A slide storage, retrieval, transfer and scanning system for a slide scanner presents multiple components which work together in an automated fashion to streamline slide scanning in digital pathology. A slide storage assembly stores several slide baskets and can deliver a particular basket through a rotation mechanism. A slide basket transfer assembly retrieves the basket from the slide storage assembly and transfers the basket to a secondary location, where a slide transfer assembly retrieves a single slide from the basket and delivers the slide to a slide scanning stage for scanning.

A digital slide scanning apparatus slide rack carousel allows continuous loading and unloading of slide racks into the carousel while the digital slide scanning apparatus is simultaneously digitizing glass slides. The slide rack carousel includes a base having an interior portion of its upper surface at an angle. The slide rack carousel also includes plural rack spacers extending upward from the base and adjacent rack spacers define a rack slot. Each rack spacer also includes a rack stopper on each side such that adjacent rack spacers have rack stoppers facing each other. The rack stoppers prevent a slide rack from moving further toward the center of the carousel than desired.

A scanning stage with opposing edges to secure a slide during scanning and guide the slide during unloading. In an embodiment, the system includes a reference edge with a surface facing a first edge of the slide and an opposing edge with a surface facing a second edge of the slide. The opposing edge is controlled by a processor to engage the second edge of the slide and press the first edge of the slide against the reference edge surface. The opposing edge surface is parallel to a side of a slide rack slot into which the slide will be inserted during unloading. The system also includes an assembly having a pull bar configured to pull the glass slide from the scanning stage into the slide rack slot while the first edge of the slide is simultaneously being pressed against the reference edge surface by the opposing edge surface.

A slide rack carousel is provided that includes a base that is configured to support a plurality of slide rack spacers that extend upward from an upper surface of the base. Adjacent slide rack spacers define a slide rack slot of a predetermined size. The plurality of slide rack spacers may include slide rack spacers of varying sizes and therefore a plurality slide rack slot sizes can be selectively configured on the carousel in accordance with the positioning and size of the plurality of slide rack spacers that are attached to the base of the carousel. Accordingly, a desired number of 13 slide rack slots and a desired number of 23 slide rack slots can be configured on the base of the slide rack carousel.

A handling device for samples and reagents to be used in testing in a system. Carriers of samples and reagents are loaded on a platform which detects the presence of, and proper loading of, such carriers. The carriers are moved from the platform by a transporter to a bar code reader for identification. A reagent container is rotated during reading to facilitate identification. The transporter further moves identified reagent carriers to a carousel on which the carriers automatically secured for storage awaiting use in testing. The carousel rotates, and selected reagent containers rotate on the rotating carousel, during storage.

An instrument for processing sample carrier cards is described. Each sample carrier card contains impregnated sample material, e.g. blood. The instrument includes actuators capable of doing actions related to the sample carrier cards when the sample carrier cards are located on operating areas of the actuators. The actions may include e.g. optical imaging, cutting off sample pieces from a sample carrier card, and reading machine-readable information from a sample carrier card. The instrument includes a rotatably supported carousel element for carrying the sample carrier cards so that separate ones of the sample carrier cards are on separate ones of the operating areas and the sample carrier cards are movable between the operating areas by rotating the carousel element. Thus, the actions can be carried out in parallel and therefore the sample carrier cards can be processed in a pipelined manner enabling a higher processing rate.

A method of making an article includes coating an article formed using an additive manufacturing process technique, such as with laser sintering or a powder bed fusion technique. Pressure is thereafter applied to the coating and one or more surface-connected pores defined within the article are closed with the pressure. The coating is thereafter removed from the article.

A slide storage, retrieval, transfer and scanning system for a slide scanner presents multiple components which work together in an automated fashion to streamline slide scanning in digital pathology. A slide storage assembly stores several slide baskets and can deliver a particular basket through a rotation mechanism. A slide basket transfer assembly retrieves the basket from the slide storage assembly and transfers the basket to a secondary location, where a slide transfer assembly retrieves a single slide from the basket and delivers the slide to a slide scanning stage for scanning.

A molecular diagnostic device and a detection card conveying seat for the same. The detection card conveying seat includes: a pressure plate, arranged with a first slide rail component, where the pressure plate is slidable along a sliding direction of the first slide rail component; and a transporting assembly, configured to place a detection card. The transporting assembly includes: a sliding frame, where the sliding frame is slidable together with the pressure plate along the sliding direction under an action of an abutting force; and a card tray, connected to the sliding frame and configured to place the detection card, where the pressure plate is configured to move toward the detection card and movable to a position abutting against the detection card, in condition of the sliding frame being subjected to a force that overcomes the abutting force.

Systems and techniques for an optical scanning microscope and/or other appropriate imaging system includes components for scanning and collecting focused images of a tissue sample and/or other object disposed on a slide. The focusing system described herein provides for determining best focus for each snapshot as a snapshot is captured, which may be referred to as on-the-fly focusing. The devices and techniques provided herein lead to significant reductions in the time required for forming a digital image of an area in a pathology slide and provide for the creation of high quality digital images of a specimen at high throughput.