Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Differential fluid etching apparatus – With microwave gas energizing means
Patent
1997-12-15
1999-11-23
Mayes, Curtis
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Differential fluid etching apparatus
With microwave gas energizing means
156285, 156556, 156584, 221 33, B32B 3104, G02B 2134, B65H 308, B65H 346
Patent
active
059893869
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to an instrument for automatically applying coverslips to microscopic specimen slides in the field of histology and pathology. More particularly the invention relates to a method and apparatus, within such an instrument, for reliably lifting and separating a single glass coverslip from a stack of coverslips. In an alternative form the invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting a coverslip onto a slide in a manner which produces a higher percentage of acceptable samples than has been previously achievable.
A machine of the kind in question is described in Applicant's earlier patent application No. PCT/AU95/00035 and the present invention relates to improvements in the lifting and separating apparatus and the laydown apparatus described in the earlier application.
Whilst the laydown apparatus described in the earlier application achieved a relatively high percentage of void free coverslipped slides this result has been achieved at the expense of excess mountant, which is undesirable for obvious reasons. Furthermore, whilst the method and apparatus for picking up coverslips from the top of a stack of coverslips, as described in the earlier application, is generally successful in separating a single coverslip from the stack the number of steps involved in the method and the fact that in some cases the coverslips are bonded together so strongly in the stack that more than one is picked up at a time is deleterious to the machine operation and causes inconvenience to the user.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved coverslip laydown method and apparatus which uses less mountant and which results in a higher percentage of void free coverslipped slides.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for removing a single coverslip from a stack of coverslips.
Thus the invention provides a method of laying a coverslip on a slide including placing the coverslip over the slide with a first end of the coverslip in contact with the slide and the plane of the coverslip at an acute angle to the plane of the slide, moving the coverslip towards the slide whilst maintaining the other end of said coverslip at said angle whereby said coverslip is caused to curve away from said slide as it is progressively brought into contact with the slide, and providing an additional pressure between said coverslip and slide commencing at said first end and moving towards said other end as the coverslip is brought into contact with the slide to progressively squeeze the coverslip against the slide.
Another form of the invention provides apparatus for laying a coverslip on a slide, said apparatus comprising a laydown head adapted for movement towards and away from a slide, holding means on said head for holding a coverslip such that the plane of the coverslip is inclined relative to said axis and a pivotally mounted pressure pad on said head, the location of the holding means and pressure pad being such that when a coverslip is held by the holding means adjacent one end of the coverslip and the head is moved towards a slide, the other end of the coverslip contacts the slide and the plane of the coverslip is at an acute angle to the plane of the slide, further movement of the head towards the slide causing the coverslip to curve away from said slide as it is progressively brought into contact with the slide and said pressure pad providing additional pressure between said coverslip and slide commencing at said other end and moving towards said one end.
A still further form of the invention provides a method of lifting and separating a single coverslip from a stack of coverslips comprising raising the ends of a top coverslip of the stack whilst applying a downward force midway between said ends thereby flexing the coverslip, moving the top coverslip from the stack and momentarily removing and restoring said downward force to provide a flexural pulse to said top coverslip.
A still further form of the invention winch may be preferred provides
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Mayes Curtis
Vision Instruments Ltd.
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