FFPE Tissue Dissection System with Agitation and Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for dissecting Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue sections are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to tissue cross-contamination, especially when processing multiple slides, and lack automation in the dissection process, which hampers efficiency and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A device system comprising a dissection platform for FFPE tissue deparaffinization and an electric specimen collector that allows for high-frequency agitation and efficient nucleic acid extraction, enabling selective dissection of targeted areas on multiple slides with reduced ergonomic burden and risk of contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual FFPE tissue dissection is used, then flexibility in selective area picking is maintained, but labor intensity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The manual dissection process is segmented into distinct functional modules: deparaffinization station, softening station, and collection station. Each station performs a specific function, allowing the system to maintain operational flexibility while automating repetitive tasks and improving throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated dissection system is designed with multi-functional capabilities that can handle various FFPE tissue section sizes and types. The system maintains the flexibility to select different target areas while providing automated processing, thus improving productivity without sacrificing adaptive capability.
2Productivity
If multiple tissue section slides are placed in staining jar for deparaffinization, then batch processing efficiency improves, but risk of tissue cross contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deparaffinization process is segmented so that each tissue section is processed in its own designated well or chamber within the staining jar. This physical segmentation allows batch processing of multiple slides while preventing cross-contamination between adjacent samples through individual containment.
Solution Approach 2:
Individual barriers or membranes are introduced as intermediaries between tissue sections in the staining jar. These intermediaries allow the deparaffinization solution to reach all samples while preventing direct contact between different tissue sections, thus eliminating cross-contamination risk during batch processing.
3Manufacturing precision
If laser micro-dissection is used for precise tissue picking, then dissection precision improves, but cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces expensive and time-consuming laser micro-dissection with a mechanical scraping approach using a sterile scalpel or blade. This mechanical substitution achieves sufficient dissection precision for most applications while dramatically reducing equipment cost and processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes parameters such as scalpel blade sharpness, scraping angle, and applied force to achieve precise tissue dissection without requiring expensive laser equipment. By carefully controlling these mechanical parameters, the system attains adequate precision at lower cost and faster speed.
4Extent of automation
If automated FFPE tissue systems are used, then dissection automation improves, but device complexity and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system is divided into discrete, independent stations (deparaffinization, softening, collection) that can be operated semi-automatically or manually. This segmentation allows for gradual automation implementation and simplifies the overall system complexity compared to fully integrated automated platforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-service features such as automatic solution dispensing, automated slide positioning, and self-contained waste collection. These self-service capabilities reduce the need for complex control systems and specialized operational procedures, thereby lowering both device complexity and operational cost while maintaining a meaningful level of automation.
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 enhances work efficiency, reduces labor costs, and minimizes hand stress injuries while maintaining the benefits of selective area dissection, making it a valuable option for medium throughput FFPE tissue dissection processes.
Implementation Method 1
high frequent agitation, generated by a vibration motor which is mounted underneath an agitation platform, facilitates FFPE tissue deparaffinization
Implementation Method 2
sections are dried by an airflow drying unit
Data Source
AI summary
A dissection system has a dissection platform which has a frame, an agitation platform, a tissue section tray, a solution dispenser unit, an airflow drying unit and a waste collection unit and a specimen collector which has a tubular body, a plunger button, a hollow shaft, a piston cylinder, a motor unit, a piston, a piston spring and a piston rod. The agitation platform, the solution dispenser unit, the airflow drying unit and the waste collection unit are disposed on the frame, and the tissue section tray is removably disposed on the agitation platform. The plunger button, the hollow shaft and the piston cylinder are movably inserted in the tubular body. The piston is slidably inserted within the piston cylinder, the piston spring is biased in between the piston cylinder and the motor unit, and the piston rod is connected in between the motor unit and the piston.