Acoustic Microscope Slide Mixing for Uniform Tissue Staining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated staining processes for tissues are inconsistent, leading to difficulty in interpreting slides and comparing samples, while fluid mixing at small scales is inefficient and prone to contamination, often requiring high reagent concentrations and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of low frequency acoustic energy to contactlessly mix, disperse, and replenish fluids on a substrate, such as a microscope slide, using transducers operating at frequencies below 2000 Hz, to achieve uniform reagent distribution without damaging cells or tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional dip and dunk automated staining methods are used, then high volume staining capability is achieved, but staining consistency and uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical dip-and-dunk mixing with acoustic wave energy to agitate and mix reagents. Transducers generate acoustic waves that propagate through the reagent reservoirs, creating uniform mixing without mechanical contact with the slides. This substitution maintains high-volume processing capability while achieving consistent staining results across all slides simultaneously.
2Manufacturing precision
If fresh reagents are delivered directly to individual slides, then staining uniformity improves, but process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single multi-functional reagent delivery system where reagents are dispensed into shared reservoirs that serve multiple slides simultaneously. The acoustic wave generation system provides universal mixing across all reservoirs, eliminating the need for individual reagent delivery mechanisms for each slide. This approach maintains staining uniformity while significantly reducing device complexity.
3Productivity
If active mixers are integrated into small-scale fluid handling, then mixing efficiency improves, but cross-contamination risk and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical mixers with acoustic wave-based mixing. Transducers generate acoustic waves that propagate through the reagent reservoirs, creating effective mixing without any physical contact between mixing components and the reagents or slides. This contactless approach eliminates cross-contamination risks while maintaining high mixing efficiency, and reduces device complexity by removing mechanical mixer components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enhances mixing efficiency, reduces process time, lowers reagent concentrations, prevents contamination, and ensures uniform antibody concentration across cells, thereby improving stain quality and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
at least one acoustic source for introducing acoustic waves to a microscope slide in communication with the slide support member such that one or more fluids present on the surface of the microscope slide are contactlessly mixed
Implementation Method 2
the use of low frequency acoustic or vibrational energy (e.g. at a frequency that will not damage cells, at a frequency of less than 2000 Hz, etc.) to replenish, distribute and/or mix one or more fluids present on the surface of a substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A microscope slide holder comprising a slide support member and at least one acoustic source for introducing acoustic waves to a microscope slide in communication with the slide support member such that one or more fluids present on the surface of the microscope slide are contactlessly mixed.