JPH0545549U - Biological tissue processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A sample attached to a slide glass can be treated with a very small amount of reagent, and stable treatment can be performed under appropriate conditions. [Structure] While holding a slide glass 15 to which a sample 16 is attached, a void chamber 21 which is an extremely thin space is formed on the sample attachment surface side of the slide glass 15, and reagent injection into the void chamber 21 is performed. A slide glass holder 10 provided with an inlet 11 and a reagent discharge port 13 is installed, and various reagent proper amounts are selectively and automatically selected by a reagent supply pump, a switching valve, and a reagent storage means, and the gap of the slide glass holder 10 is automatically set. The chamber 21 can be supplied. Then, the used reagent is automatically discharged from the reagent outlet 13
Is discharged from the outside. As a result, with a small amount of reagent,
It is possible to treat with an appropriate reagent according to the reaction conditions.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a biological tissue processing apparatus, and more particularly to a biological tissue processing apparatus for treating a sample attached to a slide glass with a reagent to prepare a preparation specimen.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Conventionally, when preparing various preparation specimens such as tissue slices of animals and plants or specimens of fungi, the specimen is attached to a slide glass, and many treatments such as dehydration and staining are performed on the attached specimen. It is carried out.

Usually, these treatments are performed by arranging about 20 slide glasses in a state of standing in a metal cage and immersing the cage in a glass water tank containing various reagents. To do. Then, when the treatment for one reagent is completed, a series of treatments such as moving the cage to a water tank containing the next reagent is performed. Then, a preparation specimen for a desired sample is prepared by such treatments with various reagents.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 When performing reagent treatment using the above-mentioned conventional processing device, that is, a metal cage that holds a plurality of slide glasses in an upright state, the water tank is used as described above, and the slide glasses are placed in the water tank. The basket is soaked. Therefore, sufficient reagent must be stored in the aquarium to allow all slides to be immersed in the reagent.

However, in the case of performing immunostaining or ISH (in situ hybridization), the reagents used for the treatment are very expensive, and in order to adapt to the economical conditions of the treatment, the reagent in the smallest amount possible. Need to be processed by.

[0006] Some reagents require extremely accurate temperature conditions or need to continuously supply new reagents. Therefore, in the case of such a reagent, there has been a problem that a means capable of immersing a tissue section or the like attached to a slide glass in a treatment with the smallest possible amount of the reagent is required.

Furthermore, it is necessary to perform the setting work of the holder in the water tank for each reagent, and there is a problem that the work is troublesome when processing a plurality of reagents.

Object of the Invention The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to allow a sample to be sufficiently immersed in a small amount of a reagent and to easily replace the reagent. An object of the present invention is to provide a biological tissue processing apparatus capable of processing.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the biological tissue processing apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a slide glass holding portion that detachably holds a slide glass on which a sample is attached, and a sample attachment surface side of the held slide glass. A slide glass holder having a cavity formed at a height including at least the adhered sample, and a reagent inlet and a reagent outlet for inflowing and outflowing a reagent into and from the cavity, A reagent supply pump having a supply amount adjustable which is communicated with a reagent injection port of the slide glass holder, and one or one or a plurality of types of the reagent supply pump which is communicated with the reagent supply pump and is supplied to the slide glass holder by the pump. And a storage unit that stores the reagents individually.

[0010]

[Action]

 According to the biological tissue processing apparatus having the above configuration, the reagent can be supplied from the storage means to the slide glass holder by operating the reagent supply pump. The supply of this reagent is performed from the reagent injection port of the slide glass holder and diffuses into the internal void chamber. The void chamber has a very small height, that is, an extremely thin space, and by allowing a small amount of reagent to flow into the reagent inlet, the reagent sufficiently diffuses into the void chamber by capillary action.

When the reagent is additionally injected by the reagent supply pump, the reagent is automatically discharged from the reagent discharge port of the slide glass holder.

Further, a switching valve is arranged in a communication path between the storage means for individually storing one or a plurality of types of reagents and the reagent supply pump, and various reagents can be selectively selected by switching the valve. Can be pumped out.

Therefore, it is possible to fill the void chamber of the slide glass holder with a small amount of reagent, and thereby it is possible to completely immerse the sample attached to the slide glass in the reagent. Further, by performing this operation while controlling the supply amount of the pump, that is, by freely adjusting the flow rate of the reagent to be supplied, it is possible to supply the reagent in accordance with the reaction conditions.

[0014]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a reagent injection port 11 described later provided in a slide glass holder 10 is connected via a tube 12 to a reagent injection port 11. A reagent supply pump 20 is provided. Further, the reagent supply pump 20 is connected to three reagent storage means 40a, 40b and 40c via a switching valve 30. Each storage means 40 stores different types of reagents, and the switching valve 30 switches the communication state between the reagent supply pump 20 and each storage means 40a to 40c.

Further, the reagent supply pump 20 and the switching valve 30 are respectively connected to a control means 42, and an instruction from an operator from the control means 42 or a program for supplying the reagent of the reagent supply pump 20 is determined by a program. Reagents are selected by adjustment and valve switching.

A waste liquid receiver 50 is connected via a tube 14 to a later-described reagent discharge port 13 provided in the slide glass holder 10. That is, the used reagent discharged from the reagent discharge port 13 passes through the tube 14 and is collected in the waste liquid receiver 50.

Next, a specific configuration of the slide glass holder 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the slide glass holder 10 used in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the slide glass holder 10 of FIG. In the figure, a slide glass 15 has a sample 16 which is a biological tissue attached to the slide glass 15 at approximately the center thereof. The slide glass 15 is set and held on the holding plate 17. That is, an opening 17a for fitting the slide glass 15 is formed in the center of the holding plate 17, and the slide glass 15 is fitted and installed in the opening 17a.

Further, a holding plate 18 is installed outside the upper part of the holding plate 17. The holding plate 18 functions as a frame for holding the holding plate 17 from above. However, like the holding plate 17, this material is one such as fluorine resin or glass that is less likely to cause impurities due to reagents. Is used. Further, when the holding plate 18 is made of a non-transparent material, an opening window 18a for looking inside is formed as shown in the figure.

Next, a spacer 19 is installed on the lower side of the slide glass 15, that is, on the attachment surface side of the sample 16. The spacer 19 is made of, for example, a fluororesin, and an opening 19a is formed in the central portion thereof in a range including the sample 16. The spacer 19 is formed to have an extremely thin thickness of about 0.1 mm, and is intended to form an extremely thin void chamber 21 containing the sample 16 by the opening 19a. Further, a lower frame plate 22 is installed outside the lower portion of the spacer 19. The lower frame plate 22 is formed with communication holes 22a and 22b which communicate with the reagent inlet 11 and the reagent outlet 13, respectively. These communication holes 22a and 22b are formed at positions facing both sides of the opening 19a of the spacer 19. That is, the reagent can be injected from the reagent injection port 11 into the void chamber 21 through the communication port 22a, and the reagent can flow out from the cavity chamber 21 to the reagent discharge port 13 through the communication port 22b. It is possible.

Then, the connection of the above-mentioned members is performed by tightening the pressing plate 18 and the lower frame plate 22 from both sides with tightening means (not shown) in a state where the above-mentioned members are stacked. It keeps its bound state in. Then, after the processing is completed, the fastening means is removed, and the slide glass 15 can be taken out by releasing the connected state of each member.

As described above, according to the slide glass holder 10, it is possible to form the void chamber 21 which is a space having an extremely thin thickness on the attachment surface side of the sample 16 while holding the slide glass 15. By sending an extremely small amount of reagent from the reagent injection port 11 side, the void space 21 is rapidly filled with the reagent due to the capillary phenomenon. Therefore, the sample can be surely immersed in the reagent with an extremely small amount of the reagent, and the treatment can be performed extremely economically even when an expensive reagent is used.

According to the above embodiment, the control means 42 controls the pumping operation of the pump, so that the reagent can be supplied in accordance with the reaction condition between the sample and the reagent, for example, the condition that the temperature is kept constant. Instead, it is also possible to carry out the reaction for a long time with a small amount of reagent by stopping the liquid feeding by the pump.

Further, by continuously operating the reagent supply pump 20, it is possible to constantly supply a new reagent, and it is possible to perform a good treatment without fatigue of the reagent. Furthermore, by continuously supplying the cleaning liquid, the flow channel can be cleaned. Further, since the reagent is supplied by the reagent supply pump 20, the flow of the reagent can be adjusted without depending on the type of the liquid, so that the organic solvent can be used.

In the above-described embodiment, when forming the void chamber 21, the spacer 19 having the opening 19 a is sandwiched between the lower frame plate 22 and the slide glass 15. The formation is not limited to such a configuration. For example, it is possible to form a groove in at least a portion of the lower frame plate 22 facing the reagent 16 and form the void chamber 21 by the space of the groove. Is.

[0027]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the biological tissue processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to process a sample with a very small amount of reagent due to the extremely narrow void chamber of the slide glass holder, and it is possible to use the reagent economically. It is possible to do.

In addition, the reagent supply can be performed under appropriate and stable reaction conditions depending on the reagent, because the reagent supply pump can adjust the supply amount and select the reagent type. It is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a slide glass holder used in an example.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the slide glass holder shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Slide Glass Holder 11 Reagent Inlet 13 Reagent Outlet 15 Slide Glass 16 Sample 17 Holding Plate 17a, 19a Opening 18 Holding Plate 18a Opening Window 19 Spacer 20 Reagent Supply Pump 21 Void Chamber 22 Lower Frame Plate 22a, 22b Communication Hole

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A slide glass holding portion that detachably holds a slide glass having a sample attached thereto, and a height at which the sample holding surface side of the held slide glass includes at least the attached sample. A slide glass holder having a void chamber and a reagent inlet and a reagent outlet for inflowing and outflowing a reagent into and from the void chamber, and a supply amount adjustable in communication with the reagent inlet of the slide glass holder Biological reagent supply pump, and a storage unit that is connected to the reagent supply pump and stores separately one or a plurality of types of reagents supplied to the slide glass holder by the pump Processing equipment.