Dako Denmark A/s

Bob Lathrop

Marc E Key

John Favuzzi

Kristopher Scott Buchanan

Gordon Feingold

Doug Sweet

Rosanne Welcher

Benno M Guggenheimer

Michael J Barber

Robert Clark

Benno Guggenheimer

Jeff Rau

The present invention concerns an apparatus for staining tissue samples, said apparatus including a reagent section or reagent containers; at least one staining section or tissue samples, a robotic head or robotic element that may move reagent to a predetermined tissue sample, said robotic element being moveable above the reagent and the staining sections, a control element that may manage a staining process, a 2-D optical sensor to detect two-dimensional image data of a relevant property and that can feed the captured image data to the control element. By providing the robotic element with a 2-D optical sensor, a common image processor may be provided having multiple functions. By using a 2-D optical image processing system, the control system of the apparatus may easily be adapted to read various types of data presentations, just as actual images for sections of the apparatus may be identified in order to assess the condition of the apparatus. The optical sensor may be used to automatically identify the slides and the reagent containers present in the apparatus, just as the optical sensor may be used for checking if a slide is misplaced at or absent from a slide position, etc.

Method and apparatus for automatic staining of tissue samples

Systems and methods of sample processing and temperature control are disclosed. The invention may especially relate to temperature control, and may in some embodiments be methods of temperature control of an automated sample processing system and methods of automated sample processing. Specifically, the present invention provides temperature control in relation to sample processing systems and methods of processing samples, and in some embodiments provides temperature control in relation to sample carriers and processing materials such as reagents. Corresponding systems and devices are disclosed, including sample processing systems (), sample carrier temperature regulation systems (), reagent temperature regulation systems, sample processing control systems, and temperature regulation devices, among other embodiments. Scientific fields to which the present invention may have particular applicability include immunohistochemistry, hybridization, fluorescent in-situ hybridization, special staining, such as special staining of histological samples, microarray sample processing, and cytology, as well as potentially other chemical and biological applications.

Systems and methods of sample processing and temperature control

Systems and methods of sample processing and temperature control are disclosed. The invention may especially relate to temperature control, and may in some embodiments be methods of temperature control of an automated sample processing system and methods of automated sample processing. Specifically, the present invention provides temperature control in relation to sample processing systems and methods of processing samples, and in some embodiments provides temperature control in relation to sample carriers and processing materials such as reagents. Corresponding systems and devices are disclosed, including sample processing systems (), sample carrier temperature regulation systems (), reagent temperature regulation systems, sample processing control systems, and temperature regulation devices, among other embodiments. Scientific fields to which the present invention may have particular applicability include immunohistochemistry, in-situ hybridization, fluorescent in-situ hybridization, special staining, such as special staining of histological samples, microarray sample processing, and cytology, as well as potentially other chemical and biological applications.

The present invention concerns an apparatus () for staining tissue samples, said apparatus () including a reagent section () or reagent containers (); at least one staining section or tissue samples, a robotic head () or robotic element () that may move reagent to a predetermined tissue sample, said robotic element () being moveable above the reagent and the staining sections, a control element () that may manage a staining process, a 2-D optical sensor () to detect two-dimensional image data of a relevant property and that can feed the captured image data to the control element (). By providing the robotic element () with a 2-D optical sensor (), a common image processor may be provided having multiple functions. By using a 2-D optical image processing system, the control system of the apparatus may easily be adapted to read various types of data presentations, just as actual images for sections of the apparatus may be identified in order to assess the condition of the apparatus. The optical sensor may be used to automatically identify the slides and the reagent containers present in the apparatus, just as the optical sensor may be used for checking if a slide is misplaced at or absent from a slide position, etc.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Bob Lathrop