Tissue Cassette Barcode Imaging for In-Container Sample Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tissue processing systems struggle with efficient and accurate tracking and routing of tissue cassettes during histological processing, leading to potential errors and inefficiencies due to the lack of reliable identification and quality control of barcoded cassettes.
Innovation Solution
An automated device that captures and interprets barcodes on tissue cassettes within a magazine or basket without removing them, enabling real-time identification, quality control, and tracking, ensuring correct processing protocols are applied.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If barcodes are manually read one by one from cassettes in assembly, then identification accuracy is maintained, but processing time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical copying by capturing images of barcodes on cassettes with a camera system. Instead of direct manual reading, the system creates digital copies (images) of the barcode information, which can then be processed automatically. This allows simultaneous reading of multiple cassettes in the assembly, dramatically increasing productivity while maintaining accuracy through digital image processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual process of individually reading barcodes with an automated optical-mechanical system. The camera array and image processing system substitute for human operators manually examining each cassette, enabling parallel processing of multiple samples and significantly improving throughput without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If cassettes are removed from assembly for individual identification, then reading accuracy improves, but time loss increases and workflow efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs barcode identification in advance, while cassettes are still in their assembled state on the processing tray. By capturing images of all cassettes before any processing steps begin, the system eliminates subsequent time losses that would occur if cassettes needed to be removed and repositioned for reading. The identification is done preliminarily, allowing the workflow to proceed without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal reading system that can identify multiple cassettes simultaneously in their native assembled position. The camera array and image processing capability work universally across all cassettes in the field of view, eliminating the need for individual cassette manipulation. This multi-functional approach maintains reading accuracy while preserving workflow continuity.
3Productivity
If automated barcode reading is implemented, then productivity increases, but risk of misidentification and protocol errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through digital image capture and processing. The system captures images of barcodes, processes them to extract identification information, and can verify readings against expected values or protocols. This digital feedback loop allows for error detection and correction, maintaining high reliability even as throughput increases through automated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
By performing identification readings in advance while cassettes are still accessible in their assembled state, the system establishes a preliminary record of sample identities before processing begins. This preliminary identification creates a reference point that can be used to verify subsequent processing steps, ensuring that high-speed automated processing does not compromise identification reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus including: a base; a carriage coupled to the base and projecting a distance above the base, the carriage operable to contain a mobile phone comprising a camera array in a position such that the camera array faces in a direction of the base; and a controller including machine-readable instructions operable to direct a movement of one of the carriage and the base in a direction with respect to the other along an axis. A method including: placing a mobile phone in a carriage; placing a container below the carriage, the container comprising a plurality of tissue cassettes; and capturing by the mobile phone of an image of the identifier on each of the plurality of tissue cassettes while the plurality of tissue cassettes remain in the container. Also, a machine-readable medium including instructions to cause a mobile to stitch successive captured images of identifiers into an overall image.