A multi-part acrylic cold curing composition for metallography moulds to produce a metallography mount is described. The composition has a storage stable solid part and a storage stable liquid part. The parts are operable to form a mixture which polymerises to a solid mass upon mixing of the parts together. The solid part comprises polymer powder and initiator and the liquid part comprises acrylic monomer and optionally activator or accelerator. The initiator is present in an amount effective to polymerize the acrylic monomer component upon being mixed with the liquid part. The composition comprises a cyclic ester side group containing monofunctional acrylic monomer. The composition liquid part may contain a mixture of monofunctional monomer(s) and polyfunctional monomer(s), wherein the polyfunctional monomers comprise between 12 and 22% w/w of the total monomers in the uncured composition. Metallography mounts and processes for producing the mounts are also described.

A direct method for manufacturing a large model fractured core and maintaining original oil-water saturation, including the following steps: (1) determining the volume V, porosity , permeability K, oil saturation S.sub.o, water saturation S.sub.w and the like of a fractured core to be manufactured; (2) preparing simulated oil, and determining the used oil mass m.sub.o=V.sub.o.sub.o; (3) under the circumstance of no consideration of oil saturation, acquiring the mass of the used water, cement and quartz sand; (4) while establishing oil saturation, acquiring the mass m.sub.w of water for manufacturing the core as m.sub.w=aV.sub.o.sub.w; (5) mixing oil, water and an emulsifier evenly to prepare an oil-in-water emulsion; (6) adding cement and quartz sand into the emulsion and stirring evenly to obtain cement slurry; (7) when a cement sample is in a semi-solidified state, cutting the cement sample with a steel wire; and (8) solidifying the cement sample to the end.

Paraffin-embedded tissue, which may be disposed on a solid substrate, is prepared by a dry technique that removes paraffin from tissue without adding any liquid to the tissue, thereby rendering the tissue substantially free of paraffin. The dry technique may entail applying heat energy to the tissue effective to melt the paraffin and thereby render it flowable, and applying an electric field. The electric field is effective to impart electrical charge to the paraffin and to move the paraffin out from the tissue due to electrical charge repulsion or attraction, which may be assisted by moving an electrode utilized to generate the electric field relative to the paraffin. The electric field, or both the electric field and the heat energy, may be applied until the tissue is substantially free of paraffin.

Tissue samples embedded in settable, sectionable media such as paraffin can be cut into sections. Embedding one or more sectionable fiducial indicia in the medium permits identification of the plane along which the medium has been cut. However, prior methods of inserting indicia into embedded tissue sample blocks are cumbersome and difficult to perform. Sectionable fiducial indicia can be embedded in a block of medium by releasibly fixing the indicia to the sidewall or base of a mold used to shape the tissue block during embedding of a tissue sample in the medium block.

An apparatus is provided for scanning and decoding barcodes in a tray or other container containing multiple items, such as tissue samples, that are identified with discrete barcodes. The apparatus includes an imager, a lighting system, and a processor. The imager is configured to capture images within a selectable field of view. At least a portion of a bulk sample container, which is configured to carry a plurality of sample/tissue containers, is positioned within the field of view. The lighting system is configured to evenly light the field of view. The processor is configured to receive the captured images from the imager. The processor is further configured to analyze a first image of the captured images and to detect and decode the barcodes present in the first image.

Paraffin-embedded tissue, which may be disposed on a solid substrate, is prepared by a dry technique that removes paraffin from tissue without adding any liquid to the tissue, thereby rendering the tissue substantially free of paraffin. The dry technique may entail applying heat energy to the tissue effective to melt the paraffin and thereby render it flowable, and applying an electric field. The electric field is effective to impart electrical charge to the paraffin and to move the paraffin out from the tissue due to electrical charge repulsion or attraction, which may be assisted by moving an electrode utilized to generate the electric field relative to the paraffin. The electric field, or both the electric field and the heat energy, may be applied until the tissue is substantially free of paraffin.

A method for producing a sample slice includes providing a disk, providing a jig on the disk for supporting side portions of a material, providing the material inside the jig, providing a pillar assembly on the jig, the pillar assembly that includes a first base member having a plurality of through holes, a second base member detachably mounted to said first base member, and a plurality of pillars supported between said first and second base members and arranged to be exposed through the plurality of holes, inserting the plurality of pillars into the material, solidifying the material, separating the jig and the pillar assembly to remove the material from the jig, and cutting a sample slice from the material with a cutter.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for tissue processing and analysis. Tissue chambers are configured to allow single-container chemical processing, imaging, and wax embedding of tissue samples in a single container without manipulation between steps. Tissue chambers with features to support the tissue sample and allow fluid flow between the tissue sample and the tissue chamber surface are disclosed. The features may be index matched to sample structures of interest or dissolvable in clearing solution to allow for in-chamber imaging with minimal distortion. Specialized tissue processing and wax removal apparatuses are also disclosed including for use with tissue chambers having frangible portions to permit ease of wax removal.

There is provided an automated system for preparing tissue samples that comprises one or more microtomes, a hydration system, and a processor, the processor being programmed to initiate facing, by one or more microtomes, of a first tissue block comprising a first tissue sample embedded in an embedding material, and cause the first tissue block to be hydrated by the hydration system for a first predetermined time, and initiate facing, by one or more microtomes, of a second tissue block while the first tissue block is being hydrated, the second tissue block comprising a second tissue sample embedded in an embedding material, and cause the second tissue block to be hydrated by the hydration system for a second predetermined time, and to initiate the one or more microtomes to begin sectioning of the first tissue block while the second tissue block is being hydrated.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for tissue processing and analysis. Tissue chambers are configured to allow single-container chemical processing, imaging, and wax embedding of tissue samples in a single container without manipulation between steps. Tissue chambers with features to support the tissue sample and allow fluid flow between the tissue sample and the tissue chamber surface are disclosed. The features may be index matched to sample structures of interest or dissolvable in clearing solution to allow for in-chamber imaging with minimal distortion. Specialized tissue processing and wax removal apparatuses are also disclosed including for use with tissue chambers having frangible portions to permit ease of wax removal.