Abstract: A swab assembly for collecting a specimen from a patient includes an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a notch between its proximal and distal ends; a sheath having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending between its proximal and distal ends, wherein a portion of the elongated shaft is disposed within the sheath lumen, and the sheath is slidable relative to the elongated shaft; and a collection tip coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft and configured for obtaining the specimen. The sheath is slidable between a first position in which the shaft notch is disposed within the sheath lumen and wherein the sheath protects the elongated shaft from breaking at the notch, and a second position in which the shaft notch is exposed out of the sheath lumen.

Abstract: A biological sample well plate includes a plate member having a top surface and a plurality of wells therein, each well being defined by an opening in the plate member top surface and an inner well surface that slopes downwardly to a well bottom having an upwardly extending projection, such that each well bottom of the plurality of wells defines a circumferential trough.

Abstract: A swab assembly for collecting a specimen from a patient includes an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a notch between its proximal and distal ends; a sheath having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending between its proximal and distal ends, wherein a portion of the elongated shaft is disposed within the sheath lumen, and the sheath is slidable relative to the elongated shaft; and a collection tip coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft and configured for obtaining the specimen. The sheath is slidable between a first position in which the shaft notch is disposed within the sheath lumen and wherein the sheath protects the elongated shaft from breaking at the notch, and a second position in which the shaft notch is exposed out of the sheath lumen.

Abstract: A system for collecting a biological sample includes a collection device comprising a cylindrical body having a bore extending there through and a filter membrane disposed at one end thereof; a filter plug having an insert configured for insertion into the bore; a collar concentrically mounted about the exterior surface of the insert and configured for insertion into the bore; and a gasket disposed about the exterior surface of the insert, wherein an outer dimension of the gasket is variable in response to relative movement between the collar and the insert, and wherein the gasket has a cross section with two end portions and a mid portion that is located radially further away from the insert than the two end portions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for bonding block of paraffin having cellular material embedded at one end thereof with an additional amount of paraffin are disclosed, including a method comprising placing the paraffin block in a well of a mold with the paraffin-embedded cellular material positioned on a support structure that elevates the cellular matter from a bottom surface of the well; heating the mold to thereby soften and at least partially melt and blend together the embedding paraffin and additional paraffin located in the well, the support structure sized such that some of the additional paraffin flows on the bottom surface of the well at least partially surrounding the support structure; and cooling the mold to thereby bond the additional paraffin to the embedding paraffin and re-solidify the paraffin block, wherein the retained cellular matter is spaced apart from an end of the re-solidified paraffin block defined by the bottom surface of the well.

Abstract: A system for making cell blocks includes a cell block cassette and processing station, the cassette including a main body having a having a collection aperture formed therein and a filter assembly removably attached to the main body, the filter assembly defining a collection well in communication with the collection aperture, and having a filter positioned across a bottom surface of the collection well, the filter configured to retain cellular matter carried in a fluid that is dispensed into the collection well and flows across the filter. The cell block processor has a cassette interface removably seating the cell block cassette, and a sensor positioned or positionable to detect and monitor a fluid level in the collection well.

Abstract: A system for making cell blocks includes a cell block cassette and processing station, the cassette including a main body having a having a collection aperture formed therein and a filter assembly removably attached to the main body, the filter assembly defining a collection well in communication with the collection aperture, and having a filter positioned across a bottom surface of the collection well, the filter configured to retain cellular matter carried in a fluid that is dispensed into the collection well and flows across the filter. The cell block processor has a cassette interface removably seating the cell block cassette, and a sensor positioned or positionable to detect and monitor a fluid level in the collection well.

Abstract: A tissue cassette assembly includes a housing having a recess formed therein, and a compressible reservoir disposed partially or wholly inside of, or otherwise attached in fluid communication with, the housing recess, the compressible reservoir containing a tissue embedding material. The tissue cassette further includes a port disposed in the housing, the port in fluid communication with the compressible reservoir at one end and terminating in a sample cavity at another end. During operation, the compressible reservoir is compressed or squeezed to release the tissue embedding material into the sample cavity containing the biological sample.

Abstract: A system for making cell blocks includes a cell block cassette and processing station, the cassette including a main body having a having a collection aperture formed therein and a filter assembly removably attached to the main body, the filter assembly defining a collection well in communication with the collection aperture, and having a filter positioned across a bottom surface of the collection well, the filter configured to retain cellular matter carried in a fluid that is dispensed into the collection well and flows across the filter. The cell block processor has a cassette interface removably seating the cell block cassette, and a sensor positioned or positionable to detect and monitor a fluid level in the collection well.

Abstract: A system and method for determining whether one or more slides are loaded properly within a cassette. Each slide includes one or more transparent regions and one or more non-transparent regions. The slides are between a light source and a sensor. The light source generates light that is directed towards the sensor through the slides. If the sensor is able to detect light from the light source, then the slides are properly loaded in the cassette. Slides are not properly loaded if the light is blocked by a non-transparent region before reaching the sensor. The sensor or a separate controller can generate a signal or data to provide an indication to a user or to processing equipment that the slides are or are not properly loaded. For example, a speaker or an indicator light can be used to provide an indication to the user. The signal or data can also be used for other functions, such as displaying a message on a screen indicating whether the slides are properly loaded.

Abstract: A tissue cassette assembly includes a housing having a recess formed therein, and a compressible reservoir disposed partially or wholly inside of, or otherwise attached in fluid communication with, the housing recess, the compressible reservoir containing a tissue embedding material. The tissue cassette further includes a port disposed in the housing, the port in fluid communication with the compressible reservoir at one end and terminating in a sample cavity at another end. During operation, the compressible reservoir is compressed or squeezed to release the tissue embedding material into the sample cavity containing the biological sample.

Abstract: A tissue cassette assembly includes a housing having a recess formed therein, and a compressible reservoir disposed partially or wholly inside of, or otherwise attached in fluid communication with, the housing recess, the compressible reservoir containing a tissue embedding material. The tissue cassette further includes a port disposed in the housing, the port in fluid communication with the compressible reservoir at one end and terminating in a sample cavity at another end. During operation, the compressible reservoir is compressed or squeezed to release the tissue embedding material into the sample cavity containing the biological sample.

Abstract: A bubble point of a combination of a filter and a liquid is calibrated by applying an initial back pressure through the filter toward the liquid; taking a first plurality of measurements of the level of the liquid in the container; calculating a first variance of the first plurality of measurements; and comparing the first calculated variance with a known threshold variance. Then a second plurality of measurements of the level of the liquid in the container is taken; a second variance of the second plurality of measurements is calculated; and the second calculated variance is compared with a known threshold variance. The above described steps are repeated at incrementally increased back pressures until the first and second calculated variances are each greater than or equal to the known threshold variance, which is about 0.01. The bubble point is determined to be the back pressure at that point. If the determined bubble point is less than or equal to the known threshold bubble point, which is about 0.

Abstract: A system for collecting a biological sample includes a collection device comprising a cylindrical body having a bore extending there through and a filter membrane disposed at one end thereof; a filter plug having an insert configured for insertion into the bore; a collar concentrically mounted about the exterior surface of the insert and configured for insertion into the bore; and a gasket disposed about the exterior surface of the insert, wherein an outer dimension of the gasket is variable in response to relative movement between the collar and the insert, and wherein the gasket has a cross section with two end portions and a mid portion that is located radially further away from the insert than the two end portions.

Abstract: A configurable slide imaging system includes a plurality of slide cassettes, each cassette configured for accessibly storing a plurality of specimen slides, a plurality of imagers, each operatively coupled with one or more processors for processing images obtained of respective specimen slides retrieved from the storage cassettes, and a slide transport system including a movable arm having a slide engagement mechanism, the slide transport system configured for retrieving slides from the slide cassettes and positioning them on a slide stage of a respective imager, and for retrieving slides from a slide stage of an imager and transporting them to a respective storage cassette. The number of imagers may be selected, and their operation synchronized, so as to minimize down time of the extendable arm 204.

Abstract: A method for ultrasound imaging utilizes microbeamforming within a transducer probe in electrical communication with a base ultrasound system. The transducer elements are arranged in sub-arrays or subsets, and the transducer includes a cross-point/summation switch in communication with each sub-array, and the base ultrasound system. In the microbeamforming operation, the signals received at the receiving elements comprising a sub-array are summed to generate a composite sub-array signal for same sub-array, and a set of composite sub-array signals corresponding to a particular receive beamforming pattern is defined using a signal controlling the output of the cross-point switch.

Abstract: A tissue cassette assembly includes a housing having a recess formed therein, and a compressible reservoir disposed partially or wholly inside of, or otherwise attached in fluid communication with, the housing recess, the compressible reservoir containing a tissue embedding material. The tissue cassette further includes a port disposed in the housing, the port in fluid communication with the compressible reservoir at one end and terminating in a sample cavity at another end. During operation, the compressible reservoir is compressed or squeezed to release the tissue embedding material into the sample cavity containing the biological sample.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to medical devices, and more particularly, an apparatus and method for collecting cells or tissue samples from the cervix of a patient for medical testing.

Abstract: A system and method for determining whether one or more slides are loaded properly within a cassette. Each slide includes one or more transparent regions and one or more non-transparent regions. The slides are between a light source and a sensor. The light source generates light that is directed towards the sensor through the slides. If the sensor is able to detect light from the light source, then the slides are properly loaded in the cassette. Slides are not properly loaded if the light is blocked by a non-transparent region before reaching the sensor. The sensor or a separate controller can generate a signal or data to provide an indication to a user or to processing equipment that the slides are or are not properly loaded. For example, a speaker or an indicator light can be used to provide an indication to the user. The signal or data can also be used for other functions, such as displaying a message on a screen indicating whether the slides are properly loaded.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance method for imaging of a moving part of a body (106) temporary magnetic gradient fields (230) are applied and a echo signal (641, 642) is obtained after an excitation pulse (201). An image of the moving part is reconstructed from the received echo signals (240). The moving part introduces artefacts in the reconstructed image. These artefacts could be reduced when the instantaneous position of the moving part is known and the region of the moving part to be excited is adjusted according to this instantaneous position. This instantaneous position is derived from navigator signals (640). These navigator signals (640) could be generated independently from the other echo signals (641, 642) in the moving part of the body. A further reduction of artefacts in the image could be obtained by deriving a phase correction and a frequency correction from the navigator signals (640) and to apply the derived corrections to the received echo signals (641, 642).