Cassette for facilitating optical sectioning of a retained tissue specimen

Abstract

A cassette for retaining a specimen of surgically exposed tissue from a patient in an orientation that facilitates optical sectioning of the tissue by a confocal microscopic or other optical imaging microscope. The cassette includes a base member having a rigid optically transparent window upon which a tissue specimen is situated, a pliable membrane locatable over a substantial portion of the base member including the window, and an upper member, having an aperture therethrough, which can cover the base member to provide an enclosed cavity between the membrane and the window sealing the tissue specimen therein. With the tissue specimen in the enclosed cavity of the cassette, the edges of the tissue specimen may be positioned planar against the window and retained in that position by bonds formed between the membrane and window at multiple points or locations around the tissue specimen. The specimen retained in the cavity is viewable through the aperture of the upper member and imagible by a confocal microscope, or other optical imaging microscope, through the window of the base member. The base member has an injection port through which fluid may be inserted and removed from the cavity of the cassette in which the tissue specimen is retained. Such fluids can facilitate imaging of the specimen by an optical imaging microscope, or can be used to place the specimen in a preservative for archival purposes. A label with indicia identifying the tissue specimen may be applied to the cassette. The cassette may be part of a confocal imaging system to produce microscopic images of sections of the tissue specimen useful for Mohs surgery.