A fully automatic slicer
By designing a fully automatic slicer and optimizing the embedding cassette movement structure and cooling components, automated wax trimming and slicing are achieved, solving the continuity problem between the wax trimming and slicing processes and improving slicing efficiency and quality.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411991382.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-12-31
AI Technical Summary
In the current process of pathological tissue sectioning, the continuity between paraffin trimming and sectioning is poor, resulting in high labor intensity for operators and unstable sectioning efficiency and quality.
A fully automatic slicing machine was designed, including a feeding hopper, a wax trimming assembly, a transfer hopper assembly, and a slicing assembly. By optimizing the moving structure of the embedding cassette and the cooling components, the wax trimming and slicing processes are automated. The wax trimming position is optimized by combining an image acquisition unit.
It realizes an automated continuous slicing process without manual operation, reduces the difficulty of operation, improves slicing quality and efficiency, and stabilizes the shape of the wax block through the cooling component to ensure slicing quality.
Smart Images

Figure CN119618711B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of pathological slide processing equipment, and in particular to a fully automatic slide cutter. Background Technology
[0002] When processing pathological tissue sections, the embedding cassette needs to be fixed before the surface of the paraffin block is trimmed (cutting out the area to be sectioned) and sectioned. Currently, a common method is a refrigeration device for a pathological tissue sectioning machine, as disclosed in patent publication number CN211262901U, which completes trimming and sectioning by moving the paraffin block relative to a paraffin scalpel. Currently, trimming, sectioning, and the transfer and fixing of the embedding cassette between these two processes are all done manually. This results in poor continuity between the two processes, high labor intensity for operators, and the embedding cassette is easily affected by ambient temperature or the operator's hand temperature between the two processes, leading to instability in the overall efficiency and quality of the sectioning. Based on this, the applicant has proposed a fully automated sectioning machine. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a fully automatic slicer, which effectively solves the existing problems by optimizing the design of the feeding hopper and the moving structure of the embedding box.
[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a fully automatic slicing machine, comprising: a feeding hopper assembly including a feeding hopper frame, wherein the feeding hopper frame has multiple storage slots spaced apart on a vertical plane for placing embedding cassettes, and the feeding hopper frame can vertically clamp the embedding cassettes at the storage slots, allowing the embedding cassettes to move laterally to the outside of the feeding hopper frame; and a wax trimming assembly including a wax trimming chamber disposed on one side of the feeding hopper frame and a push rod disposed on the other side of the feeding hopper frame, wherein the wax trimming chamber has a first through slot for the embedding cassettes to pass through. The wax trimming chamber is partially open corresponding to the wax block of the embedding box, allowing the wax block of the embedding box to protrude beyond the outer side of the wax trimming chamber. The push rod is configured to move laterally, allowing it to push the embedding box in the storage position into the first through slot. The wax trimming knife assembly includes a wax trimming knife disposed on the lower side of the wax trimming chamber. The transfer chamber assembly includes a transfer chamber disposed on the side of the wax trimming chamber away from the feeding hopper frame, a first cooling element connected to the transfer chamber, and the transfer chamber having a second through slot for the embedding box to pass through. The transducer includes a slicing assembly comprising a slicing chamber located on the side of the transfer chamber away from the loading hopper frame, the slicing chamber having a third through slot for the embedding cassette to pass through, and the slicing chamber being partially open corresponding to the wax block of the embedding cassette so that the wax block of the embedding cassette can protrude from the outside of the slicing chamber; a slicing blade assembly comprising a slicing blade located below the wax trimming chamber; and a receiving hopper assembly located on the side of the slicing chamber away from the loading hopper frame, the receiving hopper assembly being capable of receiving the embedding cassette moved out of the slicing chamber; wherein... The feeding hopper, the push rod, and the wax trimming hopper are configured to move relative to each other in the vertical plane, so that the push rod can push embedding cassettes from different storage positions into the wax trimming hopper; the wax trimming hopper and the wax trimming blade are configured to move relative up and down and relative to each other along the vertical direction of the embedding cassette, so that the wax trimming blade can cut off the wax block of the embedding cassette in the wax trimming hopper; the slicing hopper and the slicing blade are configured to move relative up and down and relative to each other along the vertical direction of the embedding cassette, so that the slicing blade can slice the embedding cassette in the slicing hopper.
[0005] Furthermore, the automatic slicer also includes an image acquisition unit disposed on one side of the wax trimming chamber, the image acquisition unit being configured to acquire images of the wax block embedded in the wax box at the location of the wax trimming chamber.
[0006] Furthermore, the transfer chamber assembly also includes a pusher rod disposed on one side of the transfer chamber and a first driving member that drives the pusher rod to move laterally. The transfer chamber is provided with a through hole into which the pusher rod extends. The pusher rod is configured to be foldable so that when the pusher rod is unfolded, it can push the embedding box toward the slice chamber. When the pusher rod is folded, it can move from the side of the embedding box toward the slice chamber to the side of the embedding box away from the slice chamber.
[0007] Furthermore, the pusher rod includes a connecting portion connected to the first driving member, a rod body rotatably disposed in the connecting portion, and an elastic member disposed between the rod body and the connecting portion.
[0008] Furthermore, the first cooling component is provided on the side of the transfer compartment away from the pusher rod. The first cooling component includes a first heat-conducting sheet connected to the wall of the second channel. The top wall of the second channel is provided with an upper guide groove that cooperates with the body of the embedding box, and the bottom wall is provided with a lower guide groove that cooperates with the body of the embedding box. When the embedding box is located in the second channel, the wax block is located on the side of the embedding box facing the first cooling component.
[0009] Furthermore, the slicing machine also includes a guide chamber disposed between the wax trimming chamber and the feeding chamber frame. The guide chamber has a fourth channel for the embedding box to pass through, and the guide chamber is connected to a second cooling element. The top and bottom walls of the fourth channel are respectively formed with wax scraping parts at the end facing the feeding chamber frame.
[0010] Furthermore, the guide chamber and the transfer chamber are fixed to the frame of the slicer, and the feeding chamber frame is configured to be movable along the vertical plane; the wax repair chamber and the slicing chamber are configured to be movable along the vertical plane.
[0011] Furthermore, the wax trimming chamber and the slicing chamber are respectively mounted on the frame of the slicer via a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes: a mounting frame for mounting the wax trimming chamber or the slicing chamber, and the mounting frame and the frame are arranged to be vertically movable; a drive assembly including a transmission rod rotatably connected to the mounting frame, a drive rod disposed on the transmission rod, a drive disk, and a drive motor for driving the drive disk to rotate, wherein the drive rod is rotatably connected to the drive disk.
[0012] Furthermore, the material receiving bin assembly includes a material receiving bin frame and a robotic arm disposed on the upper side of the material receiving bin frame, and a third driving component that drives the robotic arm to move. The material receiving bin frame is provided with multiple box-holding stations spaced apart in the transverse plane. The robotic arm can move to the position of the slicing bin and clamp the embedding box and move it to the box-holding station.
[0013] Furthermore, the fully automatic slicing machine includes a second driving component that moves the feeding bin frame in the vertical plane; the embedding box protrudes from both sides of the feeding bin frame when it is located in the storage box position; the automatic slicing machine also includes side scrapers respectively disposed on both sides of the feeding bin frame.
[0014] The beneficial effect of this invention is that by optimizing the design of the moving structure of the feeding hopper and the embedding box, the existing problems are effectively solved. Attached Figure Description
[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after removing the outer shell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment shows a partial structural diagram of the transfer compartment after the first cooling component has been removed.
[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the transfer compartment and pusher rod in the embodiment shown.
[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment is shown as a top view of the pusher rod and the first drive component.
[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the guide compartment in the illustrated embodiment.
[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment shows a schematic diagram of the second drive unit with a wax repair chamber installed.
[0022] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of the side scraper position in the embodiment shown.
[0023] The components include: 1. Feeding hopper rack; 2. Storage box position; 3. Wax trimming box; 4. Top rod; 5. Wax trimming knife; 6. Transfer box; 7. First cooling component; 701. First heat conduction plate; 702. First fan; 8. Slicing box; 9. Slicing knife; 10. Embedding box; 1001. Wax block; 11. Image acquisition unit; 12. Push box rod; 1201. Connecting part; 1202. Rod body; 13. First driving component; 14. Through hole; 15. Upper guide groove; 16. Lower guide groove; 17. Guide box; 18. Second cooling component; 19. Scraper. Wax section; 1901, Rubber block; 1902, Wax scraper; 20, Frame; 21, Mounting bracket; 22, Transmission rod; 23, Drive rod; 24, Drive disc; 25, Drive motor; 26, Robot arm; 27, Third drive component; 28, Material receiving bin frame; 29, Material receiving station; 30, Vertical lead screw slider structure; 31, Horizontal belt slider structure; 32, Connecting sleeve; 33, Drive groove; 34, Connecting rod; 35, Connecting plate; 36, Adjustment drive component; 37, Annular groove; 38, Electric spindle; 39, Side scraper. Detailed Implementation
[0024] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of the present invention, a detailed description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.
[0025] It should be noted that many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0026] Furthermore, in the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.
[0027] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral unit; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. However, specifying a direct connection indicates that the two connected entities do not establish a connection relationship through an intermediate structure, but are simply connected to form a whole through a connecting structure. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0028] In this invention, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the first feature "on" or "below" the second feature may be in direct contact with the first and second features, or indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0029] In this invention, such as Figures 1 to 7As shown, a fully automatic slicing machine is provided, including: a feeding hopper assembly, including a feeding hopper frame 1, wherein the feeding hopper frame 1 has a plurality of storage slots 2 for placing embedding cassettes 10 at intervals on the vertical plane, the feeding hopper frame 1 can vertically clamp the embedding cassettes 10 at the storage slots 2, so that the embedding cassettes 10 can be moved laterally to the outside of the feeding hopper frame 1; a wax trimming assembly, including a wax trimming chamber 3 disposed on one side of the feeding hopper frame 1 and a top rod 4 disposed on the other side of the feeding hopper frame 1, the wax trimming chamber 3 having a first through slot for the embedding cassettes 10 to pass through, the wax trimming chamber 3 corresponding to the embedding cassettes. The wax block 1001 of the embedding box 10 is partially open, allowing the wax block 1001 of the embedding box 10 to protrude from the outside of the wax trimming chamber 3. The push rod 4 is configured to move laterally, allowing the push rod 4 to push the embedding box 10 of the storage box position 2 into the first through groove. The wax trimming knife 5 assembly includes a wax trimming knife 5 disposed on the lower side of the wax trimming chamber 3. The transfer chamber assembly includes a transfer chamber 6 disposed on the side of the wax trimming chamber 3 away from the feeding chamber frame 1, and a first cooling element 7 connected to the transfer chamber 6. The transfer chamber 6 is provided with a second through groove for the embedding box 10 to pass through. The slicing assembly includes... The system includes a slicing chamber 8 located on the side of the transfer chamber 6 away from the loading chamber frame 1. The slicing chamber 8 has a third through slot for the embedding cassette 10 to pass through. The slicing chamber 8 is partially open corresponding to the wax block 1001 of the embedding cassette 10, so that the wax block 1001 of the embedding cassette 10 can protrude from the outside of the slicing chamber 8. A slicing blade 9 assembly includes a slicing blade 9 located on the lower side of the wax trimming chamber 3. A receiving chamber assembly is located on the side of the slicing chamber 8 away from the loading chamber frame 1, and the receiving chamber assembly can receive the embedding cassette 10 moved out by the slicing chamber 8. The loading chamber... The shelf 1, the top rod 4, and the wax trimming chamber 3 are configured to move relative to each other in the vertical plane, so that the top rod 4 can push the embedding boxes 10 in different storage positions 2 into the wax trimming chamber 3; the wax trimming chamber 3 and the wax trimming knife 5 are configured to move relative up and down and relative to each other in the vertical direction of the embedding box 10, so that the wax trimming knife 5 can cut off the wax block 1001 of the embedding box 10 in the wax trimming chamber 3; the slicing chamber 8 and the slicing knife 9 are configured to move relative up and down and relative to each other in the vertical direction of the embedding box 10, so that the slicing knife 9 can slice the embedding box 10 in the slicing chamber 8.
[0030] In use, the slicer of the present invention can place the embedding cassette 10 in the storage position 2 of the loading hopper 1. The push rod 4 and the wax trimming chamber 3 correspond to different storage positions 2, allowing the push rod 4 to push the embedding cassette 10 into the wax trimming chamber 3. The wax block 1001 in the embedding cassette 10 protrudes from the outside of the wax trimming chamber 3 and corresponds to the upper side of the wax trimming blade 5. At this time, by adjusting the positions of the wax trimming blade 5 and the embedding cassette 10 relative to each other along the vertical direction of the embedding cassette 10, and then adjusting the positions of the wax trimming chamber 3 and the wax trimming blade 5 relative to each other vertically, the wax trimming of the wax block 1001 can be completed. The wax block 1001, after wax trimming, is pushed into the transfer chamber 6 by the push rod 4 or the dedicated push rod 12. The first cooling element 7 can reduce the temperature of the transfer chamber 6 to further cool the wax block 1001, making the shape of the wax block 1001 stable. During slicing, the embedding cassette 10 can be pushed into the slicing chamber 8 by the push rod 4 or the dedicated push rod 12. At this time, by adjusting the positions of the slicing blade 9 and the embedding cassette 10 relative to each other in the vertical direction along the embedding cassette 10, and then adjusting the positions of the slicing chamber 8 and the wax trimming blade 5 in the vertical direction, the wax block 1001 can be sliced. The sliced embedding cassette 10 can be moved from the wax trimming chamber to the receiving chamber assembly by a dedicated moving component (the robotic arm 26 in the illustrated embodiment, or the push rod 4, or the push rod 12).
[0031] The slicer of this invention can automatically and continuously complete the process from wax trimming to slicing of the embedding cassette 10 without manual operation, reducing the difficulty of operation. It can also automatically load the embedding cassette 10 through the cooperation of the loading rack 1, the push rod 4, and the wax trimming chamber 3. After wax trimming, the embedding cassette 10 is transferred and moved through the transfer chamber 6 while being cooled and solidified again, making the wax block 1001 more stable during slicing and further improving the quality of the slices.
[0032] In a preferred embodiment, a further optimization of the structure of the present invention is that the automatic slicer further includes an image acquisition unit 11 disposed on one side of the wax repair chamber 3, the image acquisition unit 11 being configured to acquire images of the wax block 1001 of the embedding box 10 at the location of the wax repair chamber 3.
[0033] As shown in the figure, an image acquisition unit 11 is set up to acquire images of the paraffin block 1001 before paraffin trimming. When acquiring images of the paraffin block 1001, the position of the paraffin trimming cut can be determined manually (or automatically by image recognition technology), so that the paraffin block 1001 after paraffin trimming can expose the larger area of the pathological tissue edge outline, thereby facilitating the sectioning process and enabling the rapid acquisition of high-quality pathological sections.
[0034] In one embodiment, for image recognition acquired by the image acquisition unit 11, the operator observes the image on a display screen and then controls the relative positions of the wax trimming knife 5 and the wax trimming chamber 3 in the direction perpendicular to the embedding cassette 10 to perform wax trimming operations. Another embodiment involves using a processor to automatically analyze the acquired image through image recognition technology to determine the position of the maximum edge position (wax trimming position) of the wax block 1001 within the wax block 1001, and to determine the position of the wax trimming position relative to the wax trimming chamber 3. At this point, the positions of the wax trimming knife 5 and the wax trimming chamber 3 in the direction perpendicular to the embedding cassette 10 can be automatically adjusted.
[0035] In a preferred embodiment, more specifically regarding the structure of the present invention, the transfer chamber assembly further includes a pusher rod 12 disposed on one side of the transfer chamber 6 and a first driving member 13 that drives the pusher rod 12 to move laterally. The transfer chamber 6 is provided with a through hole 14 into which the pusher rod 12 extends. The pusher rod 12 is configured to be foldable so that when the pusher rod 12 is unfolded, it can push the embedding box 10 toward the slice chamber 8. When the pusher rod 12 is folded, it can move from the side of the embedding box 10 toward the slice chamber 8 to the side of the embedding box 10 away from the slice chamber 8.
[0036] As shown in the figure, the first driving component 13 is configured as a belt conveyor mechanism, and the pusher rod 12 is connected to the belt of the belt conveyor mechanism. Thus, when it is necessary to push the embedding cassette 10 in the transfer chamber 6 towards the slicing chamber 8, the pusher rod 12 can be moved from the right side of the embedding cassette 10 to the left side of the embedding cassette 10. During the movement, the pusher rod 12 folds to avoid the embedding cassette 10. When the pusher rod 12 moves to the left side of the embedding cassette 10, it unfolds, and at this time, the embedding cassette 10 can be moved to the right by moving the pusher rod 12 to move it into the slicing chamber 8.
[0037] In alternative embodiments, other methods can be used to move the embedding cassette 10 within the transfer chamber 6, such as by using a push rod 4 to hold the embedding cassette 10 in place.
[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the foldable structure of the pusher rod 12 in this invention further specifically includes a connecting part 1201 connected to the first driving member 13, a rod body 1202 rotatably disposed in the connecting part 1201, and an elastic member disposed between the rod body 1202 and the connecting part 1201.
[0039] As shown in the figure, the connecting part 1201 has a limiting block on the side facing the transfer chamber 6. When the rod 1202 pushes the embedding box 10 towards the slicing chamber 8, the limiting block can abut against the rod 1202. The rod 1202 and the connecting part 1201 are connected by a rotating shaft. The elastic element includes a torsion spring disposed between the rod 1202 and the connecting part 1201. The torsion spring provides a force for the rod 1202 to rotate towards the limiting part.
[0040] Regarding the folding method of the push-box rod 12, in an optional embodiment, the push-box rod 12 can also be configured as an electric push rod.
[0041] In a preferred embodiment, more specifically regarding the structure of the present invention, the first cooling component 7 is disposed on the side of the transfer chamber 6 away from the pusher rod 12. The first cooling component 7 includes a first heat-conducting sheet 701 connected to the wall of the second through groove. The top wall of the second through groove is provided with an upper guide groove 15 that cooperates with the body of the embedding box 10, and the bottom wall is provided with a lower guide groove 16 that cooperates with the body of the embedding box 10. When the embedding box 10 is located in the second through groove, the wax block 1001 is located on the side of the embedding box 10 facing the first cooling component 7.
[0042] As shown in the figure, after the embedding box 10 is placed in the second through groove, the wax block 1001 is located near the second heat-conducting plate, which allows the second heat-conducting plate to quickly cool the wax block 1001. By setting the upper guide groove 15 and the lower guide groove 16, the embedding box 10 can be guided to move precisely within the second through groove.
[0043] In the illustrated embodiment, the first cooling component 7 includes a first fan 702 connected to the first heat-conducting plate 701, thereby directly cooling the transfer chamber 6 through the first fan 702 and the first heat-conducting plate 701. This is not intended to limit the invention; in optional embodiments, other structural forms may be used, such as the first cooling component 7 employing an existing liquid-cooled radiator structure as the first heat-conducting plate 701 for cooling.
[0044] In a preferred embodiment, more specifically regarding the structure of the present invention, the slicing machine further includes a guide chamber 17 disposed between the wax trimming chamber 3 and the feeding chamber frame 1. The guide chamber 17 has a fourth through slot for the embedding box 10 to pass through. The guide chamber 17 is connected to a second cooling element 18. The top and bottom walls of the fourth through slot are respectively formed with wax scraping portions 19 at the end facing the feeding chamber frame 1.
[0045] As shown in the figure, by setting up a guide chamber 17, the embedding box 10 can be received and guided before entering the wax repair chamber 3. The second cooling element 18 of the guide chamber 17 further cools and solidifies the wax block 1001, thereby reducing the impact of the softening of the wax block 1001 on the quality of the wax repair. Moreover, by using the set wax scraping part 19, residual wax on the top and bottom of the embedding box 10 can be scraped off during the process of the embedding box 10 entering the transfer chamber 6, so as to prevent the residual wax on the top and bottom of the embedding box 10 from obstructing the entry of the embedding box 10 into the wax repair chamber 3.
[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the structure of the guide chamber 17 and the wax scraping section 19 is further specified as follows: the wax scraping section 19 includes a rubber block 1901 connected to the guide chamber 17 and a wax scraping plate 1902 mounted on the rubber block 1901. This allows the elastic deformation capability of the rubber block 1901 to ensure that the wax scraping plate 1902 remains in contact with the embedding box 10 during its entry into the guide chamber 17, thereby improving the wax scraping effect. Simultaneously, the deformability of the rubber block 1901 prevents the embedding box 10 from failing to enter between the two wax scraping sections 19 due to insufficient alignment accuracy.
[0047] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the figure, the structure of the second refrigeration component 18 is the same as that of the first refrigeration component 7. The connection method between the second refrigeration component 18 and the guide compartment 17 is the same as that between the first refrigeration component 7 and the transfer compartment 6, and will not be described again here.
[0048] In a preferred embodiment, more specifically regarding the structure of the present invention, the guide chamber 17 and the transfer chamber 6 are fixed to the frame 20 of the slicer, the feeding chamber frame 1 is configured to be movable along the vertical plane, and the wax repair chamber 3 and the slicing chamber 8 are configured to be movable along the vertical plane.
[0049] As shown in the figure, by fixing the guide chamber 17 to a fixed position on the frame 20, the position of the embedding box 10 being taken out of the feeding chamber frame 1 can be marked by the transfer chamber 6, and the corresponding position of the wax repair chamber 3 in the vertical direction with the transfer chamber 6 can also be marked.
[0050] Regarding the movement of the loading hopper frame 1 in the vertical plane, in the illustrated embodiment, more specifically, as shown in the figure, the loading hopper frame 1 is moved by a second driving component. The second driving component includes a vertical lead screw and slider structure 30 and a horizontal belt and slider structure 31. The loading hopper frame 1 is connected to the slider of the vertical lead screw and slider structure 30, and the vertical lead screw and slider structure 30 is connected to the slider of the horizontal belt and slider structure 31. The vertical lead screw and slider structure 30 achieves horizontal movement through the horizontal belt and slider structure 31. This is not intended to limit the invention. In alternative embodiments, the movement of the loading hopper frame 1 in the vertical plane can also employ other methods, such as a gear and rack two-axis movement mechanism or a belt movement mechanism. This part is a common two-axis movement method in the mechanical field, and will not be described again.
[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, specifically regarding the structure of the present invention, the wax trimming chamber 3 and the slicing chamber 8 are respectively mounted on the frame 20 of the slicer via a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes: a mounting frame 21 for mounting the wax trimming chamber 3 or the slicing chamber 8, and the mounting frame 21 and the frame 20 are arranged to be vertically movable; and a drive assembly including a transmission rod 22 rotatably connected to the mounting frame 21, a drive rod 23 disposed on the transmission rod 22, a drive disk 24, and a drive motor 25 for driving the drive disk 24 to rotate, wherein the drive rod 23 is rotatably connected to the drive disk 24.
[0052] As shown in the figure, in the structure of the present invention, when the mounting frame 21 is at the upper limit position or the lower limit position (at this time, the edge of the wax trimming knife 5 or the slicing knife 9 is at the edge of the wax block 1001), the wax trimming or slicing operation on the wax block 1001 gradually begins. The drive motor 25, while maintaining a uniform rotation speed, can realize the process of the vertical movement speed of the mounting frame 21 gradually accelerating from slow speed and then decelerating back to slow speed. The wax trimming knife 5 or the slicing knife 9 reduces the impact on the wax block 1001 by cutting at low speed. During the gradual separation of the wax trimming knife 5 or the slicing knife 9 from the wax block 1001, the damage to the cut surface and slice is reduced by separating at low speed. The wax cutting process can also have an acceleration phase to increase the wax cutting speed, thereby making it easier for the present invention to control the quality of wax cutting.
[0053] In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 20 is also provided with a rotating shaft coaxial with the drive disk 24. A connecting sleeve 32 is slidably sleeved on the rotating shaft. The drive disk 24 is provided with a drive groove 33 extending radially. The drive rod 23 extends into the drive groove 33. A connecting rod 34 is provided between the connecting sleeve 32 and the drive rod 23. The two ends of the connecting rod 34 are respectively hinged to the drive rod 23 and the connecting sleeve 32. The frame 20 is fixed with a connecting plate 35 that is rotatably engaged with the connecting sleeve 32 and an adjusting drive component 36 that drives the connecting plate 35 to move. By adjusting the drive component 36, the connecting sleeve 32 is driven to move linearly along the rotating shaft, which can adjust the position of the drive rod 23 in the drive groove 33. This allows for vertical adjustment of the upper and lower limit positions of the mounting frame 21.
[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment drive 36 is an electric push rod. The connecting sleeve 32 is provided with an annular groove 37, and the connecting plate 35 extends into the annular groove 37 of the connecting sleeve 32 to drive the connecting sleeve 32 to move.
[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting frame 21 is equipped with a laterally extending electric spindle 38. The wax trimming chamber 3 or the slicing chamber 8 is mounted on the electric spindle 38. The electric spindle 38 is designed to be telescopic, so as to drive the wax trimming chamber 3 or the slicing chamber 8 at the corresponding position to move in the direction perpendicular to the embedding cassette 10. This is not intended to limit the invention. In an optional embodiment, the wax trimming chamber 3 or the slicing chamber 8 can also be fixedly mounted on the mounting frame 21, and the wax trimming knife 5 or the slicing knife 9 can be configured to move in the direction perpendicular to the embedding cassette 10. The wax trimming knife 5 or the slicing knife 9 can be driven to move by an electric push rod.
[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the structure of the present invention is further described in detail as follows: the material receiving bin assembly includes a material receiving bin frame 28 and a robot arm 26 disposed on the upper side of the material receiving bin frame 28, and a third driving member 27 for moving the robot arm 26. The material receiving bin frame 28 is provided with a plurality of box-holding stations 29 spaced apart in the transverse plane. The robot arm 26 can move to the position of the slicing bin 8 and clamp the embedding box 10 and move it to the box-holding station 29.
[0057] As shown in the figure, the material receiving bin rack 28 has multiple top-open slots at the receiving station 29. The robot arm 26 can grasp the embedding cassette 10 from the slicing bin 8 and move it into the slot. This facilitates the collection and aggregation of the embedding cassette 10.
[0058] In a preferred embodiment, to facilitate the management of the embedding cassette 10, a barcode reader can be set in the transfer compartment 6, and a QR code, barcode or NFC tag can be set on the embedding cassette 10. The barcode reader can read the identity information of the embedding cassette 10 to identify the embedding cassette 10 corresponding to the slice during the slicing process. The embedding cassette 10 can also be conveniently placed into the corresponding receiving station 29 by the robotic arm 26.
[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, regarding the gripping and moving structure of the robotic arm 26, more specifically, the robotic arm 26 employs a two-claw type. The robotic arm 26 can extend from the open side of the slicing chamber 8 and clamp and fix it to both sides of the embedding cassette 10. First, it pulls the embedding cassette 10 out linearly, and then moves it to the receiving chamber position. The moving structure of the embedding cassette 10 utilizes a planar track system on the upper side of the receiving chamber frame 28. This is a common moving structure in the art and will not be described in detail here.
[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, more specifically, as shown in the figure, the fully automatic slicing machine includes a second driving component that drives the feeding bin frame 1 to move in the vertical plane; the embedding box 10 protrudes from both sides of the feeding bin frame 1 when it is located in the storage box position 2; the automatic slicing machine also includes side scrapers 39 respectively disposed on both sides of the feeding bin frame 1.
[0061] As shown in the figure, by setting a side scraper 39, residual wax on the side of the embedding box 10 can be scraped off during the vertical movement of the feeding bin frame 1, making the side of the embedding box 10 neat. This reduces the impact of residual wax on the side of the embedding box 10 on the positioning accuracy and clamping stability of the embedding box 10 during the pushing process of the push rod 4 and the clamping movement of the robot arm 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the side scraper is fixed to the frame by an electric push rod, so that the side scraper can abut against or separate from the embedding box.
[0062] In the structure of this invention, the drive of the push rod 4 adopts a belt moving structure. This is not a limitation of this invention. In optional embodiments, other forms may also be adopted, such as an electric push rod.
[0063] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.
[0064] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.
Claims
1. A fully automatic microtome, characterized in that, The automatic slicing machine comprises: an upper storage bin assembly comprising an upper storage bin frame, a plurality of storage positions for placing embedding boxes are arranged on the upper storage bin frame at intervals in the vertical direction, the upper storage bin frame can vertically hold the embedding boxes at the storage positions, so that the embedding boxes can move laterally to the outside of the upper storage bin frame; a wax trimming assembly comprising a wax trimming bin arranged on one side of the upper storage bin frame, a top rod arranged on the other side of the upper storage bin frame, the wax trimming bin has a first through slot for the embedding boxes to pass through, the wax trimming bin is arranged to be open to the part of the wax block of the embedding box, so that the wax block of the embedding box can protrude to the outside of the wax trimming bin, the top rod is arranged to be movable laterally, so that the top rod can push the embedding box at the storage position into the first through slot; a wax trimming knife assembly comprising a wax trimming knife arranged on the lower side of the wax trimming bin; a transfer bin assembly comprising a transfer bin arranged on the side of the wax trimming bin away from the upper storage bin frame, a first refrigeration member connected to the transfer bin, the transfer bin is provided with a second through slot for the embedding boxes to pass through; a slicing assembly comprising a slicing bin arranged on the side of the transfer bin away from the upper storage bin frame, the slicing bin is provided with a third through slot for the embedding boxes to pass through, the slicing bin is arranged to be open to the part of the wax block of the embedding box, so that the wax block of the embedding box can protrude to the outside of the slicing bin; a slicing knife assembly comprising a slicing knife arranged on the lower side of the wax trimming bin; a receiving bin assembly arranged on the side of the slicing bin away from the upper storage bin frame, the receiving bin assembly can receive the embedding boxes moved out of the slicing bin; wherein the upper storage bin frame, the top rod and the wax trimming bin are arranged to be movable relative to each other in the vertical plane, so that the top rod can push the embedding boxes at different storage positions into the wax trimming bin; the wax trimming bin and the wax trimming knife are arranged to be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction of the embedding box, so that the wax trimming knife can cut off the wax block of the embedding box in the wax trimming bin; the slicing bin and the slicing knife are arranged to be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction of the embedding box, so that the slicing knife can slice the embedding box in the slicing bin.
2. The fully automatic microtome according to claim 1, characterized in that The automatic slicing machine further comprises an image acquisition unit arranged on the side of the wax trimming bin, the image acquisition unit is arranged to be able to acquire the image of the wax block of the embedding box at the position of the wax trimming bin.
3. The fully automatic microtome of claim 1, wherein, The transfer bin assembly further comprises a box pushing rod arranged on the side of the transfer bin, a first driving member driving the box pushing rod to move laterally, the transfer bin is provided with a through hole for the box pushing rod to extend into, the box pushing rod is arranged to be foldable, so that when the box pushing rod is unfolded, it can push the embedding box to move towards the slicing bin, and when the box pushing rod is folded, it can move from the side of the embedding box away from the slicing bin to the side of the embedding box towards the slicing bin.
4. The fully automatic microtome of claim 3, wherein The box pushing rod comprises a connecting portion connected to the first driving member, a rod body rotatably arranged on the connecting portion, and an elastic member arranged between the rod body and the connecting portion.
5. The fully automatic microtome of claim 3, wherein The first refrigerating part is arranged on the side of the transfer bin away from the push box rod, and comprises a first heat-conducting sheet connected to the groove wall of a second through groove; The top wall of the second through groove is provided with an upper guide groove matched with the box body of the embedding box, and the bottom wall is provided with a lower guide groove matched with the box body of the embedding box, and when the embedding box is located in the second through groove, the wax block is located on the side of the embedding box facing the first refrigerating part.
6. The fully automatic microtome of claim 1, wherein, The slicer further comprises a guide bin arranged between the wax trimming bin and the upper loading bin frame, the guide bin has a fourth through groove for the embedding box to pass through, and the guide bin is connected with a second refrigerating part; The top wall and the bottom wall of the fourth through groove are respectively formed with a wax scraping part at the end facing the upper loading bin frame.
7. A fully automatic microtome according to claim 6, characterized in that The guide bin and the transfer bin are fixed to the rack of the slicer, and the upper loading bin frame is arranged to be movable along the vertical plane; the wax trimming bin and the slicing bin are arranged to be movable along the vertical plane.
8. A fully automatic microtome according to claim 7, characterized in that The wax trimming bin and the slicing bin are respectively installed in the rack of the slicer through a driving mechanism, and the driving mechanism comprises: a mounting frame for mounting the wax trimming bin or the slicing bin, and the mounting frame is arranged to be movable along the vertical plane relative to the rack; a driving assembly comprising a transmission rod rotatably connected to the mounting frame, a driving rod arranged on the transmission rod, a driving disc, and a driving motor driving the driving disc to rotate, and the driving rod is rotatably connected to the driving disc.
9. The fully automatic microtome of claim 1, wherein, The material receiving bin assembly comprises a material receiving bin frame and a mechanical hand arranged on the upper side of the material receiving bin frame, a third driving part driving the mechanical hand to move, the material receiving bin frame is spaced apart in the horizontal plane and comprises a plurality of box receiving stations, and the mechanical hand can move to the slicing bin position and clamp and move the embedding box to the box receiving station.
10. The fully automatic microtome of claim 1, wherein, The full-automatic slicer comprises a second driving part driving the upper loading bin frame to move in the vertical plane; the embedding box protrudes from both sides of the upper loading bin frame when located in the box storage position; and the automatic slicer further comprises side scrapers respectively arranged on both sides of the upper loading bin frame.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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CN211262901U
Automatic wax repairing machine
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CN119704296A