A fully automatic pathological tissue sectioning machine

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of biological sample processing, and in particular to an automatic pathological tissue sectioning machine, comprising a section stripping device, the section stripping device is provided with a first temperature control device, the control temperature of the first temperature control device is not higher than 20 DEG C; a section transmission device, comprising an adhesive tape for carrying a target section in an unwound state, the adhesive tape is composed of a material that can be dissolved in water or alcohol, and the adhesive tape comprises a support layer and an adhesive layer with a temperature-sensitive adhesive, the adhesive force of the temperature-sensitive adhesive at a temperature lower than 20 DEG C is higher than the adhesive force of the temperature-sensitive adhesive at a temperature of 35 DEG C to 45 DEG C; and a section separation device, provided with a second temperature control device, the control temperature of the second temperature control device is 35 DEG C to 45 DEG C. The wax block embedded with pathological tissue can be automatically sectioned to produce a white section, replacing the traditional water bath sectioning, fishing sectioning and baking sectioning steps, simplifying the white section production process and reducing manual operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of biological sample processing technology, and specifically to a fully automated pathological tissue slide preparation machine that automatically prepares white slides from a wax block containing a pathological tissue sample. Background Technology

[0002] In the pathological diagnosis process, tissue samples need to be embedded in paraffin to form a paraffin block, and then the paraffin block is cut into thin slices to make white slides for subsequent staining and observation.

[0003] Traditional methods for preparing white slides of pathological tissue involve manual steps such as water bath spreading, slide retrieval, and slide baking. Water bath spreading requires precise control of temperature and time, slide retrieval requires manual transfer, and slide baking requires manual monitoring. These steps are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also prone to inconsistent slide quality due to variations in operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a fully automated pathological tissue slide preparation machine designed to address one or more of the problems described above, as well as other potential problems.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a fully automated pathological tissue slide preparation machine is provided, comprising: a slide peeling device for peeling a target slide containing a tissue sample from a paraffin block embedded with a tissue sample, the slide peeling device being provided with a first temperature control, the first temperature control being controlled at a temperature not exceeding 20°C; a slide transport device for collecting the target slide and transporting the target slide to a slide separation device, wherein the slide transport device includes an adhesive tape for carrying the target slide in an unfolded state, the adhesive tape being composed of a material soluble in water or alcohol, and the adhesive tape including a support layer and an adhesive layer having a temperature-sensitive adhesive, the temperature-sensitive adhesive having a higher adhesive force at temperatures below 20°C than the temperature-sensitive adhesive having an adhesive force at temperatures between 35°C and 45°C; and a slide separation device for separating the target slide from the slide transport device and adhering it to a glass slide to form a white slide of the tissue sample, the slide separation device being provided with a second temperature control, the second temperature control being controlled at a temperature between 35°C and 45°C.

[0006] In some embodiments, the slice transfer device includes: a first roller for mounting the adhesive tape, the first roller being located upstream of the slice peeling device; a second roller for retrieving the adhesive tape, the second roller being located downstream of the slice separation device, the second roller being provided with a third temperature control, and the temperature of the third temperature control not exceeding 5°C; and a third roller for cooperating with the slice peeling device to transfer the target slice peeled from the wax block in an unfolded state to the adhesive tape, the third roller being located at the slice peeling device.

[0007] In some embodiments, the support layer is a PVA / PEG composite material, and the back of the support layer is provided with friction textures to increase friction.

[0008] In some embodiments, the temperature-sensitive adhesive is a PVA / paraffin composite material, and the surface of the adhesive layer is provided with a microporous adsorption array, wherein the diameter of the micropores is 3-6 μm and the spacing between adjacent micropores is 8-12 μm.

[0009] In some embodiments, the surface of the third rotating wheel is provided with a first micro-airbag array; and the first micro-airbag array includes a front end for applying a first pressure and a rear end for applying a second pressure, the front end contacting the target slice being peeled off at the slice peeling device before the rear end, and the first pressure being less than the second pressure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first pressure is 8 kPa-12 kPa, the second pressure is 28 kPa-32 kPa, and the applied pressure of the airbag gradually increases from the front end of the first micro-airbag array to the rear end of the first micro-airbag array.

[0011] In some embodiments, a second micro-airbag array is disposed in the tape drive path between the slicing peeling device and the slicing separation device, the second micro-airbag array facing the adhesive layer of the tape, for applying a pressure of 18-22 kPa to the tape.

[0012] In some embodiments, the slice separation device includes: a worktable, including a worktable surface parallel to the tape between the third and second rollers, the worktable surface including a support area for carrying a glass slide and a cutting area located around the support area, the height of the support area being less than the height of the cutting area; and a slice separation head for moving toward the worktable surface to separate and transfer the portion of the tape to which the target slice is attached to the glass slide, the slice separation head including a pressing head corresponding to the loading area and a cutting head corresponding to the cutting area.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cutting head is provided with a fourth temperature control element, the fourth temperature control element having a control temperature of 30°C-60°C, and the fourth temperature control element further includes a temperature sensor for detecting the blade temperature of the cutting head.

[0014] In some embodiments, the pressing head includes a flexible silicone layer with a honeycomb microstructure on its surface. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings by way of example and not limitation.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fully automated pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an adhesive tape according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a slice transmission apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the cooperation between the slicing and peeling device and the second rotary wheel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second rotating wheel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a film preparation system with a second micro-airbag array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the separation process of the target slice and the slice transfer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a slicing separation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 9 Showing according to Figure 8 A top view of the workbench in the image.

[0025] Figure 10 It shows according to Figure 8 A top view of the slice separation head in the image.

[0026] In the various figures, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0028] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0029] As mentioned earlier, traditional methods for preparing white slides of pathological tissue require manual steps such as water bath spreading, retrieval, and baking. Water bath spreading requires precise temperature and time control, retrieval requires manual transfer of the slides, and baking requires manual monitoring. These steps are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also prone to inconsistent slide quality due to operational variations. In particular, pathological tissue slides are typically ultrathin slides with a thickness of less than 10 μm, making them susceptible to curling or breakage due to mechanical forces or temperature. For example, in related prior art, the water temperature needs to be controlled between 42-47°C during spreading; too low a temperature will prevent the slides from spreading properly. Due to their thinness, improper handling during spreading can easily lead to edge breakage, central cracks, or complete fragmentation. To address this, embodiments of this disclosure provide a fully automated pathological tissue slide preparation machine that can automatically slice paraffin blocks embedded with pathological tissue into white slides, replacing the traditional water bath spreading, retrieval, and baking steps, simplifying the white slide preparation process and reducing manual operation. The principle of the fully automated pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fully automated pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 1As shown, the fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine 1 includes a slide peeling device 10, a slide transport device 20, and a slide separation device 30. The slide peeling device 10 is used to cut a target slide 401 containing the pathological tissue sample from a wax block 40 containing the pathological tissue sample using a blade or laser. The slide transport device 20 is used to collect the target slide 401 peeled from the wax block 40 at the slide peeling device 10 and transport the target slide 401 to the slide separation device 30. The slide separation device 30 is used to separate the target slide 401 from the slide transport device and adhere it to a glass slide 50. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the slide transfer device 20 includes an adhesive tape 201 for carrying a target slide 401 in an unfolded state. The unfolded target slide 401 is transported to a slide separation device 30 by moving the adhesive tape 201. The slide separation device 30 can separate the target slide 401 on the adhesive tape 201, along with the adhesive tape carrying the target slide 401, from the slide transfer device 20 and transfer it to a glass slide 50, so that the target slide 401 and the glass slide 50 combine to form a white slide of the pathological sample tissue. The prepared white slide is subsequently stained. Through the combination of dye and tissue components, the colorless white slide is transformed into a high-contrast color image, providing a basis for pathological diagnosis. Water and alcohol are commonly used reagents in the staining process of the white slide. In order to reduce the adverse effects of the adhesive tape carrying the target slide 401 on the staining effect and unfolded morphology of the slide during subsequent staining and observation, in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the adhesive tape 201 is composed of a material that can be dissolved in water or alcohol, so that the white slide can be dissolved by water or alcohol during the subsequent staining process. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an adhesive tape according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, as follows. Figure 2As shown, in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the tape 201 may include a support layer 211 and an adhesive layer 212 with a temperature-sensitive adhesive. The temperature-sensitive adhesive has a higher adhesive strength at 20°C than at 35-45°C. A first temperature control component is provided at the slice peeling device to control the temperature to not exceed 20°C, and a second temperature control component is provided at the slice separation device to control the temperature within the range of 35°C (inclusive) to 45°C (inclusive). The first temperature control component ensures that the tape at the slice peeling device is in a 20°C environment, and the second temperature control component ensures that the tape at the slice separation device is in a 35-45°C environment. At the slice peeling device, the adhesive strength of the tape is greater, making it easier for the target slice separated from the wax block to adhere to the adhesive layer of the tape and be transferred as the tape moves. At the slice separation device, the adhesive strength of the tape is lower, preventing the target slice from cracking or deforming due to the movement of the tape during the transfer from the tape to the glass slide. In this way, the target slide remains unfolded as the tape moves and is transferred from the slide transport device to the glass slide. The preparation of white slides no longer requires the steps of water bath unfolding, slide retrieval, and slide baking, and will not have any adverse effects on subsequent staining steps.

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a slice transmission apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 3As shown, the slicing transfer device 20 also includes a first rotating wheel 202, a second rotating wheel 203, and a third rotating wheel 204. Adhesive tape is wound around the first, second, and third rotating wheels. Through the friction between the tape and the rotating wheels, the tape can move between the three rotating wheels as they rotate. Specifically, the first rotating wheel 202 is equipped with a disc-shaped roll of adhesive tape, with the adhesive layer of the tape facing away from the rotation center of the wheel. The first rotating wheel 202 is installed upstream of the slicing peeling device 10. The second rotating wheel 203 is located at the slicing peeling device 10 and cooperates with it to transfer the target slice peeled from the wax block at the slicing peeling device 10 in an unfolded state to the adhesive tape. The third rotating wheel 204 is located downstream of the slicing separation device 30 and can be driven to rotate, thereby winding the adhesive tape that has passed through the slicing separation device onto it, achieving tape recycling. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the third roller is provided with a third temperature control device to control the temperature to not exceed 5°C, so that the tape is in a low-temperature environment not exceeding 5°C, which can cure the temperature-sensitive adhesive on the support layer of the tape, allowing the support layer and adhesive layer of the tape to separate, and simplifying the subsequent recycling of the tape. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the first roller 202 can be installed above the slicing peeling device, the second roller 203 is arranged facing the cutting component of the slicing peeling device, and the third roller 204 is arranged behind the second roller 203. The tape 201 passes around the first roller 202 (counterclockwise) and the second roller 203 (clockwise) in different directions, and passes around the second roller 203 and the third roller 204 in the same direction. In this way, the tape can protrude at an angle towards the component in the slicing peeling device used to peel the target slice, so that the target slice is gradually peeled from the wax block and gradually adsorbed by the adhesive layer of the tape, thereby being transferred to the tape 201 in an unfolded state.

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the cooperation between the slicing and peeling device and the second rotary wheel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, as follows. Figure 4As shown, in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the slicing and peeling device 10 includes a blade holder 101 with a triangular side profile. A blade for cutting the wax block 40 is mounted on the top of the blade holder, with the blade's cutting edge facing upwards and fixed to the blade holder 103. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the first temperature control element may be a cooling plate 104 fixed upstream of the blade. The cooling plate 104 can output cold air below 15°C towards the tape, so that the temperature of the adhesive layer of the tape after passing through the cooling plate 104 can be maintained below 20°C. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a heating film, such as a graphene heating film, is attached to the back of the blade to cover the blade area. The temperature of the blade area is controlled to be between 30°C and 60°C by the heating film, and the heating temperature of the heating film can be controlled by an electric current. In this way, the blade temperature can be adjusted for different slice thicknesses; for example, a 5μm slice requires a heating temperature of 40°C, a 10μm slice requires a heating temperature of 50°C, and the greater the thickness, the higher the heating temperature, resulting in a smoother cutting surface. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the slicing and peeling device 10 further includes a wax block mounting groove 102 for fixing the wax block 40. The wax block mounting groove is provided with a fixing structure for engaging and fixing the wax block. For example, the fixing structure can be a slot that is horizontally oriented towards the opening of the large film holder. The inner diameter of the slot matches the outer diameter of the wax block, so that the wax block can be fixed in the slot. The wax block mounting groove 103 is connected to a driving mechanism 103, which can drive the wax block mounting groove to move up and down. Since the slot has a horizontal opening, the fixing of the wax block is not affected during the up and down movement of the wax block mounting groove. As the wax block passes the blade from top to bottom, the wax block will be cut into two parts by the blade. The first part 402 is still fixed in the slot, and the second part is separated from the first part 402 at the blade. The second rotating wheel is mounted facing the blade. Through the drive mechanism, the second rotating wheel can be driven to rotate together with the tape attached to its surface. Adjusting the rotation speed of the second rotating wheel to match the speed at which the wax block mounting groove 103 moves from top to bottom can make the second part separated from the blade gradually adhered and fixed by the adhesive layer of the tape, and finally separated from the wax block in the wax block mounting groove to form the target slice 401 collected by the tape.

[0033] In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the support layer 211 of the tape can be a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) / PEG (polyethylene glycol) composite material. For example, the support layer can be a blend obtained by mixing PVA powder and PEG powder in a certain proportion, adding water or ethanol solvent, heating to dissolve, and then coating. Alternatively, it can be a copolymer or grafted modified product obtained by chemically bonding (such as esterification) by grafting PEG onto PVA molecules. PVA has good film-forming ability and mechanical strength, which facilitates the formation of a uniform and tough support layer. The flexible segments of PEG can lower the glass transition temperature of PVA, reducing the brittleness of the support layer. In this way, PVA can provide a rigid skeleton for the support layer, and PEG can improve the flexibility of the support layer, making the support layer both strong and ductile, and not easy to break. In addition, the property of PEG to absorb and retain moisture can provide a moist environment for the target slices, maintaining the sample activity or morphological integrity. Both PVA and PEG are soluble in water. Therefore, the white slices can be dissolved by water or alcohol in the subsequent staining process, and the recycled tape can be degraded by washing with water or gentle heating. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the back side of the support layer may also be provided with friction texture to increase friction, which can enhance the friction between the tape and the roller, making it less likely for the two to undergo relative displacement.

[0034] In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the temperature-sensitive adhesive of the adhesive layer 212 can be a PVA / paraffin composite material. PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is a water-soluble polymer that can form a strong hydrogen bond network at low temperatures (e.g., 20°C), providing high adhesion. When the temperature rises to the melting point of paraffin (typically 40-60°C), the hydrogen bond network of PVA partially dissociates, and the adhesion decreases. Paraffin is solid at low temperatures and can form physical crosslinks with PVA, enhancing adhesion. At 35-45°C, paraffin begins to soften or melt, losing its solid support function, and the adhesion significantly decreases. In this way, the temperature-sensitive adhesive composed of PVA / paraffin composite material has the characteristic that the adhesion at 20°C is higher than the adhesion at 35-45°C. Simultaneously, the PVA matrix in the temperature-sensitive adhesive is soluble in hot water or alcohol, while paraffin can be dispersed or dissolved by alcohol. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the mass ratio of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) to paraffin can be adjusted between 4:1 and 7:3 according to the actual application scenario. For example, PVA, as the main adhesive matrix of the PVA / paraffin composite material, can account for 60-80% by mass in the composite material; paraffin microparticles, as a temperature-sensitive regulator, can account for 20-40% by mass in the composite material. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, plasticizers such as glycerol can be added to the composite material to improve the flexibility of the tape under low-temperature conditions (e.g., below 20°C). In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, surfactants such as Tween 50 can also be added to the composite material to promote the uniform dispersion of paraffin microparticles and PVA. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the thickness of the adhesive layer can be 50-100 μm, which can ensure sufficient adhesion without affecting the observation of tissue sections. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a microporous adsorption array can be formed on the surface of the adhesive layer. The size of the microporous adsorption array is approximately the same as the size of the target section. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the size of the micropores in the array is between 3-6 μm, and the spacing between adjacent micropores is between 8-12 μm, which is more suitable for positioning and adsorbing the target section.

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second rotary wheel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. During the transfer of the target slice from the slice peeling device to the adhesive tape, insufficient contact between the slice edge or localized areas and the adhesive layer of the tape may occur, resulting in slight curling. For example... Figure 5As shown, in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the surface of the second rotating wheel 203 is provided with a first micro-airbag array 231. The first micro-airbag array includes a plurality of micro-airbags arranged along part or all of the circumference of the second rotating wheel 203, and each airbag can independently control the pressure. Adhesive tape is wrapped around the outside of the second rotating wheel 203, and the micro-airbag array is located between the surface of the second rotating wheel and the adhesive tape, or the micro-airbags directly contact the support layer of the adhesive tape on the surface of the second rotating wheel. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the first micro-airbag array includes a front end 2311 for applying a first pressure and a rear end 2312 for applying a second pressure. The front end 2311 is applied to the target slice peeled at the slicing peeling device 10 before the rear end 2312, and the first pressure applied by the front end is greater than the second pressure applied by the rear end. When the second rotating wheel rotates, the first micro-airbag array can apply gradually increasing pressure to the target slice, thereby helping to flatten the target slice adhered to the adhesive tape. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, by inflating more airbags at the rear end of the first micro-airbag array, the micro-airbag pressure at the rear end is made greater than the micro-airbag pressure at the front end. For example, the rotor can be divided into multiple concentric ring regions, each with a different micro-airbag pressure. The micro-airbags in the front half of the rotor have lower inflation pressures, while those in the rear half have higher pressures. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the inflation holes of the front-end micro-airbags can be designed to be smaller, while those at the rear end can be larger, achieving pressure differences by controlling the airflow speed. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, denser airbags can be arranged at the rear end of the first micro-airbag array, resulting in a higher pressure in the rear micro-airbags than in the front. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the first pressure is 8 kPa (inclusive) - 12 kPa (inclusive), the second pressure is 28 kPa (inclusive) - 32 kPa (inclusive), and the applied pressure of the micro-airbags gradually increases from the front to the rear end of the first micro-airbag array, resulting in the best unfolding effect for the target slice.

[0036] As the tape moves between the rollers, changes in tension or differences in surface roughness may cause the slices to slip or deform. Additionally, temperature changes or airflow during tape movement may alter the relative position of the tape or slices, affecting the unfolding state of the target slice or causing it to crack. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a second micro-airbag array may be provided along the tape drive path between the slice peeling device and the slice separation device. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a slide preparation system with a second micro-airbag array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 6As shown, the micro-airbags in the second micro-airbag array can be mounted on a substrate 602 made of flexible material such as silicone pads or polyurethane foam, avoiding obstruction of the tape movement. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, there are two substrates, one near the support layer side of the tape and the other near the adhesion layer side of the tape. The micro-airbags are fixed on the substrate near the adhesion layer side. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a detection component for detecting the target slice can also be installed upstream of the second micro-airbag array. When the detection component detects the target slice 401 passing by, the second micro-airbag array begins to apply pressure, making the target slice more firmly and stably adsorbed onto the tape. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the detection component can be a vision sensor with image recognition function. The vision sensor can determine whether the target slice entering the detection range has curled, and when it determines that the target slice has curled, it controls the micro-airbags corresponding to the curled area to apply pressure to flatten the target slice. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the second micro-airbag array may also have a pressure sensor at the bottom of the micro-airbag to facilitate detection and control of the pressure applied by the micro-airbag tape to be between 18 kPa (inclusive) and 22 kPa (inclusive), which is most effective for eliminating curling of the target slice.

[0037] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the separation process of the target slice and the slice transfer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the tape adsorbed with the target slice 401 moves from the slice peeling device through the slice separation device. The slice separation device can separate the portion of the tape with the target slice adsorbed from the tape body and transfer it to the glass slide 50. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the slice separation device can cut off the first portion 211 of the tape with the target slice adsorbed on it entirely from the tape by means of laser or blade cutting. The cut tape forms a hollow portion 213 at the original position where the target slice was adsorbed. In this way, the tape adhesive layer in the area around the target slice 401 on the cut tape can adhere to the glass slide 50, thereby fixing it to the glass slide. Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a slicing separation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 8 As shown, in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the slice separation device 30 includes a worktable 301 and a slice separation head 302. The worktable includes a work surface with an adhesive tape disposed parallel to the third rotating wheel 204 and the second rotating wheel 203. The slice separation head 302 can move toward the work surface to separate a portion of the target slice attached to the adhesive tape and transfer it to the glass slide 50. Figure 9 It shows Figure 8 A top view of the workbench, as shown Figure 9As shown, the worktable includes a support area 311 for supporting the glass slide 50 and a cutting area 312 located around the support area. The height of the support area 311 on the worktable is less than the height of the cutting area 312 on the worktable. That is, the support area 311 is recessed on the worktable. The size of the recessed area is approximately the same as the size of the glass slide, which facilitates the positioning of the glass slide. Figure 10 It shows Figure 8 A top view of the slice separation head in the image, as shown below. Figure 10 As shown, the bottom of the slicing separation head 302 is provided with a pressing head 321 corresponding to the bearing area 311 and a cutting head corresponding to the cutting area 312. The end face of the pressing head 321 is horizontal, and the size of the end is approximately the same as the size of the bearing area 311. When the slicing separation head 302 contacts the worktable surface, the pressing head 321 should be aligned with the bearing area 311. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the surface of the pressing head is provided with a flexible pressing layer made of silicone material, and the surface of the flexible pressing layer is provided with a honeycomb microstructure to increase the contact area between the pressing head and the tape. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the cutting head includes a laser cutting element or a cutting blade for cutting the tape. The cutting head and the pressing head are fixed together at the end of the slicing separation head, and their heights are basically flush. Taking the cutting blade as an example, when the slicing separation head approaches the worktable surface, the cutting head and the pressing head at the end move synchronously. Since the bearing area is recessed on the worktable surface, the cutting head will contact the support layer of the tape before the pressing head. As the cutting head continues to approach the worktable, the cutting blade penetrates the tape, slicing the tape in the corresponding area. Simultaneously, the pressing head contacts the portion of the tape with the target slice adhered to it and applies pressure towards the slide, fixing the tape to the slide through the adhesive layer surrounding the target slice. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the slide surface is provided with a hydrophobic coating, such as a fluorocarbon coating, which makes it easier for the target slice to be adsorbed onto the slide surface. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the temperature control element can be a heating element disposed inside the pressing head, with a heating temperature of 35°C (inclusive) to 45°C (inclusive). In this way, when the slicing head contacts the worktable, the pressing head can heat the corresponding adhesive layer with the target slice, reducing the adhesive force of the adhesive layer and reducing the constraint force on the target slice during transfer, making it less prone to curling and cracking. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a temperature control for air cooling can also be provided between the cutting head and the pressing head to control the temperature of the adhesive layer around the target slice below 20°C, making it easier to fix the slice to the glass slide by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer.

[0038] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine, characterized in that, include: A slicing stripping device is used to peel a target slice containing a tissue sample from a paraffin block containing an embedded tissue sample. The slicing stripping device is equipped with a first temperature control device, the temperature of which is not higher than 20°C. A slice transfer device for collecting the target slice and transporting the target slice to a slice separation device, wherein the slice transfer device includes an adhesive tape for carrying the target slice in an unfolded state, the adhesive tape being composed of a material soluble in water or alcohol, and the adhesive tape including a support layer and an adhesive layer having a temperature-sensitive adhesive, wherein the temperature-sensitive adhesive has a higher adhesion strength at temperatures below 20°C than the temperature-sensitive adhesive has a higher adhesion strength at temperatures between 35°C and 45°C. as well as A slide separation device is used to separate a first adhesive tape portion adhering to the target slide from the main body of the adhesive tape, and to adhere the first adhesive tape portion surrounding the target slide to a glass slide to form a white slide of the tissue sample. The slide separation device is equipped with a second temperature control, the second temperature control being set to a temperature of 35℃-45℃. The slide separation device includes: A worktable includes: a second roller for cooperating with the slicing stripping device to transfer a target slice, peeled from the wax block, in an unfolded state to the adhesive tape, the second roller being located at the slicing stripping device; a third roller for retrieving the adhesive tape, the third roller being located downstream of the slicing separation device; and a worktable surface parallel to the adhesive tape between the third roller and the second roller, the worktable surface including a support area for carrying a glass slide and a cutting area surrounding the support area, the height of the support area being less than the height of the cutting area; and A slicing separation head is used to move toward the worktable surface to separate a first tape portion of the tape from the tape body and transfer it to the glass slide. The slicing separation head includes a pressing head disposed corresponding to the bearing area and a cutting head disposed corresponding to the cutting area.

2. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slice transmission device further includes: A first rotating wheel, used for mounting the adhesive tape, is located upstream of the slicing and peeling device; and The third rotating wheel is equipped with a third temperature control device, and the temperature controlled by the third temperature control device is not higher than 5°C.

3. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support layer is a PVA / PEG composite material, and the back of the support layer is provided with friction texture to increase friction.

4. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The temperature-sensitive adhesive is a PVA / paraffin composite material, and the surface of the adhesive layer is provided with a microporous adsorption array, the micropore diameter is 3-6μm, and the spacing between adjacent micropores is 8-12μm.

5. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The surface of the second rotating wheel is provided with a first micro-airbag array; and The first micro-airbag array includes a front end for applying a first pressure and a rear end for applying a second pressure, wherein the front end contacts the target slice being peeled off at the slice peeling device before the rear end, and the first pressure is less than the second pressure.

6. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The first pressure is 8 kPa - 12 kPa, and the second pressure is 28 kPa - 32 kPa. The applied pressure of the airbag gradually increases from the front end of the first micro-airbag array to the rear end of the first micro-airbag array.

7. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A second micro-airbag array is disposed in the tape transmission path between the slicing peeling device and the slicing separation device. The second micro-airbag array faces the adhesive layer of the tape and is used to apply a pressure of 18-22 kPa to the tape.

8. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting head is equipped with a fourth temperature control element, the fourth temperature control element controls the temperature to be 30℃-60℃, and the fourth temperature control element also includes a temperature sensor for detecting the blade temperature of the cutting head.

9. The fully automatic pathological tissue slide preparation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressing head includes a flexible silicone layer with a honeycomb microstructure on its surface.

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