Scraping Blade Dissection of ROI Tissue Without High Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for dissecting biological material from a region of interest (ROI) on a planar substrate face challenges in ensuring complete collection of ROI material without the need for high suction forces, which can lead to adhesion and inefficiencies in the ejection process.
Innovation Solution
An automated method using a dissection tool with a scraping blade that calculates and follows a precise scraping path, ensuring the blade lifts only after completing each motion within the ROI boundary, and adjusts orientation to optimize accuracy and efficiency, including imaging for boundary verification and controlled blade movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high suction force is applied during dissection to ensure complete collection of ROI material, then the adhesion of collected material at the filter element increases, making ejection into the collection tube more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping path is calculated and controlled to ensure the blade lifts only after completely scraping the ROI boundary and returning to the start location. This preliminary action of complete scraping prevents material from being left behind on the slide, eliminating the need for high suction forces and subsequent ejection difficulties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the suction-based collection mechanism with a scraping-based mechanical dissection approach. By controlling the blade to follow the ROI boundary and return to the start location, complete material collection is achieved through mechanical scraping rather than suction, thereby avoiding adhesion problems at the filter element.
2Productivity
If the blade is lifted before returning to the start location, then the dissection speed increases, but ROI material may be left behind on the glass slide
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping path is calculated based on the identified ROI boundary, and the blade position is controlled to follow this pre-determined path. The blade is programmed to return to the start location before lifting, ensuring complete scraping of the ROI. This feedback-controlled approach maintains precision while optimizing the scraping sequence for efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping path is calculated in advance based on the ROI boundary identification, and the blade movement is controlled to execute this pre-planned path. The blade is instructed to return to the start location before lifting, ensuring complete material collection while maintaining efficient dissection speed through optimized path planning.
3Measurement precision
If the blade follows the ROI boundary closely, then the accuracy of material collection improves, but the complexity of controlling the blade path increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual or complex mechanical control of the blade path with an automated control system that calculates the scraping path based on identified ROI boundaries. This substitution simplifies the control mechanism while achieving precise boundary following through computational geometry and automated positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping path is calculated as a digital representation of the ROI boundary, and the blade control system follows this digital copy. By using image processing to identify the ROI boundary and then generating a corresponding scraping path, the system achieves accurate boundary following without complex mechanical control, as the path is derived from the boundary itself.
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
Ensures complete collection of ROI material without leaving residue on the substrate, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the dissection process.
Implementation Method 1
the scraping blade is pressed onto the planar substrate and is moved forward through the ROI, so as to scrape off the material and collect it within the tool
Implementation Method 2
suction is applied during dissection, such that sample material detached via scraping is drawn into the orifice and an internal cavity of the tool
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments relate to an automated method of dissecting biological material from a region of interest within a tissue sample disposed on a planar substrate, using a dissection tool that comprises an internal cavity and a scraping blade arranged at an entrance to the internal cavity. The method can include identifying a boundary of the region of interest; calculating a scraping path for the scraping blade, based on the identified boundary, which will cause the scraping blade to engage with and scrape off all material in the ROI and controlling the position of the dissection tool relative to the planar substrate, whereby the calculated scraping path includes one or more individual scraping motions in which the blade is pressed onto the planar substrate at a start location within identified boundary and is moved forward through the ROI until reaching a stop location and being raised off the planar substrate.