Microscope inspection slide

Claim 2

A slide for use in the examination of liquid specimens, said slide comprising: a base plate having at least one flat examination chamber floor surface, said examination chamber floor surface being raised above an upper deck surface of said base plate; a cover plate having at least one flat examination chamber roof surface, said examination chamber roof surface being recessed from a lower surface of said cover plate and said examination roof surface having a smaller surface area over said examination chamber floor surface; a depth control ridge extending away from said examination chamber roof surface on all sides, but one, a sufficient distance to extend beyond the edge of said examination chamber floor surface so that positioning said examination chamber roof surface over said examination floor surface results in a fixed distance being determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor surfaces, said depth control ridges having at least one notch extending between the examination chamber and the edge of said depth control ridge furthest from said examination chamber to provide for drainage onto said upper deck surface; bonding means extending from said cover plate so that positioning said cover plate on said base plate and bonding said cover plate to said upper deck surface affixes said cover plate to said base plate and also forms an essentially continuous bond between said base plate and said cover plate about the perimeter of each examination chamber.

Claim 3

A slide for use in the examination of liquid specimens, said slide comprising: a base plate having at least one flat examination chamber floor surface, said examination chamber floor surface being raised above an upper deck surface of said base plate; a cover plate having at least one flat examination chamber roof surface, said examination chamber roof surface being recessed from a lower surface of said cover plate and said examination chamber roof surface having a smaller surface area over said examination chamber floor surface; a depth control ridge extending away from said examination chamber roof on all sides, but one, a sufficient distance to extend beyond the edge of said examination chamber floor surface so that positioning said examination chamber roof surface over said examination floor surface results in a fixed distance being determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor surfaces, said depth control ridge having at least one notch extending between the examination chamber and the edge of said depth control ridge furthest from said examination chamber to provide for drainage onto said upper deck surface; bonding .[.menas.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.extending from said base plate so that .[.positionining.]. .Iadd.positioning .Iaddend.said cover plate on said base plate and bonding said lower surface of said cover plate affixes said cover plate to said base plate and also forms an essentially continuous bond between said base plate and said coverplate about the perimeter of each examination chamber.

Claim 4

A slide for use in the examination of liquid specimens, said slide comprising: a base plate having at least one flat examination chamber floor surface, said examination chamber floor surface being raised above an upper deck surface of said base plate; a cover plate having at least one flat examination chamber roof surface, said examination chamber roof surface being recessed from a lower surface of said cover plate and said examination chamber roof surface having a smaller surface area over said examination chamber floor surface; a depth control ridge extending away from said examination chamber roof on all sides, but one, a sufficient distance to extend beyond the edge of said examination chamber floor surface so that positioning said examination chamber roof surface over said examination floor surface results in a fixed distance being determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor surfaces, said depth control ridge having at least one notch extending between the examination chamber and the edge of said depth control ridge furthest from said examination chamber to provide for drainage onto said upper deck surface; bonding .[.menas.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.extending from said base plate so that .[.positionining.]. .Iadd.positioning .Iaddend.said cover plate on said base plate and bonding said lower surface of said cover plate affixes said cover plate to said base plate and also forms an essentially continuous bond between said base plate and said coverplate about the perimeter of each examination chamber.

Claim 5

A slide according to either claim 1 or 2 wherein said cover plate and said base plate are fabricated from transparent plastic.

Claim 6

A slide according to either claim 1 or 2 wherein said distance determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor is 0.0045±0.0005 inches.

Claim 7

A slide according to either to claim 1 or 2 wherein said distance determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor is 0.010±0.001 inches.

Claim 8

A slide according to either claim 1 or 2 wherein for each examination chamber a ramp means intersects said examination chamber floor along one side of said examination chamber, said examination chamber roof overhangs said intersection, and at least one lip means extends between said examination chamber roof and said ramp means along a portion of the length of said intersection between said ramp means and said examination chamber floor. .Iadd.7. A slide for use in the examination of liquid specimens, said slide comprising: a base plate having at least one flat examination chamber floor surface, said examination chamber floor surface being raised above an upper deck surface of said base plate; a cover plate having at least one flat examination chamber roof surface, said examination chamber roof surface being recessed from a lower surface of said cover plate and said examination roof surface having a smaller surface area over said examination chamber floor surface; a depth control ridge extending away from said examination chamber roof surface on all sides, but one, a sufficient distance to extend beyond the edge of said examination chamber floor surface so that positioning said examination chamber roof surface over said examination floor surface results in a fixed distance being determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor surfaces; bonding means extending from said cover plate so that positioning said cover plate on said base plate and bonding said cover plate to said upper deck surface affixes said cover plate to said base plate and also forms an essentially continuous bond between said base plate and said cover plate

Claim 9

about the perimeter of each examination chamber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A slide for use in the examination of liquid specimens, said slide comprising: a base plate having at least one flat examination chamber floor surface, said examination chamber floor surface being raised above an upper deck surface of said base plate; a cover plate having at least one flat examination chamber roof surface, said examination chamber roof surface being recessed from a lower surface of said cover plate and said examination chamber roof surface having a smaller surface area over said examination chamber floor surface; a depth control ridge extending away from said examination chamber roof on all sides, but one, a sufficient distance to extend beyond the edge of said examination chamber floor surface so that positioning said examination chamber roof surface over said examination floor surface results in a fixed distance being determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor surfaces; bonding means extending from said base plate so that positioning said cover plate on said base plate and bonding said lower surface of said cover plate affixes said cover plate to said base plate and also forms an essentially continuous bond between said base plate and said cover plate about the perimeter of each examination chamber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. A slide according to either claim 7 or 8 wherein said cover plate and said base plate are fabricated from transparent plastic. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. A slide according to either claim 7 or 8 wherein said distance determined by said depth control ridge between said examination chamber roof and floor is 0.0045±0.0005 inches. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A slide according to either claim 7 or 8 wherein each examination chamber includes means for venting entrapped gases and wherein for each examination chamber a ramp means intersects said examination chamber floor along one side of said examination chamber, said examination chamber roof overhangs said intersection, and at least one lip means extends between said examination chamber roof and said ramp means along a portion of the length of said intersection between said ramp means and said examination chamber floor.

Claim 10

.Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A unitary slide for use in examination of a liquid specimen said slide comprising an examination chamber defined by base and cover plates said base plate having at least one elevated flat, optically smooth examination chamber floor surface, said cover plate having at least one recessed flat, optically smooth examination chamber roof surface said roof surface of said cover plate being spaced above and parallel to said floor surface of said base plate the spacing between said parallel examination chamber floor and roof surfaces being substantially uniform and being predetermined by a depth control means adjacent a portion of the perimeter of said chamber; said base and cover plate being ultrasonically welded, said weld being spaced away from said depth control means by which said substantially uniform spacing between said examination floor and roof surfaces is

Claim 11

.Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A unitary slide for use in examination of a liquid specimen said slide comprising an examination chamber defined by base and cover plates said base plate having at least one elevated flat, optically smooth examination chamber floor surface, said cover plate having at least one recessed flat, optically smooth examination chamber roof surface said roof surface of said cover plate being spaced above and parallel to said floor surface of said base plate the spacing between said parallel examination chamber floor and roof surfaces being substantially uniform and being predetermined by a depth control means adjacent a portion of the perimeter of said chamber; said base and cover plate being ultrasonically welded, said weld being spaced away from said depth control means by which said substantially uniform spacing between said examination floor and roof surfaces is

Claim 12

predetermined. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A unitary slide as defined by claim 12 in which said base plate comprises said depth control means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. A unitary slide as defined by claim 12 in which said cover plate comprises said depth control means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A unitary slide as defined by any of claims 12, 13, or 14 further comprising means in said cover plate to permit the exit of fluids from said examination chamber.

Claim 13

.Iaddend. .Iadd.16. Separate cover and base plate elements for assembly by ultrasonic welding to provide a unitary liquid specimen examination slide having at least one examination chamber said base plate having at least one flat optically smooth examination chamber floor surface, said cover plate having at least one flat, optically smooth examination chamber roof surface, at least one of said base and cover plates having chamber depth control means for maintaining said chamber floor and roof surfaces in a predetermined spaced, parallel relationship when said base and cover plates are assembled and ultrasonically welded, and at least one ultrasonic energy directing means spaced sufficiently away from said depth control means to yield a unitary ultrasonically welded slide having a chamber of uniform depth defined by said predetermined, parallel spaced relationship of said optically smooth chamber floor and roof surfaces. .Iaddend.

Claim 14

.Iaddend. .Iadd.16. Separate cover and base plate elements for assembly by ultrasonic welding to provide a unitary liquid specimen examination slide having at least one examination chamber said base plate having at least one flat optically smooth examination chamber floor surface, said cover plate having at least one flat, optically smooth examination chamber roof surface, at least one of said base and cover plates having chamber depth control means for maintaining said chamber floor and roof surfaces in a predetermined spaced, parallel relationship when said base and cover plates are assembled and ultrasonically welded, and at least one ultrasonic energy directing means spaced sufficiently away from said depth control means to yield a unitary ultrasonically welded slide having a chamber of uniform depth defined by said predetermined, parallel spaced relationship of said optically smooth chamber floor and roof surfaces. .Iaddend.