Tissue Slicer Mold with Hydrogel Support for Thin Specimen Sectioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for grossing and processing large surgical specimens, particularly fatty tissues like breast tissue, result in distorted slices thicker than 10 mm, limiting the detection of deep-seated diseases and violating processing guidelines due to prolonged fixation times.
Innovation Solution
A tissue slicer system with a mold and sliding stage that allows for adjustable slicing planes, using a thin blade and hydrogel support to achieve uniform slices as thin as 3 mm, minimizing distortion and enabling rapid slicing within the one-hour cold ischemic time guideline.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If free-hand serial slicing is used for fatty tissues, then the procedure is simple and quick, but the slice thickness is limited to approximately 10 mm and the specimen becomes distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hydrogel embedding medium as an intermediary substance that infiltrates the fatty tissue specimen and provides internal support structure. This mediator enables the tissue to maintain its shape during slicing, allowing thin slices (3-5 mm) to be obtained without distortion while keeping the procedure relatively simple
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and structural parameters of the tissue by embedding it in hydrogel, which alters the tissue's mechanical properties. This parameter change enables the tissue to be sliced thinly and uniformly while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and precision
2Stability of the object's composition
If thicker tissue slices are used, then the specimen structure is maintained, but the ability to perceive deep-seated diseased regions is limited and fixation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel acts as a support intermediary that allows the tissue to be sliced into thin sections (3-5 mm) while maintaining structural integrity. This enables better penetration of fixation solutions and improved detection of deep-seated lesions without compromising specimen stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the tissue into multiple thin slices (3-5 mm thickness) rather than using single thick slices. This segmentation allows fixation solutions to penetrate deeper into the tissue more effectively, improving detection accuracy while maintaining structural integrity through the hydrogel support
3Stability of the object's composition
If thicker tissue slices are used, then structural support is maintained, but the time needed for fixation increases and processing guidelines are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue is segmented into thin slices (3-5 mm) supported by hydrogel, which reduces the fixation time required compared to thick slices. The thin slices allow faster penetration of fixation solutions, enabling compliance with processing guidelines while maintaining structural support
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogel intermediary provides structural support that enables thin slicing, which in turn reduces fixation time. This mediator allows the tissue to be processed quickly while maintaining the structural integrity needed for accurate pathology analysis
Data Source
AI summary
A tissue slicer system that includes a tissue slicing mold capable of producing very thin (e.g., on the order of 3 mm) and uniform slices to be captured from whole, fresh tissue specimens, notably breast lumpectomies, while minimizing distortion. These thin, uniform whole-specimen slices of the fresh surgical specimen increase the area of tissue available for inspection, reduce the amount of tissue lost in trimming during microtomy, and permit tissue processing for producing whole-mount sections.