Device and method for drawing on carrier

Abstract

An apparatus for drawing on a carrier includes a bottom, a peripheral wall, a first baffle having a first protrusion, a second baffle having a second protrusion, and a slot. The peripheral wall is formed on the upper surface of the bottom. The first baffle and the second baffle are located on opposite sides of the peripheral wall and are parallel to the bottom. The slot is formed by the bottom, the peripheral wall, the first baffle, and the second baffle. A method for drawing on a carrier includes: inserting the carrier into the slot; abutting the carrier against one side of the slot where the first baffle connects; drawing a first line segment along the edge of the first protrusion; abutting the carrier against one side of the slot where the second baffle connects; and drawing a second line segment along the edge of the second protrusion to form a closed shape composed of the first line segment and the second line segment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for drawing on a carrier. Prior Technology

[0002] Immunofluorescence (IF) is a commonly used technique in the field of biotechnology. It mainly detects and locates specific proteins in biological samples such as cells or tissue sections by staining them. Traditional staining methods involve the user manually using a marker to create a closed planar geometric pattern around the biological sample on a carrier (such as a glass slide), providing a waterproof barrier to retain the staining reagent on the biological sample.

[0003] Furthermore, in conventional techniques for automated testing of biological samples, image recognition devices are often used to acquire images of the samples for subsequent observation. These automated image recognition devices have the characteristic of acquiring applicable images based on the shape of the object being tested.

[0004] However, the aforementioned known staining methods cannot create patterns with repeatability, regularity, and fixed range. In other words, when using automated image recognition devices to detect biological samples within closed patterns, it is difficult to accurately capture and identify images of the desired sample based on irregular closed patterns. Therefore, there is still an urgent need in the art for an auxiliary device and method that can solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, this disclosure provides an apparatus for drawing on a carrier, comprising: a bottom, a peripheral wall, a first baffle, a second baffle, and a slot. The peripheral wall is formed on the upper surface of the bottom. The first baffle and the second baffle are respectively located on opposite sides of the peripheral wall and parallel to the bottom. The slot is formed by the bottom, the peripheral wall, the first baffle, and the second baffle. The first baffle has a first protrusion extending in a direction from the first baffle to the second baffle; the second baffle has a second protrusion extending in a direction from the second baffle to the first baffle.

[0006] This disclosure also provides a method for drawing on a carrier, comprising: providing the apparatus of this disclosure; inserting the carrier into a slot; abutting the carrier against one side of the slot where a first baffle is connected; drawing a first line segment on the carrier along the edge of the first protrusion; abutting the carrier against one side of the slot where a second baffle is connected; and drawing a second line segment on the carrier along the edge of the second protrusion to form a closed pattern composed of the first line segment and the second line segment. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0007] Figures 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of an apparatus for drawing on a carrier according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a method for drawing on a carrier and the resulting graphic according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a graphic prepared according to at least one comparative example of this disclosure. Implementation

[0008] The following embodiments are provided to illustrate this disclosure in detail. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the advantages and effects of this disclosure upon reading it, and it can also be implemented or applied in other different embodiments. Therefore, the following embodiments for carrying out this disclosure can be modified and / or changed without departing from its different aspects and scope of application, and any element or method within the scope of this disclosure can be combined with any other element or method disclosed in any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0009] As used herein, the articles “a,” “one,” “the,” and “the” refer to one or more (i.e., at least one) grammatical object of the article, unless otherwise clearly stated, and “or,” “ / ,” and “and / or” are used interchangeably, unless otherwise clearly stated.

[0010] As used herein, the phrase "at least one" refers to one or more elements and should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the listed elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each of the listed elements, and does not exclude any combination of elements in the listed elements. This definition also allows elements to be present as needed, other than those identified in the list of elements referred to by the phrase "at least one," whether related to or unrelated to those identified elements. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one of A or B", or, equivalently, "at least one of A and / or B") in one embodiment may refer to at least one A, including more than one A as needed, with no B (and including elements other than B as needed); in another embodiment, it is at least one B, including more than one B as needed, with no A (and including elements other than A as needed); in yet another embodiment, it is at least one A, including more than one A as needed, and at least one [B], may include more than one B as needed (and may include other elements as needed).

[0011] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including," "containing," "having," and any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, when describing something as "comprising" a limitation, it may additionally include other components, elements, parts, structures, regions, portions, devices, systems, steps, or connections, unless otherwise stated, and should not exclude other limitations.

[0012] The numerical ranges used herein are inclusive and composable. Any value falling within the numerical ranges herein can be considered a maximum or minimum value from which subranges can be derived. For example, the numerical range "75 to 90 mm" includes any subrange between the minimum value of 75 mm and the maximum value of 90 mm, such as subranges from 75 to 85 mm, 76 to 88 mm, 80 to 90 mm, etc. Furthermore, multiple numerical values ​​used herein can be selected as maximum and minimum values ​​as needed to derive numerical ranges. For example, numerical ranges of 75 to 83 mm, 83 to 90 mm, and 75 to 90 mm can be derived from values ​​of 75 mm, 83 mm, and 90 mm.

[0013] The term "about" as used in this disclosure refers to a typical tolerance range within the relevant art. For example, "about" can be understood as approximately two standard deviations from the mean. When "about" appears before a series of numbers or ranges, it should be understood that "about" may modify each number in that series or range. For example, numerical values ​​are intended to cover variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, ±0.5%, or ±0.1% from the numerical value. As used herein, numerical ranges are inclusive and composable; any numerical value falling within the numerical ranges herein can be considered a maximum or minimum value from which subranges are derived. For example, it should be understood that the numerical range "20 to 30%" includes any subrange between the minimum value of 20% and the maximum value of 30%, such as subranges from 20 to 25%, from 25 to 30%, and from 22.5% to 27.5%. Such variations in numerical values ​​may occur due to, for example, measurement errors or similar considerations. Alternatively, the term "about" means within an acceptable mean standard deviation as considered by someone of ordinary skill in the art. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all ranges, quantities, values ​​and percentages disclosed herein should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases.

[0014] The spatial relative terms used in this disclosure, such as “above,” “below,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” and the like, are used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another element(s), as illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures, the spatial relative terms are also intended to cover different orientations of elements or features. For example, if the elements or features in the figures are reversed, an element described as “below other elements or features” or “below other elements or features” would be oriented “above other elements or features.” Thus, the illustrative term “above” can encompass both above and below orientations. Similarly, unless explicitly indicated otherwise, the terms “above,” “below,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” and the like are used herein for illustrative purposes only.

[0015] The ordinal numbers used in this disclosure, such as "first," "second," and "third," do not represent the order of one element or feature with another, or the order of manufacturing processes. These ordinal numbers are only used to modify elements or features so as to clearly distinguish certain elements or features with the same name.

[0016] Unless otherwise expressly stated herein, there are no particular limitations on the method of manufacturing the apparatus for drawing on a carrier, provided that the apparatus contains the desired structure. In some embodiments, the apparatus for drawing on a carrier may be manufactured using additive manufacturing or subtractive manufacturing methods, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the first baffle and the second baffle may be rectangular.

[0018] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the first protrusion and the second protrusion may have shapes composed of semicircles and rectangles.

[0019] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the diameter of the semicircle is equivalent to the length of the rectangle, and the diameter of the semicircle can be about 6 mm or more, for example, but not limited to: about 6 to 10 mm, about 6.2 to 9.8 mm, or about 6.4 to 9.6 mm. In some embodiments, the diameter of the semicircle can be about 6, 6.2, 6.4, 6.6, 6.8, 7, 7.2, 7.4, 7.6, 7.8, 8, 8.2, 8.4, 8.6, 8.8, 9, 9.2, 9.4, 9.6, 9.8, or 10 mm, preferably about 8 mm, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0020] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the width of the rectangle may be more than about 0.5 mm, for example, but not limited to: about 0.5 to 1.5 mm, about 0.6 to 1.4 mm, or about 0.7 to 1.3 mm. In some embodiments, the width of the rectangle may be about 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, or 1.5 mm, preferably about 1 mm, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0021] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the first baffle and the first protrusion may be symmetrical to the second baffle and the second protrusion.

[0022] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the peripheral wall may include a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a third sidewall, and may be U-shaped. In some embodiments, the first sidewall and the second sidewall may be located on opposite sides of the bottom and are parallel to each other. In some embodiments, the third sidewall may be perpendicular to the first sidewall and the second sidewall. In some embodiments, any two of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the third sidewall may be connected or not connected.

[0023] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the slot may be formed by a bottom, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, a first baffle, and a second baffle.

[0024] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the length of the slot interior space may be about 75 mm or more, for example, but not limited to: about 75 to 90 mm, about 76 to 89 mm, or about 77 to 88 mm. In some embodiments, the length of the slot interior space may be about 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, or 90 mm, preferably about 79 mm, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0025] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the width of the slot interior space may be about 40 mm or more, for example, but not limited to: about 40 to 50 mm, about 41 to 49 mm, or about 42 to 48 mm. In some embodiments, the width of the slot interior space may be about 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, or 50 mm, preferably about 46 mm, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0026] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the height of the internal space of the slot may be more than about 1 mm, for example, but not limited to: about 1 to 10 mm, about 2 to 9 mm, or about 3 to 8 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the internal space of the slot may be about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 mm, preferably about 2 mm, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0027] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the apparatus for drawing on a carrier may further include a first opening formed between the positions of the peripheral wall connecting the first baffle and the second baffle.

[0028] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the length of the first opening may be about 60 mm or more, for example, but not limited to: about 60 to 70 mm, about 61 to 69 mm, or about 62 to 68 mm. In some embodiments, the length of the first opening may be about 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, or 70 mm, preferably about 65 mm, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0029] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the width of the first opening may be more than about 25 mm, for example, but not limited to: about 25 to 30 mm, about 25.5 to 29.5 mm, or about 26 to 29 mm. In some embodiments, the width of the first opening may be about 25, 25.5, 26, 26.5, 27, 27.5, 28, 28.5, 29, 29.5, or 30 mm, preferably about 27.5 mm, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0030] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the device for drawing on a carrier may further include a second opening formed between the positions of the peripheral wall where the first and second baffles are not connected.

[0031] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the device for drawing on a carrier may further include an insertion port formed on the side of the bottom that is not connected to the peripheral wall.

[0032] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the peripheral wall may include a notch formed at the two ends of the U-shape.

[0033] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the carrier may be a glass slide, a cover glass, or a glossy glass.

[0034] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the closed pattern may be a waterproof ring.

[0035] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the peripheral wall may be used to limit the range of movement of the carrier in the slot.

[0036] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the first opening is used to expose the upper surface of the carrier from the slot, whereby the user can draw a line segment on the upper surface of the carrier along the edge of the first or second protrusion.

[0037] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the second opening is used to move a carrier in a slot.

[0038] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the notch is used to allow a user to hold one end of the carrier with their finger to prevent the carrier from slipping.

[0039] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the device disclosed herein can be sized to fit the carrier as needed.

[0040] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the first protrusion and the second protrusion may be a symmetrical combination of semicircles and rectangles, in order to avoid the endpoints of the first line segment and the second line segment drawn along the first protrusion and the second protrusion from not overlapping and thus failing to form a closed circle.

[0041] The following further describes exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, but it is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Anyone skilled in the art can make various adjustments and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0042] Example

[0043] In this embodiment, the device and glass slide shown in Figures 1A and 1B are provided. Next, using a marker pen manually and employing the method shown in Figure 2, a closed circle is drawn on the surface of the glass slide as a waterproof ring, using the device as an auxiliary tool.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 1A and 1B, which are schematic diagrams showing an apparatus for drawing on a carrier according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1A, the apparatus for drawing on a carrier includes a bottom 1, a peripheral wall 2, a first baffle 31, a first protrusion 311, a second baffle 32, a second protrusion 321, and a slot 4. The peripheral wall 2 is located on the upper surface of the bottom 1 and includes a first side wall 21, a second side wall 22, and a third side wall 23. The first side wall 21 is located on the left side of the bottom 1, the second side wall 22 is located on the right side of the bottom 1, and the third side wall 23 is located on the rear side of the bottom 1. The first side wall 21, the second side wall 22, and the third side wall 23 are connected and form a U-shape. The first baffle 31 is located on the upper left side of the peripheral wall 2, the second baffle 32 is located on the upper right side of the peripheral wall 2, and the first baffle 31 and the second baffle 32 are parallel to the bottom 1. The first baffle 31 includes a first protrusion 311 extending from the first baffle 31 to the second baffle 32. The second baffle 32 includes a second protrusion 321 extending from the second baffle 32 to the first baffle 31. The first baffle 31 and the second baffle 32 are symmetrical rectangles, and the first protrusion 311 and the second protrusion 321 are symmetrical in shape, consisting of a semicircle and a rectangle. The slot 4 is formed by the bottom 1, the first sidewall 21, the second sidewall 22, the third sidewall 23, the first baffle 31, and the second baffle 32. The device in this embodiment further includes a first opening 51, a second opening 52, and an insertion port 53. The first opening 51 is formed between the positions where the peripheral wall 2 connects to the first baffle 31 and the second baffle 32. The second opening 52 is formed between the positions where the peripheral wall 2 does not connect to the first baffle 31 and the second baffle 32. The insertion port 53 is formed on the side of the bottom 1 that does not connect to the peripheral wall 2. The peripheral wall 2 further includes notches 54 formed at the two ends of the U-shape. As shown in FIG1B, the device of this embodiment can be designed to include the following dimensions: the length L1 of the internal space of the slot 4 is about 75 to 90 mm, the width W1 is about 40 to 50 mm, and the height (not shown) is about 1 to 10 mm; the length L2 of the first opening 51 is about 60 to 70 mm, and the width W2 is about 25 to 30 mm; and the first protrusion 311 and the second protrusion 321 are composed of a semicircle and a rectangle, wherein the diameter D of the semicircle (equivalent to the length of the rectangle) is about 6 to 10 mm, and the width W3 of the rectangle is about 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The above device can be used to place a glass slide (not shown) as a carrier, which is about 75 mm long, about 26 mm wide, and about 1 mm thick.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram showing a method for drawing on a carrier and the resulting graphic according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, in step S101, a first line segment (black dashed line) is drawn on the slide 6 along the edge of the first protrusion 311 against the side of the slide 6 where it connects to the first baffle 31 in the slot 4, using a marker pen; and in step S102, a second line segment (black dashed line) is drawn on the slide 6 along the edge of the second protrusion 321 against the side of the slide 6 where it connects to the second baffle 32 in the slot 4, using a marker pen. After completing the above steps, a waterproof ring formed by the first line segment and the second line segment is obtained, which is a closed standard circle.

[0046] Comparative example

[0047] Without using the apparatus disclosed herein, manually operate a marker to draw a closed circle as a waterproof ring on the surface of a glass slide.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram showing a pattern made by at least one comparative example of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the waterproof ring drawn on the slide 6 is a closed irregular pattern (i.e., a non-standard circle).

[0049] As can be seen from the above, the device disclosed herein can achieve a standardization effect in the drawn graphics. In this way, users can create a repetitive, regular, and fixed-range closed pattern around biological samples as a waterproof ring, thereby improving the accuracy of the closed pattern and enhancing the operational efficiency of automated image recognition devices. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this disclosure. All equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the claims of this disclosure shall be covered by this disclosure.

[0050] 1: Bottom 2: Zhou Bi 21: First sidewall 22: Second sidewall 23: Third sidewall 31: First baffle 311: First protrusion 32: Second baffle 321: Second protrusion 4: Slot 51: First Opening 52: Second opening 53: Insertion port 54: Gap 6: Glass slide L1, L2: Length W1, W2, W3: Width D: Diameter S101, S102: Steps

Claims

1. An apparatus for drawing on a carrier, comprising: bottom; Peripheral wall, located on the surface above the bottom; The first and second baffles are located on opposite sides of the peripheral wall and parallel to the bottom; the slot is formed by the bottom, the peripheral wall, the first baffle, and the second baffle; and the first opening is formed between the peripheral wall and the position where the first and second baffles connect, wherein the first baffle has a first protrusion that extends from the first baffle to the second baffle, and the second baffle has a second protrusion that extends from the second baffle to the first baffle.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The first baffle and the second baffle are rectangular, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion have a shape composed of a semicircle and a rectangle.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The first baffle and the first protrusion are symmetrical to the second baffle and the second protrusion.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The peripheral wall includes a first side wall, a second side wall, and a third side wall in a U-shape. The first side wall and the second side wall are located on opposite sides of the bottom and are parallel to each other. The third side wall is perpendicular to the first side wall and the second side wall. Any two of the first side wall, the second side wall, and the third side wall may be connected or not connected. The slot is formed by the bottom, the first side wall, the second side wall, the third side wall, the first baffle, and the second baffle.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 further includes a second opening formed between the peripheral wall and the position where the first baffle and the second baffle are not connected.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 further includes an insertion port formed on the side of the bottom that is not connected to the peripheral wall.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein, The perimeter wall includes a notch, formed at the two ends of the U-shape.

8. A method for drawing on a carrier, comprising: A device for drawing on a carrier is provided, comprising: a bottom; a peripheral wall located on the upper surface of the bottom; a first baffle and a second baffle located on opposite sides of the peripheral wall and parallel to the bottom; and a slot formed by the bottom, the peripheral wall, the first baffle, and the second baffle, wherein the first baffle has a first protrusion extending in a direction from the first baffle to the second baffle, and the second baffle has a second protrusion extending in a direction from the second baffle to the first baffle; inserting the carrier into the slot; abutting the carrier against the side of the slot where the first baffle is engaged; drawing a first line segment on the carrier along the edge of the first protrusion; abutting the carrier against the side of the slot where the second baffle is engaged; and drawing a second line segment on the carrier along the edge of the second protrusion to form a closed pattern composed of the first line segment and the second line segment.

9. The method as described in claim 8, wherein, The carrier is a glass slide, cover glass, or glossy glass, and the closed pattern is a waterproof ring.

Images