Biological specimen cassette

Details Biological specimen cassette Biological specimen cassette

1999-08-24

2001-01-23

Moy, Joseph M. (Department: 3727)

Receptacles

Arrangements of plural receptacles

At least one combined or convertible

C206S499000, C206S758000, C206S762000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06176383

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a biological specimen cassette suitable for securing a biological tissue specimen so that the tissue can be subsequently sliced into thin sections on a microtome for subsequent microscopic examination. More particularly, the present invention relates to such biological specimen cassette so constructed as to be installed with similarly constructed cassettes as a package in a cassette dispenser from which cassettes may be dispensed individually.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cassettes for processing biological specimens are well known. For example, they may be found described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,252 issued Sep. 2, 1990 to Beall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,246 issued Dec. 20, 1983 to Schultz et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,100 issued Mar. 5, 1991 to Dudek.
These cassettes are formed of a body having a perforated bottom wall, opposite side walls, a front wall and a rear wall. Once a specimen is placed in a cassette, a lid is secured to the cassette to house the specimen.
Prior to being used for receiving a biological specimen, these cassettes are individually stacked in a vertical cassette loader with an open bottom from which they are collected individually. Data pertaining to the specimen contained in the lidded cassette is printed on the front wall of the cassette.
One problem associated with this method of stacking cassettes in the loader is that the cassettes must be individually placed in the loader by an operator, the operation being time consuming and, often, time is lost re-adjusting a cassette which may be improperly lodged in the loader (one reason being that the cassettes are in an oblique position in the loader).
OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a biological specimen cassette which is adapted to be installed with similarly constructed cassettes as a package in a cassette dispenser loader from which cassettes may be retrieved individually thereby avoiding the problems associated with the present method of individually placing cassettes in cassette dispenser loaders.
This is achieved by forming, prior to insertion in the cassette loader, a collective stacked arrangement of similarly constructed cassettes which are interconnected by a connecting element, such as a band, string or wire, so that they may be placed in the loaders of the dispenser as a unitary group. Once the group is in place, the connecting element is retrieved so that the cassettes may thereafter be dispensed individually from the bottom of the loaders.
The present invention therefore relates to a biological specimen cassette adapted to be installed with similarly constructed cassettes as a package in a cassette dispenser from which cassettes may be dispensed individually. The cassette comprises: a body having a perforated bottom from which extend front, rear and side walls; at least one of the walls displays a downward channel extending therealong; the channel has an open top and an open bottom so as to slidably receive therethrough a connecting element for forming, with similarly constructed cassettes, a collective stacked arrangement of cassettes whereby a plurality of cassettes connected by the element extending through the channel of each cassette may be collectively inserted into a cassette dispenser loader; the connected element is thereafter retrieved to form a stack of separate cassettes which are individually dispensable from the loader.
In one preferred form of the invention, as the cassettes are usually lodged at an angle with respect to the dispenser loader, the channel also extends at an angle with respect to the plane of the wall of the cassette.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detailed description, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, is given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.


REFERENCES:
patent: 842595 (1907-01-01), Vasconcelles
patent: 1134525 (1915-04-01), Gallagher
patent: 2949184 (1960-08-01), Lehner et al.
patent: 3144016 (1964-08-01), Basci
patent: 3180489 (1965-04-01), McGinn
patent: 3454154 (1969-07-01), Peters et al.
patent: 3721339 (1973-03-01), Seyer
patent: 3722671 (1973-03-01), Wright et al.
patent: 4220252 (1980-09-01), Beall et al.
patent: 4421246 (1983-12-01), Schultz et al.
patent: 4483441 (1984-11-01), Akizawa et al.
patent: 4917854 (1990-04-01), Cole
patent: 4997100 (1991-03-01), Dudek
patent: 5509574 (1996-04-01), Lenz et al.
patent: 121732 (1948-03-01), None

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