Leica Biosystems Imaging, Inc.

Other

Nicholas Newberg

Prentash Djelosevic

Peyman Najmabadi

Aaron Alan Stearrett

Yunlu Zou

Lance Mikus

Gregory J Crandall

Markus Wittmann

Timothy Dailey

Markus Sharpe

Allen Olson

Greg J Crandall

Leng-Chun Chen

Benjamin Siehl

David Rybka

Paul Georgief

A stall detection system is provided that determines if a glass slide in motion during an automated process is at risk for being damaged and stops motion in the event of an unacceptable risk of damage. The system includes one or more motors configured to move a glass slide (directly or indirectly). The motors are configured to generate a load resistance value. The system includes one or more processors that monitor the load resistance value of a motor during motion and compares the load resistance value to a predetermined threshold resistance value to determine the risk of a glass slide being damaged. The predetermined threshold resistance value may correspond to a risk of slide breakage in response to a force applied to any surface of the slide, or a risk of losing a controlling grip on a slide rack, or a risk of a motor skipping a motor step.

Stall detection for autoloader axes

A power off delay system and method is configured to delay termination of electrical power to a digital pathology device in a power off condition. If the apparatus includes a UPS, the power off delay system and method delays termination of electrical power when a power switch is turned off and when a catastrophic power failure occurs. During the delay of the termination of electrical power, the digital pathology device is configured to control the scanning stage system and the glass slide conveyor system and the slide rack conveyor system to place each of these systems into a known state and position all glass slides into a known position prior to the termination of electrical power to the digital pathology device. This allows the digital pathology device to resume normal operation upon power up.

Power off delay system and method

A digital pathology scanning apparatus is configured to initiate a rescan of a portion of a sample responsive to detecting a mechanical vibration during image acquisition that exceeds a predetermined threshold. The digital pathology scanning apparatus includes a plurality of sensors and a processor that analyzes sensor data received during movement of a scanning stage supporting a sample during image acquisition. The processor is configured to identify a mechanical vibration imparted on the scanning stage during image acquisition and determine if the mechanical vibration exceeds a predetermined threshold. If the predetermined threshold is exceeded, the processor is configured to initiate a rescan of the portion of the sample being scanned at the time of the mechanical vibration.

Impulse rescan system

A slide rack inventory and reinsertion system for use with a digital slide scanning apparatus is provided that determines, prior to scanning of glass slides in a slide rack, a status of each slot in the slide rack as properly occupied, improperly occupied, or empty. The system also determines whether a slide that has been removed from the slide rack for processing has been properly reinserted into the slide rack.

Slide inventory and reinsertion system

Graphical user interface for managing a workflow of a slide scanning system. In an embodiment, the graphical user interface comprises a graphical representation of a carousel used by the scanning system. The graphical representation of the carousel comprises a graphical representation of each of a plurality of rack slots, configured to receive slide racks. The graphical representation of the carousel indicates a position of the carousel, and the graphical representation of each of the plurality of rack slots indicates a status of the represented rack slot and/or a slide rack within the represented rack slot.

Graphical user interface for slide-scanner control

A digital slide scanning apparatus slide rack carousel allows continuous loading and unloading of slide racks into the carousel while the digital slide scanning apparatus is simultaneously digitizing glass slides. The slide rack carousel includes a base having an interior portion of its upper surface at an angle. The slide rack carousel also includes plural rack spacers extending upward from the base and adjacent rack spacers define a rack slot. Each rack spacer also includes a rack stopper on each side such that adjacent rack spacers have rack stoppers facing each other. The rack stoppers prevent a slide rack from moving further toward the center of the carousel than desired.

Slide rack carousel

A slide rack gripper apparatus is provided that simultaneously conveys a plurality of glass slides in the protection of a slide rack within a digital slide scanning apparatus. The slide rack gripper apparatus conveys the plurality of glass slides from a slide rack carousel to a scanning stage for processing. The slide rack gripper includes a first motor attached to a base configured to drive a finger mount attached to the base along a first linear axis. The slide rack gripper apparatus also includes a second motor attached to the finger mount and configured to drive opposing gripper fingers attached to the finger mount along a second linear axis. The second motor is also configured to drive individual gripper fingers along a third linear axis to move the gripper fingers toward each other and away from each other to grasp or release a slide rack.

Slide rack gripper apparatus

A scanning stage with opposing edges to secure a slide during scanning and guide the slide during unloading. In an embodiment, the system includes a reference edge with a surface facing a first edge of the slide and an opposing edge with a surface facing a second edge of the slide. The opposing edge is controlled by a processor to engage the second edge of the slide and press the first edge of the slide against the reference edge surface. The opposing edge surface is parallel to a side of a slide rack slot into which the slide will be inserted during unloading. The system also includes an assembly having a pull bar configured to pull the glass slide from the scanning stage into the slide rack slot while the first edge of the slide is simultaneously being pressed against the reference edge surface by the opposing edge surface.

Opposing edges system for scanning and processing glass slides

A digital slide scanning apparatus includes a safety light curtain that operates to disable the motor that rotates the carousel when the presence of an object (e.g., the fingers of an operator) is detected within a predetermined area of the carousel. The light curtain also operates to disable the motor that rotates the carousel when an improperly positioned glass slide or slide rack is detected. The digital slide scanning apparatus also includes a multi-color status indicator for each rack slot that indicates the rack slot location of an improperly positioned glass slide or slide rack.

Safety light curtain to disable carousel rotation

A slide rack determination system for a digital slide scanning apparatus. In an embodiment, a motor drives a slide rack at a known rate toward an engagement surface. The elapsed time until engagement may be used to detect the presence or absence of the slide rack and/or the height of the slide rack. In addition, one or more sensors may detect one or more features of the slide rack, and these feature(s) may be used to determine the presence or absence of a slide rack, whether usage of the slide rack is supported or unsupported by the digital slide scanning apparatus, the orientation of the slide rack, and/or the manufacturer and/or model of the slide rack.

Slide rack determination system

A stuck slide determination system is provided that determines if a slide (e.g., glass slide), positioned on a scanning stage at the start of the scanning process, gets stuck and does not move along with the scanning stage after the scanning process commences. In an embodiment, the system includes a sensor having a transmitter and receiver that are relatively positioned to detect the presence of the stage or a slide or the absence of the stage or a slide. When the scanning stage begins to move at the start of the scanning process, a processor monitors a signal from the sensor and determines if the slide is improperly positioned after the scanning process has commenced. If the slide is improperly positioned, the processor stops movement of the scanning stage in order to protect the slide from damage.

Stuck slide determination system

A slide rack clamp apparatus that secures a slide rack in a digital slide scanning apparatus. In an embodiment, the slide rack clamp apparatus includes an upper clamp and a lower clamp. Each clamp comprises one or more clamp projections, which are configured to engage one or more recesses in engagement surfaces of a plurality of different slide racks from different manufacturers. The lower clamp is driven by a motor along a linear axis to engage the lower clamp projections with the one or more slide rack recesses of the bottom surface of the slide rack. The motor drives the lower clamp and the engaged slide rack upward to engage the one or more slide rack recesses of the top surface of the slide rack with the clamp projections of the upper clamp to fully engage the slide rack between the upper clamp and the lower clamp.

Slide rack clamp apparatus

A fixed reference edge system that guides a glass slide from a slot of a slide rack onto a scanning stage and guides the glass slide from the scanning stage into the slot of the slide rack. In an embodiment, the fixed reference edge has a first side that is parallel to a side of the slot of the slide rack. The system comprises an assembly that includes a push bar configured to push the slide from the slot onto the scanning stage, and a pull bar configured to pull the slide from the scanning stage into the slot of the slide rack. When the slide is pulled into the slide rack, the long edge of the slide is pressed against the first side of the fixed reference edge to maintain a parallel orientation between the slide and the slot of the slide rack.

Growing community of inventors

San Marcos, CA, United States of America

Nicholas Newberg