Contemplated herein is an automated microscope slide antigen recovery and staining apparatus and method that features a plurality of individually operable miniaturized pressurizable reaction compartments for individually and independently processing a plurality of individual microscope slides. The apparatus preferably features independently movable slide support elements each having an individually heatable heating plate. Each slide support element may support a microscope slide. Each microscope slide can be enclosed within an individual pressurizable reaction compartment. Pressures exceeding 1 atm or below 1 atm can be created and maintained in the reaction compartment prior to, during or after heating of the slide begins. Because of the ability to pressurize and regulate pressure within the reaction compartment, and to individually heat each slide, each slide and a liquid solution or reagent thereon can be heated to temperatures that could not be obtained without the enclosed pressurized environment of the reaction compartment. A reagent dispensing strip having a plurality of reconfigurable reagent modules may also be used.

The present invention relates to a method and a system (400) for filling a closed container (200) with a fixative solution. The system comprises a container (200) comprising a container body (230) for receiving a biological specimen, a lid (220) for selectively closing the container body (230) and a port (100) forming a unidirectional barrier in a direction from the inside (IC) to the outside (OC) of the closed container (200). The system further comprises a dispensing apparatus (500) having a filling nozzle (300) for dispensing the fixative solution. The filling nozzle (300) is relatively moveable with respect to the container (200) between a retracted position and a filling position to fill the container (200) with the fixative solution.

Method and system for processing biological specimens. For example, the method includes loading a plurality of biological specimens on a continuous substrate at a plurality of spaced-apart locations on the continuous substrate, attaching a plurality of wells to the continuous tape substrate corresponding to the plurality of spaced-apart locations where each well surrounds a respective biological specimen on the continuous substrate, performing one or more chemical processes on the respective biological specimen contained in the each well of the plurality of wells, and analyzing results of the one or more chemical processes on the respective biological specimen contained in the each well of the plurality of wells.

A blood cell analysis method and a blood cell analyzer are provided. In the method and analyzer, characteristic information of white blood cell fragments is obtained based on side scattered light information and fluorescence information, characteristic information of platelets is obtained based on forward scattered light information and fluorescence information and then a count value for the platelets is acquired based on the characteristic information of the platelets and the characteristic information of the white blood cell fragments. The present invention can avoid the influence of the white blood cell fragments on the platelet counting, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the platelet counting without increasing costs.

A blood cell analysis method and a blood cell analyzer are provided. In the method and analyzer, characteristic information of white blood cell fragments is obtained based on side scattered light information and fluorescence information, characteristic information of platelets is obtained based on forward scattered light information and fluorescence information and then a count value for the platelets is acquired based on the characteristic information of the platelets and the characteristic information of the white blood cell fragments. The present invention can avoid the influence of the white blood cell fragments on the platelet counting, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the platelet counting without increasing costs.

Provided are systems and methods for analyte detection and analysis. A system can comprise an open substrate configured to rotate. The open substrate can comprise an array of immobilized analytes. A solution comprising a plurality of probes may be directed, via centrifugal force, across the array during rotation of the substrate, to couple at least one of the plurality of probes with at least one of the analytes to form a bound probe. A detector can be configured to detect a signal from the bound probe via continuous rotational area scanning of the substrate.

A histologic tissue sample support device includes a tissue cassette, a frame, and a lid. The tissue cassette has a recess including a body with at least one side wall and a bottom wall and is formed of material that can be successfully sectioned in a microtome and is resistant to degradation from solvents and chemicals used to fix, process and stain tissue. The tissue cassette is movably coupled to the frame by a frame-cassette connector. The lid is coupled to a peripheral portion of the frame by a lid-frame connector. The lid and the tissue cassette are capable of moving from a first position to a second position with respect to the frame, and in the second position the bottom wall and at least a portion of the side wall extend beyond a bottom edge of the frame for sectioning in a microtome.

Assay system including assay apparatus and handheld single use assay devices for ElectroMagnetic Radiation (EMR) examination of a specimen. The assay devices include a housing, a specimen slide for elevation from an initial lowermost specimen introduction position to a final uppermost specimen examination position and a built-in liquid reagent dispensing arrangement for dispensing liquid reagent on the specimen slide. The assay apparatus automatically actuates an assay device and includes an imaging arrangement for obtaining specimen images.

A tissue processing station includes a housing and a first heated plate that is either disposed on or forms a first horizontally oriented surface of the housing. The first heated plate is configured to either (i) contain water, or (ii) receive a dish containing water. The tissue processing station may also include a vertically-oriented heated well for heating slides. A second heated plate is either disposed on or forms an angled surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The angled surface is angled relative to the first horizontally oriented surface. A third heated plate is either disposed on or forms a second horizontally oriented surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The first and second horizontally oriented surfaces are defined at different elevations on the housing. The angled surface extends between the two horizontally oriented surfaces.

A slide processing apparatus controls the temperature and orientation of a microscope slide carrying one or more specimens. The apparatus heats the specimen-bearing microscope slide while the slide is oriented to both facilitate adhesion between the specimens and the slide and control movement of the specimens relative to the microscope slide. A slide dryer of the apparatus conductively heats the specimens using a conductive slide heater that physically engages the microscope slide.