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.

Slide analysis a gripper with three sensors for controlling a slide grip sequence and at least one rotatable carousel with a slide receiving channel. The systems also include a robot with a robot arm that holds a slide gripper residing inside the housing in communication with the rotatable carousel. The systems also include a load lock chamber and a door sealably coupled to the second end portion and an acquisition vacuum chamber with an X-Y stage and a slide holder with a vacuum seal.

Control processes for a slide-scanning system comprising a carousel with a plurality of rack slots configured to receive slide racks via an exposed portion of the scanning system. In an embodiment, initializing the scanning system comprises automatically homing back-end and front-end components, wherein the front-end components comprise the carousel. An inventory of all slide racks in the carousel is automatically generated. If any slide rack was being processed by any back-end components, the slide rack is automatically unloaded into a corresponding rack slot. In addition, the carousel is automatically positioned to expose a starting subset of the rack slots within the exposed portion. This starting subset may comprise a maximum segment of adjacent empty rack slots.

A chemical analyzer includes a slide transport mechanism having a slide track adapted to hold a plurality of reagent test slides, a sample metering device, an incubator formed as a part of the slide transport mechanism to precisely maintain the temperature of the reagent test slides, a slide ejector mechanism to remove the slides from the slide transport mechanism, a sample preparation station, which includes a centrifuge, and associated electronics and software. The slide transport mechanism holds a plurality of trapezoidally-shaped reagent test slides about its circumference, which slides are loaded onto the transport mechanism by the slide inserter mechanism. The slide transport mechanism positions the reagent test slides under the sample metering device, which device deposits a predetermined volume of sample onto each slide. The slide transport mechanism also carries the slides above a reflectometer. After testing has been completed, the slide ejector mechanism automatically removes the reagent test slides from the slide transport mechanism.

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.

An image acquisition device includes a cassette mounting unit in which a cassette is detachably mounted, the cassette holding the slide glasses in a plurality of stages in a predetermined arrangement direction, a light source that emits inspection light toward the cassette, a scanning unit that performs scanning with the inspection light in the arrangement direction, a light reflection unit that is disposed on the back surface side of the cassette and reflects the inspection light emitted from the light source, a light detection unit that detects reflected light including the inspection light reflected by at least one of the light reflection unit, the cassette, and the slide glass, and outputs a detection signal, and an information generation unit that generates holding information on a holding position and/or a holding state of the slide glass held in the cassette on the basis of the detection signal.

An integrated constant-temperature fully-automatic cell smear preparation device includes a rotary settling disc, where the rotary settling disc includes a settling disc base and a turntable body connected to a settling disc body through a fixed shaft; a glass slide addition mechanism arranged adjacent to a glass slide inlet position of the rotary settling disc; a cleaning and sample addition integrated device, where the cleaning and sample addition integrated device is arranged on a side of the rotary settling disc, the cleaning and sample addition integrated device includes a cleaning assembly and a sample addition assembly, and the cleaning assembly and the sample addition assembly add fluid to one or more different settling cups simultaneously as the turntable body rotates intermittently; and a glass slide discharging mechanism arranged adjacent to a glass slide outlet position of the rotary settling disc.

A full-automatic preparation method of a cast-off cell smear includes the following steps: S1: pretreatment of a cast-off cell: automatically pretreating the cast-off cell to be prepared to remove interfering substances; S2: automatically transferring a pretreated cast-off cell to a cyclic settling module to allow constant-temperature settling, and staining and moisturizing the pretreated cast-off cell; and S3: subjecting a moisturized cast-off cell to automatic liquid sealing. The full-automatic preparation method of the cast-off cell smear realizes the automation of smear preparation, staining, and sealing, and also realizes the unattended high-throughput output and the high-quality smear preparation and sealing.

A sample support apparatus (150) for use in a spectrometer (285), comprises an elongate support (110) comprising a plurality of receiving portions (112) each configured to receive a respective internal reflection element (IRE) or IRE slide (135), the elongate support having a sample side and a beam side opposite the sample side; and a plurality of IREs or IRE slides (135), each IRE or IRE slide provided at a respective receiving portion (112) of the elongate support (110), wherein each IRE or IRE slide (135) has at least one sample-receiving portion provided on a sample side thereof, and at least one beam-receiving portion provided on a beam side thereof. The sample support apparatus (150) has a stowed configuration, and a deployed configuration configured to allow application of a sample (276) on one or more of the plurality of IREs or IRE slides (135).

Slide analysis a gripper with three sensors for controlling a slide grip sequence and at least one rotatable carousel with a slide receiving channel. The systems also include a robot with a robot arm that holds a slide gripper residing inside the housing in communication with the rotatable carousel. The systems also include a load lock chamber and a door sealably coupled to the second end portion and an acquisition vacuum chamber with an X-Y stage and a slide holder with a vacuum seal.