Automated Cellular Sample Deposition for Reproducible Slide Staining
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual nature of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) for fine needle aspiration biopsies requires skilled personnel, leading to a shortage in qualified cytopathologists and cytotechnologists, resulting in inadequate specimen preparation, inaccurate data interpretation, and delayed diagnoses in community hospitals and rural care settings.
Innovation Solution
An automated system for cellular sample deposition and staining using substrate cartridges with a spray retainer, sample dispense port, and upper opening, integrated into a slide holder and apparatus with a spray nozzle, user interface, and waste/reagent holders, enabling automated and high-quality sample preparation without operator intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) is performed by skilled personnel, then high-quality specimen preparation and accurate diagnosis are achieved, but the system becomes inaccessible to community hospitals and rural care settings due to personnel shortage
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system performs specimen preparation, deposition, and staining without requiring skilled cytopathologists or cytotechnologists. The system serves itself by automatically executing pre-programmed protocols, making high-quality preparation accessible to community hospitals and rural settings that lack trained personnel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of slide preparation with an automated system that uses a spray nozzle to deposit cells and an environmental chamber to control staining conditions. This substitution eliminates the need for skilled manual operation while maintaining or improving preparation quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual specimen preparation procedures are used, then flexibility in handling various samples is maintained, but the complexity of procedures leads to artifacts, backlogs, and delayed diagnoses
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system divides the specimen preparation process into distinct modular components: sample loading, spray deposition through a nozzle, environmental chamber staining, and slide ejection. This segmentation simplifies the overall procedure while maintaining adaptability to handle various sample types through pre-programmed protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls staining conditions by adjusting parameters such as temperature, humidity, and reagent concentration within the environmental chamber. This parameter control standardizes the process, eliminating artifacts caused by manual variability while maintaining versatility through programmable settings for different sample types.
3Measurement precision
If skilled personnel perform manual ROSE, then accurate data interpretation is achieved, but the shortage of 3,000 cytopathologists and 6,000 cytotechnologists causes delayed diagnoses
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system performs the repetitive tasks of specimen preparation and staining without human intervention, freeing skilled personnel to focus on data interpretation and diagnosis. This increases overall productivity by eliminating backlogs while maintaining accuracy through standardized automated procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions of specimen preparation, deposition, and staining automatically before the pathologist needs to review the sample. This preliminary automation accelerates the workflow, reducing turnaround time from days to hours while preserving the pathologist's role in accurate interpretation.
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
The system provides reproducible, high-quality stained cellular samples, reducing re-biopsy rates and eliminating artifacts, while being accessible to institutions lacking skilled personnel, thus ensuring accurate and timely diagnostic results.
Implementation Method 1
a spray nozzle configured to dispense a gaseous substance into the substrate processing area
Data Source
AI summary
Cell deposition and staining apparatuses and methods are disclosed herein. In particular, the deposition and staining apparatuses disclosed herein provide low-volume, automated bench top systems for depositing and staining cellular samples on a cytological slide. An example deposition and staining apparatus includes a housing having an access door; a substrate processing holder located within the housing configured to hold one or more substrates and/or one or more substrate cartridges, wherein the substrate processing holder is accessible when the access door is in an open configuration; at least one opening located at least partially above at least a portion of the substrate processing holder; a spray nozzle configured to dispense a gaseous substance into the substrate processing area; a user interface configured receive an input from a user, and in response to receiving the input, cause execution of a pre-programmed protocol; and a waste and/or reagent holder element.