Material moving control method, pathological section scanner and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a material moving control method, a pathological section scanner and a computer readable storage medium, and the method comprises the steps: controlling a first clamping jaw to transfer a section at a first carrying position to an objective table, and controlling a scanning assembly to scan the section transferred by the first clamping jaw; after it is determined that a slice exists in a second carrying position, in response to a scanning completion signal, the first clamping jaw is controlled to transfer the slice on the objective table to the first carrying position, and the second clamping jaw is controlled to transfer the slice on the second carrying position to the objective table; and the scanning assembly is used for scanning the slices transferred by the second clamping jaw. The objective of the invention is to solve the problem of low working efficiency of a pathological section scanner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a material transfer control method, a pathological slice scanner, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Existing pathology slice scanners can automatically scan pathology slices and generate full-frame digital images of pathology slices, making it convenient for pathologists to view pathology images on computers, and can support remote diagnosis and automatic image processing and analysis based on artificial intelligence.

[0003] During the actual scanning process, the pathology slice scanner needs to scan a large number of slices. However, most of the pathology slice scanners need to clamp and scan the slices one by one. After the slice scanning is completed, the next slice is clamped for scanning, which leads to low working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner and affects the efficiency of pathology analysis. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a material transfer control method, a pathology slice scanner and a computer-readable storage medium, aiming to solve the problem of low working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material moving control method, which is applied to a pathology slice scanner, wherein the pathology slice scanner comprises a material moving component, a slice rack, a stage, and a scanning component, wherein the material moving component comprises a first clamp and a second clamp, and the slice rack comprises a plurality of positions for placing slices, and the method comprises:

[0006] Controlling the first clamp to transfer the slice at the first position to the stage, and controlling the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first clamp;

[0007] After determining that there is a slice in the second position, in response to a scan completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0008] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a pathology slice scanner, which includes a material moving component, a slice rack, a stage and a scanning component, the material moving component includes a first clamp and a second clamp, the slice rack includes a plurality of positions for placing slices, and the pathology slice scanner includes a memory and a processor; the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to implement the material moving control method described above when executing the computer program.

[0009] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the material transfer control method as described above is implemented.

[0010] The embodiment of the present application provides a material transfer control method, which controls the first clamp to transfer the slices in the first position to the stage, and controls the scanning component to scan the slices transferred by the first clamp; after determining that there are slices in the second position, in response to a scanning completion signal, controls the first clamp to transfer the slices on the stage to the first position, and controls the second clamp to transfer the slices in the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slices transferred by the second clamp. By controlling the first clamp and the second clamp to cooperate with each other to clamp the slices to transfer the slices in the slice rack, the slices in the slice rack can be quickly transferred to the scanning component for scanning, so that the scanning component is basically in a working state, thereby improving the working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner, and then improving the efficiency of pathology analysis.

[0011] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pathology slice scanner provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a pathology slice scanner provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a pathology slice scanner provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a pathology slice scanner provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a pathology slice scanner provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 6 It is a schematic flow chart of a material transfer control method provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] It should also be understood that the terms used in this specification of the present application are only for describing specific realities. In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate the orientation or position relationship based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0021] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0022] Before introducing the material moving control method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the structure of the pathology slice scanner is first introduced. The material moving control method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to the pathology slice scanner.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the present application provides a pathology slice scanner 1000, including a material moving component 200, a slice rack 300, a scanning component 600 and a frame 100, wherein the material moving component 200, the slice rack 300, the stage 500 and the scanning component 600 are all installed in the frame 100. Among them, the material moving component 200 is used to move the slice 400 in the slice rack 300 to the stage 500, and / or to move the slice 400 scanned on the stage 500 to the slice rack 300, and the slice rack 300 includes a plurality of positions for placing the slice 400, generally, each position can place a slice 400, the stage 500 is used to place the slice 400 to be scanned, and the scanning component 600 is used to scan the slice 400 on the stage 500. For example, the stage 500 can be controlled to move to the scanning area in the scanning component 600 to scan the slice 400 on the stage 500, or the scanning component 600 can be controlled to move above the stage 500 so that the scanning area in the scanning component 600 scans the slice 400 on the stage 500. The pathological slice scanner 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application can quickly and accurately replace the slice 400, which not only reduces the labor cost, but also improves the working efficiency of the pathological slice scanner 1000, and also reduces the fragmentation rate of the slice 400, solving the problem that most pathological slice scanners 1000 are not set to automatically replace the slice 400, or the problem that the pathological slice scanner 1000 is expensive and complicated in structure due to the setting of automatic replacement of the slice.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, in an optional embodiment, the material moving assembly 200 includes at least a first clamp 210 and a second clamp 220. The material moving assembly 200 provided in the embodiment of the present application can utilize the double clamps to clamp the slices 400, thereby improving the efficiency of slice retrieval, so that the slices 400 in the slice rack 300 can be quickly transferred to the scanning assembly 600 for scanning, which greatly saves the waiting time during the clamping process of the slices 400, speeds up the scanning speed of the slices 400, and improves the working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner 1000.

[0025] It should be noted that the material moving assembly 200 may include one clamping jaw or multiple clamping jaws, and the number of the clamping jaws is not specifically limited.

[0026] like Figure 3As shown, in an optional embodiment, the material moving assembly 200 also includes a moving part 230, and the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 are arranged on the moving part 230, and the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 are arranged at intervals. The first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 are both used to realize the transfer of slices 400 between the stage 500 and the slice rack 300, so that the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 can alternately take and place the slices 400 in the slice rack 300, shortening the waiting time between slices 400 and slices 400 during the clamping process and improving the clamping efficiency.

[0027] It should be noted that the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 can be set on the same movable member 230, in which case the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 can be simultaneously controlled by the same movable member 230; the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 can also be set on different movable members 230, in which case the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 need to be respectively controlled by different movable members 230. Preferably, in order to save volume and cost, the first jaw 210 and the second jaw 220 are generally controlled simultaneously by the same movable member 230, which is not specifically limited here.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, in an optional embodiment, the pathological slice scanner 1000 further includes a detection component 700, which is mounted on the frame and is used to detect the loading status information in the slice rack 300, so that the material moving component 200 can move the slice 400 in the slice rack 300 according to the loading status information detected by the detection component 700. The loading status information may include status information of whether there is a slice 400 in the loading position, and may also include status information of whether the slice status of the slice 400 in the loading position is abnormal, etc., which is not limited in the present application.

[0029] The material moving component 200 can move the corresponding slice 400 in the slice rack 300 to the stage 500 for scanning according to the detected loading status information in the slice rack 300, and then move the scanned slice 400 from the stage 500 to the corresponding loading position of the slice rack 300, without the need for manual correction by the operator, which not only saves time and improves work efficiency; but also avoids accidents caused by the material moving component 200 during the process of transferring the slice 400, such as the problem of the slice 400 falling during the transfer, or the slice 400 tipping and tilting during the transfer, or the risk of the slice 400 being clamped and broken during clamping due to the abnormal state of the slice 400 in the slice rack 300, and the inability of the material moving component 200 to transfer, etc., thereby fully improving safety, ensuring that the slice 400 can be accurately transferred to the stage 500 for scanning, and ensuring work efficiency.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, in an optional embodiment, the detection component 700 includes a camera 710, which is arranged on the upper side of the slice rack 300 in the first direction, and is used to capture image information of the slice rack 300, wherein the image information may be a top view image of the slice rack 300. The position of the camera 710 corresponds to the position of the slice rack 300, so that the camera 710 can identify the slice rack 300 at one time without having to identify each one; and then the camera 710 transmits the captured image information to the controller of the pathological slice 400 scanner 1000, so that the controller can perform state detection on multiple load positions in the slice rack 300 according to the image information, obtain load position state information, and transfer the slices 400 in the slice rack 300 according to the load position state information, so that the load position state information of each load position in the slice rack 300 can be accurately detected to ensure the safety of the slices 400, which is conducive to improving the working efficiency of the pathological slice 400 scanner 1000.

[0031] like Figure 4 As shown, in an optional embodiment, the pathology slice scanner 1000 further includes a base 800 for placing the slice rack 300 and a clamping assembly 900 for limiting the position of the slice rack 300. The clamping assembly 900 is disposed on the base 800, and the detection assembly 700 is used to detect the slice rack 300 placed in the base 800.

[0032] Exemplarily, the clamping assembly 900 can abut against the side wall of the slice rack 300 under the drive of an external force to form a limit. The clamping assembly 900 can move along the second direction to limit the slice rack 300 in the receiving groove of the base 800, thereby clamping the slice rack 300, avoiding the slice rack 300 from moving relative to the base 800, and preventing the slice rack 300 from shaking during the transportation process, thereby affecting the detection result of the detection assembly 700. The entire structure is simple and reliable, and easy to operate, which improves the versatility of the pathology slice 400 scanner 1000. The second direction is a direction perpendicular to the plane of the slice 400 placed in the slice rack.

[0033] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 1 is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a pathology slice scanner 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 In the present invention, the pathological slice scanner 1000 includes a processor 1001 and a memory 1002, wherein the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 are connected via a bus, and the bus can be any applicable bus such as an I2C (Inter-integrated Circuit) bus.

[0034] The memory 1002 may include a storage medium and an internal memory. The storage medium may store an operating system and a computer program. The computer program includes program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed, the processor may execute the material transfer control method described in any embodiment.

[0035] The processor 1001 is used to provide computing and control capabilities to support the operation of the entire pathology slice scanner 1000 .

[0036] The processor 1001 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other types of processors such as programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, and discrete hardware components. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or a general-purpose processor may be any conventional processor.

[0037] The processor 1001 is used to run the computer program stored in the memory 1002, and implements the following steps when executing the computer program:

[0038] The first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice at the first position to the stage, and the scanning component is controlled to scan the slice transferred by the first clamp; after determining that there is a slice in the second position, in response to a scanning completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice at the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0039] In some embodiments, after determining that there is a slice in the second loading position, the processor 1001 controls the first gripper to transfer the slice on the stage to the first loading position in response to a scanning completion signal, and controls the second gripper to transfer the slice in the second loading position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second gripper, and is used to implement:

[0040] After determining that there is a slice in the second position, the second clamp is controlled to move the slice in the second position to the scanning preparation area; in response to the scanning completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to move the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to move the slice in the scanning preparation area to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0041] In some embodiments, before controlling the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first gripper, the processor 1001 is used to implement:

[0042] Controlling the scanning component to focus the slice transferred by the first clamping jaw;

[0043] When the processor 1001 controls the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first gripper, it is used to implement:

[0044] In response to the focus completion signal, the scanning component is controlled to scan the slices that have completed focus; wherein the focus completion signal is generated later than the completion time of the slices at the second position being transferred to the scanning preparation area.

[0045] In some embodiments, when the processor 1001 controls the first gripper to transfer the first slice to the stage, it is configured to:

[0046] Control the first clamping jaw to move to a first clamping position, the first clamping position is any position of the first carrier in the first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the plane where the stage is located; control the first clamping jaw to move to a second clamping position in the first direction, the second clamping position is the position corresponding to the two sides of the slice of the first carrier; control the first clamping jaw to clamp the slice of the first carrier, and transfer the slice of the first carrier to the stage.

[0047] In some embodiments, the processor 1001 is further configured to implement:

[0048] Obtain a preset clamping angle when the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw is located at a first clamping position; when the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw moves from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, detect the clamping angle of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw; if it is determined that the angle deviation value between the clamping angle of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw and the preset clamping angle exceeds a preset angle threshold, redetermine the first clamping position.

[0049] In some embodiments, the processor 1001 is further configured to implement:

[0050] When the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw moves from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, detecting the moving distance of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw in the first direction;

[0051] If the moving distance of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw in the first direction does not reach a preset distance threshold, a slicing warning signal is generated.

[0052] In some embodiments, the material moving assembly further includes a moving member, a first clamp and a second clamp are arranged on the moving member, and the first clamp and the second clamp are arranged at intervals; when the processor 1001 controls the first clamp to move the slice on the stage to the first loading position, and controls the second clamp to move the slice at the second loading position to the stage, so that the scanning assembly scans the slice moved by the second clamp, it is used to implement:

[0053] The movable part is controlled to move the first clamp to the stage so that the first clamp grabs the slice after scanning from the stage; the movable part is controlled to move the second clamp to the stage so that the second clamp transfers the slice at the second loading position to the stage; the movable part is controlled to move the first clamp to the first loading position so that the first clamp places the slice after scanning at the first loading position.

[0054] In some embodiments, the pathology slide scanner further includes a base for placing a slide rack and a clamping assembly for limiting the position of the slide rack; the processor 1001 is further configured to implement:

[0055] When the clamping assembly switches from the separated state to the abutted state, the moving distance of the clamping assembly is determined; the type of the slice rack is determined according to the moving distance of the clamping assembly; and the slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the type of the slice rack.

[0056] In some embodiments, the processor 1001 is further configured to implement:

[0057] Acquire image information of the slice rack; perform status detection on multiple loading positions in the slice rack according to the image information to obtain loading position status information; and transfer the slices in the slice rack according to the loading position status information.

[0058] In some embodiments, when the processor 1001 detects the status of multiple loading positions in the slice rack according to the image information and obtains the loading position status information, it is used to implement:

[0059] Feature extraction is performed on the image information to obtain slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack; preset coordinate information of multiple load positions is obtained, and the loading state information of the multiple load positions is determined according to the preset coordinate information and the slice coordinate information.

[0060] In some embodiments, the slice coordinate information includes a first slice coordinate and a second slice coordinate. When the processor 1001 determines the loading state information of a plurality of loading positions according to the preset coordinate information and the slice coordinate information, it is used to implement:

[0061] For any carrier, the first slice detection information of the carrier is determined according to the first slice coordinates and the preset coordinate information; the second slice detection information of the carrier is determined according to the second slice coordinates and the preset coordinate information; and the slice status information of the carrier is determined according to the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information.

[0062] In some embodiments, when determining the loaded slice state information according to the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information, the processor 1001 is configured to implement:

[0063] If the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information both indicate that a slice is detected, the loaded slice status information is determined to be in a normal state; if the first slice detection information and / or the second slice detection information indicates that a slice is not detected, the loaded slice status information is determined to be in an abnormal state.

[0064] In some embodiments, after determining that the loaded slice status information is in an abnormal state, the processor 1001 is further configured to implement:

[0065] If both the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information indicate that no slice is detected, it is determined that no slice exists at the carrier; if the first slice detection information indicates that a slice is detected and the second slice detection information indicates that no slice is detected, it is determined that an abnormal slice exists at the carrier.

[0066] In some embodiments, when the processor 1001 extracts features from the image information and obtains the slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack, it is used to implement:

[0067] A horizontal projection histogram is generated according to the image information; feature extraction is performed according to the horizontal projection histogram to obtain the slice spot features of each slice in the slice rack; and slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack is generated according to the slice spot features.

[0068] In some embodiments, after acquiring the image information of the slice rack, the processor 1001 is further configured to implement:

[0069] A vertical projection histogram is generated according to image information; feature points are extracted from the vertical projection histogram to obtain a first feature point and a second feature point; the type of the slice rack is determined according to the distance between the first feature point and the second feature point; and slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the type of the slice rack.

[0070] After briefly introducing the structure of the pathological slice scanner provided in the embodiment of the present application, some implementation methods of the material transfer control method provided in the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments and features of the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict. Figure 6 , Figure 61 is a schematic flow chart of a material moving control method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The material moving control method is applied to the pathological slice scanner described in the above embodiment, and its specific structure can be referred to the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0071] After the pathology slice scanner receives the instruction to scan the slices in the slice rack, the pathology slice scanner will control the material moving component to move the slices in the slice rack. The specific process of moving the slices in the slice rack through the material moving component will be described below.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown, the material moving control method may include steps S101 to S102.

[0073] Step S101: Control the first clamp to transfer the slice at the first position to the stage, and control the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first clamp.

[0074] The first loading position may be the first position of the slice rack for placing slices, or may be any position of the slice rack for placing slices, which is not specifically limited here.

[0075] Specifically, after the pathology slice scanner receives an instruction to scan the slices in the slice rack, it can first determine whether there are slices in each loading position of the slice rack. After determining that there is a slice in the first loading position, the pathology slice scanner will control the first clamp to transfer the slice in the first loading position to the stage, and control the scanning component to scan and process the slice on the stage (i.e., the slice transferred by the first clamp).

[0076] Exemplarily, the pathology slice scanner can control the stage to move to the scanning area within the scanning component to scan the slice on the stage, and the pathology slice scanner can also control the scanning component to move above the stage so that the scanning area within the scanning component scans the slice on the stage.

[0077] Step S102: After determining that there is a slice in the second position, in response to a scan completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0078] The second loading position may be the second position of the slice rack for placing slices, or may be any position of the slice rack for placing slices except the first loading position, which is not specifically limited here.

[0079] Illustratively, the pathology slice scanner can control the second jaw to clamp the slice in the second load position after determining that there is a slice in the second load position and before receiving the scanning completion signal of the slice in the first load position; after receiving the scanning completion signal, it can control the first jaw to transfer the slice on the stage to the first load position, and control the second jaw to transfer the slice in the second load position clamped by the second jaw to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second jaw.

[0080] Illustratively, the pathology slice scanner can also control the first clamp to clamp the slice on the stage and transfer it to the first stage after determining that there is a slice in the second position and after receiving the scanning completion signal of the slice in the first position, while controlling the second clamp to clamp the slice in the second position and transfer it to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0081] Illustratively, the pathology slice scanner can also control the first clamp to clamp the slice on the stage and transfer it to the first stage after determining that there is a slice in the second stage and after receiving the scanning completion signal of the slice in the first stage, and then control the second clamp to clamp the slice in the second stage and transfer it to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0082] Exemplarily, if the pathology slice scanner determines that there is no slice in the second position, it determines whether there is a slice in the third position and other positions in the slice rack, until it is determined that there is a slice in a certain position, and then controls the second clamp to clamp the slice in the corresponding position; if the pathology slice scanner determines that there is no slice in the other positions of the slice rack, it controls the second clamp to stop working.

[0083] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application describe the process of the first clamp and the second clamp respectively clamping the slices at the first load position and the slices at the second load position, and for the slices at the third load position, the fourth load position and other remaining load positions in the slice rack, the corresponding slice clamping process can refer to the slice clamping process at the first load position and the slice clamping process at the second load position, and will not be repeated here.

[0084] The embodiment of the present application provides a material transfer control method, by controlling the first clamp and the second clamp to cooperate with each other to clamp the slice to transfer the slice in the slice rack, so that the slice in the slice rack can be quickly transferred to the scanning component for scanning, so that the first clamp and the second clamp can alternately take and place the slice in the slice rack, shortening the waiting time between slices during the clamping process, and at the same time, the cooperation of the first clamp and the second clamp can make the slice be placed in the original load position, and can also avoid collision of slices, and can also realize sequential scanning, which is easy to control, thereby improving the clamping efficiency, and making the scanning component basically in a working state, thereby improving the working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner, and further improving the efficiency of pathology analysis.

[0085] In some embodiments, after determining that there is a slice in the second position, the second clamp is controlled to move the slice in the second position to the scanning preparation area; in response to a scanning completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to move the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to move the slice in the scanning preparation area to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0086] Among them, the scanning preparation area is a temporary placement area for slices before scanning, for example, it can be an area that is in the same plane as the stage and located near the stage, so that after the slices in the first position are scanned, the slices in the second position can be quickly transferred to the stage, so that the first clamp and the second clamp can alternately take and place the slices in the slice rack, shortening the waiting time between slices during the clamping process, improving the clamping efficiency, and making the scanning component basically in working condition, thereby improving the working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner.

[0087] Specifically, after determining that there is a slice in the second position and before the scanning completion signal of the slice taken out by the first clamp is generated, the second clamp is first controlled to clamp the slice in the second position and transfer the slice in the second position to the scanning preparation area; in response to the scanning completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to clamp the slice on the stage and transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0088] The scanning completion signal is generally generated after the scanning component completes scanning the slice on the stage, so as to notify the pathology slice scanner to control the material moving component to move the slice on the stage to the slice rack. The generation time of the scanning completion signal is later than the completion time of the slice of the second position being moved to the scanning preparation area, so as to ensure that the slice of the second position is already waiting for scanning in the scanning preparation area before the slice of the first position is scanned, thereby maximizing the clamping efficiency of the first clamp and the second clamp.

[0089] Exemplarily, after the pathology slice scanner receives an instruction to scan the slices in the slice rack, the first jaw is controlled to transfer the slices in the first position to the stage, and the scanning component is controlled to scan the slices on the stage (i.e., the slices transferred by the first jaw); after determining that there are slices in the second position and before the scanning completion signal of the slices transferred by the first jaw is generated, the second jaw is controlled to clamp the slices in the second position and transfer the slices in the second position to the scanning preparation area; in response to the scanning completion signal, the first jaw is controlled to clamp the slices on the stage and transfer the slices on the stage to the first position, and the second jaw is controlled to transfer the slices in the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slices transferred by the second jaw.

[0090] In some embodiments, before controlling the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first clamp, the scanning component is controlled to focus the slice transferred by the first clamp, and in response to a focus completion signal, the scanning component is controlled to scan the slice after the focus is completed; wherein, the generation time of the focus completion signal is later than the completion time of the slice of the second carrier being transferred to the scanning preparation area.

[0091] The focus completion signal is generally generated after the scanning component has completed focusing on the slice on the stage, so as to notify the pathology slice scanner to control the scanning component to scan the slice on the stage.

[0092] Specifically, the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the first position to the stage, the scanning component is controlled to focus the slice on the stage, and after determining that there is a slice in the second position and before the focus completion signal is generated, the second clamp is controlled to clamp the slice in the second position and transfer the slice in the second position to the scanning preparation area; in response to the focus completion signal, the scanning component is controlled to scan the slice that has completed focusing.

[0093] Among them, the generation time of the scanning completion signal is later than the completion time of the slice of the second carrier being transferred to the scanning preparation area, so that before the slice of the first carrier completes focusing, the slice of the second carrier is already waiting for scanning in the scanning preparation area, thereby ensuring that during the scanning of the slice of the first carrier, the first clamp and the second clamp remain stationary, which can avoid the vibration generated in the process of clamping the slice by the first clamp and the second clamp to affect the slice scanning result, thereby improving the scanning accuracy of the slice.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first clamp is controlled to move to a first clamp position, which is any position of the first position in the first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the plane where the stage is located; the first clamp is controlled to move to a second clamp position in the first direction, which is a position corresponding to the two sides of the slice of the first position; the first clamp is controlled to clamp the slice of the first position, and transfer the slice of the first position to the stage. In this way, the clamp can be controlled to accurately clamp the slice in the slice holder.

[0095] Among them, the first clamping position is any position of the slice holder in the first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the plane where the stage is located. For example, the first clamping position can be above the slice holder in the first direction, and the second clamping position is the position corresponding to both sides of the slice held in the slice holder. At the second clamping position, the clamping part of the clamp can be controlled to clamp the slice held in the slice holder.

[0096] For example, the first clamping jaw can be controlled to move to the top of the first carrier, i.e., the first clamping position; then the first clamping jaw can be controlled to move in the first direction to both sides of the slice of the first carrier, i.e., the second clamping position; the first clamping jaw can be controlled to clamp the slice of the first carrier, and transfer the slice of the first carrier to the stage.

[0097] It should be noted that the process of controlling the first jaw to clamp the slices in the remaining positions and controlling the second jaw to clamp the slices is similar to the process of controlling the first jaw to clamp the slices in the first position. Please refer to the specific embodiment of the first jaw clamping the slices in the first position, which will not be repeated here.

[0098] In some embodiments, a preset clamping angle when the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw are located at a first clamping position is obtained; when the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw moves from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, the clamping angle of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw is detected; if it is determined that the angle deviation value between the clamping angle of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw and the preset clamping angle exceeds a preset angle threshold, the first clamping position is re-determined. In this way, it can be accurately determined whether the clamping jaw has an angle deviation during the movement process of clamping the slice, so as to avoid the clamping jaw from directly hitting the slice or the slice rack, resulting in slice fragments or damage to the slice rack.

[0099] Among them, the preset clamping angle is a pre-set clamping angle, which can be determined according to the slice inclination angle in the slice rack. The preset clamping angle is generally consistent with the slice inclination angle, such as 1-10°, etc., thereby ensuring the inclined setting of the slice in the slice rack, which is convenient for the slice to be taken out of the slice rack. The preset angle threshold can be determined according to factors such as the slice specifications, for example, it can be 0.1-1°. If the clamping jaws encounter an obstacle in the process of moving from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, such as encountering a side scratch, etc., the preset clamping angle will be offset, which may cause damage to the slice or the slice rack.

[0100] Exemplarily, taking the example of the first jaw clamping a slice at the first load, when the first jaw moves from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, the real-time clamping angle of the first jaw is detected, and it is determined whether the angle deviation value between the real-time clamping angle of the first jaw and the preset clamping angle exceeds the preset angle threshold; if it is determined that the angle deviation value between the real-time clamping angle of the first jaw and the preset clamping angle exceeds the preset angle threshold, the first clamping position is re-determined; if it is determined that the angle deviation value between the real-time clamping angle of the first jaw and the preset clamping angle does not exceed the preset angle threshold, the slice at the first load is clamped by the first jaw.

[0101] For example, assuming that the preset angle threshold is 0.1°, if the real-time clamping angle of the first jaw is detected to be 1°, and the preset clamping angle is 0.1°, it can be determined that the angle deviation between the real-time clamping angle of the first jaw and the preset clamping angle exceeds the preset angle threshold, then the first jaw needs to be controlled to stop moving to the second clamping position and redetermine the first clamping position.

[0102] It should be noted that, whether the slice on the loading position is clamped by the clamp or the slice on the loading platform is placed back to the corresponding loading position by the clamp, the clamp needs to be controlled to move from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, so the real-time clamping angle needs to be detected. In addition, the clamping angle detection process of the second clamp is similar to that of the first clamp, and the specific embodiment of the clamping angle detection of the first clamp can be referred to, which will not be repeated here.

[0103] In some embodiments, when the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw moves from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, the moving distance of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw in the first direction is detected; if the moving distance of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw in the first direction does not reach a preset distance threshold, a slice warning signal is generated. In this way, it can be accurately determined whether the clamping jaw can move in the first direction without hindrance during the movement process of clamping the slice, so as to avoid the clamping jaw from directly hitting the slice or the slice rack, resulting in slice fragments or damage to the slice rack.

[0104] Among them, the preset distance threshold is a preset moving distance, which can be determined according to the first clamping position and the second clamping position, and the preset distance threshold can be 5-500um, etc. If the clamping jaws encounter an obstacle during the process of moving from the first clamping position to the second clamping position and cannot continue to move to the second clamping position, then the moving distance of the clamping jaws in the first direction must not reach the preset distance threshold, and continuing to move may cause damage to the slice or the slice rack. The slice warning signal is used to notify the pathology slice scanner to control the clamping jaws to stop moving to the second clamping position to avoid the clamping jaws from hitting the slice or the slice rack head-on, resulting in slice fragments or damage to the slice rack.

[0105] Exemplarily, taking the example of the first jaw clamping the slice at the first load, when the first jaw moves from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, the movement distance of the first jaw in the first direction is detected to determine whether the movement distance of the first jaw in the first direction reaches a preset distance threshold; if it is determined that the movement distance of the first jaw does not reach the preset distance threshold, a slice warning signal is generated; if it is determined that the movement distance of the first jaw reaches the preset distance threshold, the slice at the first load is clamped by the first jaw.

[0106] For example, assuming that the preset distance threshold is 40um, if the movement distance of the first jaw in the first direction is 30um, and the real-time movement distance of the first jaw in the first direction at the next moment does not increase, it can be determined that the movement distance of the first jaw has not reached the preset distance threshold, and a slicing warning signal is generated to control the first jaw to stop moving further to the second clamping position.

[0107] It should be noted that, whether the slice on the loading position is clamped by the clamp or the slice on the loading stage is placed back to the corresponding loading position by the clamp, the clamp needs to be controlled to move from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, so the moving distance needs to be detected. In addition, the moving distance detection process of the second clamp is similar to the moving distance detection process of the first clamp, and the specific embodiment of the moving distance detection of the first clamp can be referred to, which will not be repeated here.

[0108] In some embodiments, the first clamp is controlled to move to the stage so that the first clamp grabs the slice after scanning from the stage; the second clamp is controlled to move to the stage so that the second clamp transfers the slice at the second position to the stage; the first clamp is controlled to move to the first position so that the first clamp places the slice after scanning at the first position. In this way, after the slice at the first position is scanned, the slice at the first position can be quickly removed, and the slice at the second position can be quickly transferred to the stage, so that the scanning component is always in working state, thereby improving the working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner.

[0109] Specifically, the pathology slice scanner can first control the first jaw to move to the stage, and control the first jaw to clamp the slice after scanning from the stage; then control the second jaw to move to the stage, and place the slice at the second position on the stage, so that the scanning component is always in working condition; finally, control the first jaw to move to the first position, and then control the first jaw to place the slice after scanning at the first position.

[0110] It should be noted that after controlling the first clamp to clamp the slice after scanning from the stage, it is necessary to first control the second clamp to move to the stage and place the slice of the second position on the stage to ensure that the scanning component is always in working condition. During this process, the first clamp can first place the slice of the first position in the scanning completion area to wait, or directly place the slice of the first position back to the first position, which is not specifically limited here. In addition, the first clamp and the second clamp can be set on the same moving part or on different moving parts, and both can quickly transfer the slice of the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component is always in working condition, thereby improving the working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner, which is not specifically limited here.

[0111] In some embodiments, when the material transfer assembly further includes a moving part, the first clamp and the second clamp are arranged on the same moving part, and the first clamp and the second clamp are arranged at intervals, the moving part is controlled to move the first clamp to the stage so that the first clamp grabs the slice after scanning from the stage; the moving part is controlled to move the second clamp to the stage so that the second clamp transfers the slice at the second loading position to the stage; the moving part is controlled to move the first clamp to the first loading position so that the first clamp places the slice after scanning at the first loading position. In this way, the first clamp and the second clamp can be controlled to transfer the slice at the same time by the moving part, thereby saving the volume and cost of the pathology slice scanner.

[0112] The first clamp and the second clamp are arranged on the same moving part, that is, the pathology slice scanner can drive the first clamp and the second clamp to move synchronously by controlling the movement of the moving part.

[0113] Specifically, the pathology slice scanner can first control the movement of the movable part to drive the first clamping jaw that has not clamped the slice to move to the stage. At this time, the second clamping jaw clamping the slice at the second load position will also move synchronously to the corresponding area, and control the first clamping jaw to clamp the slice after scanning from the stage. Then, control the movement of the movable part to drive the second clamping jaw to move to the stage. At this time, the first clamping jaw clamping the slice after scanning will also move synchronously to the scanning completion area to wait. At this time, control the second clamping jaw to place the slice at the second load position on the stage. After the slice at the second load position is placed on the stage, control the movement of the movable part to drive the first clamping jaw to move to the first load position, and then control the first clamping jaw to place the slice after scanning at the first load position. On the one hand, the same moving part drives the first clamp and the second clamp to move synchronously, which simplifies components and avoids the problems of collision and fragmentation that may be caused by multiple drives; on the other hand, the first clamp and the second clamp alternately clamp and remove the slices in the first load position and the second load position, thereby maximizing the working efficiency of the first clamp and the second clamp and the scanning component on the stage, and the scanning component is always in working condition, thereby improving the working efficiency of the pathology slice scanner.

[0114] It should be noted that, since the first clamp and the second clamp are arranged on the same moving member, the first clamp and the second clamp follow the moving member and move synchronously during the movement of the moving member. In addition, even if the first clamp and the second clamp are respectively controlled by different moving members, the above-mentioned control method can be adopted, and the first clamp and the second clamp can alternately take and place the slices in the slice rack, which shortens the waiting time between slices in the clamping process and improves the clamping efficiency.

[0115] In some embodiments, when the pathology slice scanner further includes a base for placing a slice rack and a clamping assembly for limiting the position of the slice rack, when the clamping assembly switches from a separated state to an abutting state, the moving distance of the clamping assembly is determined; the type of the slice rack is determined according to the moving distance of the clamping assembly; and the slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the type of the slice rack. In this way, the type of the slice rack can be accurately determined, so that the material transfer assembly can accurately transfer the slices in the slice rack.

[0116] The separation state is a state in which the pressing assembly and the side wall of the slice frame are separated, and the contact state is a state in which the pressing assembly and the side wall of the slice frame are contacted.

[0117] For example, before the slices in the slice rack are transferred, that is, before the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slices in the first position to the stage, the clamping assembly is first controlled to switch from the separated state to the abutted state, and the moving distance of the clamping assembly is determined; the type of the slice rack is determined according to the moving distance of the clamping assembly; and finally, the slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the type of the slice rack. Since the type of the slice rack is generally fixed, and different types of slice racks have different lengths, the type of the slice rack can be determined by detecting the moving distance of the clamping assembly.

[0118] Exemplarily, when the clamping assembly switches from a separated state to an abutted state, the moving distance of the clamping assembly is determined to be 40 mm; at this time, it can be determined that the type of the slice rack is a short slice rack, that is, a slice rack that stores a small number of slices. Therefore, in the subsequent process of transferring the slices in the slice rack, the slices in the slice rack can be transferred according to the number of slices stored in the slice rack.

[0119] In some embodiments, image information of the slice rack is obtained; status detection of multiple positions in the slice rack is performed based on the image information to obtain position status information; and slices in the slice rack are transferred based on the position status information. In this way, the position status information of each position in the slice rack can be accurately determined to accurately transfer the slices in the slice rack.

[0120] The position status information is used to indicate whether there are slices in each position in the slice rack, whether the slices on the position are abnormal, etc. The image information is obtained by taking pictures with the camera of the detection component, and the image information is generally a top view image of the slice rack.

[0121] Exemplarily, before transferring the slices in the slice rack, that is, before controlling the first clamp to transfer the slices in the first position to the stage, the image information of the slice rack can be obtained first; based on the image information, it can be detected whether there are slices in multiple positions in the slice rack to obtain the slice storage information of each position; for the positions where slices exist, it can be further detected whether the slices on the positions are abnormal, and finally the position status information is comprehensively generated, and the slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the position status information. If the position status information shows that there are slices in the position and the slices are normal, the clamp can be controlled to clamp the slices in the position; if the position status information shows that there are no slices or there are abnormal slices in the position, the clamp can be controlled to skip the position when clamping, or the operator can be prompted to rearrange the slices.

[0122] In some embodiments, after acquiring the image information of the slice rack, a vertical projection histogram is generated according to the image information; feature points are extracted from the vertical projection histogram to obtain a first feature point and a second feature point; the type of the slice rack is determined according to the distance between the first feature point and the second feature point; and the slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the type of the slice rack. Thus, the type of the slice rack can be accurately determined according to the image information of the slice rack, so that the material transfer component can accurately transfer the slices in the slice rack.

[0123] The vertical projection histogram can display the pixel distribution of the image in the vertical direction and is used to detect the structure in the vertical direction. Therefore, it can be used to detect the two ends of the slice rack to determine the type of the slice rack. The first feature point is the feature point on the left side of the vertical projection histogram that is higher than the pixel threshold, and the second feature point is the feature point on the right side of the vertical projection histogram that is higher than the pixel threshold.

[0124] Specifically, the pixel values ​​of each column of the image information are added to obtain a vertical projection histogram. The feature points above the pixel threshold on the left side of the vertical projection histogram are determined as the first feature points, and the feature points above the pixel threshold on the right side of the vertical projection histogram are determined as the second feature points. The first feature point and the second feature point can be approximately considered as the two ends of the slice rack. Therefore, the type of the slice rack can be determined by calculating the distance between the first feature point and the second feature point, and finally the type of the slice rack is used to transfer the slices in the slice rack.

[0125] For example, if the distance between the first feature point and the second feature point is calculated to be 107 mm, the type of the slicer rack can be determined to be a long slicer rack; if the distance between the first feature point and the second feature point is calculated to be 75 mm, the type of the slicer rack can be determined to be a short slicer rack.

[0126] It should be noted that the correspondence between the distance between the first feature point and the second feature point and the slice rack can be set according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited here.

[0127] In some embodiments, feature extraction is performed on the image information to obtain slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack; preset coordinate information of multiple positions is obtained, and the position state information of the multiple positions is determined based on the preset coordinate information and the slice coordinate information. In this way, the position state information of the multiple positions can be accurately determined based on the slice coordinate information.

[0128] The slice coordinate information is used to indicate the position information of the slice, and the preset coordinate information of the carrier is used to indicate the position information of each carrier.

[0129] Specifically, feature extraction can be performed on the image information to obtain slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack; the difference between the slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice and the preset coordinate information of each carrier is determined; if the difference between the slice coordinate information corresponding to a certain slice and the preset coordinate information of a certain carrier is less than the preset coordinate difference, it is determined that a slice exists at the carrier; if the difference between the slice coordinate information corresponding to a certain slice and the preset coordinate information of a certain carrier is not less than the preset coordinate difference, it is determined that no slice exists at the carrier; finally, abnormal status detection is performed on each slice, and finally the carrier status information of multiple carriers is generated.

[0130] Exemplarily, assuming that the preset coordinate difference is 40, if the slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack is detected to be 110 and 280 respectively, if the preset coordinate information of the first carrier is 100, then the difference between the slice coordinate information and the preset coordinate information of the first carrier is 10, which is less than the preset coordinate difference, and it is considered that there is a slice in the first carrier; the preset coordinate information of the second carrier is 200, then the difference between the slice coordinate information and the preset coordinate information of the first carrier is 90 and 80, which is greater than the preset coordinate difference, and it is considered that there is no slice in the second carrier; the preset coordinate information of the third carrier is 300, then the difference between the slice coordinate information and the preset coordinate information of the first carrier is 20, which is less than the preset coordinate difference, and it is considered that there is a slice in the third carrier.

[0131] It should be noted that, since the image information is generally a top view image of the slice rack, the slice coordinate information only needs to use the horizontal coordinate for comparison. Of course, multi-dimensional coordinates can also be used for comparison, which is not specifically limited here.

[0132] In some embodiments, a horizontal projection histogram is generated based on image information; feature extraction is performed based on the horizontal projection histogram to obtain the slice spot features of each slice in the slice rack; and slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack is generated based on the slice spot features. Thus, the slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack can be accurately extracted.

[0133] Among them, the horizontal projection histogram can show the pixel distribution of the image in the horizontal direction, which is used to detect the structure in the horizontal direction, and can therefore be used to determine the slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice. The slice spot feature is used to represent the contour and other features of the slice.

[0134] Specifically, the pixel values ​​of each row of the image are added to obtain a projection histogram in the horizontal direction; the ROI area is intercepted in the horizontal projection histogram, and the slice spot features of each slice in the slice frame are extracted in the ROI area, and the slice spot features are enhanced by image processing methods such as binarization and expansion corrosion. Finally, the spot center coordinates of each slice spot feature are calculated as the slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice frame.

[0135] In some embodiments, the slice coordinate information includes a first slice coordinate and a second slice coordinate. For any position, the first slice detection information of the position is determined according to the first slice coordinate and the preset coordinate information; the second slice detection information of the position is determined according to the second slice coordinate and the preset coordinate information; and the slice state information of the position is determined according to the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information. In this way, the presence or absence of the slice and the placement state of the slice in the position can be accurately detected.

[0136] The first slice detection information of the carrier may indicate whether a slice is detected at the first position of the carrier, and the second slice detection information of the carrier may indicate whether a slice is detected at the second position of the carrier. The first slice coordinate is the coordinate of the slice at the first position, and the second slice coordinate is the coordinate of the slice at the second position. The first position and the second position are different, and are generally on opposite sides of the carrier and the slice. Taking the slice as an example, the first position may be on the left side of the plane where the slice is located, and the second position may be on the right side of the plane where the slice is located.

[0137] Specifically, for any carrier, first determine the difference between the first slice coordinates corresponding to each slice and the preset coordinate information of the carrier; if the difference between the first slice coordinates corresponding to a slice and the preset coordinate information of the carrier is less than the preset coordinate difference, then determine that there is a slice at the first position of the carrier; if the difference between the first slice coordinates corresponding to a slice and the preset coordinate information of the carrier is not less than the preset coordinate difference, then determine that there is no slice at the first position of the carrier; then determine the difference between the second slice coordinates corresponding to each slice and the preset coordinate information of the carrier; if the difference between the second slice coordinates corresponding to a slice and the preset coordinate information of the carrier is less than the preset coordinate difference, then determine that there is a slice at the second position of the carrier; if the difference between the second slice coordinates corresponding to a slice and the preset coordinate information of the carrier is not less than the preset coordinate difference, then determine that there is no slice at the second position of the carrier.

[0138] Exemplarily, assuming that the preset coordinate difference is 40, for the first carrier, the preset coordinate information of the first carrier is 100, if it is detected that the first slice coordinates corresponding to each slice in the slice rack are 110 and 280 respectively, then the difference between the first slice coordinate and the preset coordinate information of the first carrier is 10, which is less than the preset coordinate difference, that is, it is considered that there is a slice at the first position of the first carrier; for the second carrier, the preset coordinate information of the second carrier is 200, if it is detected that the second slice coordinates corresponding to each slice in the slice rack are 130 and 320 respectively, then the difference between the second slice coordinate and the preset coordinate information of the first carrier is 70 and 120, which is greater than the preset coordinate difference, that is, it is considered that there is no slice at the second position of the second carrier.

[0139] In some embodiments, if the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information both indicate that a slice is detected, the state information of the loaded slice is determined to be in a normal state; if the first slice detection information and / or the second slice detection information indicate that a slice is not detected, the state information of the loaded slice is determined to be in an abnormal state. Thus, the state information of the loaded slice can be accurately determined by the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information.

[0140] The normal state indicates that there are slices in the carrier and the slices are normal and can be clamped by the clamp normally. The abnormal state indicates that there are no slices in the carrier, or there are slices in the carrier, but there are abnormal conditions such as oblique insertion slices and fragments in the carrier.

[0141] Specifically, if the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information both indicate that a slice is detected, then it means that a slice is detected at both the first position and the second position of the carrier, and the slice status information of the carrier is considered to be in a normal state; if the first slice detection information and / or the second slice detection information indicates that a slice is not detected, then it means that a slice is not detected at the first position and / or the second position of the carrier, and it is determined that the slice status information of the carrier is in an abnormal state.

[0142] In some embodiments, after determining that the slice status information of the carrier is in an abnormal state, if the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information both indicate that no slice is detected, it is determined that no slice exists in the carrier; if the first slice detection information indicates that a slice is detected and the second slice detection information indicates that no slice is detected, it is determined that an abnormal slice exists in the carrier.

[0143] Among them, abnormal slices may include slices with abnormal conditions such as fragments, oblique inserts, etc.

[0144] Specifically, if the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information both indicate that no slice was detected, it means that no slice was detected at the first position and the second position of the carrier, and it can be determined that no slice exists at the carrier, and the clamp can be controlled to skip the carrier to clamp the slice; if the first slice detection information indicates that a slice was detected and the second slice detection information indicates that no slice was detected, it means that a slice was detected at the first position of the carrier, but not at the second position, and at this time there may be fragments or obliquely inserted slices at the carrier, and the user can be notified to correct the slice position of the slice rack to avoid damaging the slice.

[0145] The pathology slice scanner provided in the embodiment of the present application can also perform a status detection on the loading position in the slice rack before transferring the slices in the slice rack, thereby enabling the material transfer component to transfer the slices in the slice rack according to the loading position status information, thereby avoiding the situation where the material transfer component clamps the slices in an abnormal state, causing the slices to break, and thus making it impossible to ensure the safety of the slice specimens, and can improve the accuracy, efficiency and safety of slice clamping.

[0146] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, which includes program instructions, and the processor executes the program instructions to implement any material transfer control method provided in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the computer program is loaded by the processor and can execute the following steps:

[0147] The first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the first position to the stage, and the scanning component is controlled to scan the slice transferred by the first clamp; after determining that there is a slice in the second position, in response to a scanning completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

[0148] The specific implementation of the above operations can be found in the previous embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0149] The computer-readable storage medium may be an internal storage unit of the robot in the aforementioned embodiment, such as a hard disk or memory of the robot. The computer-readable storage medium may also be an external storage device of the robot, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (Smart Media Card, SMC), a secure digital card (Secure Digital, SD), a flash card (Flash Card), etc. equipped on the robot.

[0150] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. It can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0151] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0152] The disclosure above provides many different embodiments or examples to realize the different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the parts and settings of specific examples are described above. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present application. In addition, the present application can repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and this repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, which itself does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the various specific processes and material examples provided by the present application, but those of ordinary skill in the art can be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0153] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

Claims

1. A material transfer control method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a pathology slice scanner, the pathology slice scanner comprises a material moving component, a slice rack, a stage and a scanning component, the material moving component comprises a first clamp and a second clamp, the slice rack comprises a plurality of positions for placing slices, and the method comprises: Controlling the first clamp to transfer the slice at the first position to the stage, and controlling the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first clamp; After determining that there is a slice in the second position, in response to a scan completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the second position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After determining that there is a slice in the second loading position, in response to a scanning completion signal, controlling the first clamp to transfer the slice on the stage to the first loading position, and controlling the second clamp to transfer the slice in the second loading position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp, comprising: After determining that there is a slice in the second position, controlling the second clamp to transfer the slice in the second position to the scanning preparation area; In response to the scan completion signal, the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice in the scan preparation area to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Before controlling the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first clamp, the method further includes: Controlling the scanning component to focus the slice transferred by the first clamp; The controlling the scanning component to scan the slice transferred by the first gripper comprises: In response to a focus completion signal, the scanning component is controlled to scan the slice that has completed focusing; wherein the focus completion signal is generated later than the completion time of the slice of the second carrier being transferred to the scanning preparation area.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling the first clamp to transfer the first slice to the stage comprises: Controlling the first clamping jaw to move to a first clamping position, wherein the first clamping position is any position of the first carrier in a first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the plane where the stage is located; Controlling the first clamping jaw to move in the first direction to a second clamping position, wherein the second clamping position is a position corresponding to two sides of the slice at the first position; The first clamp is controlled to clamp the slice at the first position, and transfer the slice at the first position to the stage.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Acquire a preset clamping angle when the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw is located at a first clamping position; When the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw moves from the first clamping position to the second clamping position, detecting a clamping angle of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw; If it is determined that the angle deviation between the clamping angle of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw and the preset clamping angle exceeds a preset angle threshold, the first clamping position is re-determined.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw moves from a first clamping position to a second clamping position, detecting a moving distance of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw in the first direction; If the moving distance of the first clamping jaw and / or the second clamping jaw in the first direction does not reach a preset distance threshold, a slicing warning signal is generated.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling the first clamp to transfer the slice on the stage to the first loading position, and controlling the second clamp to transfer the slice at the second loading position to the stage, so that the scanning component scans the slice transferred by the second clamp, comprises: Controlling the first clamp to move to the stage so that the first clamp grabs the scanned slice from the stage; Controlling the second clamp to move to the stage, so that the second clamp transfers the slice at the second position to the stage; The first clamp is controlled to move to the first loading position, so that the first clamp places the slice after scanning at the first loading position.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The material transfer assembly further includes a moving member, the first clamp and the second clamp are arranged on the moving member, and the first clamp and the second clamp are arranged at intervals; the first clamp is controlled to transfer the slice on the stage to the first position, and the second clamp is controlled to transfer the slice at the second position to the stage, so that the scanning assembly scans the slice transferred by the second clamp, including: Controlling the moving member to move the first clamp to the stage, so that the first clamp grabs the scanned slice from the stage; Controlling the moving member to move the second clamp to the stage, so that the second clamp transfers the slice at the second position to the stage; The moving member is controlled to move the first clamp to the first loading position, so that the first clamp places the slice after scanning at the first loading position.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pathological slice scanner further includes a base for placing a slice rack and a clamping assembly for limiting the position of the slice rack; the method further includes: When the clamping assembly switches from a separated state to an abutted state, determining a moving distance of the clamping assembly; Determining the type of the slicer frame according to the moving distance of the pressing assembly; The slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the type of the slice rack.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Acquiring image information of the slice rack; Performing status detection on a plurality of loading positions in the slice rack according to the image information to obtain loading position status information; The slices in the slice rack are transferred according to the loading state information.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The step of detecting the states of multiple loading positions in the slice rack according to the image information to obtain loading position state information includes: Extracting features from the image information to obtain slice coordinate information corresponding to each slice in the slice rack; The preset coordinate information of the plurality of carriers is acquired, and the carrier state information of the plurality of carriers is determined according to the preset coordinate information and the slice coordinate information.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The slice coordinate information includes a first slice coordinate and a second slice coordinate, and determining the loading state information of the plurality of loading positions according to the preset coordinate information and the slice coordinate information includes: For any one of the positions, determining first slice detection information of the position according to the first slice coordinates and the preset coordinate information; Determine the second slice detection information of the carrier according to the second slice coordinates and the preset coordinate information; The slice status information of the carrier is determined according to the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The determining the loaded slice state information according to the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information includes: If both the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information indicate that a slice has been detected, determining that the loaded slice state information is in a normal state; If both the first slice detection information and the second slice detection information indicate that no slice is detected, determining that no slice exists at the loading position; If the first slice detection information indicates that a slice is detected and the second slice detection information indicates that a slice is not detected, it is determined that an abnormal slice exists at the carrier.

14. A pathological slice scanner, characterized in that: The pathological slice scanner comprises a material moving component, a slice rack, a stage and a scanning component, wherein the material moving component comprises a first clamp and a second clamp, and the slice rack comprises a plurality of positions for placing slices; the pathological slice scanner comprises a memory and a processor; The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is used to implement the material transfer control method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 when executing the computer program.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the material transfer control method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is implemented.

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