A modularly expandable pathology slide scanning apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a pathological section scanning device which can be modularly expanded, comprising a slide box grabbing manipulator and a scanning unit, and further comprising one or more scanning modules; the scanning module comprises an assembling rack, a buffer module is installed on the assembling rack, one or more scanning modules are further installed on the assembling rack, a plurality of first connecting parts are arranged on the assembling rack, a second connecting part is arranged on the scanning module and is in butt joint with the first connecting part, the scanning module further comprises a scanning unit and a slide box transfer unit, the scanning unit is installed on the second connecting part, and the slide box transfer unit is arranged between the scanning unit and the buffer module; the assembling racks of adjacent scanning modules are connected with each other. Through the butt joint structure of the first connecting part and the second connecting part, the scanning module is modularly installed on the assembling rack, the user can flexibly select the number and the installation position of the scanning module according to the flux demand; the buffer module can transit and place the slide box, so that the slide box grabbing and the scanning operation are decoupled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of slide scanning technology, and in particular to a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device. Background Technology

[0002] In current pathology and life science research, automated scanning imaging of large numbers of slides is a crucial step. Traditional manual operation or stand-alone scanning systems suffer from low efficiency, high labor intensity, and susceptibility to errors. Existing automated equipment typically only has one scanning unit, lacking flexibility and high throughput design. Therefore, after the robotic arm removes the stained and mounted samples, it is necessary to wait for the scanning unit to complete the scan before the removed samples can be placed into the scanning unit. As a result, the scanning efficiency of the scanning unit becomes the bottleneck of the overall equipment throughput, and existing equipment cannot expand the number of scanning units according to scanning demand. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device.

[0004] This invention is implemented using the following method: a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device, comprising a slide cassette gripping robot and a scanning unit, and further comprising one or more scanning modules. Each scanning module includes an assembly frame, on which a buffer module is mounted. One or more scanning modules are also mounted on the assembly frame. The slide cassette gripping robot can connect with the buffer module. The assembly frame is provided with multiple first connecting parts, and each scanning module is provided with a second connecting part that docks with the first connecting parts. Each scanning module further includes a scanning unit and a slide cassette transfer unit. The scanning unit is mounted on the second connecting part, and the slide cassette transfer unit is positioned between the scanning unit and the buffer module. The assembly frames of two adjacent scanning modules can be interconnected.

[0005] Furthermore, the cache module includes a transfer tray, which is mounted on the assembly frame. The transfer tray has multiple slide box placement stations spaced in a ring for placing slide boxes. The slide box transfer unit includes a slide box gripping assembly and a slide pushing and retracting assembly. The slide pushing and retracting assembly is opposite to the slide box gripping assembly and is used to push slides from the slide boxes on the slide box gripping assembly into the scanning unit or push slide boxes back from the scanning unit onto the slide boxes on the slide box gripping assembly.

[0006] Furthermore, the slide box gripping assembly includes a movable component and grippers, the grippers being mounted on the movable component, and the movable component being mounted on the assembly frame and located above the intermediate transfer tray; The slide pushing and retracting assembly includes a driving component and a pushing plate. The pushing plate is mounted on the driving component and can push out or push back the slides in the slide box held by the grippers.

[0007] Furthermore, the driving member has two pusher plates arranged side by side at intervals. The driving member drives the pusher plates to move laterally toward or away from the slide clamp of the scanning unit. The slide clamp and the gripper are located in the space between the two pusher plates.

[0008] Furthermore, the scanning unit is equipped with a slide holder and an XY platform. The XY platform is connected to the assembly frame and located beside the scanning unit. The slide holder is installed on the XY platform. The slide holder can move to the lower side of the scanning unit. The slide holder can dock with the slide pusher and retractor assembly to receive the slides pushed out of the slide box from the slide box clamping assembly by the slide pusher and retractor assembly.

[0009] Furthermore, the slide holder has a downward-facing groove on its upper side, the width of which matches the width of the slide. One end of the groove facing the slide box clamping assembly has an outwardly flared opening, the width of which is greater than the width of the groove. Two stops are provided on either side of the groove facing away from the slide box clamping assembly, the distance between the two stops being less than the width of the groove. The width of the slide pusher and ejector plate of the slide pusher and ejector assembly located on the side of the slide box clamping assembly facing away from the central transfer tray is less than the distance between the two stops, and the longitudinal section of the pusher plate is inverted L-shaped. The width of the slide pusher and ejector plate of the slide pusher and ejector assembly located on the side of the slide box clamping assembly near the central transfer tray is less than the width of the groove, and the longitudinal section of the pusher plate is straight, facilitating the insertion and ejection of the slide from the slide box.

[0010] Further, the second connecting part is a mounting frame, which is fixed to one of the first connecting parts. The scanning unit and the slide box transfer unit are mounted on the mounting frame. The XY platform is mounted on the mounting frame. The slide pushing and retracting assembly of the slide box transfer unit is mounted on the assembly frame. The slide pushing and retracting assembly is located below the scanning unit and above the XY platform. The slide box clamping assembly of the slide box transfer unit is located on the side of the scanning unit near the central transfer tray and is laterally aligned with the pushing plate of the slide pushing and retracting assembly. The moving part of the slide box clamping assembly moves vertically to drive the gripper to move vertically. The driving part of the slide pushing and retracting assembly moves laterally to drive the pushing plate to move laterally to push the slide from the slide box into the slide clamp, or push the slide back from the slide clamp into the slide box.

[0011] Furthermore, two slide cassette gripping assemblies are arranged side by side, located on the side of the scanning unit near the transfer tray, and the scanning unit is located between the two slide cassette gripping assemblies in a direction away from the transfer tray; correspondingly, two slide pushing and retracting assemblies are also arranged side by side, located on the left and right sides below the scanning unit; two XY platforms are arranged side by side, respectively located below the corresponding slide pushing and retracting assemblies, and in a direction away from the transfer tray; the slide clamps on the XY platforms are connected to the pushing plates of the slide pushing and retracting assemblies; Alternatively, two scanning units may be arranged side by side, with the two scanning units located between the two slide box gripping assemblies. The two scanning units cooperate with the corresponding slide box gripping assembly, the slide pushing and retracting assembly, and the XY platform to scan the slide.

[0012] Furthermore, each of the assembly frames is equipped with two or more scanning modules, arranged radially symmetrically or spaced around the buffer module, and avoiding the loading station of the slide box gripping robot.

[0013] Furthermore, the scanning module is provided in two or more, with multiple scanning modules arranged horizontally and the assembly racks of two adjacent scanning modules arranged horizontally side by side; or, multiple scanning modules are arranged vertically, with the assembly racks of two adjacent scanning modules stacked vertically; or, multiple scanning modules are arranged horizontally and vertically, and the assembly racks are arranged in an array; the slide box gripping robot is mounted on a linear moving module that moves along the arrangement direction of the scanning modules.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device, which, compared with the prior art, has at least the following technical effects: 1. The docking structure between the first and second connecting parts enables plug-and-play modular installation of the scanning modules on the assembly frame. Users can flexibly select the number and installation position of the scanning modules according to throughput requirements, making assembly convenient and positioning precise. The assembly frames can be interconnected to expand the entire machine, breaking through the limitation of poor expandability of traditional integrated scanning equipment. Even with only one scanning module, this structure provides ample upgrade space for subsequent expansion, reducing the user's initial investment cost and the difficulty of later expansion. In addition, the assembly frames of adjacent scanning modules can be spliced ​​together to achieve horizontal and vertical expansion of the overall equipment, solving the problem of inflexible expansion of traditional integrated equipment, significantly reducing expansion costs, and adapting to sample processing needs of different scales. The buffer module can transfer and place slide boxes. The slide box grasping robot can pre-place the slide boxes on the buffer module, decoupling the slide box grasping from the scanning operation and avoiding the problem of the robot waiting for the scanning to be completed before retrieving the box.

[0015] 2. The intermediate transfer tray provides a temporary storage buffer for slide boxes. The slide box gripping robot can pre-place the slide boxes on the intermediate transfer tray, and the scanning module retrieves the boxes from the intermediate transfer tray for scanning. This decouples the slide box gripping and scanning operations, avoiding the problem of the robot waiting for the scanning to be completed before retrieving the boxes, and effectively improving the system throughput. Furthermore, the slide box gripping component removes the entire slide box, while the slide pushing and retracting components push and retract the slides after gripping them. Therefore, the scanning unit has almost no impact on the operation of the intermediate transfer tray during the scanning and slide changing process.

[0016] 3. The lifting and clamping mechanism and the horizontal pushing mechanism are designed separately, with clear division of labor, simple control logic, low equipment maintenance cost, and each action unit can be debugged independently, making it easier to ensure action accuracy.

[0017] 4. The XY platform can accurately transfer the slides to the scanning station below the scanning unit, ensuring the accuracy and repeatability of the scanning image; the slide holder and the slide pusher and ejector assembly connect to pick up the slides, realizing the fully automatic flow of slides from the slide box to the scanning station.

[0018] 5. The modular installation structure with the mounting frame as the second connection part allows the scanning unit, transfer unit and XY platform to be pre-integrated on the mounting frame to form an overall scanning module. During installation, the mounting frame only needs to be connected to the first connection part of the assembly frame to complete the assembly. It is convenient to disassemble and assemble, and facilitates later maintenance and module replacement.

[0019] 6. The configuration of the dual slide box clamping assembly, the dual slide push-back assembly, and the dual XY platform enables two slide stations to alternately supply slides to a single scanning unit. While the scanning unit is processing the first slide, the second station can simultaneously complete the slide return and new slide loading operations, which can effectively reduce the slide change waiting time and improve the processing efficiency of a single scanning unit by more than 50%, breaking through the efficiency bottleneck of a single scanning unit.

[0020] 7. The single-frame configuration with multiple scanning modules in a surrounding layout can make full use of the temporary storage capacity of the buffer module. A single transfer tray can simultaneously supply material to multiple scanning modules, further improving the processing throughput of a single module. At the same time, the compact structure effectively reduces the equipment footprint. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the slide box gripping robot and the sealing machine of a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of a modular and expandable pathological slide scanning device.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the scanning module and the buffer module of a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning module of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the slide pusher and retractor components of the scanning module of the present invention and the XY platform.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device of the present invention, which has four scanning modules.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a modular and expandable pathological slide scanning device of the present invention, which has only one set of scanning modules.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device of the present invention, employing an articulated robotic arm.

[0030] Figure 10 This is a front view of an embodiment example of the present invention, where each scanning module has two scanning units.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, in which each scanning module has two scanning units.

[0032] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, in which each scanning module has two scanning units, installed after mounting on an assembly frame.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals: 1-Assembly frame, 2-Buffer module, 21-Transfer tray, 22-Slide box placement station, 3-Scanning module, 30-Second connecting part, 31-Scanning unit, 32-Slide box transfer unit, 321-Slide box gripping assembly, 3211-Moving component, 3212-Gripper, 322-Slide pushing and retracting assembly, 3221-Driver, 3222-Pushing plate, 33-Slide clamp, 331-Grip groove, 332-Stop, 34-XY platform, 4-Slide box gripping robot, 5-Linear movement module, 6-Slide box. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] Please see Figures 1 to 12 A modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device includes a slide cassette gripping robot 4 and a scanning unit 31, and one or more scanning modules. Each scanning module includes an assembly frame 1, on which a buffer module 2 is mounted. One or more scanning modules 3 are also mounted on the assembly frame 1. The slide cassette gripping robot 4 can connect with the buffer module 2. The assembly frame 1 has multiple first connecting parts, and the scanning module 3 has a second connecting part 30 that connects to the first connecting parts. The scanning module 3 also includes a scanning unit 31 and a slide cassette transfer unit 32. The scanning unit 31 is mounted on the second connecting part 30, and the slide cassette transfer unit 32 is positioned between the scanning unit 31 and the buffer module 2. The assembly frames 1 of two adjacent scanning modules can be interconnected. Through the docking structure of the first connecting part and the second connecting part 30, the scanning module 3 can be installed in a plug-and-play modular manner on the assembly frame 1. Users can flexibly choose the number and installation position of the scanning module 3 according to the throughput requirements, which is convenient for assembly and precise for positioning. The assembly frames 1 can be interconnected to realize the expansion of the whole machine, breaking through the limitation of poor expandability of traditional integrated scanning equipment. Even if only one scanning module is configured, this structure also reserves sufficient upgrade space for subsequent expansion, reducing the user's initial investment cost and the difficulty of later expansion. In addition, the assembly frames 1 of adjacent scanning modules can be spliced ​​together to realize the horizontal and vertical expansion of the whole equipment, solving the problem that traditional integrated equipment cannot be flexibly expanded, greatly reducing the expansion cost, and adapting to sample processing needs of different scales. The buffer module 2 can transfer and place the slide box 6. The slide box grasping robot 4 can pre-place the slide box 6 on the buffer module 2, so that the grasping of the slide box 6 is decoupled from the scanning operation, avoiding the problem of the robot waiting for the scanning to be completed before picking up the box. The first connecting part can adopt a combination structure of standard threaded mounting holes, positioning pin holes and quick-lock buckles. The second connecting part 30 is provided with corresponding mounting holes and positioning pins. When docking, the position is calibrated by positioning pins and then bolts are tightened to ensure installation accuracy. The assembly frame 1 can be horizontally spliced ​​by the side docking flange and locking bolts, and vertically stacked by the bottom and top stacking positioning columns and positioning holes. The number of scanning modules 3 on a single assembly frame 1 can be configured as 1, 2 or more groups according to the requirements, flexibly adapting to different processing volume requirements.

[0036] Please see Figures 1 to 4 , Figures 7 to 9Furthermore, the cache module 2 includes a transfer tray 21, which is mounted on the assembly frame 1. The transfer tray 21 has multiple slide box placement stations 22 spaced in a ring for placing slide boxes 6. The slide box transfer unit 32 includes a slide box clamping assembly 321 and a slide pushing and retracting assembly 322. The slide pushing and retracting assembly 322 is opposite to the slide box clamping assembly 321 and is used to push the slides in the slide boxes 6 on the slide box clamping assembly 321 into the scanning unit 31 or push the slide boxes 6 back from the scanning unit 31 onto the slide box clamping assembly 321. The intermediate transfer tray 21 provides a temporary storage buffer for the slide box 6. The slide box gripping robot 4 can pre-place the slide box 6 on the intermediate transfer tray 21, and the scanning module 3 can retrieve the box from the intermediate transfer tray 21 for scanning. This decouples the slide box gripping and scanning operations, avoiding the problem of the robot waiting for the scanning to be completed before retrieving the box, effectively improving the system throughput. Furthermore, the slide box gripping component 321 removes the entire slide box 6, while the slide pushing and retracting component 322 pushes and retracts the gripped slide box 6. Therefore, the scanning unit 31 has almost no impact on the operation of the intermediate transfer tray 21 during the scanning and slide changing process. In practical applications, the number of slide box placement stations 22 on the intermediate transfer tray 21 can be set to 6, 8, or 12, and can be driven by servo motors or stepper motors to rotate and index, adapting to different temporary storage capacity requirements. The slide pushing and retracting component 322 can also integrate photoelectric positioning sensors to detect the position of the slide being pushed and retracted, providing timely warnings of card malfunctions.

[0037] Please see Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 8 Furthermore, the slide box gripping assembly 321 includes a movable component 3211 and a gripper 3212. The gripper 3212 is mounted on the movable component 3211, which is mounted on the assembly frame 1 and located above the intermediate transfer tray 21. The slide pushing and retracting assembly includes a driving component 3221 and a pushing plate 3222. The pushing plate 3222 is mounted on the driving component 3221 and can push out or push back the slides in the slide box 6 gripped by the gripper 3212. The separate structure of the gripping assembly and the slide pushing and retracting assembly clearly defines the division of labor between the lifting gripping and horizontal pushing actions, simplifies the control logic, reduces equipment maintenance costs, and ensures high accuracy. The moving component 3211 can be driven by a lead screw slide, a synchronous belt slide, or a linear cylinder; the gripper 3212 can be a pneumatic gripper 3212, an electric gripper 3212, or an elastic gripper structure to adapt to different specifications of slide boxes 6; the moving component 3211 and the driving component 3221 can be linear motors, lead screw modules, or cylinders, and the selection can be flexible according to the pushing accuracy requirements.

[0038] Please see Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 8 Furthermore, the driving component 3221 is provided with two slide pusher plates 3222 arranged side by side at intervals. The driving component 3221 drives the slide pusher plates 3222 to move laterally towards or away from the slide holder 33 of the scanning unit 31. The slide holder 33 and the gripper 3212 are located in the space between the two slide pusher plates 3222. A single driving component 3221 can simultaneously complete the slide pushing and retracting actions, reducing the number of driving components, simplifying the structure and control logic, and reducing equipment costs. The spacing between the two slide pusher plates 3222 can be adjusted according to the total width of the slide box 6 and the slide holder 33. The slide pusher plates 3222 and the driving component 3221 can be installed through oblong holes to achieve flexible adjustment of the spacing and adapt to slides and slide boxes 6 of different sizes.

[0039] Please see Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 8 Furthermore, the scanning unit 31 is equipped with a slide holder 33 and an XY platform 34. The XY platform 34 is connected to the assembly frame 1 and located beside the scanning unit 31. The slide holder 33 is mounted on the XY platform 34 and can move to the underside of the scanning unit 31. The slide holder 33 can dock with the slide pusher and retractor assembly 322 to receive the slides pushed out of the slide box 6 on the slide box clamping assembly 321 by the slide pusher and retractor assembly 322. Through the high-precision movement of the XY platform 34, the slide completes a full-field scanning, with high positioning accuracy and stable scanning imaging quality. In practical applications, the XY platform 34 can adopt a cross screw module structure, combined with a grating ruler to achieve closed-loop positioning, with positioning accuracy reaching the micrometer level. The slide holder 33 can also be equipped with a vacuum adsorption structure or an elastic pressing structure to further fix the slide and prevent slide displacement during scanning.

[0040] Please see Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 8Furthermore, the slide holder 33 has a downward-facing groove 331 on its upper side, the width of which matches the width of the slide. The end of the groove 331 facing the slide box clamping assembly 321 has an outwardly flared opening, the width of which is greater than the width of the groove 331. Two stops 332 are respectively provided on both sides of the end of the groove 331 facing away from the slide box clamping assembly 321, the distance between the two stops 332 being less than the width of the groove 331. The width of the slide pusher plate 3222 of the slide pusher and retractor assembly on the side of the slide box gripping component 321 away from the central transfer tray 21 is less than the distance between the two stops 332, and the longitudinal section of the slide pusher plate 3222 is inverted L-shaped. The width of the slide pusher plate 3222 of the slide pusher and retractor assembly on the side of the slide box gripping component 321 close to the central transfer tray 21 is less than the width of the clamping groove 331, and the longitudinal section of the slide pusher plate 3222 is straight, which facilitates the insertion of the slide box 6 and the ejection of the slide. The flared design can reduce the precision requirements for slide docking and avoid jamming; the structure of the stops 332 can limit the end of the slide to ensure the accuracy of the slide's arrival; the differentiated shapes of the slide pusher plates 3222 are adapted to the working conditions of the slide box 6 pushing slides and the slide clamp 33 retracting slides, and the operation is smooth and without interference. In practical applications, the inner wall of the clamping groove 331 can be attached with a wear-resistant polytetrafluoroethylene gasket to reduce the friction of the slide sliding and prevent the slide from being worn; the stop block 332 can be made of elastic rubber to buffer the impact force of the slide and protect the pathological samples on the slide.

[0041] Please see Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 8Furthermore, the second connecting part 30 is a mounting frame, which is fixed to one of the first connecting parts. The scanning unit 31 and the slide box transfer unit 32 are mounted on the mounting frame. The XY platform 34 is mounted on the mounting frame. The slide pushing and retracting assembly 322 of the slide box transfer unit 32 is mounted on the assembly frame 1. The slide pushing and retracting assembly 322 is located below the scanning unit 31 and above the XY platform 34. The slide cassette gripping assembly 321 is located on the side of the scanning unit 31 near the central transfer tray 21, and is laterally aligned with the slide pushing and retracting plate 3222 of the slide pushing and retracting assembly 322. The moving part 3211 of the slide cassette gripping assembly 321 moves vertically to drive the gripper 3212 to move vertically. The driving part 3221 of the slide pushing and retracting assembly 322 moves laterally to drive the slide pushing plate 3222 to move laterally to push the slide from the slide cassette 6 into the slide holder 33, or push the slide from the slide holder 33 back into the slide cassette 6. The scanning module 3 can be pre-integrated and debugged, and only requires docking with the mounting bracket on site to complete the assembly, greatly shortening the installation and debugging cycle. The spatial layout of each component is compact, the vertical space utilization is high, and the positions of each action unit are aligned to ensure the coaxiality of the slide pushing and retracting actions, reducing the number of failure points.

[0042] Please see Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 8 Furthermore, two slide box gripping assemblies 321 are arranged side by side, located on the side of the scanning unit 31 near the transfer tray 21, and the scanning unit 31 is located between the two slide box gripping assemblies 321 in a direction away from the transfer tray 21; correspondingly, two slide pushing and retracting assemblies 322 are also arranged side by side, located on the left and right sides below the scanning unit 31; two XY platforms 34 are arranged side by side, respectively located below the corresponding slide pushing and retracting assemblies 322, and located in a direction away from the transfer tray 21 of the slide box gripping assemblies 321; the slide clamps 33 on the XY platforms 34 are connected to the pushing plates 3222 of the slide pushing and retracting assemblies 322. The two XY platforms 34 and the slide holder 33 can alternately feed slides to a single scanning unit 31. While the scanning unit 31 is scanning the first slide, the second station can simultaneously complete the slide loading and unloading operations, effectively reducing slide changing waiting time. The processing efficiency of a single scanning unit 31 can be increased by 50%, significantly improving the equipment throughput. In practical applications, the two XY platforms 34 can be controlled independently or synchronously scheduled through the same controller; they can also be expanded to three or more stations corresponding to a single scanning unit 31 as needed, further reducing the idle time of the scanning unit 31.

[0043] In another embodiment, please refer to Figures 10 to 12Two scanning units 31 are arranged side by side, located between the two slide box gripping assemblies 321. Each scanning unit 31 cooperates with the corresponding slide box gripping assembly 321, slide pushing and retracting assembly 322, and XY platform 34 to scan the slides. Each assembly frame 1 is equipped with a slide box gripping robot 4 (a combination of a multi-axis linear module and a multi-joint robotic arm), which retrieves slide boxes 6 from the sealing machine and places them onto the corresponding scanning module's buffer module 2. Figure 12 As shown.

[0044] Please see Figures 1 to 4 Furthermore, each of the assembly frames 1 is equipped with two or more scanning modules 3, arranged radially symmetrically or spaced around the buffer modules 2, avoiding the loading station of the slide box gripping robot 4. By fully utilizing the circumferential space of the central transfer tray 21, a single buffer module 2 can supply multiple sets of scanning modules 3, improving the utilization rate of buffer resources. Simultaneously, the equipment has a compact structure and a small footprint. In practical applications, a single assembly frame 1 can be configured with 2, 3, or 4 sets of scanning modules 3, evenly distributed around the central transfer tray 21; 1-2 loading stations can be reserved to accommodate single or dual robot loading schemes.

[0045] Please see Figures 1 to 9 Furthermore, the scanning module includes two or more modules, with multiple scanning modules arranged horizontally. The assembly frames 1 of two adjacent scanning modules are arranged horizontally side-by-side, such as... Figure 12 As shown; or, multiple scanning modules are arranged vertically, with adjacent scanning module assembly frames 1 stacked vertically, as shown. Figures 1 to 3 As shown; or, multiple scanning modules are arranged horizontally and vertically in an array on the assembly rack 1, as shown. Figure 7 As shown, the slide box gripping robot 4 is mounted on a linear motion module 5 that moves along the arrangement direction of the scanning modules. The arrangement of the scanning modules can be flexibly configured according to the shape of the laboratory space and the sample volume, exhibiting strong site adaptability. A single robot combined with a linear module can feed multiple modules, reducing the number of robots required and controlling equipment costs. In practical applications, the linear motion module 5 can be a rack and pinion module, a lead screw module, or a synchronous belt module, and its stroke can be flexibly customized according to the total length of the scanning modules. Multiple slide box gripping robots 4 can also be configured with the same linear module to further improve feeding efficiency. When arranged in a vertically stacked configuration, a lifting robot or multiple layers of linear modules can be added to achieve feeding of scanning modules at different heights.

[0046] Furthermore, the slide box grasping robot 4 can be a robotic arm composed of multiple linear modules, such as... Figure 1 , 2 , Figure 7As shown; or a multi-axis articulated robotic arm, such as Figure 9 As shown.

[0047] Furthermore, a two-layer stacked scanning module can be used, with each scanning module having two sets of scanning modules 3, such as... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the scanning modules can also be arranged in a two-row, two-layer configuration, with each scanning module having a set of scanning modules 3, as shown. Figures 7 to 9 As shown. Of course, other combinations are also possible, and this is not the only one.

[0048] The present invention has the following working principle: Modular assembly: Based on the sample processing volume requirements, the scanning module 3, which is pre-integrated with the scanning unit 31, the slide box transfer unit 32 and the XY platform 34, is connected to the first connecting part on the assembly frame 1 through the second connecting part 30 (the number of scanning modules 3 to be installed is selected as needed). After locking and fixing, the assembly of a single scanning module is completed. If expansion is required, the assembly frame 1 of multiple scanning modules can be spliced ​​horizontally side by side through the side connecting flange, or vertically stacked through the stacking positioning structure. It can also be combined into an array arrangement. Then, the slide box gripping robot 4 is installed on the linear moving module 5 in the corresponding arrangement direction to complete the overall expansion of the equipment.

[0049] Loading and buffering: The slide box grabbing robot 4 grabs the stained and sealed slide box 6 from the sealing machine's discharge bin, moves it along the linear motion module 5 to the buffer module 2 of the corresponding scanning module, and places the slide box 6 on the empty slide box placement station 22 of the transfer tray 21; the transfer tray 21 rotates and indexes, rotating the slide box 6 to be scanned to the picking station of the corresponding scanning module 3.

[0050] Slide loading: The moving part 3211 of the slide box clamping assembly 321 drives the gripper 3212 to descend, clamping the slide box 6 on the loading station and then rising to the height aligned with the slide pushing assembly; the driving part 3221 of the slide pushing and retracting assembly 322 drives the straight slide pushing plate 3222 to move, passing through the slide box 6 to push out the slide inside. The slide is guided by the flared opening of the slide clamp 33 into the clamping groove 331 on the XY platform 34 until the end of the slide abuts against the stop block 332 to complete the positioning. The XY platform 34 moves the slide clamp 33 carrying the slide to directly below the scanning unit 31. The scanning unit 31 starts and completes the full-field microscopic scanning imaging of the slide through the planar reciprocating movement of the XY platform 34; during the scanning process, the slide box clamping assembly 321 keeps the slide box 6 in the original position and waits.

[0051] Slide return: After scanning, the XY platform 34 drives the slide clamp 33 to reset to the position aligned with the slide pusher assembly. The inverted L-shaped pusher plate 3222 extends, pushing the slide back from the clamping groove 331 into the slide box 6. Then, the drive component 3221 drives the gripper 3212 to rise or fall, so that the slide to be scanned in the next or previous layer of the slide box 6 is aligned with the clamping groove 331 of the slide clamp 33, and a new slide is pushed in to wait for the next scan. During the scanning process, the slide box clamping assembly 321, the slide pusher and retractor assembly 322 and the XY platform 34 on the other side have completed the slide loading into the slide clamp 33. After scanning, the XY platform 34 takes away the slide clamp 33, and the XY platform 34 on the other side drives the slide clamp 33 to move to the scanning station for scanning. This process is repeated until all slides in both slide boxes 6 have been scanned. The slide box gripping component 321 then places the slide box 6 back into the empty slot on the transfer tray 21 and retrieves a new slide box 6 to be scanned. The slide box gripping robot 4 removes the empty slide box 6 from the transfer tray 21 and returns it to the designated area.

[0052] Multi-module parallel operation: When multiple scanning modules are configured, the linear motion module 5 drives the slide box gripping robot 4 to move back and forth along the arrangement direction, sequentially feeding the buffer module 2 of each scanning module and recycling the slide box 6. Each scanning module operates independently and in parallel, working together to complete the scanning operation of a large number of slides.

[0053] Several points should be noted: First, in the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly, and can be mechanical or electrical connection, or internal connection between two components, or direct connection. "Up", "down", "left", "right", etc. are only used to indicate relative positional relationship. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may change.

[0054] Secondly: The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed in this invention only involve the structures involved in the embodiments disclosed in this invention. Other structures can refer to the general design. In the absence of conflict, the same embodiment and different embodiments of this invention can be combined with each other.

[0055] Finally, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions that fall within the scope of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0056] It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principles of this invention should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device, comprising a slide cassette gripping robot and a scanning unit, characterized in that: It also includes one or more scanning modules, each comprising an assembly frame and one or more scanning modules. A buffer module is mounted on the assembly frame, and the slide box gripping robot can connect to the buffer module. The assembly frame has multiple first connecting parts, and the scanning module has a second connecting part that docks with the first connecting parts. Each scanning module includes a scanning unit and a slide box transfer unit. The scanning unit is mounted on the second connecting part, and the slide box transfer unit is positioned between the scanning unit and the buffer module. The assembly frames of two adjacent scanning modules can be interconnected.

2. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cache module includes a transfer tray, which is mounted on the assembly frame. The transfer tray has multiple slide box placement stations spaced in a ring for placing slide boxes. The slide box transfer unit includes a slide box gripping assembly and a slide pushing and retracting assembly. The slide pushing and retracting assembly is opposite to the slide box gripping assembly and is used to push slides from the slide boxes on the slide box gripping assembly into the scanning unit or push slide boxes back from the scanning unit onto the slide box gripping assembly.

3. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The slide box gripping assembly includes a movable component and grippers. The grippers are mounted on the movable component, which is mounted on the assembly frame and located above the intermediate transfer tray. The slide pushing and retracting assembly includes a driving component and a pushing plate. The pushing plate is mounted on the driving component and can push out or push back the slides in the slide box held by the grippers.

4. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving component has two pusher plates arranged side by side at intervals. The driving component drives the pusher plates to move laterally toward or away from the slide clamp of the scanning unit. The slide clamp and the gripper are located in the space between the two pusher plates.

5. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The scanning unit is equipped with a slide holder and an XY platform. The XY platform is connected to the assembly frame and is located on the side of the scanning unit. The slide holder is installed on the XY platform. The slide holder can move to the underside of the scanning unit. The slide holder can dock with the slide pusher and retractor assembly to receive the slides pushed out of the slide box from the slide box clamping assembly.

6. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The slide holder has a downward-facing groove on its upper side, the width of which matches the width of the slide. One end of the groove facing the slide box clamping assembly has an outward-expanding opening, the width of which is greater than the width of the groove. Two stops are provided on either side of the groove facing away from the slide box clamping assembly, the distance between the two stops being less than the width of the groove. The slide pusher and ejector plate of the slide pusher and ejector assembly located on the side of the slide box clamping assembly facing away from the central transfer tray has a width less than the distance between the two stops, and its longitudinal section is an inverted L-shape. The slide pusher and ejector plate of the slide pusher and ejector assembly located on the side of the slide box clamping assembly near the central transfer tray has a width less than the width of the groove, and its longitudinal section is a straight line, facilitating the insertion and ejection of the slide from the slide box.

7. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second connecting part is a mounting frame, which is fixed to one of the first connecting parts. The scanning unit and the slide box transfer unit are mounted on the mounting frame. The XY platform is mounted on the mounting frame. The slide pushing and retracting assembly of the slide box transfer unit is mounted on the assembly frame. The slide pushing and retracting assembly is located below the scanning unit and above the XY platform. The slide box clamping assembly of the slide box transfer unit is located on the side of the scanning unit near the central transfer tray and is laterally aligned with the pushing plate of the slide pushing and retracting assembly. The moving part of the slide box clamping assembly moves vertically to drive the gripper to move vertically. The driving part of the slide pushing and retracting assembly moves laterally to drive the slide pushing plate to move laterally to push the slide from the slide box into the slide clamp, or push the slide back from the slide clamp into the slide box.

8. A modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: Two slide box gripping assemblies are arranged side by side, located on the side of the scanning unit near the central transfer tray, and the scanning unit is located between the two slide box gripping assemblies in a direction away from the central transfer tray; correspondingly, two slide pushing and retracting assemblies are also arranged side by side, located on the left and right sides below the scanning unit; Two XY platforms are arranged side by side, located below the corresponding slide pushing and retracting components, and in the direction away from the central transfer tray of the slide box clamping component; the slide clamps on the XY platforms are connected to the pushing plates of the corresponding slide pushing and retracting components. Alternatively, two scanning units may be arranged side by side, with the two scanning units located between the two slide box gripping assemblies. The two scanning units cooperate with the corresponding slide box gripping assembly, the slide pushing and retracting assembly, and the XY platform to scan the slide.

9. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the assembly frames is equipped with two or more scanning modules, arranged radially symmetrically or spaced around the buffer module, and avoiding the loading station of the slide box gripping robot.

10. The modularly expandable pathological slide scanning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The scanning module has two or more components, with multiple scanning modules arranged horizontally and adjacent scanning modules arranged side by side in their assembly racks; or, multiple scanning modules are arranged vertically and adjacent scanning modules are stacked vertically in their assembly racks; or, multiple scanning modules are arranged both horizontally and vertically, with the assembly racks arranged in an array; the slide box gripping robot is mounted on a linear motion module that moves along the arrangement direction of the scanning modules.

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