Antigen repair equipment

By combining a semiconductor cooling module and a liquid injection needle, automated control of the antigen retrieval equipment is achieved, solving the problems of low antigen retrieval efficiency and poor stability in existing technologies, and improving retrieval efficiency and consistency of test results.

CN224122259UActive Publication Date: 2026-04-14GANSU ACAD OF MEDICAL SCI
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-04-23
Publication Date
2026-04-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing antigen retrieval technologies have low automation, are cumbersome to operate, and pose risks of detachment and dehydration, resulting in low efficiency and inconsistent test results.

Method used

The device employs a semiconductor cooling module to achieve automated control of heating and cooling. Combined with a liquid injection needle and a transmission mechanism, it realizes a fully automated antigen repair device, including a heating chamber and an incubation chamber. The device utilizes cold or hot air generated by the semiconductor cooling module for pre-cooling or cooling, thereby improving heating efficiency and uniformity.

Benefits of technology

It improves the automation of antigen retrieval, reduces the risk of detachment and dehydration, shortens the cooling time, and enhances retrieval efficiency, stability of test results, and yield.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The utility model discloses antigen repair equipment. The antigen repair equipment comprises a heating cavity and an incubation cavity, two symmetrically arranged and movable semiconductor chilling plate modules are arranged in the heating cavity, and the semiconductor chilling plate modules can move relatively; when the antigen repair equipment is in a heating working condition, the two semiconductor chilling plate modules move in opposite directions, so that the second sides are tightly attached to the two sides of a container filled with repair liquid outside the tissue slice, and the container is directly heated; the air collecting shell is used for collecting cold air of the semiconductor chilling plate module and conveying the cold air to the incubation cavity through the first hose, and the incubation cavity is used for pre-cooling or refrigerating tissue slices in the incubation cavity. According to the utility model, the antigen repair efficiency can be greatly improved, the film making probability can be reduced, and the antigen repair quality is improved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of pathological testing technology, specifically to an antigen retrieval device. Background Technology

[0002] Antigen retrieval instruments are auxiliary medical diagnostic devices used to retrieval antigens by reversing formaldehyde cross-linking to restore antigenic epitopes. In techniques such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF), antigen retrieval is a core pretreatment step, directly affecting the sensitivity and specificity of test results by reversing formaldehyde cross-linking to restore antigenic epitopes.

[0003] Traditional antigen retrieval procedures typically involve heating the retrieval solution at high temperatures to expose the antigen, allowing natural cooling to terminate the reaction, and repeated rinsing with PBS buffer. However, existing methods suffer from the following technical bottlenecks:

[0004] First, the process relies on multiple devices for decentralized processing, resulting in low automation. The high-temperature heating step requires the use of an autoclave or microwave oven to achieve heat-induced epitope repair (HIER), the cooling stage requires transferring the slides to room temperature and allowing them to stand, and PBS washing requires the use of a destaining rack or manual shaking. Each step involves equipment switching and frequent sample transfer, making the operation cumbersome, time-consuming for several hours, and requiring full manual monitoring, which is inefficient and prone to introducing operational errors.

[0005] Secondly, the antigen sections exhibit poor stability during the repair process, posing risks of detachment and dehydration. High temperatures reduce the adhesion between the slide and the section, and turbulent liquid flow can easily cause tissue detachment (slide detachment), especially in pressure cooker boiling or microwave oven non-uniform heating scenarios where the incidence rate significantly increases. Furthermore, prolonged heating accelerates the evaporation of the repair solution. If the solution level is not monitored and replenished in real time, the section may be partially exposed to air (dehydration), leading to protein denaturation and secondary antigen masking, resulting in false negatives or morphological damage. For example, Chinese patent CN203759024U, entitled "An Immunohistochemical In Situ Hybridization Repair Instrument," discloses a heating module within the repair instrument, allowing for the setting of heating temperature and time. However, it still suffers from long cooling times, the need for manual monitoring, and the risk of slide detachment.

[0006] While existing technologies attempt to improve the issue of slide detachment by optimizing the composition of the retrieval solution or the slide coating, they have failed to fundamentally address the shortcomings of low efficiency in multi-device collaboration and uncontrollable environmental parameters. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an integrated, fully automated antigen retrieval system to improve the efficiency of antigen retrieval, overcome problems such as slide detachment and dehydration, and enhance the consistency and yield of test results. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of the above problems, this application provides an antigen repair device, which is an auxiliary medical diagnostic device used to solve the technical problems of low antigen repair efficiency and low yield.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an antigen retrieval device for repairing antigenic epitopes in tissue sections, the antigen retrieval device comprising: a heating chamber and an incubation chamber;

[0009] The heating chamber contains two symmetrically arranged and movable semiconductor cooling chip modules. Each semiconductor cooling chip module includes a semiconductor cooling chip, a first fan, a first heat sink, and an air collecting shroud. The first heat sink is attached to a first side of the semiconductor cooling chip, and the second side of the semiconductor cooling chip is opposite to the tissue slice. The air collecting shroud covers the outside of the first heat sink and the first fan and is used to collect cold or hot air blown by the first fan onto the first heat sink. The air outlet of the air collecting shroud is connected to the incubation chamber via a first flexible hose.

[0010] The semiconductor cooling chip module can move relative to each other so that the second side is in close contact with both sides of the container to directly heat the container; and the air collecting shell collects the cold air from the semiconductor cooling chip module and delivers it to the incubation chamber through the first hose to pre-cool the incubation chamber or cool the tissue slices in the incubation chamber.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a liquid injection needle, which is disposed on the rotating arm and located in the middle of the heating chamber and the incubation chamber. The liquid injection needle can be selectively connected to the repair solution source, the hydrogen peroxide source and the PBS buffer source through a valve assembly. The liquid injection needle is used to add repair solution to the tissue slices in the heating chamber and to add hydrogen peroxide or PBS buffer to the tissue slices in the incubation chamber.

[0012] Furthermore, the injection needle includes a first injection needle and a second injection needle; the first injection needle is located near the heating chamber and is used to add repair solution to the container of tissue slices in the heating chamber; the second injection needle is located near the incubation chamber and is used to add hydrogen peroxide solution or PBS buffer to the container of tissue slices in the incubation chamber.

[0013] Furthermore, the bottom of the container is provided with a drain port and a corresponding valve; the bottom of the heating chamber is provided with a first discharge pipe, which is connected to the drain port and is used to discharge the repair fluid in the container after heating is completed;

[0014] The incubation chamber is equipped with a second discharge pipe connected to the drain port of the container inside the incubation chamber, for discharging hydrogen peroxide and PBS buffer solution from the container.

[0015] Furthermore, a bottom heating element is also provided inside the heating chamber, which is opposite to the bottom of the container and is used to heat the bottom of the container.

[0016] Furthermore, a heat-conducting sheet is provided at the contact point between the container and the second side; when the second side is in close contact with both sides of the container, the second side and the heat-conducting sheet are laminated together.

[0017] Furthermore, both the heating chamber and the incubation chamber are equipped with flip-up top covers.

[0018] Unlike existing technologies, the above-mentioned technical solution provides an antigen retrieval device, which is an auxiliary medical diagnostic device. It includes a heating chamber and an incubation chamber, and features a high degree of automation. It utilizes cold air generated by a semiconductor cooling module to pre-cool or cool the incubation chamber, effectively reducing the cooling time of tissue sections and improving retrieval efficiency. Furthermore, in this technical solution, the heating chamber is heated by two symmetrically arranged and movable semiconductor cooling modules, resulting in high heating efficiency and uniform heating, reducing the risk of sections detaching due to uneven heating. The cold air generated by the semiconductor cooling module during heating can be used to pre-cool and cool the tissue sections within the incubation chamber, achieving efficient energy utilization and avoiding heat waste.

[0019] The above description of the utility model is merely an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this application and to implement it based on the description and drawings, and to make the above-mentioned objectives and other objectives, features and advantages of this application easier to understand, the following description is provided in conjunction with the specific embodiments and drawings of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate the principles, implementation methods, applications, features, and effects of specific embodiments of this utility model and other related contents, and should not be considered as limitations on this application.

[0021] In the accompanying drawings of the instruction manual:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the antigen repair device described in a specific embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sample rack and container described in a specific embodiment;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor cooling chip module and container inside the heating cavity as described in the specific embodiment;

[0025] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor cooling module after the air collection cover has been removed in a specific embodiment;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor cooling module when it is pressed against the container for heating, as described in a specific embodiment.

[0027] The reference numerals used in the above figures are explained as follows:

[0028] 1. Heating chamber; 2. Incubation chamber; 3. Second liquid injection needle; 4. First liquid injection needle; 11. Bottom heating element; 12. Semiconductor cooling chip module; 13. First flexible tube;

[0029] 100. Container; 101. Heat-conducting plate; 102. Drain port;

[0030] 121. Semiconductor cooling chip; 122. First fan; 1231. Air outlet of the air collector shroud; 124. First heat sink;

[0031] 200. Sample rack; Detailed Implementation

[0032] To illustrate the possible application scenarios, technical principles, implementable specific solutions, and achievable objectives and effects of this application in detail, the following description, in conjunction with the listed specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, provides a detailed explanation. The embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this application and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The term "embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it specifically limit its independence or connection with other embodiments. In principle, in this application, as long as there are no technical contradictions or conflicts, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way to form corresponding implementable technical solutions.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the use of related terms herein is merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit this application.

[0035] In the description of this application, the term "and / or" is used to describe the logical relationship between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A exists, B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" logical relationship.

[0036] In this application, terms such as “first” and “second” are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual quantity, hierarchy or order relationship between these entities or operations.

[0037] Without further limitations, the use of terms such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” or other similar open-ended expressions in this application is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, which does not exclude the presence of additional elements in a process, method, or product that includes the stated elements, such that a process, method, or product that includes a list of elements may include not only those defined elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, or product.

[0038] Similar to the understanding in the Examination Guidelines, in this application, expressions such as "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number; expressions such as "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments in this application, "multiple" means two or more (including two), and similar expressions related to "multiple" are also understood in this way, such as "multiple groups" and "multiple times," unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the space-related expressions used, such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "vertical," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the specific embodiments or drawings. They are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments of this application or for the reader's understanding, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific position, a specific orientation, or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0040] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," and "setting," as used in the description of the embodiments of this application, should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral setting; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art to which this application pertains, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0041] Please see Figures 1 to 5 This embodiment provides an antigen repair device, which is an auxiliary medical diagnostic device used for antigen repair to reverse formaldehyde cross-linking and restore antigen epitopes.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the antigen retrieval device includes a heating chamber 1 and an incubation chamber 2. A transfer mechanism may be provided between the heating chamber 1 and the incubation chamber 2, which is used to transfer the heated tissue slices in the heating chamber 1 to the incubation chamber 2. The incubation chamber 2 is used to cool the heated tissue slices and perform subsequent cleaning and incubation operations. Two symmetrically arranged and movable semiconductor cooling modules 12 are provided inside the heating chamber 1. The semiconductor cooling modules 12 are used to heat the tissue slices placed in the heating chamber 1 to enable antigen retrieval. Figure 2 As shown, tissue slices are placed on a sample rack 200, which can hold multiple tissue slices. The sample rack 200 is placed inside a container 100 containing antigen retrieval solution. The container 100 is directly heated by a semiconductor cooling module 12. The transmission mechanism can be a belt conveyor, which includes a guide rail, a belt, and a slider. Guide wheels are provided at both ends of the guide rail, and the slider is slidably mounted on the guide rail. A container clamping mechanism is mounted on the slider, and the belt is mounted on the guide wheels and fixed to the slider. When the guide wheels are driven by a drive motor, the belt rotates, thereby moving the slider and the container (this transmission mechanism is a conventional mechanism in the medical device field and will not be described here). In some embodiments, the above-mentioned transmission mechanism may not be provided, and the heated tissue slices in the heating chamber can be manually transferred to the incubation chamber for cooling and incubation.

[0043] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the thermoelectric cooler module 12 includes a thermoelectric cooler 121, a first fan 122, a first heat sink 124, and a fan shroud 123. The thermoelectric cooler 121 (also called a thermoelectric cooler or Peltier cooler) is a cooling technology based on the thermoelectric effect, its core principle being the Peltier effect. The thermoelectric cooler 121 is composed of thermocouple pairs made of N-type and P-type semiconductor materials (such as bismuth telluride). When a direct current passes through these thermocouple pairs, energy transfer occurs: heat is absorbed at the junction where the current flows from the N-type material to the P-type material, forming a cold junction (i.e., the cooling side). Heat is released at the junction where the current flows from the P-type material to the N-type material, forming a hot junction (i.e., the heating side). Therefore, by changing the direction of the current flowing to the thermoelectric cooler 121, its cold and hot junctions can be switched. In this embodiment, the first heat sink 124 is attached to the first side of the semiconductor cooling chip 121, and the second side of the semiconductor cooling chip 121 is opposite to the tissue slice. An air collector shroud is provided on the outside of the first heat sink 124 and the first fan 122 to collect the cold or hot air blown by the first fan 122 onto the first heat sink 124. The air outlet 1231 of the air collector shroud is connected to the incubation chamber 2 via a first flexible hose 13. The semiconductor cooling chip module 12 is driven to move relative to the heat sink 124 by a clamping arm or belt drive mechanism. The air inlet of the first fan 122 is connected to the incubation chamber via a second flexible hose. In one embodiment, the semiconductor cooling chip module 12 is driven to move relative to the heat sink 124 by a clamping arm, wherein the clamping arm includes two parallel grippers that are arranged opposite each other and can move synchronously closer or further apart. Two semiconductor cooling chip modules 12 are correspondingly arranged on the parallel grippers. Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the two semiconductor cooling modules 12 are symmetrically arranged along the width direction of the container 100, that is, along... Figure 3 The container 100 is symmetrically positioned in the direction indicated by arrow X, located between two semiconductor cooling modules 12. Heat-conducting sheets 101 are provided on both sides of the container 100 along its thickness direction. These sheets 101 are used to abut against the semiconductor cooling modules to improve their thermal conductivity. The heat-conducting sheets 101 can be thermally conductive silicone sheets or thermally conductive graphite sheets, etc. After heating, the container 100 is transferred to the incubation chamber 2 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to arrow X. When the two semiconductor cooling modules 12 approach each other in the direction indicated by arrow X, they fit tightly against the sides of the container 100, allowing direct heating of the container 100 and the antigen retrieval solution inside.

[0044] The antigen retrieval device has at least a heating mode and an incubation mode. The heating mode refers to heating and retrieval of tissue slices within the heating chamber 1; the incubation mode refers to cooling the heated tissue slices and subsequent incubation. When the antigen retrieval device is in heating mode, two semiconductor cooling modules 12 move towards each other so that their second sides are in close contact with the sides of the container 100 containing the retrieval fluid outside the tissue slices, directly heating the container 100. The air collector shell collects the cold air from the semiconductor cooling modules 12 and delivers it to the incubation chamber 2 through the first flexible tube 13, pre-cooling the incubation chamber 2 or cooling the tissue slices within the incubation chamber 2.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, tissue sections are placed on a slide holder, which is then placed inside container 100. Container 100 is then placed in heating chamber 1 for heating. Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, when heating the tissue sections, two semiconductor cooling modules 12 are attached to both sides of the container 100, and the heat generated by the two semiconductor cooling modules 12 directly heats the container 100. When the semiconductor cooling modules 12 are heating, the cold air generated on the first side (which is the cooling side at this time) is delivered to the incubation chamber through the air collector and the first flexible tube 13. Therefore, the incubation chamber can be pre-cooled, or if there are tissue sections in the incubation chamber that need to be cooled after heating, the cold air can directly cool the tissue sections, thereby shortening the cooling time of the tissue sections.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the device also includes a liquid injection needle, which is mounted on a rotating arm and positioned between the heating chamber 1 and the incubation chamber 2. The liquid injection needle can be selectively connected to a repair solution source, a hydrogen peroxide source, and a PBS buffer source via a valve assembly. The liquid injection needle is used to add repair solution to the tissue slices in the heating chamber 1 and to add hydrogen peroxide or PBS buffer to the tissue slices in the incubation chamber 2.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the injection needle includes a first injection needle 4 and a second injection needle 3; the first injection needle 4 is close to the heating chamber 1 and is used to add repair solution to the container 100 of the tissue slices in the heating chamber 1; the second injection needle 3 is close to the incubation chamber 2 and is used to add hydrogen peroxide solution or PBS buffer to the container 100 of the tissue slices in the incubation chamber 2.

[0048] The bottom of container 100 is provided with a drain port 102 and a corresponding valve; the bottom of heating chamber 1 is provided with a first drain pipe, which is connected to the drain port 102 and is used to drain the repair solution in container 100 after heating is completed; the incubation chamber 2 is provided with a second drain pipe, which is connected to the drain port 102 of container 100 in incubation chamber 2 and is used to drain hydrogen peroxide and PBS buffer in container 100.

[0049] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a bottom heating plate 11 is also provided in the heating chamber 1. The bottom heating plate 11 is opposite to the bottom of the container 100 and is used to heat the bottom of the container 100. A heat-conducting plate 101 is provided at the contact point between the container 100 and the second side; when the second side is in close contact with both sides of the container 100, the second side and the heat-conducting plate 101 are laminated together.

[0050] The process of antigen retrieval using this antigen retrieval device is as follows:

[0051] Both the heating chamber 1 and the incubation chamber 2 are equipped with flip-up top covers.

[0052] Open the hinged top cover of heating chamber 1 and incubation chamber 2, place the tissue slice into container 100 containing repair fluid in heating chamber 1, and then close the top cover. At this point, the equipment is ready and awaiting further instructions.

[0053] The injection needle is activated via a control system. Positioned on a rotating arm between heating chamber 1 and incubation chamber 2, and selectively connected to a retrieval solution source, hydrogen peroxide source, and PBS buffer source via a valve assembly, the rotating arm rotates the injection needle above heating chamber 1. The valve assembly then controls the injection needle to draw retrieval solution from the retrieval solution source and add an appropriate amount of retrieval solution to the tissue section container 100 within heating chamber 1. This process achieves automated injection, improving automation, reducing errors and labor intensity associated with manual injection, and ensuring a more precise and efficient antigen retrieval process.

[0054] Furthermore, the injection needle includes a first injection needle 4 and a second injection needle 3. The first injection needle 4 is located near the heating chamber 1 and is specifically used to add the retrieval solution to the container 100 of the tissue sections within the heating chamber 1. The second injection needle 3 is located near the incubation chamber 2 and is used to add hydrogen peroxide solution or PBS buffer to the container 100 of the tissue sections within the incubation chamber 2. This setup improves the accuracy and specificity of the injection, avoids cross-contamination between different liquids, and ensures the quality of antigen retrieval.

[0055] After the liquid is added, the clamping arm or belt drive mechanism drives two symmetrically arranged and movable semiconductor cooling modules 12 in the heating chamber 1 to move towards each other, so that the second side of the semiconductor cooling module 12 is in close contact with both sides of the container 100 containing the repair fluid outside the tissue section. At the same time, a heat-conducting plate is provided at the contact point between the container 100 and the second side. When the second side is in close contact with both sides of the container 100, the second side and the heat-conducting plate are laminated together, which effectively improves the heat conduction efficiency, reduces heat loss during the heat transfer process, and makes the heating faster and more uniform.

[0056] In addition, a bottom heating element 11 is provided inside the heating chamber 1, which is opposite to the bottom of the container 100 to heat the bottom of the container 100. Three-sided heating is achieved through two semiconductor cooling modules 12 and the bottom heating element 11. Compared with traditional single-sided or double-sided heating methods, this allows for more uniform heating of the repair fluid and tissue sections inside the container 100, improving heating efficiency, reducing the likelihood of detachment due to uneven heating, and ensuring the effectiveness of antigen repair.

[0057] The first side of the semiconductor cooling module 12 is attached to the first heat sink 124. The first fan 122 blows air onto the first heat sink 124, and the air collector shroud collects the hot air blown by the first fan 122 onto the first heat sink 124. At this time, the semiconductor cooling module 12 is in a heated state, heating the repair fluid and tissue sections in the container 100. During the heating process, due to the heating effect of the semiconductor cooling module 12, the temperature of the repair fluid in the container 100 gradually increases, realizing antigen repair of the tissue sections. At the same time, the hot air collected by the air collector shroud is delivered to the incubation chamber 2 through the first flexible tube 13 to pre-cool the incubation chamber 2, preparing for the subsequent cooling of the tissue sections. This design demonstrates high thermal efficiency. The cold air generated when the semiconductor cooling module 12 is heated can be used to pre-cool the incubation chamber and cool the tissue sections inside, realizing efficient use of energy and avoiding heat waste. Moreover, it has a high degree of automation. The heating and pre-cooling processes are completed automatically by the equipment, reducing the cooling time of the tissue sections and improving the repair efficiency.

[0058] After heating is complete, the control system opens the drain port 102 valve at the bottom of container 100. The first discharge pipe at the bottom of heating chamber 1 is connected to the drain port 102, discharging the retrieval fluid from container 100. This design enables automatic drainage without manual operation, further improving the level of automation and ensuring the continuity and stability of the antigen retrieval process.

[0059] The transfer mechanism is activated, transferring the heated tissue slices from heating chamber 1 to incubation chamber 2. The transfer mechanism can take various forms, such as a robotic arm or conveyor belt, as long as it can accurately and smoothly transfer the tissue slices from heating chamber 1 to incubation chamber 2. This process further demonstrates the high degree of automation of the equipment, reducing manual intervention and improving repair efficiency.

[0060] Cooling and subsequent processing

[0061] After the tissue slices are transferred to the incubation chamber 2, the semiconductor cooling module 12 continues to work. At this time, the air collector hood collects the cold air generated by the semiconductor cooling module 12 and delivers it to the incubation chamber 2 through the first hose 13 to cool the tissue slices in the incubation chamber 2, quickly reduce the temperature of the tissue slices, effectively reduce the cooling time, and improve the repair efficiency.

[0062] After the cooling process is complete, the rotating arm drives the dispensing needle to rotate above the incubation chamber 2. The valve assembly controls the dispensing needle to draw hydrogen peroxide from the hydrogen peroxide source and add it to the tissue section container 100 in the incubation chamber 2 to block endogenous oxidase. Then, the valve assembly again controls the dispensing needle to draw PBS buffer from the PBS buffer source to repeatedly wash the tissue sections in the incubation chamber 2 to remove residual hydrogen peroxide and other impurities. After each washing, the liquid in container 100 is drained through the second drain tube in the incubation chamber 2 connected to the drain port 102 of container 100, achieving automatic drainage and improving the level of automation.

[0063] In addition, the air inlet of the first fan 122 is connected to the incubation chamber through the second flexible hose, so that the air in the incubation chamber can participate in the heat dissipation cycle of the semiconductor cooling module 12. On the one hand, it can better regulate the temperature of the incubation chamber, and on the other hand, it can improve the air circulation inside the entire device, which helps to improve the performance and stability of the device.

[0064] After the above series of operations, the antigen repair process of the tissue section is completed. The operator can open the top cover of the incubation chamber 2, take out the repaired tissue section, and perform subsequent pathological tests and other operations.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted that although the above embodiments have been described in the text and drawings of this application, this should not limit the scope of patent protection of this application. Any technical solutions that are based on the essential concept of this application and utilize the content described in the text and drawings of this application, resulting in equivalent structural or procedural substitutions or modifications, as well as the direct or indirect application of the technical solutions of the above embodiments to other related technical fields, are all included within the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. An antigen retrieval device for repairing antigenic epitopes in tissue sections, characterized in that, The antigen retrieval device includes: a heating chamber and an incubation chamber; The heating chamber contains two symmetrically arranged and movable semiconductor cooling chip modules. Each semiconductor cooling chip module includes a semiconductor cooling chip, a first fan, a first heat sink, and an air collecting shroud. The first heat sink is attached to a first side of the semiconductor cooling chip, and the second side of the semiconductor cooling chip is opposite to the tissue slice. The air collecting shroud covers the outside of the first heat sink and the first fan and is used to collect cold or hot air blown by the first fan onto the first heat sink. The air outlet of the air collecting shroud is connected to the incubation chamber via a first flexible hose. The semiconductor cooling chip module can move relative to each other so that the second side is in close contact with both sides of the container to directly heat the container; and the air collector hood collects the cold air from the semiconductor cooling chip module and delivers it to the incubation chamber through the first hose to pre-cool the incubation chamber or cool the tissue slices in the incubation chamber.

2. The antigen retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a liquid injection needle, which is mounted on a rotating arm and located in the middle of the heating chamber and the incubation chamber. The liquid injection needle can be selectively connected to a repair solution source, a hydrogen peroxide source and a PBS buffer source through a valve assembly. The liquid injection needle is used to add repair solution to the tissue slices in the heating chamber and to add hydrogen peroxide or PBS buffer to the tissue slices in the incubation chamber.

3. The antigen retrieval device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The injection needle includes a first injection needle and a second injection needle; the first injection needle is located near the heating chamber and is used to add repair solution to the container of tissue slices in the heating chamber; the second injection needle is located near the incubation chamber and is used to add hydrogen peroxide solution or PBS buffer to the container of tissue slices in the incubation chamber.

4. The antigen retrieval device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The container is provided with a drain port at the bottom; the heating chamber is provided with a first discharge pipe at the bottom, which is connected to the drain port and is used to discharge the repair fluid in the container after heating is completed. The incubation chamber is equipped with a second discharge pipe connected to the drain port of the container inside the incubation chamber, for discharging hydrogen peroxide and PBS buffer solution from the container.

5. The antigen retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating chamber is also equipped with a bottom heating plate, which is opposite to the bottom of the container and is used to heat the bottom of the container.

6. The antigen retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heat-conducting sheet is provided at the contact point between the container and the second side; when the second side is in close contact with both sides of the container, the second side and the heat-conducting sheet are laminated together.

7. The antigen retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the heating chamber and the incubation chamber are equipped with flip-up top covers.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Immunohistochemical in-situ hybridization repairing instrument

    CN203759024U