Patent EP0323130A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0323130A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Automatic staining apparatus for slide specimens
Assignee: Shiraimatsu and Co Ltd
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Filing: 1988-12-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-12-22
Abstract
Abstract An automatic staining apparatus for the simultaneous staining of a plurality of slide specimens by the sequential dipping thereof into chemical solution containers while the slide specimens are carried by a slide holder basket. The basket has a pair of engagement members (37), one at each end, and a clamp member (8) has two fingers (12) each having a tip (12a), which tips may pass through openings (37b) in the two engagement members (37), respectively, to be received in respective finger-receiving plates (13). Once the clamp member (8) has been engaged with the basket, the basket is securely held for all processing steps, including tilting of the basket to assist the draining thereof. Moreover, the clamp may automatically be engaged with and disengaged from the basket.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshio Tabata
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:22
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N1/00; G01N1/28; G01N1/30; G01N1/31; G01N1/312; G01N35/00; G01N35/02; G01N35/04; G01N2035/0401; G01N2035/0406; G01N2035/041; G01N2035/0496; G01N2035/0498; G01N35/0099
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
281 words
An automatic staining apparatus for use in staining a number of slide specimens, which apparatus comprises a slide holder basket for the slide specimens, and a clamp member for carrying the slide holder basket and movable to advance the basket through the processing steps of the apparatus from a loading port to a discharge port, which apparatus is characterised by the clamp member (8) comprising a clamp member board (11), two spaced fingers (12) movably mounted on the clamp member board (11) and each having a projecting finger tip portion (12a), a pair of finger receiving plates (13), mounted on the board (11) in a spaced-apart manner and each having a hole (13a) for receiving the finger tip (12a) of an associated finger (12), and an automatic finger driving mechanism (14,15,20) for moving said two fingers (12) towards and away from their associated finger receiving plates (13); the apparatus further being characterised by the slide holder basket (2) having an engagement member (37) on opposed sides thereof, the upper portions (37a) of each engagement member (37) having a through hole (37b) for receiving a finger tip (12a) of the clamp member (8) and the distance between said upper portions (37a) permitting the location of each upper portion (37a) between a finger (12) and finger receiving plate (13) respectively of the clamp member (8), whereby the clamp member (8) may be engaged with the basket by separating the fingers (12) from their respective associated plates (13), positioning the clamp member (8) over the engagement members (37) and then driving the fingers (12) to pass the finger tips (12a) through the holes (37b) in the engagement members (37) and into the plates (13).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
281 words
An automatic staining apparatus for use in staining a number of slide specimens, which apparatus comprises a slide holder basket for the slide specimens, and a clamp member for carrying the slide holder basket and movable to advance the basket through the processing steps of the apparatus from a loading port to a discharge port, which apparatus is characterised by the clamp member (8) comprising a clamp member board (11), two spaced fingers (12) movably mounted on the clamp member board (11) and each having a projecting finger tip portion (12a), a pair of finger receiving plates (13), mounted on the board (11) in a spaced-apart manner and each having a hole (13a) for receiving the finger tip (12a) of an associated finger (12), and an automatic finger driving mechanism (14,15,20) for moving said two fingers (12) towards and away from their associated finger receiving plates (13); the apparatus further being characterised by the slide holder basket (2) having an engagement member (37) on opposed sides thereof, the upper portions (37a) of each engagement member (37) having a through hole (37b) for receiving a finger tip (12a) of the clamp member (8) and the distance between said upper portions (37a) permitting the location of each upper portion (37a) between a finger (12) and finger receiving plate (13) respectively of the clamp member (8), whereby the clamp member (8) may be engaged with the basket by separating the fingers (12) from their respective associated plates (13), positioning the clamp member (8) over the engagement members (37) and then driving the fingers (12) to pass the finger tips (12a) through the holes (37b) in the engagement members (37) and into the plates (13).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to claim 1, further characterised in that the automatic finger driving mechanism comprises a shaft (14) rotatably supported in the two finger receiving plates (13) and having two screwed portions (14a) which are threaded in mutually opposite directions, and a motor (20) for rotating the shaft (14) directly or indirectly through a belt (15).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to claim 1, and further characterised in that there is a tilting mechanism (17,18) for tilting the clamp member (8), operable to tilt the clamp member (8) and a held slide holder basket (2) after the immersion of the basket in chemical solutions to promote the draining of the chemicals therefrom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
82 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to claim 3, further characterised in that the tilting mechanism comprises a joint (16a) supporting said clamp member (8) from above permitting the pivoting thereof, a motor (17) disposed above the clamp member (8), and an arm (18) having one end thereof fixed to a shaft driven by the motor (17) so that the other end may come into contact with the clamp member board (11) to cause the clamp member (8) to pivot around said joint.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that the tilting mechanism is arranged to increase the inclination of said clamp member (8) and a carried slide holder basket from the horizontal position to a maximum tilting angle, then to reduce the tilting angle and then to increase the tilting angle once more to the maximum tilting angle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the tilting mechanism may tilt the clamp member (8) to a maximum tilt angle of from about 20° to about 45°.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
174 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6, and further characterised in that there are provided n clamp members, where n ≧ 2, (n - 1) relay stations whereat a slide holder basket may be deposited by one clamp member (8) and picked up by another, the (n - 1) relay stations being disposed between a number of chemical solution containers, and the first of said clamp members being arranged to advance a basket through a zone ranging from the loading port (6) to the first relay station, the i-th clamp member being arranged to advance a basket through a zone ranging from the (n - 1)th relay station to the i-th relay station [with the proviso that 2 ≦ i ≦ (n - 1)] and the n-th clamp member being arranged to advance a basket through a zone ranging from the (n - 1)th relay station to said discharge port (7), whereby n slide holder baskets may be processed substantially at the same time but independently of one another.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that two clamp members (8) are provided.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
An automatic staining apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the slide holder basket (2) for slide specimens (1) has substantially the same size as conventional slide holder baskets for sealing apparatus.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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