Fully automatic tissue paraffin block embedding machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a fully automatic tissue paraffin block embedding machine. The embedding machine is composed of a control system and two functional modules: a dehydration module and an embedding module. The embedding module is mainly composed of an embedding chamber, a paraffin tank, a rotary table, embedding cassette holders and embedding cassettes. During the use of the fully automatic tissue paraffin block embedding machine, a motor drives the rotary table to rotate to switch the positions of the embedding cassettes between a dehydration position and an embedding position, so that tissue blocks can be dehydrated and then automatically embedded into tissue paraffin blocks, which can be directly used for preparing tissue sections. The technical invention achieves the automation of tissue paraffin block embedding, improves the standardization and quality of pathological technology, reduces labor costs and occupational hazards in the pathological working process, and has significant social and economic value.

Description

A fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of medical equipment, and in particular relates to a fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine and method. Background Art

[0002] Pathological diagnosis is the gold standard for clinical disease diagnosis and plays an important role in disease diagnosis, prognosis, and detection of therapeutic targets. Tissues obtained during clinical surgery undergo a complex processing process before being prepared into tissue sections. Pathologists observe the tissue structure and cell morphology on the tissue sections under a microscope to diagnose and classify the disease, as well as to further detect therapeutic targets and prognostic indicators. The process of preparing pathological tissue sections involves complex steps such as sampling, dehydration, embedding, slicing, and staining. It is a tedious, boring, and labor-intensive task, and technicians are exposed to a large number of toxic and hazardous chemical reagents during this process, posing a health hazard to the staff.

[0003] With the development of science and technology, automated dehydrators, staining machines and other equipment have appeared in clinical practice. The promotion and application of these automated equipment has improved the technical level and quality of pathology departments.

[0004] However, most pathology work is neither automated nor standardized, hindering the advancement of diagnostic techniques. Embedding of pathological tissue is a completely manual process. Dehydrated tissue blocks are placed face-down (the area containing the pathological tissue, the area the pathologist needs to focus on) into an embedding cassette, as needed for diagnosis. Liquid paraffin is dripped into the cassette while pressing to secure the block. Once the paraffin cools and solidifies, the block is embedded into a wax block for further preparation into tissue sections.

[0005] The embedding of tissue wax blocks is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. During this process, technicians need to be in close contact with harmful chemical reagents such as formaldehyde and xylene for a long time, which can cause harm to the body. On the other hand, during the dehydration process, the position of smaller tissue blocks and the direction of the section change, making it difficult to bury the target block at the bottom during the manual embedding process. The tissue sections are prepared first, resulting in the lack of diseased tissue or incomplete diseased tissue on the sections, which can easily lead to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. Technical issues

[0006] It is necessary to develop new fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machines to improve the automation level of pathology work, as well as improve the technical level and quality of pathology departments, reduce missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses, reduce the occupational hazards of pathology work to technical personnel, and promote the development and progress of pathology technology. Technical Solutions

[0007] A fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine, characterized in that the fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine is composed of a control system and two functional modules, a dehydration module and an embedding module; the dehydration module is characterized in that it is composed of a fixative liquid component, a dehydration liquid component and a transparent liquid component, and these components are respectively connected to the embedding bin through liquid circuits and solenoid valves and rotary valves; the embedding module is characterized in that it is mainly composed of an embedding bin, a paraffin cylinder, a turntable, an embedding cassette holder and an embedding cassette, and plays a key role in the automatic embedding of tissue wax blocks, the embedding bin is located at the upper part of the equipment, the paraffin cylinder is located in the middle part, the turntable is located in the embedding bin, and after the embedding cassette is embedded and fixed on the embedding cassette holder, the embedding cassette holder is snap-fitted and fixed on the turntable fixing frame.

[0008] The embedding chamber is equipped with a turntable, heater, cooler, and sensor, and is connected to an air pump via pipes. The turntable is equipped with a motor, a rotating shaft, and a fixed frame. The motor drives the turntable to rotate, which in turn drives the cassettes to automatically switch between the dehydration and embedding positions. The motor can drive the turntable's rotation in two ways: 1) directly from the motor; 2) contactless, where the motor drives the magnet outside the embedding chamber, which in turn drives the magnet inside and the turntable. The turntable's axis of rotation is horizontal.

[0009] The embedding cassette is an inverted trapezoidal box-like structure with a sealed bottom and sides and an open top. It is equipped with an embedding cassette cover, a fixing pad, and a fixing pressure plate, and can be embedded and fixed with the embedding cassette position on the embedding cassette holder. The embedding cassette is embedded and fixed to the embedding cassette holder, and the embedding cassette holder is fixed to the turntable fixing frame by one of two methods: electromagnetic adsorption and mechanical locking. The embedding cassette cover is a rectangular box-like structure that can be locked and fixed with the microtome and is provided with a pathology information identification position. The fixing pad in the embedding cassette is a porous and elastic material, such as sponge, silicone, non-woven fabric, or plant fiber. The fixing pad can be pre-fixed to the inner surface of the embedding cassette cover as part of the embedding cassette cover, or it can exist independently.

[0010] The embedding position of the cassette is when the opening faces upward and the plane of the opening is parallel to the horizontal plane. The dehydration position is when the opening of the cassette forms an angle with the horizontal plane, ranging from 0° to 180°, with 90° being the optimal angle. The dehydration position is used for fixation, dehydration, clearing, and wax impregnation of tissue blocks, while the embedding position is used for embedding tissue blocks in wax.

[0011] Relying on this fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine, by changing the angle position of the embedding box, it can automatically switch between the dehydration position and the embedding position, so that the pathological tissue can be automatically embedded into tissue wax blocks during the dehydration process and directly used to make tissue sections. Beneficial effects

[0012] (1) Through this fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine, an innovative technical method for automatic tissue wax block embedding was established.

[0013] (2) This technology establishes a method to automatically dehydrate and embed tissue blocks by changing the position of the embedding cassette, namely the dehydration position (inclined position) and the embedding position (horizontal position). It is technologically innovative, simple in method, and has huge economic and social benefits.

[0014] (3) The fully automatic tissue wax embedding machine realizes the automation of the important link of "embedding" in pathological diagnosis work, eliminating the need for complicated and boring manual labor and greatly reducing labor costs.

[0015] (4) The automation, standardization and high quality of pathological technical work are realized. The quality of cell wax blocks no longer varies from person to person, which will improve the level of pathological technology and diagnostic quality.

[0016] (5) When taking samples, pathologists can fix the target surface of some small specimens (containing pathological tissue, the area that the pathologist needs to focus on) directly on the first cutting position based on the general morphology of the specimens submitted for examination, ensuring that there is pathological tissue for diagnosis on the tissue slices, improving the accuracy of diagnosis and reducing missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses.

[0017] (6) The automated equipment can automatically embed tissue wax blocks without human intervention, such as at night, shortening the time required for the pathology department to issue reports and reducing the time patients have to wait for pathology reports.

[0018] (7) Pathology technicians no longer need to perform "embedding" work that involves close contact with toxic and hazardous reagents, thereby reducing occupational hazards and the incidence of occupational diseases. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to the present invention.

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the embedding chamber of the present invention.

[0021] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a turntable of the present invention.

[0022] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the embedding cassette holder of the present invention.

[0023] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of the embedding cassette of the present invention.

[0024] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the position structure of the embedding cassette during embedding according to the present invention.

[0025] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the position structure of the embedding cassette during dehydration of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 Flowchart of automatic embedding of tissue wax blocks. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside" and "outside" are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience and simplification of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific direction. In addition, in the description of the present invention, the terms such as "installation", "connection" and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense.

[0028] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine consists of a control system 1 and two functional modules: a dehydration module and an embedding module. The dehydration module consists of a fixative bottle 3, a dehydrating bottle 4, and a transparent liquid bottle 5. These components are connected to the embedding chamber 2 via conduit 1 31 and solenoid valve 1 32, conduit 2 46 and solenoid valve 2 47, and conduit 3 53 and solenoid valve 3 54, respectively. The embedding module primarily consists of the embedding chamber 2, a paraffin tank 6, a turntable 21, an embedding cassette holder 23, and an embedding cassette 22, and plays a key role in the automatic embedding of tissue wax blocks. The embedding chamber 2 is located at the top of the machine, the paraffin tank 6 is located in the middle, and the turntable 21 is located within the embedding chamber 2.

[0030] As shown in FIG2 , the embedding chamber 2 is provided with a turntable 21 , a heater 24 , a refrigerator 25 , a liquid level sensor 27 , and a temperature sensor 26 , and is connected to an air pump 28 via a pipe. The turntable 21 is located within the embedding chamber 2 , and the embedding cassette 22 is engaged and fixed on the embedding cassette holder 23 , which is engaged and fixed on the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21 .

[0031] As shown in FIG3 , the turntable 21 is provided with a drive motor 211, a rotating shaft 212, and a fixing frame 213. The embedding cassette holder 23 can be engaged with the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21. The embedding cassette 21 is fixed to the embedding cassette holder 23. The motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, so that the embedding cassette 22 switches between the embedding position and the dehydration position.

[0032] As shown in FIG4 , the embedding cassette holder 23 is provided with an embedding cassette clamping position 231 . The embedding cassette clamping position 231 has a magnet that can engage and fix the embedding cassette 21 on the embedding cassette clamping position 231 . The embedding cassette holder 23 is a detachable structure that can be easily engaged and fixed to the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21 .

[0033] As shown in FIG5 , the embedding box 22 is an inverted trapezoidal box-like structure that is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. It is provided with an embedding box cover 221 and a fixed pressure plate 222 . A fixed pad 223 is provided in the embedding box 22 . The fixed pad 223 in the embedding box 22 is a porous and elastic material, such as sponge, silica gel, non-woven fabric, or plant fiber. The fixed pad 223 can be pre-fixed on the inner surface of the embedding box cover 221 as part of the embedding box cover 221 , or it can exist independently.

[0034] As shown in FIG6 , during use, a tissue block 224 is placed into the embedding cassette 22 with the target facing downward. The fixing pad 223 is placed above the tissue block 224. Finally, the embedding cassette cover 221 is inserted and the fixing plate 222 is engaged. This forms the embedding cassette 22 with the tissue block 224 mounted therein. The embedding cassette 22 is then placed into the embedding cassette retaining portion 231 of the embedding cassette holder 23 and secured therein. The embedding cassette holder 23, with the embedded cassette 22 mounted therein, is then engaged and mounted on the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21.

[0035] As shown in FIG7 , during dehydration, the cassette 22 is in the dehydration position. The opening plane of the cassette 22 forms an angle with the horizontal plane, ranging from 0° to 180°, with 90° being the optimal angle. This allows the fixative, dehydrating agent, clearing agent, and paraffin to freely enter and exit the tissue block 224, thereby fixing, dehydrating, clearing, and wax-impregnating the tissue block 224. When wax impregnation is nearing completion, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, thereby driving the cassette holder 23 and the cassette 22 to rotate, rotating the cassette 22 to the embedding position, where the opening of the cassette 22 is facing upward and parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0036] As shown in Figure 8, the process of tissue wax block embedding includes six steps: sampling, mounting, fixation, dehydration, transparency and embedding.

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention will be further illustrated below by describing in detail the working process of the fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine. The working process of the fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine includes the following steps.

[0038] 1) Sampling: The pathologist cuts the clinical tissue specimen into appropriately sized tissue blocks 224. The pathologist places the target surface of the tissue block 224 (the area containing the diseased tissue, which the pathologist needs to focus on) downward into the embedding cassette 22. The fixation pad 223 is placed on top of the tissue block 224. Finally, the cassette lid 221 is closed, and the fixing plate 222 is engaged. The embedded cassette 22, after sampling, is then secured to the embedding cassette holder 21 by the cassette retainer 231.

[0039] 2) Installation: Install the embedding cassette holder 23 with the embedding cassette 22 installed on the turntable 21 in the embedding chamber 2 , and snap-fit ​​the embedding cassette holder 23 onto the fixing bracket 213 of the turntable 21 .

[0040] 3) Fixation: The fixative in the fixative bottle 3 is pumped into the cavity of the embedding chamber 2 through the No. 1 conduit 31 and the No. 1 solenoid valve 32. Then, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, moving the embedding cassette 22 to the dehydration position. Alternatively, the turntable 21 can be rotated continuously or intermittently. The tissue block 224 is fixed for 90 minutes. When the embedding cassette 22 is in the dehydration position (optimally at an angle of 90°), the fixative is pumped back into the fixative bottle 3.

[0041] 4) Dehydration: Dehydration solution No. 1 41, dehydration solution No. 2 42, dehydration solution No. 3 43, dehydration solution No. 44, and dehydration solution No. 5 45 in the dehydration solution assembly 4 are sequentially pumped into the embedding chamber 2 through the No. 2 catheter 46 and the No. 2 solenoid valve 47 to dehydrate the tissue block 224 five times. The dehydration time for each dehydration solution is 90 minutes. During the dehydration process, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, rotating the embedding cassette 22 to the dehydration position. The turntable 21 can also be rotated continuously or intermittently. When the embedding cassette 22 is in the dehydration position, the dehydration solution in the embedding chamber 2 is sequentially pumped back into the dehydration solution bottle.

[0042] 5) Clearing: Through the No. 3 catheter 53 and the No. 3 solenoid valve 54, the No. 1 clearing liquid 51 and the No. 2 clearing liquid 52 in the clearing component 5 are respectively pumped into the embedding chamber 2, thereby performing a second clearing on the tissue block 224. During the clearing process, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, rotating the embedding cassette 22 to the dehydration position. The turntable 21 can also be rotated continuously or intermittently. When the embedding cassette 22 is in the dehydration position, the clearing liquids in the embedding chamber 2 are sequentially pumped back into the corresponding clearing liquid bottles.

[0043] During the fixation, dehydration and transparency process, the No. 1 heater 25 and the temperature sensor 27 in the embedding chamber 2 are activated to control the liquid temperature at about 40 degrees.

[0044] 6) Embedding: Control system 1 activates heaters 1 24 and 2 66 in embedding chamber 2 and paraffin bath 6, raising the temperatures in both chambers to 65°C, liquefying the paraffin in bath 6 and maintaining the temperature of chamber 2 at 65°C. Paraffin waxes 1 61, 2 62, and 3 63 are drawn from the paraffin module into embedding chamber 2 via conduit 64 and solenoid valve 6, respectively, to perform three 60-minute wax immersions on tissue block 224. During the wax immersion process, motor 211 drives turntable 21 to rotate cassette 22 to the dehydration position. Turntable 21 can also be rotated continuously or intermittently. When cassette 22 is in the dehydration position, paraffin waxes 1 61 and 2 62 in embedding chamber 2 are sequentially drawn back into the paraffin bath.

[0045] When the third wax immersion is about to end, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, rotating the embedding cassette 22 to the embedding position, i.e., with the embedding cassette opening facing upward and parallel to the horizontal plane. The tissue block 224, which has been dehydrated, transparent, and wax-impregnated in the embedding cassette 22, is fixed in the embedding cassette and immersed in paraffin. In this way, when the No. 3 paraffin is drained from the embedding chamber 2, the liquid paraffin in the embedding cassette 22 remains in the embedding cassette 22, and the liquid paraffin outside the embedding cassette 22 is drawn back into the paraffin tank 6. The refrigerator 25 is activated to reduce the temperature in the embedding chamber 2 to 4° to 20°, converting the liquid paraffin into a solid state. The tissue block 224 is embedded in the paraffin to form a tissue wax block. The embedding cassette holder 23 is removed from the turntable 21 in the embedding chamber 2, and the embedding cassette 22 is removed from the embedding cassette holder 23. After the tissue wax block in the embedding cassette 22 is demolded, it is directly mounted and fixed to the microtome for sectioning.

[0046] The entire process is precisely controlled by the control system 1 and automatically prepared into tissue wax blocks.

[0047] It should be noted that the above description of the specific embodiments of the present invention is merely for the purpose of illustrating the technical approach and features of the present invention. Its purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the contents of the present invention and implement them accordingly. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described specific embodiments. Any changes or modifications made within the scope of the claims of the present invention are intended to be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine consists of a control system 1 and two functional modules, a dehydration module and an embedding module. If the dehydration module and the embedding module are respectively implemented on two independent devices, the same technical effect can be achieved, which falls within the protection scope of the present invention. Best Practice

[0049] As shown in Figure 1, the fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine consists of a control system 1 and two functional modules: a dehydration module and an embedding module. The dehydration module consists of a fixative bottle 3, a dehydrating bottle 4, and a transparent liquid bottle 5. These components are connected to the embedding chamber 2 via conduit 1 31 and solenoid valve 1 32, conduit 2 46 and solenoid valve 2 47, and conduit 3 53 and solenoid valve 3 54, respectively. The embedding module primarily consists of the embedding chamber 2, a paraffin tank 6, a turntable 21, an embedding cassette holder 23, and an embedding cassette 22, and plays a key role in the automatic embedding of tissue wax blocks. The embedding chamber 2 is located at the top of the machine, the paraffin tank 6 is located in the middle, and the turntable 21 is located within the embedding chamber 2.

[0050] As shown in FIG2 , the embedding chamber 2 is provided with a turntable 21 , a heater 24 , a refrigerator 25 , a liquid level sensor 27 , and a temperature sensor 26 , and is connected to an air pump 28 via a pipe. The turntable 21 is located within the embedding chamber 2 , and the embedding cassette 22 is engaged and fixed on the embedding cassette holder 23 , which is engaged and fixed on the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21 .

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the turntable 21 is equipped with a drive motor 211, a rotating shaft 212, and a fixed frame 213. The cassette holder 23 engages with the fixed frame 213 of the turntable 21, and the embedding cassette 21 is fixed to the cassette holder 23. The motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, switching the embedding cassette 22 between the embedding position and the dehydration position. The preferred method for the motor 211 to drive the turntable 21 is a magnetic non-contact transmission method.

[0052] As shown in FIG4 , the cassette holder 23 is provided with an embedding cassette clamping position 231 , which can be engaged and fixed with the embedding cassette 21 . The embedding cassette holder 23 is a detachable structure and can be conveniently engaged and fixed to the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21 .

[0053] As shown in FIG5 , the embedding box 22 is an inverted trapezoidal box-like structure that is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. It is provided with an embedding box cover 221 and a fixed pressure plate 222 . A fixed pad 223 is provided in the embedding box 22 . The fixed pad 223 in the embedding box 22 is a porous and elastic material, such as sponge, silica gel, non-woven fabric, or plant fiber. The fixed pad 223 can be pre-fixed on the inner surface of the embedding box cover 221 as part of the embedding box cover 221 , or it can exist independently.

[0054] As shown in FIG6 , during use, a tissue block 224 is placed into the embedding cassette 22 with the target facing downward. The fixing pad 223 is placed above the tissue block 224. Finally, the embedding cassette cover 221 is inserted and the fixing plate 222 is engaged. This forms the embedding cassette 22 with the tissue block 224 mounted therein. The embedding cassette 22 is then placed into the embedding cassette retaining portion 231 of the embedding cassette holder 23 and secured therein. The embedding cassette holder 21, with the embedded cassette 22 mounted therein, is then engaged and mounted onto the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21.

[0055] As shown in FIG7 , during dehydration, the cassette 22 is in the dehydration position. The opening plane of the cassette 22 forms an angle with the horizontal plane, ranging from 0° to 180°, with 90° being the optimal angle. This allows the fixative, dehydrating agent, clearing agent, and paraffin to freely enter and exit the tissue block 224, thereby fixing, dehydrating, clearing, and wax-impregnating the tissue block 224. When wax impregnation is nearing completion, the motor drives the turntable 211 to rotate, thereby driving the cassette holder 23 and the cassette 22 to rotate, rotating the cassette 22 to the embedding position, where the opening of the cassette 22 is facing upward and parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0056] The best implementation steps include sampling, fixation, dehydration, transparency, wax impregnation and embedding.

[0057] Sampling: The pathologist cuts the clinical tissue specimen into 2-3 mm thick tissue blocks 224. The pathologist places the target surface of the tissue block 224 (the area containing the diseased tissue, which the pathologist needs to focus on) downward into the embedding cassette 22. If necessary, a fixing pad 223 is placed on top of the tissue block 224. Finally, the cassette lid 221 is closed and the fixing plate 222 is engaged. The sampled embedding cassette 22 is then secured to the embedding cassette holder 21 by snapping it into the cassette holder 231. The cassette holder 21 is then snapped into place and secured to the fixing frame 213 of the turntable 21.

[0058] Fixation: The fixative in the fixative bottle 3 is pumped into the cavity of the embedding chamber 2 through the No. 1 conduit 31 and the No. 1 solenoid valve 32. Then, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, rotating the embedding cassette 22 to the dehydration position to fix the tissue block 224. After fixation is completed, the fixative is pumped back into the fixative bottle 3.

[0059] Dehydration: Dehydration liquid No. 1 41, dehydration liquid No. 2 42, dehydration liquid No. 3 43, dehydration liquid No. 44 and dehydration liquid No. 5 45 in the dehydration liquid assembly 4 are sequentially pumped into the embedding chamber 2 through the No. 2 catheter 46 and the No. 2 electromagnetic pump 47 to perform five dehydration operations on the tissue block 224. During the dehydration process, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, rotating the embedding cassette 22 to the dehydration position. The turntable 21 can also rotate continuously or intermittently. After dehydration is completed, the dehydration liquid in the embedding chamber 2 is sequentially pumped back into the dehydration liquid bottle when the embedding cassette 22 is in the dehydration position.

[0060] Transparenting: The No. 1 transparent liquid 51 and the No. 2 transparent liquid 52 in the transparent component 5 are respectively pumped into the embedding chamber 2 through the No. 3 catheter 53 and the No. 3 electromagnetic pump 54, so as to perform a second transparentization on the tissue block 224. During the transparentization process, the motor 211 drives the turntable 21 to rotate, and the embedding cassette 22 is rotated to the dehydration position. The turntable 21 can also be rotated continuously or intermittently. When the embedding cassette 22 is in the dehydration position, the transparent liquid in the embedding chamber 2 is pumped back into the transparent liquid bottle.

[0061] Wax Immersion: Control system 1 activates heaters 1 24 and 2 66 in embedding chamber 2 and paraffin bath 6, raising the temperatures in both chambers to 65°C, liquefying the paraffin in bath 6 and maintaining chamber 2 above its melting point, typically around 65°C. Paraffin waxes 1 61, 2 62, and 3 63 are sequentially pumped into embedding chamber 2 via conduit 64 and solenoid valve 65, performing three wax immersions on tissue block 224. During the wax immersion process, motor 211 drives turntable 21 to rotate cassette 22 to the dehydration position, or the turntable 21 can rotate continuously or intermittently. When cassette 22 is in the dehydration position, paraffin waxes 1 61 and 2 62 in embedding chamber 2 are withdrawn back into the bath.

[0062] Embedding: As the third wax immersion is about to complete, motor 211 drives turntable 21 to rotate, moving embedding cassette 22 to the embedding position, i.e., with the cassette opening facing upward and parallel to the horizontal plane. The dehydrated, transparent, and wax-impregnated tissue block 224 in cassette 22 is secured within the cassette and immersed in paraffin. This allows the liquid paraffin in cassette 22 to remain within the cassette when paraffin No. 3 is drained from embedding chamber 2, while any liquid paraffin outside of cassette 22 is drawn back into paraffin tank 6. After cooling, the liquid paraffin becomes solid, embedding tissue block 224 in the paraffin to form a tissue wax block. After demolding, the tissue wax block in cassette 22 is directly mounted and secured to a microtome for slicing.

[0063] The entire process is precisely controlled by the control system 1 and tissue wax blocks are prepared fully automatically. Industrial Applicability

[0064] The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine consists of a control system and two functional modules: a dehydration module and an embedding module.

[0065] The dehydration module's technological foundation is a fully automatic tissue dehydrator, a well-established market leader used in all hospitals with pathology departments. The system uses a rotary valve, solenoid valve, and vacuum pump to sequentially pump fixative, dehydrating solution, clearing solution, and paraffin into a dehydration chamber, where they react with the tissue, replacing the water in the tissue with paraffin.

[0066] The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine is an automatic tissue dehydrator with an embedding module added. The core is to install a turntable in the embedding chamber. Combined with the unique structure of the embedding cassette, the embedding cassette can be switched between the dehydration position and the embedding position. After the tissue block is automatically dehydrated, it is automatically embedded into a tissue wax block.

[0067] The turntable rotates by driving the magnet outside the embedding chamber to rotate non-contactly drive the magnet inside the chamber to rotate, further driving the turntable to rotate, thereby changing the position of the embedding cassette.

[0068] The equipment has mature technology and process, is easy to manufacture and implement, and has important social and economic value.

Claims

1. A fully automatic tissue wax embedding machine, characterized in that: The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine consists of a control system and two functional modules: a dehydration module and an embedding module; The dehydration module is characterized by being composed of a fixing liquid component, a dehydrating liquid component and a transparent liquid component, and these components are respectively connected to the embedding chamber through a liquid circuit and a solenoid valve and a rotary valve; The embedding module is characterized in that it is mainly composed of an embedding chamber, a paraffin tank, a turntable, an embedding box holder and an embedding box, and plays a key role in the automatic embedding of tissue wax blocks; the embedding chamber is located at the upper part of the equipment, the paraffin tank is located in the middle part, the turntable is located in the embedding chamber, and after the embedding box is embedded and fixed on the embedding box holder, the embedding box holder is clamped and fixed on the turntable fixing frame; The embedding chamber is characterized in that the embedding chamber is provided with a turntable, a heater, a refrigerator and a sensor; The turntable is characterized by being provided with a motor, a rotating shaft and a fixing frame, the motor drives the turntable to rotate, and further drives the embedding cassette to rotate, so that the embedding cassette can automatically switch between the dehydration position and the embedding position; The embedding cassette holder is characterized in that it is provided with an embedding cassette holder and can be engaged and fixed with a fixing frame on the turntable; The embedding box is characterized in that the embedding box is an inverted trapezoidal box-like structure with a sealed bottom and surroundings and an open top, and is provided with an embedding box cover, a fixing pad and a fixing pressure plate, which can be engaged and fixed with the embedding box on the embedding box bracket; Relying on this fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine, by changing the angle position of the embedding box, it can automatically switch between the dehydration position and the embedding position, so that the pathological tissue can be automatically embedded into tissue wax blocks during the dehydration process and directly used to make tissue sections.

2. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating axis direction of the turntable is horizontal.

3. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor drives the turntable to rotate in the following ways: 1) the motor directly drives the turntable to rotate; 2) the motor drives the turntable to rotate non-contact, that is, the motor drives the magnet outside the embedding bin to rotate, and further drives the magnet inside the embedding bin and the turntable to rotate.

4. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The embedding position of the embedding cassette is a position where the embedding cassette opening is upward and the opening plane is parallel to the horizontal plane.

5. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dehydration position of the embedding cassette is when the opening plane of the embedding cassette forms an angle with the horizontal plane, the degree of the angle is between 0° and 180°, and 90° is the best position.

6. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the embedding box is in the dehydration position, the tissue block is fixed, dehydrated, transparent and wax-impregnated, and when it is in the embedding position, the tissue wax block is embedded.

7. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The embedding cassette is fixed on the embedding cassette holder, and the embedding cassette holder is fixed on the turntable fixing frame in one of two ways: electromagnetic adsorption and mechanical clamping.

8. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The embedding box cover is a rectangular box-like structure that can be snap-fitted and fixed to the slicer, and is provided with a pathology information identification position.

9. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing pad in the embedding box is a porous and elastic material, such as sponge, silica gel, non-woven fabric, plant fiber. The fixing pad can be pre-fixed on the inner surface of the embedding box cover as a part of the embedding box cover, or it can exist independently.

10. The fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Relying on the fully automatic tissue wax block embedding machine, by changing the position of the embedding cassette, the embedding cassette is automatically switched between the dehydration position and the embedding position, so that the tissue block can be automatically embedded into a tissue wax block after being dehydrated.

Images