Automated Microscope Slide Processing with Synchronized Dispensers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated specimen processing systems for microscope slides face issues such as contamination, inconsistent processing, high reagent consumption, and low throughput due to carryover of liquids, cells sloughing off, and evaporation in open bath systems, as well as limitations in pipetting speed and precision in dip and dunk and pipetting systems.
Innovation Solution
An automated specimen processing system with synchronized dispenser apparatuses that perform dual-lock step protocols to coordinate the movement of dispensing mechanisms, preventing collisions and ensuring consistent processing, using robotic pipettors and dispenser heads with multiple degrees of freedom to manage liquids and reagents efficiently, and a scheduler module to optimize tasks and resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If dip and dunk automated machines are used to process specimens in batches, then throughput is improved, but contamination occurs due to carryover of processing liquids between containers
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the processing space into separate sealed containers for each reagent (counterstain, stain, clearing agent, mounting medium) rather than using open baths. Each container is individually sealed and accessed through closed transfer mechanisms, preventing carryover contamination while maintaining batch processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sealed transfer mechanisms and closed container systems as intermediaries between the specimen racks and reagent reservoirs. These intermediaries allow liquid transfer without direct exposure to the environment, preventing contamination while enabling automated batch processing.
2Ease of operation
If open containers are used for processing liquids, then ease of operation is improved, but evaporative losses and reagent oxidative degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sealed containers with flexible seals and closed transfer systems that maintain liquid containment while allowing automated dispensing. The sealed environment prevents evaporation and oxidative degradation, and the system maintains ease of operation through automated refilling and closed transfer mechanisms.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If automated pipetting systems with single pipetting head are used, then contamination is prevented, but throughput is limited due to pipetting speed
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple sealed reagent containers with an automated transfer mechanism that can service multiple containers in sequence. This merging of multiple reagent handling capabilities into a single automated system maintains contamination prevention while increasing throughput through efficient reagent access and batch processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated transfer mechanism is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple types of reagents (counterstain, stain, clearing agent, mounting medium) from different sealed containers. This universal design prevents contamination while maximizing throughput through efficient multi-reagent processing.
4Productivity
If dispenser apparatuses operate independently to process multiple slides, then throughput is improved, but collisions occur between dispensing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic coordination between multiple dispenser apparatuses through synchronized operation. The dispensers can operate independently to process multiple slides simultaneously, but their movements are dynamically coordinated to prevent collisions, allowing high throughput while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods that enable automated processing of specimens carried on microscope slides are described herein. Aspects of the technology are directed, for example, to automated specimen processing systems and methods for dispensing liquids onto slides. The system can concurrently or sequentially perform lock cycles. Each lock cycle can include lock steps for addressing respective slides to dispense liquid. The lock steps of different lock cycles can be synchronized to prevent any collision between dispensers.