Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – Automatic and/or material-triggered control
Patent
1995-08-02
1996-12-03
Knable, Geoffrey L.
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
Automatic and/or material-triggered control
156364, 156556, 156572, 156578, G02B 2134, B32B 1700
Patent
active
055804144
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically attaching cover slips to microscope slides having specimens for microscopic examination, comprising a first magazine receiving a plurality of slides, a means for feeding one slide at a time from the magazine to a station for application of adhesive, a means for placing a cover slip on a slide provided with adhesive, and a means for removing the slide with attached cover slip from the station.
Such application of cover slips or cover glasses on microscope slides especially is carried out in hospitals and in medical laboratories, wherein microscope slides having different types of medical specimens, such as cut specimens, cytologic smears, etc. must be covered by protective cover slips. This work was previously, and is partly even now, carried out manually, and it is then a tedious and strenuous work. In many cases it is necessary that the specimens are kept wet by means of a solvent, such as xylene, which is miscible with the adhesive used. The use of such a solvent is, however, injurious to health and represents an environmental risk, since it is harmful to the respiration and is absorbed by the body by skin contact. It is therefore strongly desirable that this work be taken over by apparatus which is able to carry out the work automatically.
There are previously known different types of apparatus for application of cover slips on microscope slides having specimens for microscopy, and as examples of prior art in the field reference may be made to the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,480,504, 3,930,928 and 4,455,188. The latter patent specification discloses an apparatus of the type stated in the introduction. This apparatus is based on the use of cover slips of plastics, there being provided a supply spool on which there is wound a cover strip ribbon of e.g. plastic foil, and this ribbon is advanced to an application station at which the ribbon is cut into suitable lengths which are successively applied to and pressed together with associated microscope slides. The use of plastics as a cover material has, however, the drawback that scratches easily arise in the plastics, and this results in optical errors in the analysis of specimens on microscope slides which are covered by plastic material.
In addition to the above-mentioned weakness in the use of a plastic material, it has been found that many of the known apparatus and machines for the present purpose either are encumbered with functional faults and therefore are less reliable than desired, or that they have a too small capacity relative to the investment cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a fully automatic apparatus which is safe and reliable in operation, and which has a relatively large capacity.
A further object is to provide such an apparatus which is simple to operate and which also gives a good product in terms of quality, which product is suitable for microscopy and for prolonged storage.
For the achievement of the above-mentioned objects there is provided an apparatus of the introductorily stated type which, according to the invention, is characterized in that it comprises an additional magazine arranged next to the slides magazine and arranged to receive a stack of cover slips, a slide means arranged for reciprocating movement and provided with means for simultaneous feeding of a slide and a cover slip from the respective magazines to a position next to each other at the adhesive application station, and for subsequent return of the slide with attached cover slip to the slides magazine, and a means which, provided that a cover slip has been fed to said position, provides for application of adhesive to the slide and thereafter lifting, transfer and pressing-down of the cover slip onto the slide.
An advantageous embodiment of the apparatus is characterized in that the slides magazine comprises at least one cassette which is slidable along vertical guide rails, the cassette being of the type containing mutually spaced
REFERENCES:
patent: 3833449 (1974-09-01), Johnson
patent: 3930928 (1976-01-01), Tapert
patent: 4033809 (1977-07-01), Tipton
patent: 4171241 (1979-10-01), Henderson et al.
patent: 4428793 (1984-01-01), Sato et al.
patent: 4455188 (1984-06-01), Stormby
LandOfFree
Apparatus for automatic application of cover slips on microscope does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for automatic application of cover slips on microscope, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for automatic application of cover slips on microscope will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-782222