Abstract: A microscope slide article that is processable for color-contrasting marking thereof. The article includes a microscope slide with a main surface including an end surface portion, to which contrast coating material is applied. Various modes of processing are described for the contrast coating material, which are effective to produce color-contrast indicia on the slide, e.g., alphanumeric characters, barcodes, etc. that enable tracking and verification of the slides and specimens mounted thereon.

Abstract: A cordless heated forceps device useful for manipulating tissue samples in a paraffin or other embedding medium, e.g., in histology and pathology labs. The forceps in one implementation has tip elements that are bound to a resistive heat-dissipating component with copper wire and soldered to form a unitary tip assembly. Circuitry can be provided in the body, e.g., the legs, of the forceps device, and may include two circuits, one for resistive heating of the forceps tip elements, and the other for recharging one or more rechargeable batteries in the forceps device. The forceps legs have air gaps or non-conductive material at their distal portions in proximity to the forceps tip elements. The forceps device can be constructed to mate with a recharging base station adapted to connect to a computer or processor with network connectivity, for remote actuation.

Abstract: A unitary assembly of biological specimen support articles, arranged in a stack in which successive articles are secured in positional sequence by a tape. The tape in one embodiment is of loop form, e.g., folded back on itself with a first portion detachably adhesively secured to the stack and with the second portion back-folded over the first portion and extending beyond the stack in a free end that may be manually grasped to peel away the tape from the stack, when the stack is placed in a dispensing hopper with the free end accessed for manual grasping thereof. By stripping the tape from the stack after the stack is positioned in the dispensing hopper, the component support articles, e.g., tissue cassettes or microscope slides, are freed for subsequent dispensing and use.

Abstract: An automatic tissue processor for processing tissue samples for histological analysis. The tissue processor in one configuration includes a retort chamber, a wax storage chamber holding multiple wax containers, a reagent storage chamber holding multiple reagent containers, and a fluid transporting system including a rotary valve operated by a Maltese Cross gear, for selectively connecting the retort chamber with a particular wax or reagent container to supply wax or reagents to the retort chamber. Differential heating of the wax chamber is accommodated by multiple heating elements, with indirect heating of the rotary valve and the fluid transporting system. A computerized central control system for automatic monitoring and control of such tissue processor is advantageously arranged to execute a reagent management program, which enables the central control system to automatically manage reagent usage and replacement.

Abstract: An automatic tissue processor for processing tissue samples for histological analysis. The tissue processor in one configuration includes a retort chamber, a wax storage chamber holding multiple wax containers, a reagent storage chamber holding multiple reagent containers, and a fluid transporting system including a rotary valve operated by a Maltese Cross gear, for selectively connecting the retort chamber with a particular wax or reagent container to supply wax or reagents to the retort chamber. Differential heating of the wax chamber is accommodated by multiple heating elements, with indirect heating of the rotary valve and the fluid transporting system. A computerized central control system for automatic monitoring and control of such tissue processor is advantageously arranged to execute a reagent management program, which enables the central control system to automatically manage reagent usage and replacement.

Abstract: A cassette for containment, storage and processing of material samples, having a top member that is slideably attachable to and detachable from the base member with minimal force and relaxed requirement for precision in the alignment operation. The top member is hingeably connected to the base member when attached and is positively locked to the base member in the attached closed position. The top member is easily opened and closed with one hand when attached to the base member, and facilitates high volume sample processing, e.g., of tissue samples for the purpose of histological determinations.

Abstract: An article dispensing apparatus for storing and sequentially translating support articles. The assembly can be constructed, arranged, and adapted to be removeably positioned in operative relation to a support article labeling device. The assembly includes a sequencing mechanism and a housing containing the sequencing mechanism. The assembly can optionally include a preloaded removable magazine. The sequencing mechanism captures a stacked array of support articles and translates a lower-most positioned support article from the stacked array to the labeling device. The housing can also include at least one adjustable stop element. The adjustable stop element cooperates with the sequencing mechanism to prevent misregistration of the bottom-positioned support article.

Abstract: A hybridization incubator, of a type usefully employed to perform blot nucleic acid and protein/antibody hybridizations and stringency washes for blot procedures such as Northern, Southern, Dot, Slot, Colony, and Western blot techniques, wherein the hybridization incubator comprises an incubator chamber of irregular geometric shape. In a specific embodiment, the hybridization incubator comprises: (a) a housing including walls and a door cooperatively defining an enclosed interior volume within the housing, wherein the interior volume is bounded by segmented wall surfaces forming at least one obtuse included angle between adjacent wall segments; (b) a rotational carousel assembly constructed and arranged for holding hybridization sample(s) thereon, and mounted in the interior volume within the housing; (c) means for selectively rotating said rotational carousel assembly; and (d) means for heating gas and circulating heated gas in the interior volume of the housing over the segmented wall surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention relates in one aspect to a compressible and/or deformable microtome object holder. The object holder may be in the same or similar shape as a wide variety of previous object holders, comprising a specimen plate having a textured or grooved surface and a shank structure. The holder may further comprise a ball element on the opposite end of the shank structure from the plate. In this instance, the ball element serves as the means of mounting the holder to the microtome. At least the grippable portion of the holder which is held by the microtome is formed of a compressible and/or deformable substance. Preferably, the holder is unitarily formed entirely of a compressible and/or deformable substance. The invention allows an object holder to be held more securely and to be molded economically.

Abstract: A microtome object holder clamping assembly is disclosed, having utility for positioning a ball-mounted specimen plate in a spatially fixed manner, but which is selectively repositionable by pivotal and/or rotational movement to dispose the specimen plate at any desired orientation relative to the microtome knife element. The object holder clamping assembly comprises first and second clamping members, one of which has a generally V-shaped, conical spherical contoured channel therein which is disposable in proximity to a spherically contoured cavity in a second clamping member, whereby the ball of the ball-mounted specimen plate may be clamped in a three-point contacting arrangement. The microtome object holder clamping assembly of the invention may be usefully employed in a variety of microtome structures, including microtome cryostats, for sectioning of selected specimens.