water from the hot water tank 782 and the valve B5 is opened, and the hot water is injected into the hot water passage 74b through the pipe 788 and the nozzle 789.

[0134] A temperature sensor T4 is installed in the hot water passage 74b. Similarly, when it is detected that the water temperature in the hot water passage 74b has fallen below a predetermined value, hot water is pumped up from the hot water tank 782 by the pump P5, and the valve B5 is opened so that the hot water is injected into the hot water passage 74b through the nozzle 789.

[0135] The pipes 765, 766 for supplying cold water and the pipes 785, 786, 788 for supplying hot water are preferably covered with a heat-insulating material. Alternatively, the pipes 765, 766, 785, 786, 788 may be formed of a material having heat insulation properties. The type of the pumps P1 to P5 is not particularly limited, and a general pump such as a diaphragm pump may be used. The layout of the pipes 785, 788 connected to the nozzles 348, 789 for injecting hot water into the hot water passage 74b is not particularly limited, and may be installed to penetrate the bottom 322 of the water tank 32A or the wall 321, for example.

[0136] As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the specimen block 2 is sliced ​​in a low-temperature environment in the cold water channel 74a, and then the thin section 3 is stretched in the hot water channel 74b, and the stretched thin section 3 can be picked up by the substrate 4.

[0137] The temperature control system in the thin section transporting device 30A of the second embodiment described above can be applied not only to the thin section transporting device 30A provided with rotating belts 375, 376, but also to general thin section transporting devices that transport thinly sliced ​​thin sections using a water flow.

[0138] The present invention described above is not limited to the first and second embodiments and the modified examples, and various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the first and second embodiments and the modified examples. For example, some components may be removed from all the components shown in the first and second embodiments and the modified examples, or the components shown in the first and second embodiments and the modified examples may be appropriately combined to form various inventions.

[0139] (Appendix 1) A thin section transport device for transporting a thin section in a thin section preparation system for transferring a thin section cut from a specimen block onto a substrate, comprising: A water channel is arranged downstream of a cutting blade that slices a specimen block, and is divided into a cold water channel, which is an upstream region, and a hot water channel, which is a downstream region, and is configured so that the thin section can move from the cold water channel to the hot water channel while floating in liquid; a first temperature control system configured to control the temperature of liquid flowing through the cold water passage to a first range of temperatures; a second temperature control system configured to control the temperature of the liquid flowing through the hot water conduit to a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range; A thin section transport device comprising:

[0140] (Appendix 2) A thin section transport device for transporting a thin section in a thin section preparation system for transferring a thin section cut from a specimen block onto a substrate, comprising: A water channel is arranged downstream of a cutting blade that slices a specimen block, and is divided into a cold water channel, which is an upstream region, and a hot water channel, which is a downstream region, and is configured so that the thin section can move from the cold water channel to the hot water channel while floating in liquid; One or more nozzles disposed upstream of the waterway and configured to direct liquid toward the cutting edge of the cutting blade to fill the waterway; a first temperature control system configured to control the temperature of liquid flowing through the cold water passage to a first range of temperatures; a second temperature control system configured to control the temperature of the liquid flowing through the hot water conduit to a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range; Equipped with The thin section transport device, wherein the first temperature control system is configured to control the temperature of liquid injected from the one or more nozzles into the cold water channel within a first range of temperatures.

[0141] (Appendix 3) The water passage is provided with a drain port for discharging the liquid when the liquid level in the cold water passage reaches or exceeds a predetermined height; The water tank may further include a first reservoir configured to store liquid flowing out of the cold water passage through the drainage port, and a second reservoir configured to store liquid flowing out of the hot water passage. The first temperature control system a cooling unit configured to cool liquid discharged from the first reservoir; a first pump configured to circulate liquid cooled by the cooling unit through the cold water passage; having The second temperature control system a heating unit configured to heat liquid discharged from the second reservoir; A second pump configured to circulate the liquid heated by the heating unit through the hot water passage; 3. The thin section transport device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

[0142] (Appendix 4) 4. The thin section transport device according to claim 3, wherein a heat insulating area is provided between the first storage section and the second storage section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 1...Thin section specimen preparation system, 1a...Pedestal, 2...Specimen block, 2a...Cutting surface, 3...Thin section, 4...Substrate, 5...Liquid surface, 10...Specimen block slide unit, 20...Cutter unit, 30·30A...Thin section transport device, 32·32A...Water tank, 34·34A...Transport water channel, 34a...Upper end surface, 36a...Ceiling plate, 36b...Wall portion, 36c...Bottom plate, 36d...Opening portion, 36e...Bolt hole, 36f...Cutout portion, 36g·36i·36j·36K·36l·36m·36n·36p·36q·36r·746·755·756·757·758...Through hole, 36h...Recess, 3 8...roller unit, 40...handling unit, 41...gripping section, 42...turning mechanism, 44...swing mechanism, 60...magazine unit, 72...water supply unit, 73...temporary water tank, 74a...cold water channel, 74b...hot water channel, 75a...cold water storage section, 75b...hot water storage section, 76...cold water control system, 78...hot water control system, 80...moving unit, 90...control section, 91...camera, 93...thin cutting blade sensor, 201...thin cutting blade, 202...first block, 203...second block, 204, 205...bolt, 206...flat section, 321...wall section, 322...bottom section , 323...floor, 324, 325...fixing portion, 326, 327...opening, 328...support portion, 329...plug, 331...overflow area, 332...filter mounting portion, 333...filter, 334...tip area, 340...bottom, 341...wall portion, 342...first area, 343...second area, 344...middle area, 345, 346, 347...through holes, 348, 353, 767, 787, 789...nozzle, 350...bolt hole, 351...tip area, 352...nozzle holder, 357...handle, 359...sealing member, 355...shaft, 361...holding block, 362...motor, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367... gears, 371, 372, 373, 374... pulleys, 375, 376... rotating belts, 381... pinch rollers, 721, 722... drain pipes, 723... valves, 724... drainage tanks, 743... slits, 745... drainage ports, 741, 751, 752... partitions, 753... space, 761... cooling units, 762... cold water tanks, 763... water coolers, 764, 765, 766, 784, 785, 786, 788... piping, 781... heating units, 782... hot water tanks, 783... heaters, 801... bases, 802... slide blocks,803...bearing, 804...slide rail, 805...motor, B1 to B5...valves, P1 to P5...pumps, S1 to S4...water level sensors, T1 to T4...temperature sensors,

Claims

1. A thin section transport device for transporting a thin section in a thin section preparation system for transferring a thin section cut from a specimen block onto a substrate, comprising: A water channel is arranged downstream of a cutting blade that slices a specimen block, and is divided into a cold water channel, which is an upstream region, and a hot water channel, which is a downstream region, and is configured so that the thin section can move from the cold water channel to the hot water channel while floating in liquid; a first temperature control system configured to control a temperature of liquid flowing through the cold water passage within a first temperature range; a second temperature control system configured to control the temperature of the liquid flowing through the hot water passage to a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range; A thin section transport device comprising:

2. Further comprising one or more nozzles disposed upstream of the water passage and configured to direct liquid toward the cutting edge of the cutting blade to fill the water passage; 2. The thin section transport device according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature control system is configured to control the temperature of the liquid injected from the one or more nozzles into the cold water channel within a first temperature range.

3. the first temperature range is 20° C. or less; The second temperature range is 40° C. or more and 55° C. or less.

2. The thin section transport device according to claim 1.

4. The water passage is provided with a drain port for discharging the liquid when the liquid level in the cold water passage reaches or exceeds a predetermined height; The water tank may further include a first reservoir configured to store liquid flowing out of the cold water passage through the drainage port, and a second reservoir configured to store liquid flowing out of the hot water passage. The first temperature control system comprises: a cooling unit configured to cool liquid discharged from the first reservoir; a first pump configured to circulate liquid cooled by the cooling unit through the cold water passage; having The second temperature control system a heating unit configured to heat liquid discharged from the second reservoir; A second pump configured to circulate the liquid heated by the heating unit through the hot water passage; The thin section transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

5. The thin section transport device according to claim 4 , further comprising a heat insulating region provided between the first storage section and the second storage section.

6. The water channel has a bottom and two opposing walls connected to the bottom, The waterway further includes two sets of rotating belts provided along the two wall portions, the belt surfaces of which are disposed between the two wall portions so as to face each other at a predetermined interval, and the belt portions facing each other are configured to move toward the downstream side of the waterway, 5. The thin section transporting device according to claim 4, which is configured to transport the thin section while floating it in a liquid flowing between the opposing belt portions.

7. 7. The thin section transport device according to claim 6, wherein the water channel is attached to the water tank so that a tip side of the water channel can be lifted up.

8. The thin section transport device according to claim 1 , A handling unit configured to hold the substrate and scoop up the thin section that has been sliced ​​by the cutting blade and moved from the cold water channel to the hot water channel with the substrate; A thin section preparation system comprising:

9. The thin section transport device according to claim 1 , A cutter unit is attached to the upstream end of the thin-section transport device and holds the thin-section blade so that the direction in which the cutting edge extends forms a predetermined angle with the longitudinal direction of the water channel; A thin section preparation system comprising:

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