Apparatus and process for cooling a plurality of containment groups, each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material

Abstract

It is described herein an apparatus for processing a histological sample to be embedded in an embedding material, comprising a cooling system (8) able to cool a plurality of containment groups (G), each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material. The cooling system (8): - a cooling area (9) able to receive the containment groups (G), comprising a main cooling surface (10) in contact with the containment groups (G), in order to solidify the embedding material contained in the containment groups (G), - a cooling unit comprising a chiller (14) and a recirculation circuit (15) of refrigerant fluid, - wherein said apparatus comprises an electronic controller (E) configured to control the cooling unit including said chiller (14) with controlled temperature cooling cycles.

Description

[0001] “Apparatus and process for cooling a plurality of containment groups, each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material” ****

[0002] SPECIFICATION

[0003] Field of the invention

[0004] The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and process for processing a histological sample in an embedding step. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and process for cooling liquid state embedding material containing a histological sample.

[0005] In the field of anatomical pathology, the "embedding" step of a histological tissue in an embedding material (typically paraffin) is performed after a surgical sample collected from a patient has undergone "grossing", fixation in formalin and a treatment ("processing") in which the tissue sample is dehydrated in alcohol and then clarified with xylol, so that the tissue itself is transformed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, in order to proceed to an initial paraffin impregnation.

[0006] Prior art

[0007] Document JP6383625B2 describes a system for automatically performing the operation of embedding a histological sample in an embedding material.

[0008] According to a per se known technique, in the above-mentioned grossing step, the biological tissue is placed in a histology cassette, within which it is located while undergoing the above-mentioned process operation, to then be directed to the next embedding step. An example of a conventional histology cassette is illustrated in Figure 1 A of the attached drawings. With reference to that figure, number 1 indicates the assembly of a cassette 2 and a lid 3. In a typical example, the body of cassette 2, made of plastic material, is in the form of a relatively flattened container, with a flat bottom wall 4 and two pairs of opposing walls defining a containment cavity for the histological sample, which can be closed with the lid 3. The bottom wall 4 of the cassette 2 is in the shape of a grid, for reasons that will become clear in the following. According to a conventional process, performed manually, before proceeding with the embedding operation, an operator separates the lid 3 of the cassette 2, removes with the help of tweezers the histological sample from the cassette 2, and lays it on the bottom of a "mould" intended to receive the embedding material, and possibly already prepared with a first layer of embedding material (typically paraffin at an appropriate temperature to keep it in a fluid state). The mould may be made for example of plastic or metallic material, and may have a bottom that varies in size depending on the sample to be received.

[0009] Figure 1 B in the attached drawings illustrates some examples of conventional moulds 5. Moulds 5 are configured and sized to receive the body of a cassette 2 on the top of them. Indeed, after the histological sample has been placed on the bottom of a mould 5, the cassette 2 (separated from the lid 3) is applied on top of the mould 5, making a containment group G as shown in Figure 1 C. Again with reference to Figure 1 B, it can be seen that although the outer dimensions of each mould 5 are chosen so that the body of the cassette is applied above the mould, each mould 5 has a bottom cavity 6, intended to receive the histological sample, whose size varies from mould to mould, depending on the histological sample to be received.

[0010] In the conventional process, the operator pours an initial layer of embedding material onto the bottom 6 of a mould 5 and then inserts the histological sample taken from a cassette onto the bottom 6 of the mould 5. This step is extremely critical to ensure a high reliability of the examination which is subsequently performed on the sample. Indeed, the operator must take care to lay the histological sample on the bottom of the mould with the most appropriate orientation in order to ensure the best results in the following microtomy step, in which the sample embedded in a block of embedding material undergoes cutting.

[0011] Once the operator has laid the histological sample on the bottom of the mould 5 by orienting it in the most appropriate way, he applies the cassette 2 above the mould 5.

[0012] Once this is done, the operator places the mould 5 containing the histological sample, with the cassette 2 applied on top of it, under a dispensing tap of embedding material (typically paraffin) maintained at a temperature sufficient to leave it in a fluid state. In this step, the embedding material is poured by gravity into the mould 5, possibly by passing it through openings in the bottom wall 4 of the cassette 2. The fluid is poured in sufficient quantity to fill the mould and the containment space of the cassette above the mould.

[0013] Once the mould 5 has been filled with embedding material it must be subjected to cooling to solidify the embedding material. At that point, the solidified body of embedding material, with the histological sample embedded in it, is separated from the mould 5 for following manipulation. The body of the cassette 2 remains joined to the solidified body.

[0014] With reference to the cooling step, the solution typically adopted involves a cold plate that is brought to a temperature usually between -5°C and -10°C.

[0015] Such a solution, however, is not without drawbacks.

[0016] First, such a solution involves formation of condensation ice on the surface of the cooled plate, caused by the large temperature difference between the temperature of the cold plate and the laboratory wet air. The ice thus formed is particularly difficult to remove, especially having to ensure a flat surface on which the moulds must be arranged, to avoid leakage of embedding material and thus the consequent need for refilling.

[0017] These drawbacks are also particularly critical in the context of an automated anatomical pathology processing system that does not involve manual interaction by an operator.

[0018] Another aspect to be considered is that the cooling plates are positioned from room temperature to a temperature below 0°C, causing a thermal shock that can cause cracking in the block of solidified embedding material, thus putting the integrity of the process at risk.

[0019] Object of the invention

[0020] It is the object of the present invention to solve the above- mentioned drawbacks.

[0021] In particular, it is an object of the present invention to realize an apparatus and process for cooling the liquid state embedding material containing the histological sample, which allows the reliability and uniformity of results to be greatly increased, compared with conventional techniques.

[0022] Another object of the invention is to make an apparatus and process of the above-mentioned type that have a very high degree of safety against the risk of anomalies in the process, for example with regard to solidification of the paraffin block.

[0023] A further object of the invention is to implement an apparatus and process having a high degree of flexibility, in the sense of being able to operate with cassettes and moulds of any known type.

[0024] Still a further object of the invention is to carry out all the above objectives with relatively simple means and small dimensions and cost.

[0025] Summary of the invention

[0026] In view of achieving one or more of the above objects, the invention relates to an apparatus for processing a histological sample to be embedded in an embedding material, comprising a cooling system able to cool a plurality of containment groups, each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material, wherein said cooling system comprises:

[0027] - a cooling area able to receive said plurality of containment groups, comprising a main cooling surface in contact with the containment groups, in order to solidify the embedding material contained in the containment groups,

[0028] - a cooling unit comprising a chiller associated with said cooling area, and a recirculation circuit of refrigerant fluid operatively connected to said chiller and to said cooling area,

[0029] - wherein said apparatus comprises an electronic controller configured to control the cooling unit including said chiller with controlled temperature cooling cycles.

[0030] It is also an object of the present invention the process that is implemented by means of the apparatus described above.

[0031] Further advantageous features of the invention are defined in the appended claims and description below.

[0032] Brief

[0033] Further features and advantages of the invention will result from the following description with reference to the appended drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

[0034] - Figure 1A is a perspective view of a histology cassette of a known type, which can also be used in the apparatus according to the invention,

[0035] - Figure 1 B shows a series of moulds of known type which can also be used in the apparatus according to the invention,

[0036] - Figure 1 C is a perspective view of a cassette applied over a mould, according to a configuration which can also be used in the apparatus according to the invention,

[0037] - Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating some features of a cooling system, according to an embodiment of the invention, and

[0038] - Figure 3 is a side view in a partial enlarged scale illustrating additional features with respect to the previous figure.

[0039] Detailed description of multiple embodiments

[0040] The following description illustrates various specific details aimed at a deep understanding of examples of one or more embodiments. Embodiments may be realized without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc.. In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments. Reference to "an embodiment" within this description indicates that a particular configuration, structure or feature described according to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, sentences such as "in an embodiment", possibly occurring in different points in this description, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, particular conformations, structures or features may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments and / or associated to the embodiments in a different way than illustrated here, so that for example a feature exemplified here according to a figure may be applied to one or more embodiments exemplified in a different figure.

[0041] References illustrated herein are for convenience only and therefore do not limit the scope of protection or the extent of the embodiments.

[0042] The present invention relates to an apparatus for embedding a histological sample in an embedding material, comprising a cooling system 8 able to cool a plurality of moulds 5 with cassette 2, each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material. For ease of exposure, in the following, the assembly of a mould 5 and a cassette 2 is referred to as containment group G.

[0043] In one or more of the embodiments, the apparatus is fully automated so that the histological sample and the embedding material can be processed without the need for manual operations performed by an operator. Figures 2,3 show the part of the apparatus only related to the cooling system 8. However, the cooling system 8 is integrated within an automation system that can work continuously to carry out different process operations on the embedding material, before and after the cooling step performed by the cooling system 8. In this regard, the Italian patent application No. 102021000013757 filed by the same Applicant, and which forms part of the state of the art under Article 46(3) of the Italian Industrial Property Code, describes additional parts of the automation system, before or after the cooling step.

[0044] With reference to process operations prior to the cooling step, the apparatus may include a bench on which it is defined an input area configured to receive, from a transport system, cassettes 2 containing histological samples. Automated transport systems are provided upstream and downstream of the apparatus. The upstream transport system feeds cassettes 2 containing histological samples to be analyzed, while the transport system downstream of the apparatus feeds histological samples, each embedded in a body of embedding material, to the next station of an automated sample processing line. Preferably, such systems are made according to what is described in the Italian patent application No. 102021000009788 by the same Applicant. The construction details of the transport systems are not described herein, both because they can be made in any known manner and because they, taken alone, are outside the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that upstream and downstream transport systems, in a less preferable and not illustrated embodiment, can also be manual.

[0045] The apparatus includes an electronic controller E (only schematically shown in Figure 3). The electronic controller E is configured and programmed to control the automated devices of the apparatus and to possibly assist an operator working in a working area.

[0046] The apparatus also comprises a manipulator device of any known type arranged to pick up cassettes received in the input area and to lay them, if necessary, in an accumulation area provided with a system to maintain the cassettes in an illustrated temperature range. The manipulator device can be a robot of any known type having a head movable along three mutually orthogonal axes X, Y, Z.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, the working area, where there may be an operator, receives only one cassette at a time sequentially. Only when the cycle of operations to be performed in the working area on a particular cassette 2 is over, the system enables the feeding to the working area of a new cassette. When the signal indicating the completion of the cycle of operations performed on cassette 2 that is in the working area is received by the electronic controller E, the latter controls the manipulator device to pick up a given cassette from the accumulation area and feed it to the working area. The electronic controller E can be configured and programmed to perform a selection ("sorting") of the cassette to be picked up.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, in the working area, an operator manually performs the necessary operations to arrange a histological sample within a respective mould 5, orienting it appropriately. Each time a cassette 2 reaches the working area, the operator picks up the sample and lays it on the bottom of a respective mould 5 after having preliminarily poured on the bottom of the mould 5 a first layer of embedding material (typically paraffin) through a dispensing station. The operator applies the cassette 2 over the mould 5 and places the resulting group G on a transfer device to transport the group towards a further step in the process. Figure 1 C of the attached drawings shows the result of the above operations. Each containment group G comprises a mould 5 on whose bottom 6 there is the first layer of embedding material dispensed by the dispensing station, in which the operator has placed and then oriented the histological sample. The body of the cassette 2 is applied over the mould 5 as a lid. Thus, the mould 5 and the body of the cassette 2 have dimensions suitable for this purpose. The body of the cassette 2 defines a cavity 2B intended to be filled with liquid embedding material, whose bottom wall 4 has through openings in order to allow the passage of the embedding material that is poured through the cavity 2B within the mould 5 below. The inclined end surface 2A of the body of the cassette 2, remains in a position exposed to view. Preferably, the cassette 2 comprises an information carrier C, which may be a code of any known type (such as a bar code) but in the example is a QR code. Even the mould may include its own information carrier F. Due to these features, it is achieved in the process and apparatus according to the invention the advantage of continuous traceability of each processed sample, which allows to associate the sample with identifying information related to it during the whole course of operations performed in the apparatus.

[0049] The transfer device brings the mould 5 containing the histological sample with the body of the cassette 2 applied over it to a dispensing station of embedding material. At the station, the mould 5 and the associated cassette 2 are filled with embedding material (typically paraffin) maintained at a fluid state. The dispensing of the embedding material is performed in a controlled and precise manner, as the dispensing station can be associated with a sensor device able to detect the level of embedding material within the cassette 2, assisted by an algorithm that can calibrate the dispensing based on a set of parameters known to the electronic controller E of the previous step. Cassettes 2 are located at a position below the dispensing station, to receive a flow of embedding material, which is at a temperature suitable to keep it in a fluid state. The dispensing station basically consists of a tap controlled by a solenoid valve that is controlled by the electronic controller E on the basis of a feedback signal sent by a sensor associated with the dispensing station. The sensor is able to detect the level of the embedding material, and can be an optical sensor of any known type, i.e. operating in reflection, able to measure the distance of the sensor itself from the free surface of the fluid of embedding material poured into the cassette. The signal emitted by the sensor can also be displayed on a monitor in the form of a numerical indication of the distance between the sensor and the free surface of the embedding material. During the dispensing step, the distance progressively decreases until a predetermined value is reached, corresponding to the correct amount of embedding material, which is predetermined according to the size of cassette 2 and the mould 5 arranged below the cassette 2. The electronic controller E is then able to close the solenoid valve controlling the dispensing of the embedding material and consequently stop the dispensing of the material when a correct amount is reached. The electronic controller E during such a dispensing operation takes into account, by means of a specific algorithm, the information already previously held on the volume occupied by the histological sample within the mould 5, as well as on the size of the bottom of the mould 5 itself, so as to properly calibrate the dispensing of the appropriate amount of embedding material to reach the above predetermined level.

[0050] Downstream of the dispensing station the cooling system 8 is provided to cool a plurality of groups G, each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material.

[0051] In the following description, peculiar features of the cooling system 8 are disclosed.

[0052] According to the invention, the cooling system 8 comprises a cooling area 9 arranged to receive said plurality of containment moulds. The cooling area 9 comprises a main cooling surface 10 in contact with the groups G to be cooled, in order to solidify the liquid state embedding material in contained therein, previously dispensed at the dispensing station (not shown). The main cooling surface 10 comprises a plurality of adjacent compartments, each arranged to accommodate a single group G. In a preferred embodiment, the compartments are obtained in a row configuration, forming a rectangular cooling area with sides formed by 4 x 6 compartments, for a total of 24 cooling compartments.

[0053] The cooling system 8 also includes at least one manipulator robot 11 arranged to pick up the groups G yet to be cooled from a picking area, lay the groups G in the respective compartments of the cooling area 9, and pick up the cooled groups G from the cooling area 9. Figure 2 illustrates an end portion of the manipulator robot 11 for grasping the groups G. The end portion comprises an operating head 12 movable along three mutually orthogonal axes X, Y, Z. The operating head 12 comprises two parallel contact elements 13 suitable for clamp-gripping a group G along its opposite sides. In one or more embodiments, the system 8 may include different manipulator robots arranged to respectively lay groups G yet to be cooled and pick up groups G already cooled, so as to parallelize operations.

[0054] According to a preferred feature of the invention, the electronic controller E is configured to control the manipulator robot 11 so as to pick up each time a group G on which the cooling cycle has already been performed. In this regard, the group G must be left on the cooling surface 10 long enough to reach solidification of the embedding material therein.

[0055] As described below, the electronic controller E is configured to control the cooling cycles to cool the groups G with controlled temperature cycles.

[0056] According to a peculiar feature of the present invention, the system 8 includes a cooling unit comprising a "chiller" 14 (shown in Figure 3) associated with the cooling area 9, and a recirculation circuit 15 of refrigerant fluid operatively connected to the chiller 14 and to the main cooling surface 10. The term chiller refers to a thermal machine that exploits the compression and expansion of a substance at the gaseous state, allowing heat to be removed from a heat transfer fluid.

[0057] The operation of the above cooling unit is based on the peculiarity of refrigerating the liquid circulating through the circuit 15, to be sent to the cooling area 9, in particular to a cooling plate with a main cooling surface 10 on which to arrange the groups G to be cooled.

[0058] In particular, the chiller 14 uses an internal temperature sensor placed at the point where the refrigerant fluid enters the chiller itself, to autonomously regulate the temperature.

[0059] The chiller 14 is substantially a thermoregulator which interposes a Peltier device (acting as a thermal module) between a heat exchanger and the recirculation circuit 15 of refrigerant fluid, and properly controls the Peltier device supply to reach the desired temperature of the refrigerant fluid, which is then circulated at that constant temperature within the closed circuit 15 by means of a recirculation pump with which the chiller 14 is provided. Thus, the closed circuit 15 involves a discharge circuit from the chiller 14 to the cooling area 9 and a return circuit from the cooling area 9 to the chiller 14. In this regard, it should be noted that Figure 2 shows the end portions of the ducts of the recirculation circuit 15 of refrigerant fluid.

[0060] In other words, the chiller 14 includes at least one temperature sensor arranged to monitor the temperature of the refrigerant fluid circulating in the circuit 15, a heat exchanger associated with a Peltier device to cool the refrigerant fluid and keep it at the required temperature, at least one refrigerant fluid tank and a recirculation pump arranged to take the refrigerant fluid from the tank and circulate it along the heat exchanger and the ducts of the recirculation circuit 15.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the end portions of the discharge and return ducts (shown as 16 and 17, respectively) are alternated along one side of the cooling plate, in order to channel the refrigerant fluid within the body of the plate to achieve the desired cooling effect, and return the fluid towards the chiller 14. Of course, other configurations of the circuit 15 may be provided, as long as they are functional to achieve the intended purposes, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0062] Thus, it should be noted that the cooling plate is continuously cooled by means of the chiller 14 and the circuit 15 associated with it. The chiller 14 therefore develops a cooling effect by means of a cooling fluid that is circulated within a closed circuit connected to the plate whose cooling is to be achieved.

[0063] The electronic controller E is configured to control the cooling cycles to cool at a controlled temperature the groups G arranged on the cooling surface 10. The fluid temperature within the circuit 15 is controlled by the chiller 14 and the electronic controller E according to the methods shown below.

[0064] According to a peculiar feature of the invention, the electronic controller E is programmed to control the cooling unit including the chiller 14, in order to bring the temperature of the main cooling surface 10 to a value comprised between 5°C and 17°C. This temperature range allows to solidify the embedding material brought by the groups G, ensuring that the solidification itself is free from anomalies, in particular without formation of condensation ice on the surface of the cooling area 9. According to the Applicant's experience, it is particularly advantageous to apply a temperature of 12°C in order to maximize the above advantageous effects. As indicated above, system 8 includes at least one manipulator robot 11 to pick up cooled groups G. According to a preferred feature of the invention, the electronic controller E is configured to control the manipulator robot 11 in order to pick up one by one a group G on which the cooling cycle has already been performed. The group G must be left on the cooling plate for enough time to achieve solidification of the embedding material contained therein. In the Applicant's experience, the residence time on the cooling area is on the order of 10-15 minutes, so as to ensure the effective solidification of the embedding material.

[0065] In a real embodiment, the manipulator robot 11 sequentially arranges one by one the groups G in one of the respective free compartments of the cooling area 9. Obviously, the group G laid down first on the cooling area 9 will also be the first to reach the residence time needed to solidify the embedding material. It is exactly such first group G that will be the first to be picked up at the end of the cooling cycle, followed thereafter by the others, preferably alternating operations of placing of new groups G to be cooled. Thanks to these features, the apparatus and the process according to the invention allow to perform a continuous cooling cycle integrated with the automation system described above.

[0066] In one or more embodiments, the electronic controller E is programmed to enable the feeding to the cooling area 9 of a new group G by the manipulator robot 11 , when it receives a signal which indicates the pick up of a group G from the cooling area 9, and serving as an end signal of a cooling cycle on the picked up group G. The feed signal can be obtained in any known way, either automatically or manually triggered by an operator, notwithstanding the principle of feeding groups G one by one and only after the pick up of another group G.

[0067] Figure 2 shows the multi-compartment cooling area 9 with the groups G arranged at a respective compartment, while the manipulator robot 11 grips an already cooled group G, to subsequently perform the detachment of the mould 5 from the solidified body of the embedding material, containing the histological specimen inside. The manipulator robot 11 can be controlled by the electronic controller E of the apparatus or by a dedicated control unit, synchronized with the higher-level electronic controller E of the apparatus.

[0068] In order to perform the steps after cooling, the apparatus may further comprise a device for the detachment of the solidified material from the respective cooled mould. A transport device may provide for feeding the solidified material including the histological specimen to the output or to an accumulation area. In one or more embodiments, the apparatus comprises an output automatic transport system to feed the moulds, from which the solid state embedding material has been detached, through a cleaning station to remove residues of embedding material and then convey them back to the moulds feeding system in the working area.

[0069] Naturally, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the construction details and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to what is described and illustrated purely by way of example, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Apparatus for processing a histological sample to be embedded in an embedding material, comprising a cooling system (8) able to cool a plurality of containment groups (G), each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material, wherein said cooling system (8) comprises:- a cooling area (9) able to receive said plurality of containment groups (G), comprising a main cooling surface (10) in contact with the containment groups (G), in order to solidify the embedding material contained in the containment groups (G),- a cooling unit comprising a chiller (14) associated with said cooling area (9), and a recirculation circuit (15) of refrigerant fluid operatively connected to said chiller (14) and to said cooling area (9),- wherein said apparatus comprises an electronic controller (E) configured to control the cooling unit including said chiller (14) with controlled temperature cooling cycles.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling system (8) is integrated within an automation system configured to work continuously to perform various process operations on the embedding material, before and after the cooling step performed with the cooling system (8).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooling system (8) comprises at least one manipulator robot (11) able to pick up the containment groups (G) still to be cooled from a picking area and / or to lay the containment groups (G) on the cooling area (9) and / or pick up the cooled containment groups (G) from the cooling area (9).

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said recirculation circuit (15) comprises a discharge circuit from the chiller (14) towards the cooling area (9) and a return circuit from the cooling area (9) towards the chiller (14).

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic controller (E) is programmed to control the cooling unit in order to bring the temperature of the main cooling surface (10) to a temperature comprised between 5°C and 17°C.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein themain cooling surface (10) comprises a plurality of adjacent compartments, each arranged to accommodate a single containment group (G), in which the compartments are obtained with a parallel rows configuration.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the electronic controller (E) is programmed to control the manipulator robot (11 ) to sequentially arrange one by one the containment groups (G) in one of the respective free compartments of the cooling area (9), and to pick up the containment group (G) which first reaches a predetermined residence time on the cooling area (9).

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the electronic controller (E) is programmed to enable the feeding to the cooling area (9) of a new containment group (G), when it receives a signal which indicates the pick up of a containment group (G) from the cooling area (9).

9. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising at least one automatic station for dispensing liquid state embedding material, wherein containment groups (G) are filled with embedding material, before their displacement towards the cooling area (9).

10. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 9, comprising a device for the detachment of the solidified material from the respective cooled containment group (G), said device being associated with an output automatic transport system.

11. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each containment group (G) comprises a mould (5) on the bottom (6) of which there is a first layer of embedding material, in which the histological sample is placed, and a cassette (2) applied above the mould (5) as a lid defining a cavity (2B) intended to be filled with liquid embedding material, wherein the bottom wall (4) has through openings, in order to allow the passage of the embedding material within the mould (5) below.

12. Process to embed a histological sample in an embedding material, wherein a cooling step is provided to cool a plurality of containment groups (G), each containing a histological sample and liquid state embedding material, wherein said process comprises the steps of:- arranging an apparatus according to any of the preceding claims,- cooling the cooling area (9) by means of said cooling unit including said chiller (14),- moving the containment groups (G) from a working area to the cooling area (9),- controlling the cooling unit including said chiller (14) with controlled temperature cooling cycles,- keeping the containment groups (G) on the cooling area (9) for a predetermined enough time to solidify the embedding material,- moving the cooled containment groups (G) to a next working area.

13. Process according to claim 12, comprising the step of controlling a manipulator robot (11) to sequentially arrange one by one the containment groups (G) on the cooling area (9), and to pick up the containment group (G) which first reaches a predetermined residence time on the cooling area (9).

14. Process according to claim 13, comprising the step of enabling the feeding to the cooling area (9) of a new containment group (G), when it receives a signal which indicates the pick up of a containment group (G) from the cooling area (9).

15. Process according to claim 12, comprising the step of controlling the cooling unit in order to bring the temperature of the main cooling surface (10) to a value comprised between 5°C and 17°C.

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