A high-throughput method of analyzing multiple tissue samples for nucleic acid material is presented. The method includes providing FFPE blocks containing tissue samples, a heatmap of locations of interest for each sample-containing FFPE block, and a coring device with a hollow punch tip. The sample-containing FFPE block is punched with the hollow punch tip at a location determined by the heatmap in order to obtain a core sample which is subsequently ejected out of the hollow punch tip to a designated receptacle. The hollow punch tip is sterilized after ejecting the core sample. These steps are repeated as needed to obtain desired number and typed core samples from the sample-containing FFPE blocks. The individual core samples are then treated in the individual designated receptacles with an appropriate reagent to extract nucleic acid material which is subsequently isolated and analyzed.

A high-throughput method of analyzing multiple tissue samples for nucleic acid material is presented. The method includes providing FFPE blocks containing tissue samples, a heatmap of locations of interest for each sample-containing FFPE block, and a coring device with a hollow punch tip. The sample-containing FFPE block is punched with the hollow punch tip at a location determined by the heatmap in order to obtain a core sample which is subsequently ejected out of the hollow punch tip to a designated receptacle. The hollow punch tip is sterilized after ejecting the core sample. These steps are repeated as needed to obtain desired number and typed core samples from the sample-containing FFPE blocks. The individual core samples are then treated in the individual designated receptacles with an appropriate reagent to extract nucleic acid material which is subsequently isolated and analyzed.

It is an object to provide a cover slip sticking device capable of improving matching between types of clearing agents and cover slips. As a means for solving the problem, a cover slip sticking device includes a dipping bath (21) in which slide glasses (22) on which specimens are attached are housed to be dipped in a clearing agent, a holder (11) having a cover slip (10) and cover slip information (14), a mounting part (C) on which the holder is mounted, a sticking part (B) sticking the cover slip (10) taken out from the holder (11) on the slide glass (22), a reading unit (62) reading the cover slip information (14), a storage unit (65) storing a type of the clearing agent and matching information between types of clearing agents and types of cover slips and a determination unit (66) comparing the cover slip information (14) read by the reading unit (62) and the type of the clearing agent stored in the storage unit (65) with the matching information to determine whether the types match with each other or not.

The present disclosure provides methods of preparing a biological specimen for imaging analysis, comprising fixing and clearing the biological specimen and subsequently analyzing the cleared biological specimen using microscopy. Also included are methods of quantifying cells, for example, active populations of cells in response to a stimulant. The present disclosure also provides devices for practicing the described methods. A flow-assisted clearing device provides rapid clearing of hydrogel-embedded biological specimens without the need of specialized equipment such as electrophoresis or perfusion devices.

The present disclosure provides methods of preparing a biological specimen for imaging analysis, comprising fixing and clearing the biological specimen and subsequently analyzing the cleared biological specimen using microscopy. Also included are methods of quantifying cells, for example, active populations of cells in response to a stimulant. The present disclosure also provides devices for practicing the described methods. A flow-assisted clearing device provides rapid clearing of hydrogel-embedded biological specimens without the need of specialized equipment such as electrophoresis or perfusion devices.

A method is disclosed that permits calculation of reagent concentrations (in SI units) over time and space within a tissue sample as the sample is immersed in the reagent and the reagent diffuses into the tissue sample. The disclosed method has yielded the surprising result that once a formaldehyde concentration at all points within a tissue sample exceeds about 90 mM during a cold step of a cold+hot fixation protocol, the hot step of the fixation protocol can be commenced to provide reliable detection of molecular targets and preservation of tissue morphology in downstream analyses.

Method and apparatus are provided for processing a sample on a slide. A capillary processing module has a crank to raise and lower a slide, and/or a side inlet to apply a fluid to the slide. A capillary gap is formed between the slide and a chamber floor of the capillary processing module when the crank has lowered the slide. Capillary action causes the fluid to spread through the capillary space across a processing area and to contact the sample. When the crank raises the slide, the fluid is withdrawn from the processing area of the slide because the capillary gap is eliminated.

A colorimetric sensor array includes a CMOS image sensor having a surface including pixels and a multiplicity of colorimetric sensing elements. Each sensing element has a sensing material disposed directly on one or more of the pixels. The colorimetric sensing elements are distributed randomly on the surface of the CMOS image sensor. Fabricating the colorimetric sensor array includes spraying a sensing fluid in the form of droplets directly on a surface of a CMOS image sensor and removing the solvent from the droplets to yield a multiplicity of sensing elements on the surface of the CMOS image sensor. Each droplet covers one or more pixels of the CMOS image sensor with the sensing fluid. The sensing fluid includes a solvent and a sensing material. The droplets are distributed randomly on the surface of the CMOS image sensor.

A colorimetric sensor array includes a CMOS image sensor having a surface including pixels and a multiplicity of colorimetric sensing elements. Each sensing element has a sensing material disposed directly on one or more of the pixels. The colorimetric sensing elements are distributed randomly on the surface of the CMOS image sensor. Fabricating the colorimetric sensor array includes spraying a sensing fluid in the form of droplets directly on a surface of a CMOS image sensor and removing the solvent from the droplets to yield a multiplicity of sensing elements on the surface of the CMOS image sensor. Each droplet covers one or more pixels of the CMOS image sensor with the sensing fluid. The sensing fluid includes a solvent and a sensing material. The droplets are distributed randomly on the surface of the CMOS image sensor.

A system is capable of detecting substrates and can differentiate between zero, one, or multiple transparent or semi-transparent substrates in a stack. The system can include an optical sensor, an optically anti-reflective element, and a detector. The optical sensor outputs light towards the optically anti-reflective element. The light detector is positioned to detect light from the light source that is reflected by substrates, if any, positioned within a detection zone between the optically anti-reflective element and the detector.