Disclosed is a specimen smearing apparatus including: a slide supplying section configured to supply a glass slide yet to be processed; a first processing section configured to perform a first process on the glass slide, the first processing section being disposed in a first direction with respect to the slide supplying section, the first direction being a far direction of an apparatus body of the specimen smearing apparatus; a second processing section configured to perform on the glass slide a second process which is different from the first process, the second processing section being disposed in a second direction with respect to the first processing section, the second direction being a left-right direction of the apparatus body and orthogonal to the first direction; and a first drying processing section disposed in a third direction with respect to the second processing section, the third direction being a near direction of the apparatus body and opposite to the first direction, the first drying processing section configured to dry a specimen on the glass slide on which the first process and the second process have been performed, wherein one of the first processing section and the second processing section is configured to perform a smearing process for smearing a specimen on the glass slide.

Biological sample processing system comprising an imaging unit (2) comprising a digital image processing system and at least one microscope including at least one lens (14), a sample processing station (3) comprising a handling platform (3) including a support (17) and a displacement mechanism for moving the support (17), and a sample processing unit (7) mounted on the handling platform (5). The sample processing unit (7) comprises a tissue slide holder (11) for mounting thereon a tissue slide (34) with a biological sample (36) fixed thereon and a microfluidic cartridge holder (9) for mounting a microfluidic cartridge (4) thereon. The tissue slide holder (11) is coupled to the microfluidic cartridge holder (9) via a coupling (13) allowing the microfluidic cartridge and the tissue support to be mounted and removed from the sample processing unit in an opened position, and in a closed position for the tissue support (34) to be in sealing contact with the microfluidic cartridge (4). The sample processing station comprises a plurality of said sample processing units mounted on the handling platform (5) and moveable from a position allowing mounting of the tissue slide, respectively microfluidic cartridge, or removal thereof, to a position in which the viewing window in the microfluidic cartridge holder (9) is positioned in alignment with the lens of said at least one microscope.

A stuck slide determination system is provided that determines if a slide (e.g., glass slide), positioned on a scanning stage at the start of the scanning process, gets stuck and does not move along with the scanning stage after the scanning process commences. In an embodiment, the system includes a sensor having a transmitter and receiver that are relatively positioned to detect the presence of the stage or a slide or the absence of the stage or a slide. When the scanning stage begins to move at the start of the scanning process, a processor monitors a signal from the sensor and determines if the slide is improperly positioned after the scanning process has commenced. If the slide is improperly positioned, the processor stops movement of the scanning stage in order to protect the slide from damage.

Systems and methods for the positioning and imaging of sample slides are provided, such as in a microscope. A positioning system comprises a cassette. The sample is provided on the cassette. The cassette may be placed in and movable within a cut-out portion of a pusher component. The pusher component is disposed above a stage. When the cassette is placed in the cut-out portion of the pusher component, a bottom surface of the cassette interfaces with a top surface of the stage. An actuator coupled to the pusher component can cause movement of the pusher component and the cassette for imaging different portions of the sample. A processing unit can send one or more signals to control actuation provided to the actuator to move the pusher component.

A pathological specimen preparation device includes a stage portion including a stage, a reagent supply portion 150 capable of supplying a reagent to a substrate W mounted on the stage, a washing portion capable of supplying a washing solution to the substrate, an electric field stirring portion capable of stirring the reagent or the washing solution supplied to the substrate by applying an electric field to the reagent or the washing solution, and a control unit, wherein the washing portion, the reagent supply portion, and the electric field stirring portion are sequentially disposed in a Y direction as a first direction, and the device includes a stage transport mechanism that moves the stage in the Y direction, and a stage tilting mechanism that tilts the stage in an X direction as a second direction crossing the Y direction when the stage is positioned in the washing portion.

A fixed reference edge system that guides a glass slide from a slot of a slide rack onto a scanning stage and guides the glass slide from the scanning stage into the slot of the slide rack. In an embodiment, the fixed reference edge has a first side that is parallel to a side of the slot of the slide rack. The system comprises an assembly that includes a push bar configured to push the slide from the slot onto the scanning stage, and a pull bar configured to pull the slide from the scanning stage into the slot of the slide rack. When the slide is pulled into the slide rack, the long edge of the slide is pressed against the first side of the fixed reference edge to maintain a parallel orientation between the slide and the slot of the slide rack.

Disclosed are methods and systems for implementing an automated air quality analysis system. The system includes: a sealed enclosure, a filter sample analysis system disposed within the sealed enclosure, and a controller operably coupled with the filter sample analysis system. The filter sample analysis system includes: an automated filter management system with filter samples and an articulating robotic arm which selects the filter sample for analysis, a filter weighing apparatus for weighting of the filter sample, and a primary chemical analysis apparatus for performing electromagnetic energy spectroscopy measurement on the filter sample. The controller operates the automated filter management system to transport the filter sample to the filter weighing apparatus and the primary chemical analysis apparatus, obtains data from the filter sample analysis system, and determines the type and amount of accumulated mass in the sample based on the weight and the spectroscopy measurement result.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for tracking and printing within a histology system. In some embodiments, a system is provided that includes an information reader configured to read identifying data associated with a tissue block, a microtome configured to cut one or more tissue sections from the tissue block, one or more slides for receiving the one or more tissue sections, and a printer configured to receive the identifying data and print, after the one or more tissue sections are cut from the tissue block, one or more labels for the one or more slides, the one or more labels comprising information associating the one more tissue sections on the one or more slides with the tissue block.

An apparatus including a first and a second imaging module; a storage module; an automated transport module operable to transport at least one slide; and a controller operable to direct transport of the at least one slide by the transport module into the first imaging module and into the second imaging module. A method and a machine-readable medium including program instructions to cause a controller to perform a method including transporting at least one slide to a first imaging module using an automated transport module; capturing by the first imaging module of an image of a specimen on the at least one slide; transporting the at least one slide to a storage module using the automated transport module; and transporting the at least one slide to a second imaging module in response to a request for capturing an image in addition to the image captured by the first imaging module.

A coverslipping machine (1) is embodied to be connected to an electrical power grid in order to be supplied with electrical energy as an electrical load; and removes specimen slides (4), having samples present thereon, from a specimen slide magazine (5) and respectively carries out a coverslipping process in which a mounting medium (7) and then a coverslip (8) are applied onto each specimen slide (4); and deposits the coverslipped specimen slides (4) in the specimen slide magazine (5) or in a further specimen slide magazine (55). The coverslipping machine (1) has an electrical energy reservoir (12) and an electronic control apparatus (13). The electronic control apparatus (13) detects disruptions in the supply of electrical energy from the power grid and, in the event of a disruption, switches over to a withdrawal of electrical energy from the electrical energy reservoir (12), and carries out a safety routine that includes at least the safety steps of completing the coverslipping of specimen slides (4) already equipped with the mounting medium (7), and then depositing them in the specimen slide magazine (5) or in the further specimen slide magazine (55).