Specimen management system

Abstract

A tray system for storing and transporting specimens, such as slides and paraffin blocks, includes a first tray having a top face with a first portion including a plurality of first compartments and a second portion adjacent the first portion including a plurality of second compartments, a width of the first compartments greater than a width of the second compartments. A top rim extends upwardly from the top face along a periphery of the first portion, and a bottom rim extends downwardly from an opposed bottom face about a perimeter corresponding to the periphery of the first portion on the top face. A second tray has a top face including a plurality of generally rectangular compartments each including flanges extending only partially across the compartment. A top rim extends upwardly around a perimeter of the top face, and a bottom rim extends downwardly around a perimeter of a bottom face. Both the first and second tray top rims are configured to receive both the first and second tray bottom rims to allow for interchangeable stacking of the first and second trays.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61 / 098,160 filed Sep. 18, 2008.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]This invention relates to trays and tray systems for storing, transporting, and managing specimens.[0004]2. Background Art[0005]Current methods for transporting, tracking, and storing the vast volume of pathology glass slides and paraffin blocks fall short of meeting expectations in terms of safe and convenient transportation, real-time tracking of case-related materials, efficiency, safety, and patient care risk. Such slides need to survive in storage for decades, but also occasionally need to be accessed for study. Managing the large quantity of slides is labor intensive and, more critically, it is prone to error and expensive. In a study by Troxel (Medicolegal aspects of error in pathology, Archives of Pathology &Laboratory Medicine, 130, pp. 617-619, 2006), 22 (6.5%...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Current methods for transporting, tracking, and storing the vast volume of pathology glass slides and paraffin blocks fall short of meeting expectations in terms of safe and convenient transportation, real-time tracking of case-related materials, efficiency, safety, and patient care risk.

Managing the large quantity of slides is labor intensive and, more critically, it is prone to error and expensive.

Of these, the most common cause of system errors was sample “mix-ups” (13, 59%) resulting in one patient getting an incorrect malignant diagnosis and another getting an incorrect benign diagnosis.

Current methods fail to meet the needs for handling and transportation of glass slides and paraffin blocks in pathology labs and other settings.

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