The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 29, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1997
Alpha Scientific Instruments, Inc., Southeastern, PA (US);
Abstract
An automatic device prepares blood films or smears on microscope slides. The device has essentially one moving part, namely a carriage which holds the slide, and which is movable back and forth along a frame. The slide is dispensed from a magazine, onto the carriage, and the carriage moves to a position where a drop of blood is conveniently placed onto the slide. The carriage then moves to a position permitting contact between the blood and a spreading blade mounted on a flexible member. The carriage is moved in a forward direction, causing the blade to move relative to the slide, creating the blood smear. The slide is then lifted from the carriage and moved onto a storage platform. Meanwhile, the blade is cleaned as it passes over a cleaning pad on the carriage. Movement of the carriage in both directions insures that both sides and the end of the blade are cleaned. The device includes a bar code reader and printer, making it possible to read a bar code located on a specimen container, and to print indicia onto the slide, which may correspond to the coded information. The device also includes apparatus for automatically rejecting blank slides which have stuck together.