An incubation seat

Abstract

This invention discloses an incubation stand, comprising: a reaction chamber having a reaction surface and an edge portion, the edge portion protruding from the reaction surface, the reaction chamber being defined at least by the reaction surface and the edge portion, the edge portion including a first support surface; and a support portion protruding from the reaction surface, the support portion including a second support surface; both the first and second support surfaces are located on a first plane, and the first and second support surfaces are used to jointly support the substrate surface of a glass slide, thereby forming a reaction gap between the reaction surface and the substrate surface of the glass slide. The incubation stand of this invention allows for staining treatment without the need for a cover on the glass slide, improving operator efficiency and reducing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fully automated dyeing technology, and in particular to an incubation chamber. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of precision medicine, the timeliness requirements for staining in immunohistochemistry (IHC) are becoming increasingly stringent in clinical practice. Current automated staining systems for biological samples typically require manual application of covers after mounting the biological sample on a slide. The covered slide is then placed on the incubation apparatus, ensuring direct contact between the back of the slide and the reaction surface before subsequent processing and testing. However, this design, which involves manually applying and cleaning the covers before and after processing, requires operator supervision, hindering automated continuous operation and impacting the efficiency of the staining process. Furthermore, the added covers increase material costs and reduce efficiency, becoming a barrier to high-throughput processing in automated staining systems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problems of existing designs that require manual installation and cleaning of the cover before placing the slide, resulting in high costs and low efficiency. This invention provides an incubation stand that allows the slide to be placed upside down, with the reaction surface serving as the cover. This eliminates the need for a cover to be installed on the slide, enabling staining treatment without the need for a separate cover, thus improving operator efficiency and reducing costs.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention disclose an incubation chamber, comprising: a reaction chamber having a reaction surface and an edge portion, the edge portion protruding from the reaction surface, the reaction chamber being defined at least by the reaction surface and the edge portion, the edge portion including a first support surface; a support portion protruding from the reaction surface, the support portion including a second support surface; the first support surface and the second support surface are both located on a first plane, the first support surface and the second support surface being used to jointly support the loading surface of the glass slide, so that a reaction gap is formed between the reaction surface and the loading surface of the glass slide.

[0005] Using the above technical solution, in the embodiments of this application, the first support surface of the edge portion and the second support surface of the support portion are used together to support the loading surface of the slide, so that the loading surface of the slide on which the biological sample is mounted is set towards the reaction surface, that is, the slide is placed upside down on the incubation seat, so that a reaction gap is directly formed between the reaction surface and the loading surface in the embodiments of this application, so that the reagent can flow into the reaction gap through the capillary effect and be applied to the biological sample.

[0006] It can be understood that the capillary effect mentioned above refers to the autonomous movement of a fluid (e.g., a reagent) in a narrow space (e.g., a reaction gap) due to surface tension and the interaction between the liquid and solid. In other words, the reagent is subjected to capillary forces generated by the narrow space within the reaction gap, causing the reagent to spread out into the reaction gap.

[0007] Compared with the existing incubation devices that require a cover to be installed on the slide before placement, the incubation stand provided in this application does not require a cover to be installed on the slide, which simplifies the operation and eliminates the need for manual cleaning of the cover, thereby improving the operator's work efficiency and reducing the material cost of the installed cover.

[0008] On the other hand, in the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining process, since the slide in this embodiment is placed upside down on the incubation seat, and the biological sample mounted on the surface of the slide is contained in the reaction gap formed by the reaction surface and the surface of the slide, the staining agent or other processing fluid flowing into the reaction gap can directly contact the reaction surface, which is beneficial to control various processing parameters of the biological sample during the process, such as precise temperature control of the reagent and high heating efficiency.

[0009] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the first plane is not parallel to the reaction surface.

[0010] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the first plane is parallel to the horizontal plane; or, the first plane is not parallel to the horizontal plane, and the reaction surface is parallel to the horizontal plane; or, both the first plane and the reaction surface are not parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0011] Using the above technical solution, the first plane where the first support surface and the second support surface of this application embodiment are located is not parallel to the reaction surface, so that the reaction surface can form an uneven reaction gap with the carrier surface, and through the capillary effect in the reaction gap, the fluid spread in the reaction gap is more orderly, avoiding the generation of bubbles at the tail end of the reaction gap (e.g., the end far from the liquid inlet described later).

[0012] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the edge portion includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion extends along a first direction and protrudes from the reaction surface along a second direction along the thickness direction of the reaction chamber. The second portion extends along the second direction and protrudes from the reaction surface along the thickness direction. The first support surface includes a top surface of the first portion facing away from the reaction surface and a top surface of the second portion facing away from the reaction surface. The first direction intersects the second direction. The reaction chamber further includes a liquid filling portion. The glass slide includes a first side surface and a second side surface disposed opposite to each other along the first direction. Along the first direction, the liquid filling portion is disposed on the side of the reaction surface away from the second portion. The liquid filling portion has a liquid filling port, which communicates with the reaction gap. The support portion is disposed closer to the liquid filling portion than the second portion.

[0013] Using the above technical solution, the support portion of this application embodiment is located closer to the liquid filling portion than the second portion, and is used to support the glass slide together with the first portion and the second portion of the edge portion. Together with the first portion and the second portion of the edge portion, it forms a three-point support structure to provide support force to the glass slide, which can improve the stability of the glass slide placed on the incubation seat. Furthermore, it can also improve the stability of the reaction gap formed by the material-carrying surface and the reaction surface of the glass slide during liquid aspiration and drainage.

[0014] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the top surfaces of the first and second portions of the edge are at the same height, both located on the first plane. That is, the top surfaces of both the first and second portions of the edge are used to abut against the surface of the glass slide, which can block the gas path during aspiration and drainage, preventing external airflow from flowing into the reaction gap from the left edge (i.e., the first portion) and the lower edge (i.e., the second portion) of the reaction surface, thus avoiding adverse effects on the aspiration and drainage effect and causing reagent residue in the reaction gap.

[0015] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first portion of the edge protrudes from the edge of the reaction surface, improving the stability of the slide when placed upside down in the reaction chamber. Simultaneously, when the slide is placed in the reaction chamber, it can rest on the first portion of the edge without needing to be placed tightly against the side wall of the reaction chamber (e.g., the first side wall described later), increasing the success rate of automatic slide placement using a slide-positioning device (e.g., a robotic arm) and facilitating automated slide placement. According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation stand is disclosed, wherein the reaction chamber further includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a third sidewall, the liquid addition portion is disposed on the third sidewall, and the glass slide includes a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall disposed opposite to each other along a second direction; along the second direction, the first sidewall is located outside the first portion and is used to abut against the third sidewall of the glass slide, the second sidewall is located outside the reaction surface and is disposed opposite to the first sidewall, the third sidewall is located between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and the support portion is disposed closer to the second sidewall than the first sidewall; the reaction chamber is defined at least by the reaction surface, the first portion, the second portion, the second sidewall, the third sidewall, and the liquid addition portion.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the support part of this application embodiment is located closer to the second side wall than the liquid addition part, which can reduce the impact on the flow of dyeing agent or other processing fluids flowing from the liquid addition part into the reaction gap and improve the smoothness of the dyeing agent or other processing fluids spreading in the reaction gap.

[0017] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the support portion is located at the corner of the second side wall and the third side wall.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the support portion and the first and second portions of the edge portion of the embodiment of this application together form a three-point support structure, which can improve the stability of the slide placed on the incubation seat, and further improve the stability of the reaction gap formed by the material-carrying surface and the reaction surface of the slide during aspiration and drainage.

[0019] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the liquid addition portion includes a recess, which is recessed into the third sidewall along the first direction; the sidewall and bottom wall of the recess each have a first inclined surface that is inclined outward from the reaction surface, and a chamfer is provided at the connection between adjacent first inclined surfaces; the bottom wall of the recess is spaced apart from the first side surface of the glass slide, so that the sidewall and bottom wall of the recess together form the liquid addition port with the first side surface of the glass slide.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, when liquid is added to the reaction chamber of this application embodiment, the fluid flows into the liquid addition section along the first inclined surface and the chamfer, which can improve the smoothness of the flow of dye or other processing fluid in the liquid addition section, reduce the residual rate of dye or other processing fluid in the recess, and ensure that the reagent can enter the reaction gap in sufficient quantity through the liquid addition port.

[0021] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the third sidewall has a protrusion, the protrusion is located on both sides of the recess along the second direction, and the distance between the top wall of the protrusion and the bottom wall of the recess is 2 mm to 5 mm along the first direction.

[0022] Using the above technical solution, the distance between the top wall of the convex portion and the bottom wall of the concave portion is the width of the filling port in this embodiment. On one hand, the width of the filling port in this embodiment is not too wide. An excessively wide filling port would prevent the capillary effect within the reaction gap from affecting reagents far from the reaction gap when they flow into the filling port, thus preventing them from smoothly flowing into the reaction gap and causing residue in the filling port. On the other hand, the width of the filling port in this embodiment is not too narrow. An excessively narrow filling port would cause liquid overflow when reagents flow into the filling port. Therefore, the width of the filling port in this embodiment can improve the smoothness of the flow of dye or other processing fluids within the filling section, ensuring that sufficient reagents can enter the reaction gap through the filling port.

[0023] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the angle between the extending direction of the first inclined surface and the thickness direction of the reaction chamber is α1, wherein 5° < α1 < 45°.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the included angle α1 of the embodiment of this application makes the capacity of the liquid addition part large enough and does not produce residue.

[0025] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation base is disclosed, wherein the liquid addition part further includes a bottom wall, the bottom wall having a downwardly inclined second inclined surface, the bottom wall being connected to the bottom wall and side wall of the recess and the reaction surface respectively, so that the second inclined surface and the bottom wall and side wall of the recess together form a liquid collection tank, and the liquid collection tank is connected to the liquid addition port and the reaction gap respectively.

[0026] Using the above technical solution, the collection tank in this embodiment is connected to both the inlet and the reaction gap, so that after the dye or other processing fluid is added to the filling section from the inlet, it first flows through the collection tank for buffering before flowing into the reaction gap. Therefore, the collection tank in this embodiment can prevent the dye or other processing fluid from skipping the inlet of the reaction gap and overflowing upwards due to excessive flow rate during filling, thereby reducing the probability of overflowing and ensuring that sufficient reagents can enter the reaction gap through the inlet.

[0027] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein a chamfer is provided at the connection between the second inclined surface and the first inclined surface.

[0028] By adopting the above technical solution, the chamfer provided at the connection between the second inclined surface and the first inclined surface allows the fluid to flow along the chamfer at the connection between the second inclined surface and the first inclined surface when liquid is added to the reaction chamber of this application embodiment. This improves the smoothness of the flow of dye or other processing fluid in the liquid addition section, reduces the residual rate of dye or other processing fluid in the recess, and ensures that the reagent can enter the reaction gap in sufficient quantity through the liquid addition port.

[0029] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the angle between the extension direction of the second inclined surface and the horizontal plane is α2, wherein 1° < α2 < 10°.

[0030] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation chamber is disclosed, wherein the reaction chamber further includes a drainage section located at the corner between the first part and the second part and penetrating the reaction surface for communication with the reaction gap.

[0031] By adopting the above technical solution, the design of the drain section being far from the filling section in this application embodiment enables the drain section to completely drain the dye or other processing fluid in the reaction gap, thereby reducing the background signal-to-noise ratio of the dyed image.

[0032] As can be understood, the background signal-to-noise ratio (BSNR) is an indicator used to measure the intensity relationship between the target signal (e.g., the lesion signal) and background noise (e.g., the influence of residual reagents in the reaction space on the test results, i.e., residual reaction reagents causing excessive reaction of biological samples, or residual cleaning reagents causing dilution of reaction reagents and uneven staining) in a specific environment (e.g., the reaction space of this application). In other words, the lower the BSNR, the better the staining effect of the embodiments of this application.

[0033] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the distance between the drain portion and the first portion along the second direction is 0 mm to 2 mm, and the distance between the drain portion and the second portion along the first direction is 5 mm to 20 mm.

[0034] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the drain portion includes a drain port with an aperture of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0035] By adopting the above technical solution, the orifice diameter of the drain port in this embodiment can control the flow rate of the reagent discharge, ensuring that the reagent in the reaction chamber is discharged as completely as possible. Simultaneously, since the area where the drain port is located is a vacuum region covered by the reagent within the reaction gap, the orifice diameter of the drain port in this embodiment can prevent the orifice diameter from being too large, which would cause excessive reagent to flow away from the drain port without participating in the reaction, affecting the complete coverage of the reagent within the reaction gap and increasing reagent costs. It can be understood that the aforementioned complete coverage refers to the reagent covering the entire reaction gap.

[0036] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein the reaction chamber further includes a plurality of protrusions, the plurality of protrusions being spaced apart along the first direction on the inner surface of the second sidewall, the plurality of protrusions being used to abut against the fourth side surface of the glass slide to form a vent hole together with the fourth side surface of the glass slide, the vent hole being in communication with the reaction gap.

[0037] Using the above technical solution, the multiple protrusions in this embodiment of the application are used to abut against the fourth side surface of the glass slide, so that the fourth side surface of the glass slide is spaced apart from the second sidewall, and the multiple protrusions, together with the second sidewall and the fourth side surface of the glass slide, form a vent hole, which communicates with the reaction gap. This prevents the fourth side surface of the glass slide from sticking to the inner surface of the second sidewall and blocking the air passage, ensuring that the air passage between the reaction gap and the outside is always unobstructed, and allowing all air bubbles in the reaction gap to be discharged through the vent hole.

[0038] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, which further includes an overflow portion. Along the first direction, the overflow portion is disposed on the outside of the second portion. The overflow portion has a downwardly recessed overflow groove, and the height of the bottom wall of the overflow groove is lower than the height of the first support surface.

[0039] Using the above technical solution, the overflow section of this application embodiment is used to collect the overflow tank when the dye or other processing fluid overflows in the reaction gap, and guide the overflowed dye or other processing fluid to the waste liquid treatment device (e.g., waste liquid tank) through the overflow tank.

[0040] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, which further includes a receiving portion extending outward from the reaction chamber along a first direction. The receiving portion includes a third support surface located on the first plane. The third support surface is used to support the loading surface of the glass slide together with the first support surface and the second support surface.

[0041] Using the above technical solution, the receiving part in this embodiment of the application is used together with the supporting part and the edge part to support the glass slide, so as to improve the stability of the glass slide when it is placed upside down on the incubation base.

[0042] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, an incubation seat is disclosed, wherein a limiting portion is provided at one end of the receiving portion away from the reaction surface along the first direction, the limiting portion protruding from the third support surface, and the limiting portion is used to abut against the second side surface of the glass slide to restrict the movement of the glass slide along the first direction.

[0043] Using the above technical solution, when the receiving part of this application embodiment is used to support the glass slide together with the supporting part and the edge part, the limiting part abuts against the second side of the glass slide, which can restrict the movement of the glass slide relative to the reaction chamber in the first direction, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the glass slide when it is placed upside down on the incubation seat. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1A A perspective view of an incubation seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0045] Figure 1B A perspective view of the incubation seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 2.

[0046] Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of an incubation stand according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0047] Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of the incubation stand and glass slide according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0048] Figure 2C Show Figure 2B A magnified view of a portion of region M in the middle;

[0049] Figure 2D Show Figure 2B A magnified view of a portion of region N in the middle;

[0050] Figure 2E A schematic diagram illustrating the relative positional relationship between the reaction surface and the first plane according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 2FAnother schematic diagram illustrating the relative positional relationship between the reaction surface and the first plane in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 2G This is yet another schematic diagram illustrating the relative positional relationship between the reaction surface and the first plane according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 2H This is yet another schematic diagram illustrating the relative positional relationship between the reaction surface and the first plane in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 3A A top view of a portion of the incubation cradle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0055] Figure 3B A perspective view of a reaction chamber of an incubation stand according to an embodiment of the present invention, without a glass slide placed thereon;

[0056] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a portion of the incubation seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0057] Figure 5 A perspective view of a reaction chamber with a glass slide placed on an incubation stand according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a deep understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0059] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0060] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the product of the invention is usually placed in during use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present 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 limiting the present invention.

[0061] The terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0062] In the description of this embodiment, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this embodiment based on the specific circumstances.

[0063] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0064] With the development of precision medicine, automated staining systems for biological sample processing typically employ a design where a covered slide is placed in the reaction chamber of the incubation device. Specifically, the biological sample is first mounted on the substrate surface of the slide. Then, the cover is manually applied to cover the biological sample on the substrate surface of the slide. The covered slide is then placed directly into the reaction chamber, ensuring direct contact between the reaction surface of the chamber and the back of the slide. Finally, subsequent processing and testing are performed.

[0065] However, the aforementioned design of adding covers before placement has several drawbacks. First, it requires manual installation of covers for each slide, and the used covers need to be manually cleaned during subsequent processing and testing. This necessitates the intervention of one or more operators for on-site operation and monitoring, hindering automated continuous operation and reducing efficiency in the staining process. Furthermore, the added covers increase material costs and negatively impact the processing efficiency of the automated staining system. Second, the direct contact between the reaction surface of the incubation device and the back of the slide makes it difficult for the incubation device to control the biological sample and reagents located between the substrate surface of the slide and the covers, thus affecting the staining effect.

[0066] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides an incubation stand. A biological sample is mounted on the substrate surface of a glass slide, and the substrate surface is supported by a support portion and an edge portion protruding from the reaction surface. The slide is then placed upside down on the incubation stand, creating a direct reaction gap between the reaction surface and the substrate surface to accommodate the biological sample. By using the reaction surface as a cover, no additional cover is needed on the glass slide, thus improving the efficiency of the staining process and reducing material costs.

[0067] It is understood that the incubation seat 1 of this application embodiment can be applied to the processing and testing of biological samples. However, this application embodiment does not specifically limit the applicable field of the provided incubation seat 1. For ease of explanation, the following description takes the application of the incubation seat 1 of this application embodiment in immunohistochemistry (IHC) as an example.

[0068] Figure 1A and Figure 1B All of these figures show perspective views of the incubation seats provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0069] refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1B The incubation chamber 1 provided in this embodiment includes a reaction chamber 10 and a support 21.

[0070] Specifically, such as Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown, a glass slide 2 is placed upside down on the incubation base 1 of this embodiment along the second direction (e.g., Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown in the Y direction (i.e., the width direction of the incubator 1), the first reaction chamber 10 on the left has a reaction surface 11 and an edge portion 22, the edge portion 22 being along the thickness direction of the reaction chamber 10 (e.g., ...). Figure 1A and Figure 1B The support portion 21 protrudes from the reaction surface 11 in the Z direction and extends along the edge of the reaction surface 11. The support portion 21 protrudes from the reaction surface 11 in the thickness direction Z.

[0071] Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of the incubation stand provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of the incubation stand and glass slide provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0072] like Figures 2A to 2E As shown, along the thickness direction of reaction chamber 10 (e.g.) Figure 2A and Figure 2B (As shown in the Z-direction), both the support portion 21 and the edge portion 22 extend upward from the reaction surface 11. The support portion 21 includes a second support surface 2101 facing away from the reaction surface 11, and the edge portion 22 includes a first support surface 2201 facing away from the reaction surface. The supporting surface 201 of the glass slide 2 (see...) Figure 2Band Figure 2C ). Among them, the first support surface 2201 and the second support surface 2101 are both located on the first plane (e.g. Figure 2A (The plane is shown by the dashed line A). That is, the first support surface 2201 and the second support surface 2101 are on the same plane (i.e., the first plane A), which together support the loading surface 201 of the glass slide 2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first plane A is not parallel to the reaction surface 11, that is, the reaction surface 11 is inclined relative to the first plane A, so that the reaction surface 11 in this embodiment can form an uneven reaction gap 12 with the loading surface 201, and through the capillary effect in the reaction gap 12, the fluid spread in the reaction gap 12 is more orderly, and bubbles are avoided at the tail end of the reaction gap 12 (for example, at the second part 222 of the edge 22 away from the liquid inlet 131 described later).

[0073] Thus, the slide 2 is supported by the support portion 21 and the edge portion 22 provided on the reaction surface 11, so that the reaction surface 11 and the loading surface 201 of the slide 2 (see...) Figure 2C and Figure 2D A reaction gap 12 is formed between the slides, allowing the biological sample mounted on the sample-carrying surface 201 of the slide 2 to be accommodated within the reaction gap 12. Furthermore, during the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining process, the staining agent or other processing fluids can flow into the reaction gap 12 through capillary effect and be applied to the biological sample.

[0074] In this embodiment, the support portion 21 and the edge portion 22 support the loading surface 201 of the slide 2, so that the loading surface 201 of the slide 2 on which the biological sample is mounted is positioned facing the reaction surface 11. That is, the slide 2 is placed upside down on the incubation base 1 of this embodiment, so that a reaction gap 12 is directly formed between the reaction surface 11 and the loading surface 201.

[0075] Compared with the existing incubation devices that require a cover to be installed on the slide, the incubation base 1 provided in this application does not require a cover to be installed on the slide 2, which simplifies the operation of placing the slide 2 on the incubation base 1. Moreover, there is no need to manually clean the cover after the process is completed, which can improve the operator's work efficiency and reduce the material cost of the cover.

[0076] On the other hand, in the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining process, since the slide 2 of this embodiment is placed upside down on the incubation seat 1, and the biological sample mounted on the material-carrying surface 201 of the slide 2 is contained in the reaction gap 12 formed by the reaction surface 11 and the material-carrying surface 201 of the slide 2, the staining agent or other processing fluid flowing into the reaction gap 12 can directly contact the reaction surface 11, which is beneficial for controlling various processing parameters of the biological sample during the processing.

[0077] For example, the bottom of the reaction surface 11 in this embodiment has a heating element (not shown in the figure, such as a heating film or heating wire). During the heating process, the dye or other processing fluid comes into direct contact with the reaction surface 11, which can improve the temperature control effect of the incubation seat 1 in this embodiment, resulting in high heating efficiency and more precise temperature control. However, this embodiment does not specifically limit the location of the heating element. For example, in other possible implementations, the heating element may also be located inside the reaction surface 11.

[0078] Furthermore, compared to designs that directly provide several support protrusions of varying heights on the reaction surface to support the slide's loading surface and allow for tilted placement, the varying heights of the support protrusions result in insufficient stability when the slide is tilted on the reaction surface, easily leading to a lower success rate of slide placement and often requiring manual placement. In this embodiment, the edge portion 22 protrudes from the edge of the reaction surface 11, increasing the contact area with the reaction surface 11 and working together with the support portion 21 to support the slide 2. This improves the stability of the slide 2 when placed upside down in the reaction chamber 10 and increases the success rate of automatic slide placement, facilitating automated slide placement.

[0079] The embodiments of this application do not limit the relative position between the first plane A and the reaction surface 11. For example, as Figure 2E As shown, in this embodiment of the application, the first plane A may not be parallel to the reaction surface 11, and the first plane A may be parallel to the horizontal plane (e.g., ...). Figure 2E The plane shown by the dashed line B is parallel, that is, the glass slide 2 is placed horizontally on the edge portion 22 and the support portion 21 of this application embodiment. Along the second direction Y, the side of the first portion 221 of the reaction surface 11 near the edge portion 22 is tilted upward, so that the height of the part of the reaction gap 12 near the support portion 21 is greater than the height of the part of the reaction gap 12 near the first portion 221, that is, the capillary effect of the part of the reaction gap 12 near the support portion 21 is less than the capillary effect of the part of the reaction gap 12 near the first portion 221.

[0080] Therefore, when the reagent flows within the reaction gap 12 driven by capillary force, the flow rate of the reagent near the support portion 21 is greater than the flow rate of the reagent near the first portion 221. Furthermore, the reagent within the reaction gap 12 of this embodiment can spread in an orderly manner, allowing bubbles to escape from the vent holes located near the support portion 21 (not shown in the figure, see...). Figure 5 The slide 2 is discharged. Furthermore, the slide 2 is placed horizontally on the edge portion 22 and the support portion 21 of this embodiment to further improve the stability of the slide 2 and increase the success rate of automatic slide placement.

[0081] Alternatively, in some other possible implementations, such as Figure 2F As shown, the first plane A can also be non-parallel to the horizontal plane B, and the reaction surface 11 can be parallel to the horizontal plane B, or, as... Figure 2G As shown, neither the first plane A nor the reaction surface 11 is parallel to the horizontal plane B, or, as... Figure 2H As shown, the first plane A and the reaction surface 11 can also be parallel to each other.

[0082] For example, in the embodiment of this application, the liquid volume in the reaction gap 12 is L, where 100ul / tablet ≤ L < 200ul / tablet. However, the embodiment of this application does not limit the value of the liquid volume L in the reaction gap 12. For example, it can also be 105ul / tablet, 110ul / tablet, 115ul / tablet, 120ul / tablet, 125ul / tablet, 130ul / tablet, 135ul / tablet, 140ul / tablet, 145ul / tablet, or 146ul. / piece, 147ul / piece, 148ul / piece, 149ul / piece, 149.5ul / piece, 149.9ul / piece, 150ul / piece, 155ul / piece, 160ul / piece, 165ul / piece, 170ul / piece, 175ul / piece, 180ul / piece, 185ul / piece, 190ul / piece, 195ul / piece, 199ul / piece, 199.5ul / piece, 199.9ul / piece, etc.

[0083] Compared to existing technologies where a cap is added, the commonly used liquid volume is greater than 200 μL / slide. Due to the large liquid volume, more reagent is required. This embodiment of the application optimizes the relative spatial layout between the reaction surface 11 and the material-carrying surface 201 of the glass slide 2 (for example, the reaction surface 11 and the material-carrying surface 201 are not parallel) to form a thinner reaction gap 12. This makes the reaction chamber 10 of this embodiment require less liquid. In addition, the design of the edge portion 22 and the glass slide 2, which is described in detail later, acts as a barrier to block the gas path, thereby improving the drainage efficiency and allowing the reagent in the reaction gap 12 to be drained as much as possible. The synergistic effect allows the reaction chamber 10 of this embodiment to meet the requirements of small liquid volumes, thereby reducing the amount of reagent used in the reaction gap 12 of this embodiment and significantly reducing reagent costs.

[0084] For example, such as Figure 2EAs shown, the thickness of the thickest part of the reaction gap 12 in this embodiment is H0, where 0.01mm≤H0≤1mm, but it is not limited to this. For example, the value of H0 can also be 0.01mm, 0.02mm, 0.04mm, 0.05mm, 0.06mm, 0.07mm, 0.08mm, 0.09mm, 0.1mm, 0.11mm, 0.12mm, 0.15mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1mm, etc.

[0085] For example, such as Figure 1A As shown, in this embodiment of the application, the incubation base 1 is along the first direction (e.g., Figure 1A As shown in the X direction (i.e., the length direction of the incubation base 1), there are also outwardly protruding fixing parts 50 on the left and right sides. Each fixing part 50 is provided with two fixing holes 51 spaced apart along the second direction Y, so that the incubation base 1 can be fixedly mounted on an external device (e.g., a dyeing device of an automatic dyeing system) by means of a fastener (e.g., a bolt) and the fixing holes 51 of the fixing part 50.

[0086] Continue to refer to Figure 1A In this embodiment of the application, the incubation seat 1 includes five reaction chambers 10 and five edge portions 22 and support portions 21 corresponding to the five reaction chambers 10 respectively. Each edge portion 22 and support portion 21 in the five reaction chambers 10 can support the glass slide 2 placed upside down in the corresponding reaction chamber 10, so that the reaction surface 11 of each reaction chamber 10 can form a reaction gap 12 with the loading surface 201 of the corresponding glass slide 2.

[0087] It is understood that the embodiments of this application do not limit the number of reaction chambers 10, edge portions 22, and support portions 21 of the incubation base 1, as long as the numbers of reaction chambers 10, edge portions 22, and support portions 21 correspond to each other. The number of reaction chambers 10 reflects the efficiency of the incubation base 1 in processing glass slides 2. The more reaction chambers 10 there are, the higher the processing efficiency of the incubation base 1 for biological samples, which can meet the high-throughput processing requirements of the automated staining system. For example, the number of reaction chambers 10 in the embodiments of this application can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more, and the number of edge portions 22 and support portions 21 can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more.

[0088] For ease of explanation, the following description uses a reaction chamber 10 as an example.

[0089] Figure 3A A top view of a portion of the incubation cradle provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3BA perspective view of a reaction chamber of an incubation stand provided in an embodiment of this application is shown without a glass slide.

[0090] refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B The edge portion 22 in this embodiment includes a first portion 221 and a second portion 222.

[0091] Specifically, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the edge portion 22 protrudes from the reaction surface 11, and the first portion 221 extends along the left edge of the reaction surface 11 in a first direction (e.g., Figure 3A and Figure 3B Extending along the second direction (as shown in the X direction), the second part 222 extends along the lower edge of the reaction surface 11 along the second direction (as shown in the X direction). Figure 3A and Figure 3B Extending in the Y direction (as shown). And, as... Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the top surfaces of the first portion 221 and the second portion 222 of the edge portion 22 are at the same height and both belong to the first support surface 2201, i.e., located in the first plane A. In other words, in this embodiment of the application, the first portion 221 of the edge portion 22 protrudes from the edge of the reaction surface 11 to improve the stability of the slide 2 when it is placed upside down in the reaction chamber 10 and the success rate of automatic slide placement, which is beneficial to the automated operation of placing the slide 2.

[0092] Furthermore, the first portion 221 and the second portion 222 of the edge portion 22, together with the support portion 21, form a three-point support structure, providing support to the slide 2. This improves the stability of the slide 2 placed on the incubation base 1 and further enhances the stability of the reaction gap 12 formed by the substrate surface 201 and the reaction surface 11 during aspiration and drainage. Additionally, in this embodiment, the first portion 221 and the second portion 222 of the edge portion 22 are both disposed in close contact with the substrate surface 201 of the slide 2. This can act as a barrier to block the airflow during aspiration and drainage, preventing external airflow from flowing into the reaction gap 12 from the left edge (i.e., the first portion 221) and the lower edge (i.e., the second portion 222) of the reaction surface 11, which would adversely affect the aspiration and drainage effect and cause reagent residue within the reaction gap 12. For example, in this embodiment, the reaction surface 11 is rectangular, and the first portion 221 and the second portion 222 together form an L-shaped edge portion 22, with the first direction X perpendicular to the second direction Y. However, this application does not limit the structure of the reaction surface 11 and the edge portion 22. For example, the reaction surface 11 can be circular or square, and the edge portion 22 can be C-shaped or L-shaped accordingly, or the edge portion 22 can be "I"-shaped. For example, the edge portion 22 may only include the first part 221 or the edge portion 22 may only include the second part 222.

[0093] Continue to refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B The reaction chamber 10 in this embodiment further includes a liquid addition section 13. Along the first direction X, the liquid addition section 13 is located on the reaction surface 11 away from the second portion 222 (i.e., on the upper side of the reaction surface 11) and is disposed opposite to the second portion 222. For example, as... Figure 3A As shown, the slide 2 in this embodiment includes a loading surface 201, a first side surface 2001, a second side surface 2002, a third side surface 2003, and a fourth side surface 2004. A biological sample (not shown) is mounted on the loading surface 201 along a first direction (e.g., ...). Figure 1A As shown in the X direction (i.e., the length direction of slide 2), the first side surface 2001 and the second side surface 2002 are arranged opposite each other along the second direction (e.g., Figure 1A As shown in the Y direction (i.e., the width direction of the slide 2), the third side 2003 and the fourth side 2004 are arranged opposite each other.

[0094] Specifically, such as Figure 3A As shown, when the glass slide 2 is placed in the reaction chamber 10 of the incubation base 1, along the first direction X, the liquid addition part 13 and the first side surface 2001 of the glass slide 2 together form a liquid addition port 131. Figure 3A and Figure 2C As shown, the liquid inlet 131 is connected to the reaction gap 12 so that the staining agent or other processing fluid can flow into the reaction gap 12 through the liquid inlet 131 to stain the biological sample mounted on the sample surface 201 of the slide 2.

[0095] For example, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the reaction chamber 10 in this embodiment further includes a first sidewall 1001, a second sidewall 1002, and a third sidewall 1003. Figure 3A As shown, along the second direction Y, the first sidewall 1001 is located outside the first portion 221 and abuts against the third sidewall 2003 of the glass slide 2. The second sidewall 1002 is located to the right of the reaction surface 11 and is disposed opposite to the first sidewall 1001. The third sidewall 1003 is located between the first sidewall 1001 and the second sidewall 1002, and the liquid addition part 13 is disposed on the third sidewall 1003. Furthermore, as... Figure 3A As shown, the second side wall 1002 of the reaction chamber 10 on the left and the first side wall 1001 of the reaction chamber 10 on the right are the same side wall, that is, the two adjacent reaction chambers 10 share a side wall, so as to reduce the overall volume of the incubation base 1, reduce the space occupied by the incubation base 1, and improve the applicability of the incubation base 1 in this application embodiment.

[0096] Continue to refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3BAlong the first direction X, the support portion 21 of the present application embodiment is located between the liquid filling portion 13 and the second portion 222, and is disposed closer to the liquid filling portion 13 than the second portion 222. Along the second direction Y, the support portion 21 is located between the first portion 221 and the second sidewall 1002, and is disposed closer to the second sidewall 1002 than the first sidewall 1001. However, the present application embodiment does not specifically limit the positional design of the support portion 21; for example, as shown... Figure 3A As shown, along the second direction Y, the width W1 of the liquid addition section 13 is smaller than the width W2 of the reaction surface 11. In this embodiment, the support section 21 is located at the corner of the second side wall 1002 and the third side wall 1003 to reduce the impact on the flow of dyeing agent or other processing fluids flowing from the liquid addition section 13 into the reaction gap 12, and to improve the smoothness of the dyeing agent or other processing fluids spreading in the reaction gap 12.

[0097] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the fact that the support portion 21 is positioned closer to the liquid filling portion 13 than the second portion 222 and closer to the second sidewall 1002 than the first sidewall 1001 means that, as Figure 3A As shown, along the length direction of the reaction surface 11 (e.g.) Figure 3A The central axis (as shown in the X direction) Figure 3A The area above the central axis O1 (as shown in the direction of O1) is the installation area near the liquid addition section 13. The width direction of the reaction surface 11 (as shown in the direction of O1) is the boundary. Figure 3A The central axis (as shown in the Y direction) Figure 3A The area to the right of the central axis O2 (as shown in the direction of O2) is the setting area near the second sidewall 1002.

[0098] Exemplarily, in some possible implementations, references Figure 2C and combined Figure 3A and Figure 3B The liquid filling part 13 in this embodiment includes a recess 132.

[0099] Specifically, such as Figure 2C , Figure 3A and Figure 3BAs shown, along the first direction X, the recess 132 is recessed outward from the reaction surface 11 into the third sidewall 1003. Both the sidewall 1321 and bottom wall 1322 of the recess 132 have a first inclined surface 13201 that slopes outward from the reaction surface 11 along the first direction X. That is, the left and right sidewalls 1321 of the recess 132 along the second direction Y each have a first inclined surface 13201, and the bottom wall 1322 of the recess 132 also has a first inclined surface 13201. Furthermore, a chamfer 13202 is provided at the connection between adjacent first inclined surfaces 13201 to reduce the residual rate of dye or other processing fluids in the recess 132 during liquid addition, ensuring that sufficient reagent can enter the reaction gap 12. Along the first direction X, the bottom wall 1322 of the recess 132 is spaced apart from the first side surface 2001 of the glass slide 2, so that the side wall 1321 and the bottom wall 1322 of the recess 132 together form a liquid inlet 131 with the first side surface 2001 of the glass slide 2.

[0100] For example, such as Figure 3A As shown, the third sidewall 1003 has a protrusion 1005 along the second direction Y, the protrusion 1005 is provided on both sides of the recess 132, and along the first direction X, the distance W3 between the bottom wall 1322 of the recess 132 and the top wall 10041 of the protrusion 1005 is 2mm to 5mm, for example, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, etc. Figure 2C As shown, the extension direction of the first inclined surface 13201 (e.g.) Figure 2C The angle between the direction E in the middle and the thickness direction Z of the reaction chamber 10 is α1, where the angle α1 is an acute angle of 5° < α1 < 45°, such as acute angles of 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, etc.

[0101] Based on this, on the one hand, the width (i.e., W3) of the filling port 131 in this embodiment is not too wide. An excessively wide filling port 131 would prevent the capillary effect within the reaction gap 12 from affecting reagents far from the reaction gap 12 when they flow into the filling port 131, thus preventing them from smoothly flowing into the reaction gap 12 and causing residue in the filling port 131. On the other hand, the width (i.e., W3) of the filling port 131 in this embodiment is not too narrow. An excessively narrow filling port 131 would cause liquid overflow when reagents flow into the filling port 131. Therefore, the width (i.e., W3) of the filling port 131 in this embodiment can improve the smoothness of the flow of dye or other processing fluids within the filling section 13, ensuring that sufficient reagents can enter the reaction gap 12 through the filling port 131. Exemplarily, in some possible embodiments, reference continues to be made to... Figure 2C and Figure 3A The liquid filling section 13 in this embodiment of the application also includes a bottom wall 133.

[0102] Specifically, such as Figure 2C , Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, along the first direction X, the bottom wall 133 is located between the recess 132 and the reaction surface 11, and the bottom wall 133 is connected to the side wall 1321 and the bottom wall 1322 of the recess 132 and the reaction surface 11, respectively. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 133 of the liquid addition section 13 has a second inclined surface 13301 that slopes downwards along the first direction X. Thus, the second inclined surface 13301, together with the side wall 1321 and the bottom wall 1322 of the recess 132, forms a liquid collection tank 134. Exemplarily, the liquid collection tank 134 is V-shaped, but this embodiment does not limit the structure of the liquid collection tank 134; for example, it can also be C-shaped.

[0103] The collection tank 134 is connected to both the inlet 131 and the reaction gap 12, so that after the dye or other processing fluid is added to the filling section 13 from the inlet 131, it first flows through the collection tank 134 for buffering before flowing into the reaction gap 12. Therefore, the collection tank 134 in this embodiment can prevent the dye or other processing fluid from skipping the inlet 1201 of the reaction gap 12 due to excessive flow rate during addition, thus reducing the probability of liquid overflow and ensuring that sufficient reagent can enter the reaction gap 12 through the filling section 13 of the inlet 131. Furthermore, a chamfer 13302 is provided at the connection between the second inclined surface 13301 and the first inclined surface 13201.

[0104] By way of example, in the embodiments of this application, the chamfer 13202 between adjacent first inclined surfaces 13201 and the chamfer 13302 between the second inclined surface 13301 and the first inclined surface 13201 are both rounded corners. Figure 2C As shown, the extension direction of the second inclined surface 13301 (e.g.) Figure 2C The angle between the plane (in the direction shown in F) and plane A is α2, where α2 is an acute angle of 1° < α2 < 10°, such as acute angles of 3°, 5°, 7°, 8°, 9°, 10°, etc., to serve as a liquid collection buffer to prevent spillage.

[0105] Continue to refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B and combined Figure 4 and Figure 2D The reaction chamber 10 in this embodiment of the application further includes a drainage section 14, which is disposed on and penetrates the reaction surface 11 and communicates with the reaction gap 12, so that the dyeing agent or other processing fluid in the reaction gap 12 during the dyeing process can flow out of the reaction chamber 10 through the drainage section 14 under the action of an external force (e.g., a drainage pump).

[0106] Specifically, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3BAs shown, the drainage section 14 is located at the corner of the first part 221 and the second part 222. Along the first direction X, the drainage section 14 is located between the liquid addition section 13 and the second part 222, and is positioned close to the second part 222. Along the second direction Y, the drainage section 14 is located between the first part 221 and the second sidewall 1002, and is positioned close to the first part 221. In other words, compared to the liquid addition section 13 being located at the upper end of the reaction surface 11, the drainage section 14 of this embodiment is located at the lower left end of the reaction surface 11, away from the liquid addition section 13. This design allows the drainage section 14 of this embodiment to completely drain the dye or other processing fluids from the reaction gap 12, reducing the background signal-to-noise ratio of the dyed image.

[0107] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the drain section 14 of this embodiment includes a drain port 141. A drain channel 142, communicating with the drain port 141, is provided below the reaction surface 11 along the thickness direction Z of the reaction chamber 10. The inner diameter D2 of the drain channel 142 is larger than the aperture D1 of the drain port 141. The aperture D1 of the drain port 141 is 0.5 mm to 3 mm, for example, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, etc. The aperture D1 of the drain port 141 in this embodiment can control the flow rate of the reagent, ensuring that the reagent in the reaction chamber 10 is completely drained. Simultaneously, since the area where the drain port is located is a vacuum area covered by the reagent within the reaction gap, the aperture of the drain port in this embodiment can prevent the aperture D1 of the drain port 141 from being too large, which would cause excessive reagent to flow away from the drain port 141 without participating in the reaction, affecting the full coverage of the reagent within the reaction gap 12 and increasing the cost of the reagent. It is understandable that the aforementioned full coverage refers to the reagent covering the entire reaction gap.

[0108] Therefore, by combining the blocking effect of the first part 221 and the second part 222 of the aforementioned edge portion 22 on the air passage, the drainage portion 14 is positioned close to the second part 222 and close to the first part 221, which is more conducive to improving the drainage efficiency during the dyeing process, so that the reagent can be drained as much as possible.

[0109] Furthermore, the relative spatial arrangement between the reaction surface 11 and the substrate surface 201 of the slide 2 in this embodiment (e.g., the reaction surface 11 and the substrate surface 201 are not parallel) and the design of the vent 151 allow for the efficient drainage of small amounts of reagent within the reaction gap 12 using only one inlet 131 and one outlet 141. Compared to designs with multiple inlets and outlets, or a single inlet and multiple outlets, the single inlet 131 and outlet 141 of the reaction chamber 10 in this embodiment have a simpler structural design, enabling not only staining but also reducing costs. For example, as... Figure 3BAs shown, along the second direction Y, the distance W4 between the drain section 14 and the first part 221 (i.e., the distance between the edge of the drain port 141 and the first part 221) in this embodiment of the application is 0 mm to 2 mm. That is to say, the drain section 14 in this embodiment of the application can be set close to the first part 221 (i.e., W4 is 0 mm) in order to improve the liquid extraction efficiency and drain the reagent as much as possible, or it can be set at a distance from the first part 221 (i.e., W4 is greater than 0 mm), for example, 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, etc. Along the first direction X, the distance between the drain section 14 and the second section 222 is 5mm to 20mm, for example, 5.5mm, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, 7.5mm, 8mm, 8.5mm, 9mm, 9.5mm, 10mm, 10.5mm, 11mm, 11.5mm, 12mm, 12.5mm, 13mm, 13.5mm, 14mm, 14.5mm, 15mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 19mm, 20mm, etc.

[0110] It can be understood that the above-mentioned arrangement of the drainage section 14 near the second part 222 and near the first part 221 in the embodiments of this application refers to, as Figure 3A As shown, along the length direction of the reaction surface 11 (e.g.) Figure 3A The central axis (as shown in the X direction) Figure 3A The area below the central axis O1 (as shown in the direction of O1) is the setting area near the second part 222. The width direction of the reaction surface 11 (as shown in the direction of O1) is the boundary. Figure 3A The central axis (as shown in the Y direction) Figure 3A The area to the left of the central axis O2 (as shown in the direction of O2) is the setting area close to the first part 221.

[0111] refer to Figure 5 and combined Figure 1A and Figure 3A The reaction chamber 10 in this embodiment of the application also includes two protrusions 15.

[0112] Specifically, such as Figure 5As shown, two protrusions 15 are spaced apart along the first direction X on the inner surface 10021 of the second sidewall 1002. When the slide 2 is placed upside down in the reaction chamber 10, the two protrusions 15 abut against the fourth side surface 2004 of the slide 2, so that the fourth side surface 2004 of the slide 2 is spaced apart from the second sidewall 1002. This allows the two protrusions 15, the second sidewall 1002, and the fourth side surface 2004 of the slide 2 to form a vent 151, which communicates with the reaction gap (not shown in the figure). This prevents the fourth side surface 2004 of the slide 2 from sticking to the inner surface 10021 of the second sidewall 1002 and blocking the air passage, ensuring that the air passage between the reaction gap 12 and the outside is always unobstructed. Consequently, all air bubbles in the reaction gap 12 can be discharged through the vent 151.

[0113] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, each protrusion 15 in this embodiment of the application has an upwardly inclined third inclined surface 1501 on the side facing the reaction chamber 10 along the second direction Y. That is, along the thickness direction Z of the reaction chamber 10, the third inclined surface 1501 opens outward from bottom to top, so that the glass slide 2 can be smoothly placed upside down in the reaction chamber 10 along the thickness direction Z. This can prevent the protrusion 15 from obstructing the placement of the glass slide 2, and at the same time facilitate the discharge of air bubbles.

[0114] For example, the number of protrusions 15 is not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application, as long as a vent hole 151 can be formed between two adjacent protrusions 15 along the first direction X. For example, the number of protrusions 15 can also be 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more.

[0115] Exemplary, in some possible implementations, reference continues to be made to Figure 4 and combination Figure 1A and 2A The incubation seat 1 in this embodiment of the application also includes an overflow section 30.

[0116] Specifically, such as Figure 4 and Figure 1A As shown, along the first direction X, an overflow portion 30 is provided on the outer side of the second portion 222. The overflow portion 30 has an overflow groove 31 that is recessed downward from the upper surface 1004 of the incubation seat 1 along the thickness direction Z, and the overflow groove 31 extends along the second direction Y. Furthermore, as... Figure 4As shown, relative to the horizontal plane B, the height H1 of the bottom wall 3101 of the overflow trough 31 is lower than the height H2 of the top 22201 (i.e., the second support surface 2101) of the second part 222, so that when the dye or other processing fluid overflows from the reaction gap 12 formed by the reaction surface 11 and the loading surface 201 of the slide 2, it can be collected in the overflow trough 31 and guided to the waste liquid treatment device (e.g., a waste liquid tank) through the overflow trough 31.

[0117] The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the number of overflow channels 31, for example, such as Figure 1A As shown, the incubation base 1 in this embodiment includes one overflow trough 31, that is, five reaction chambers 10 share one overflow trough 31. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the number of overflow troughs 31 can also be five, with the five overflow troughs 31 arranged at intervals along the second direction Y and corresponding to the five reaction chambers 10 respectively. Alternatively, the number of overflow troughs 31 can also be two, three, four, etc.

[0118] Exemplary, in some possible implementations, reference continues to be made to Figure 4 and combination Figure 1A and 2A The incubation base 1 in this embodiment further includes a receiving portion 40, which includes a third support surface 4001. The third support surface 4001 is located on the first plane A, and together with the first support surface 2201 and the second support surface 2101, it supports the loading surface 201 of the glass slide 2. Specifically, as Figure 4 As shown, along the first direction X, the receiving portion 40 extends outward from the reaction chamber 10. Exemplarily, a limiting portion 41 is provided at the end 401 of the receiving portion 40 away from the reaction surface 11. The limiting portion 41 protrudes along the thickness direction Z onto the third support surface 4001. The limiting portion 41 and the receiving portion 40 together form a hook-like structure to abut against the glass slide 2, thereby restricting the movement of the glass slide 2 along the first direction X and improving the stability of the glass slide 2 when placed upside down on the incubation base 1.

[0119] The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the number of receiving parts 40, for example, such as Figure 1A As shown, the incubation base 1 of this embodiment includes five receiving portions 40, which are spaced apart along the second direction Y and correspond to five reaction chambers 10 respectively. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the number of receiving portions 40 can also be one, that is, five glass slides 2 placed in the reaction chamber 10 share one receiving portion 40, or the number of receiving portions 40 can also be two, three, four, etc.

[0120] In summary, the incubation base 1 provided in this application embodiment supports the substrate surface of the glass slide 2 through the support portion 21 and the edge portion 22 provided on the reaction surface 11. This allows the glass slide 2 to be placed upside down on the incubation base 1 of this application embodiment, and the substrate surface of the glass slide 2 can form a reaction gap 12 with the reaction surface 11. Staining can be performed without adding a cover to the glass slide 2. There is no need to install and wash the cover, which can improve the operator's work efficiency, reduce the need for frequent cover replacement, reduce costs, and facilitate the control of staining parameters (such as reagent temperature). The temperature control is precise and the heating efficiency is high.

[0121] Furthermore, since the incubator 1 of this embodiment does not require a cover, when the incubator 1 of this embodiment is applied to automated equipment (such as a fully automated staining system), compared to the design that requires manual installation of the cover and placement of the slides (i.e., each batch of slides requires manual installation of the cover), the slides do not need to be covered during the inverted slide placement process of the incubator 1 of this embodiment, and no human intervention is required. This not only enables automated continuous operation and unattended operation, but also improves the utilization rate of the equipment and the output of slides.

[0122] While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the above description is a further detailed explanation of the invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and should not be construed as limiting the specific implementation of the invention to these descriptions. Various changes in form and detail can be made by those skilled in the art, including several simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An incubation stand for holding a glass slide, the glass slide including a support surface for mounting biological samples, characterized in that, include: A reaction chamber having a reaction surface and an edge portion, the edge portion protruding from the reaction surface, the reaction chamber being defined at least by the reaction surface and the edge portion, the edge portion including a first support surface; A support portion protrudes from the reaction surface, the support portion including a second support surface; Both the first support surface and the second support surface are located on the first plane. The first support surface and the second support surface are used to jointly support the loading surface of the glass slide so that a reaction gap is formed between the reaction surface and the loading surface of the glass slide.

2. The incubation chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first plane is not parallel to the reaction surface.

3. The incubation chamber as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first plane is parallel to the horizontal plane; or, The first plane is not parallel to the horizontal plane, while the reaction surface is parallel to the horizontal plane; or, Both the first plane and the reaction surface are not parallel to the horizontal plane.

4. The incubation chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The edge portion includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion extends along a first direction and protrudes from the reaction surface along the thickness direction of the reaction chamber. The second portion extends along a second direction and protrudes from the reaction surface along the thickness direction. The first support surface includes a top surface of the first portion facing away from the reaction surface and a top surface of the second portion facing away from the reaction surface. The first direction intersects with the second direction. The reaction chamber further includes a liquid addition section. The glass slide includes a first side and a second side disposed opposite to each other along the first direction. Along the first direction, the liquid addition section is disposed on the side of the reaction surface away from the second part. The liquid addition section has a liquid addition port, which communicates with the reaction gap. The support portion is disposed closer to the liquid addition section than the second part.

5. The incubation chamber as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The reaction chamber further includes a first side wall, a second side wall, and a third side wall. The liquid addition part is disposed on the third side wall. The glass slide includes a third side surface and a fourth side surface disposed opposite to each other along the second direction. Along the second direction, the first sidewall is located outside the first portion and is used to abut against the third side surface of the glass slide. The second sidewall is located outside the reaction surface and is disposed opposite to the first sidewall. The third sidewall is located between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The support portion is disposed closer to the second sidewall than the first sidewall. The reaction chamber is defined at least by the reaction surface, the first portion, the second portion, the second sidewall, the third sidewall, and the liquid addition section.

6. The incubation chamber as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The support is located at the corner of the second side wall and the third side wall.

7. The incubation chamber as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The liquid filling part includes a recess, which is recessed into the third sidewall along the first direction; The sidewall and bottomwall of the recess have a first inclined surface that is inclined outward from the reaction surface, and a chamfer is provided at the connection between adjacent first inclined surfaces. The bottomwall of the recess is spaced apart from the first sidewall of the glass slide so that the sidewall and bottomwall of the recess together form the liquid inlet with the first sidewall of the glass slide.

8. The incubation chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The third sidewall has a protrusion located on both sides of the recess along the second direction, and the distance between the top wall of the protrusion and the bottom wall of the recess is 2mm to 5mm along the first direction.

9. The incubation chamber as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The angle between the extension direction of the first inclined surface and the thickness direction of the reaction chamber is α1, where 5° < α1 < 45°.

10. The incubation chamber as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The liquid addition section also includes a bottom wall, which has a downwardly inclined second inclined surface. The bottom wall is connected to the bottom wall and side wall of the recess and the reaction surface, respectively, so that the second inclined surface and the bottom wall and side wall of the recess together form a liquid collection tank, and the liquid collection tank is connected to the liquid addition port and the reaction gap, respectively.

11. The incubation chamber as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The connection between the second inclined surface and the first inclined surface is chamfered.

12. The incubation chamber as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The angle between the extension direction of the second inclined surface and the horizontal plane is α2, where 1° < α2 < 10°.

13. The incubation chamber as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The reaction chamber also includes a drainage section located at the corner between the first part and the second part, and penetrating the reaction surface for communication with the reaction gap.

14. The incubation chamber as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, Along the second direction, the distance between the drain section and the first part is 0 mm to 2 mm, and along the first direction, the distance between the drain section and the second part is 5 mm to 20 mm.

15. The incubation chamber as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The drainage section includes a drainage port with an aperture of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

16. The incubation chamber as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The reaction chamber also includes a plurality of protrusions, which are spaced apart along the first direction on the inner surface of the second sidewall. The plurality of protrusions are used to abut against the fourth side surface of the glass slide to form a vent hole together with the fourth side surface of the glass slide. The vent hole is in communication with the reaction gap.

17. The incubation chamber as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes an overflow portion, which is located on the outside of the second portion along the first direction. The overflow portion has a downwardly recessed overflow groove, and the height of the bottom wall of the overflow groove is lower than the height of the first support surface.

18. The incubation chamber as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a receiving portion extending outward from the reaction chamber along a first direction. The receiving portion includes a third support surface located on the first plane. The third support surface is used to support the surface of the glass slide together with the first support surface and the second support surface.

19. The incubation chamber as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that, Along the first direction, a limiting part is provided at one end of the receiving part away from the reaction surface. The limiting part protrudes from the third support surface and is used to abut against the second side of the glass slide to restrict the movement of the glass slide along the first direction.

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