Elastic Holding Member for Tissue Array Embedding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing tissue arrays face challenges in securely fixing roll-shaped tissue pieces with varying diameters onto a substrate block, leading to instability and potential movement during the embedding process.
Innovation Solution
The use of an elastic holding member with insertion holes or a grid-like structure that can accommodate roll-shaped tissue pieces of different diameters, ensuring secure fixation and embedding in an array form, and subsequent slicing to produce a stable tissue array.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a hole of prescribed diameter is formed on the substrate block, then positioning can be securely performed, but roll-shaped tissue pieces with larger diameter cannot be inserted and pieces with smaller diameter move within the hole
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member is made of elastic material, changing the physical parameter of rigidity to flexibility. This allows the holding member to deform and adapt to roll-shaped tissue pieces of different diameters, enabling secure holding of both larger and smaller rolls without movement or insertion failure
Solution Approach 2:
The holding member is divided into multiple insertion holes, each capable of independently accommodating a roll-shaped tissue piece. This segmentation allows each hole to individually adapt to the specific diameter of the tissue piece it holds, while collectively providing stable positioning for the entire array
2Reliability
If the diameter of the roll-shaped tissue piece coincides with the hole diameter, then positioning is secure, but this cannot accommodate tissue pieces with varying diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic material of the holding member allows dynamic adjustment of the insertion hole diameter to match the tissue piece diameter. This parameter change enables reliable positioning for each individual piece while maintaining versatility across different sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The holding member transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic elastic structure that can deform and adapt. This dynamic property allows the holding member to maintain stable contact with tissue pieces of varying diameters, ensuring reliable positioning without requiring precise pre-matching of hole and piece dimensions
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 allows for the steady fixation and embedding of roll-shaped tissue pieces with varying diameters, ensuring a secure and stable tissue array production, preventing movement and ensuring accurate positioning for further analysis.
Implementation Method 1
the holding member being an elastic member including a plurality of insertion holes having at least the same diameters as the minimum diameter of the roll-shaped tissue piece
Implementation Method 2
pouring the embedding medium into the container through the cut-out portion, to form the substrate block constituted so that the plurality of roll tissue pieces is arranged in an array form
Data Source
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AI summary
A tissue array production method which enables even roll-shaped tissue pieces having various diameters to be steadily fixed to a substrate block is provided. In the tissue array production method in which roll-shaped tissue pieces 6 formed by rolling sheet-like tissue pieces 8 in the shape of a roll are arranged on a substrate in an array form, the tissue array is produced by placing a holding member 16 which holds a plurality of roll-shaped tissue pieces 6 so that their axis directions are vertically directed in a container 10 into which a melted embedding medium is poured for its accumulation, to hold the respective roll-shaped tissue pieces 6 in the holding member 16; by pouring the embedding medium into the container 10, to form a substrate block 40 constituted so that the plurality of roll-shaped tissue pieces 6 is arranged in the array form; and by slicing the substrate block 40 so that the roll-shaped tissue pieces 6 are ring-shaped, to place the sliced pieces on the substrate.