JPS5988084A - Automatic dyeing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prepare a dyed specimen automatically, by smearing a cell specimen on a slide glass sent by a transporting means, spraying a dyeing solution on it by a spraying means. CONSTITUTION:The slide glass 1 on which a cell is smeared is transferred from the magazine 7 to the protrusion of the belt 5, and transported in the arrow direction. The sensor 8 reads the information of the recognition tag 1B on the slide glass 1, and it is outputted to the discrimination circuit 9. The discrimination circuit 9 distinguishes dyeing methods on the smeared cell specimen 1A, and the discrimination signal is outputted to the control means 16. When the slide glass on the belt 5 is reached to right under the first nozzle 10, the control means 16 is outputted to the first - the third solenoid valves 13-15, compressed air is sent from the compressed air chamber 17 to the first nozzle 10, and the first dyeing solution in the first reservoir container 18 is sprayed on the slide glass 1. Similarly, a washing solution from the second nozzle 11 is sprayed, the second dyeing solution from the third nozzle 12, and the cell specimen 1A is dyed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] This invention belongs to the technical field of automatic staining equipment for staining samples (1) for preparing specimens for inspection.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

In recent years, from the standpoint of preventive medicine, mass cancer screenings have become more common. In this medical examination, a cell sample collected from the subject is smeared onto a glass slide, and then, after the smeared cell sample is stained (2), the laboratory technician examines the presence or absence of cancer cells by microscopic observation. In Screening C2, the large number of tests required increases the burden on the laboratory technicians who prepare the specimens, so in order to avoid this, the staining process, which is one of the steps in the preparation of cell specimens, is automated. It is becoming more and more automated by equipment.

By the way, the automatic staining equipment currently in use has two methods for staining cells smeared on a slide glass: ■Cell smearing surface on a glass slide (- A method in which the staining solution flows down is used.

However, in the method (2) above, if several glass slides are repeatedly immersed in the same staining solution, the staining solution becomes contaminated with cell samples.

If a slide glass is immersed in a contaminated staining solution, it will contaminate the smeared cell sample, making it impossible to conduct an accurate test. It is extremely uneconomical to replace the stain. In addition, in the method (2) above, a large amount of dyeing solution (= in short, uneconomical) is required.

Furthermore, when the cell sample (second staining solution) is flowed down on the slide glass, if the downward momentum is large, the cell sample may peel off from the slide glass surface due to the staining solution (second staining solution). (Secondly, it requires work to fix the cell sample to the glass slide surface, which makes the work complicated.

On the other hand, the automatic staining equipment currently in use can perform any of the multimodal staining methods such as the Papanicolaou staining method, the Giemsa staining method, the Wright staining method, or the fluorescent staining method.
It is not possible to choose between the two.

Therefore, when cell samples collected from the same subject are stained according to different staining methods and examined under a microscope, a dedicated staining device for each staining method is required. This not only burdens equipment costs, but also increases installation costs, complicates maintenance, and reduces operating efficiency. Furthermore, mistakes may occur in setting the slide glass in the staining device.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is possible to use a staining solution (without immersing Ni-Ride glass) in a staining solution.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic staining device capable of preparing a stained specimen that can be accurately microscopically performed without causing an accident of detachment of a cell sample from a slide glass surface.

[Summary of the invention]

The outline of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a transport means for transporting a slide glass smeared with a cell sample, and a spraying means for spraying at least a staining solution onto the slide glass transported from the transport means. , a control means for controlling the spraying means, and a cell sample on a slide glass is automatically stained by spraying a staining solution from two spraying means (two spraying means) onto a slide glass transported by the transporting means. That is.

[Embodiments of the invention]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a slide glass smeared with a cell sample, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In Figure 1 (2), 1 is a slide glass, and the center part of the upper surface of the slide glass 1 (2 is a cell sample collected from a subject has been smeared on it, and the slide is An identification tag 1B is attached near the upper end of the lath 1, and a number identifying the subject, a number indicating the staining method, etc. are recorded on the identification tag IBl2, such as a bar code (2).

The automatic staining apparatus includes a transport means, an automatic slide glass supply means, a specimen storage means, a spray means, a control means, a discrimination circuit, and a reading sensor.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance means is a device that horizontally conveys the slide glass shown in FIG. Belt pulleys 3A, 3 rotatably supported by 4B
B and the two belt pulleys 3A, 3B (2. During transportation, the belt 5 is stretched between the two belt pulleys 3A and 3B, and the belt 5 is stretched between The belt pulley 3A is configured to include a drive motor 6 that rotates the belt pulley 3A to rotate at a constant speed in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

The automatic slide glass supply means is a device that automatically (sequentially) supplies the slide glasses 1 shown in FIG. (A slide glass magazine \ that stores a large number of slide glasses 1 is installed, and a receiver passes the slide glasses 1 in the slide glass magazine holder one by one to the concave IB in the belt 5. A receiver (not shown) It is configured with a mechanism.

The spraying means is a device that sprays a liquid such as a cell sample C staining solution or a cleaning solution onto the slide glass 1 being transported by the transporting means. A first nozzle 10, a second nozzle 11, and a third nozzle with orifices arranged at intervals.
Nozzle 12 and the first to third nozzles 10, 11.12
A first storage container 18, a second storage container 19, and a third storage container 20 for storing liquids such as dyeing liquid and cleaning liquid to be supplied to the
, a compressed air chamber 17 that sends compressed air to the first to third nozzles 10, 11.12, and a compressed air chamber 17 that sends compressed air to the first to third nozzles 10, 11.
- selectively to the third nozzle 10, 11.12 (in order to send two compressed air, the compressed air chamber 17 and the first to third nozzle 1
0, 11, 12 (= provided first solenoid valve 14, second solenoid valve 13 and third solenoid valve 1)
5, so that liquid can be sprayed from the first to third nozzles 10, 11, and 12 according to the principle of a spray atomizer (two configurations).

The specimen storage means is a device for receiving and storing the slide glass 1, which is transported by the transport means and smeared with a stained cell sample by the spraying means, and includes, for example, a belt 5.
a specimen storage box 21 disposed near the tip in the transport direction;
The belt 5 includes a transfer mechanism (not shown) for transferring the slide glass 1 transported from the belt 5 to the specimen storage box 21.

The reading sensor 8 reads the identification tag 1B on the slide glass 1.
A sensor that optically reads (: a sensor that is placed, for example, above the conveying surface of the belt 5 and in front of the spraying device, and optically scans the barcode of the identification tag 1B on the slide glass 1. (Secondly, it is configured to output the information possessed by the identification tag 1B as an electrical signal.

The discrimination circuit 9 is configured to input the output from the front ir:' reading sensor 8 and discriminate the staining method of one cell sample on the slide glass 1.

The control means 16 receives a discrimination signal (
Therefore, the control of the spraying means, for example, the opening and closing of the first to third electromagnetic valves 1, 13, and 15, can be controlled in synchronization with the movement of the belt 5.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.

First, the slide glass 1 on which cells have been smeared is transferred to the slide glass automatic supply means (secondary slide glass magazine 7).
The receiver is passed from the belt to the recessed part of the belt 5.

The slide glass 1 with the cell smeared side facing upward is conveyed by the rotating belt 5C2 along the direction of the arrow in FIG. During transportation (2), the reading sensor 8 optically scans the identification tag 1B on the slide glass 1, so that the information in the identification tag 1B is read, and the read information is converted into an electric signal to the discrimination circuit 9. The discrimination circuit 9 inputs the electric signal and outputs the electric signal to the slide glass 1.
The staining method for one cell sample smeared above is determined, and a determination signal is output to the control means 16 (== output).

By the way, the first storage container 18 (the second is the first staining solution, the second
A cleaning liquid is stored in the storage container 19, and a second staining liquid is stored in the third storage container 20.

Therefore, the control means 16 inputs the discrimination signal from the discrimination circuit 9 which discriminates that it is a multicolor staining method, and controls the operation of the spraying means as follows. That is, when the slide glass 1 conveyed by the belt 5 is positioned directly below the first nozzle 10 (two positions), the control means 16 controls the first to second nozzles in synchronization with the movement of the belt 5.
A control signal is output to the third solenoid valve 14°13.15, and the first
Open the magnetic valve 14, and open the second and third rjL magnetic valves 13.15
is closed.

When compressed air is sent from the compressed air chamber 17 to the first nozzle 10C, the first staining solution in the first storage container 18 is sprayed from the first nozzle 10 according to the principle of atomization, and the cell sample on the slide glass 1 is sprayed. It falls on 1A in a ring shape. As a result, one cell sample is coated with the first staining solution (color develops from the second). Next, when the slide glass 1 is conveyed and positioned directly under the second nozzle 11, the control means 16 moves in synchronization with the movement of the belt 5. outputs a control signal to the first to third solenoid valves 14, 13, 15, opens the second solenoid valve 13, and closes the first and third solenoid valves 14, 15. When compressed air is sent to the second nozzle 11, the cleaning liquid in the second storage container 19 is sprayed from the second nozzle 11, and the excess first staining liquid remaining on one cell sample is washed away.Furthermore,
The slide is conveyed with the lath 1 directly under the third nozzle 12 (
When the second position is reached, the control means 16 synchronizes with the movement of the belt 5.
outputs a control signal to the first to third solenoid valves 14, 13, 15, opens the sixth solenoid valve 15, and closes the first and second solenoid valves 14.
゜16 is closed. Third nozzle 12 from compressed air chamber 17
When compressed air is sent into the storage container 20, the second staining solution in the sixth storage container 20 is sprayed from the third nozzle 12 and falls on the cell sample IAlAl (two) on the slide glass 1.As a result, one cell sample is 2 staining solution, and eventually
It will be dyed in two colors using the first and second staining solutions. The slide glass 1 containing one stained cell sample is further conveyed by the belt 5 and stored in the specimen storage box 21 in the specimen storage means. The belt 5C is supplied one after another from the glass magazine 7, and while being conveyed from the belt 5 (second), the first staining liquid is applied to the first dyeing liquid through the first nozzle 18.
The second nozzle 19 sprays the cleaning solution to wash away the excess first staining solution, the third nozzle 20 sprays the second staining solution, and the multicolor (two-stained specimen is automatically created). To be done (two things)

In addition, in FIG. 2, the reference numeral 22 is a suzake holder, which receives the liquid flowing down from the belt 5 and the slide glass 1.
This liquid is drained from the drain pipe 26.

According to the invention described in detail above, a new staining solution is ejected for each cell sample on the slide glass being transported, so the staining is clear and there is no need to worry about contamination of the slide glass.
Since the staining solution is sprayed out in the form of a mist, when the staining solution is cast on the cell sample C (compared to 1), the amount of spraying of the staining solution can be made very small, and it is possible to spray the staining solution evenly on the surface of the cell sample (- As a result, the cell sample can be uniformly stained.Furthermore, since the atomized staining solution falls on each cell sample in a soft manner, there is no possibility that a single cell sample will peel off from the slide glass 1.

As described above, one embodiment of this invention (two embodiments) has been described in detail, but this invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and the wave meter of this invention may be modified and implemented as appropriate (two modifications) within the scope of not changing the wave meter of this invention. Needless to say, it can be done.

For example, in the above embodiment (instead of the spraying means in the second case,
Between the first to third nozzles, the first to third storage containers, and the two pipes that send compressed air from the compressed air chamber to the first to first nozzles (the first to third nozzles controlled by the second control means) Using a spraying means having a solenoid valve (1) to 1 (2), each of the first to (1) storage containers (2) contains a dyeing solution corresponding to each of the various staining methods (1), and then a reading sensor detects the The discrimination circuit discriminates the content of the identification tag on the slide glass that has been read (from the second step, the staining method is determined, and the control means operates the solenoid valve according to the staining method C). It is possible to stain cell samples on glass.

With such a C2 configuration, specimens stained according to any staining method among many types of staining methods can be created using one automatic staining apparatus.

Furthermore, it is possible to reduce equipment costs, save installation space, simplify maintenance work, and improve operating efficiency. Also,
Since the identification tag on the slide glass is read by a reading sensor, unmanned operation is possible. Furthermore, since the identification tag on the slide glass can be read accurately, there is no need to make a mistake in using the specified staining method.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to this invention (2), which has been described in detail above, since a new staining solution is sprayed for each cell sample, clear and uniform staining is possible. 1. It is possible to automatically prepare a large number of specimens that will not be stained. 1. Also, it is possible to spray various types of staining solutions from separate nozzles. !J Construct the control means so that the operation of the fog means can be controlledC2 Therefore, any staining method (=therefore, it is possible to create a stained specimen) among various staining methods including multicolor staining method. According to this invention 42, it is also possible to provide an automatic dyeing apparatus that saves labor and systemizes the dyeing process.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a slide glass coated with a cell sample, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Slide glass, 1A...Cell sample, 1
B...Identification tag, 2...Common stand, 3A, 3B...
・Belt wheel, 4A, 4B... Bearing stand, 5... Belt, 6... Drive motor, 7... Slide glass magazine, 8... Reading assembly, 9... Discrimination circuit, 10. ...first nozzle, 11...second nozzle
Nozzle, 12... Third nozzle, 16... Second solenoid valve, 14... First solenoid valve, 15...
3rd solenoid valve, 16... Control means, 17... Compressed air chamber, 18... First storage container, 19... Second
Storage container, 20...Third storage container, 21...Specimen storage container, 22...Water drop receiving surface, 23...Drain pipe. Agent Patent attorney Kensuke Chika (and 1 other person) (15
) Figure 1 Cause 2

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A transport means for transporting a slide glass smeared with a cell sample, a spray means for spraying at least a staining solution onto the slide glass transported from the transport means (2), and a control means for controlling the spray means; The slide glass is transported by the transport means (2 spray means (2)).
An automatic staining device characterized by spraying a staining solution in two ways (automatically staining a cell sample on a glass slide in two ways). (2) The IIjj transporting means has a plurality of spray nozzles each spraying a different dye solution disposed above the conveying means, and is capable of multicolor dyeing.
Item (= Automatic staining device described. (3) The control means controls whether the slide glass can be stained according to the staining method according to the output of a reading sensor that reads the contents of the given recognition I & vote (= output of a discriminating circuit that determines the staining method accordingly). 2. The automatic dyeing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising controlling the sprinkling means.