Cover slipping unit; iSaCS

For technicians and partly for sales managers!

 

 

The cover slipping unit mounts the cover slip onto the slide.

 

 

 

 

 

                   Components of the unit

 

 

Cover slipping unit consists of

 

·       Cover slip applicator

·       Mounting medium holder with vial

·       Cover slip store

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover slip applicator consists of

 

·       Local electronics

·       Y-direction movement rail with spindle

 

·       Cover slipping head with

·     Z-movement motor with rail and spindle

·     Air compressor with silencer

·     Pipette tip holder

·     Suction cup

·     Magnet valve

·     Level sensor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holder unit consists of

 

·       Mounting medium holder with vial

·       Pipette tip storage

·       Pipette tip remover

·       Cover slip slope

·       Cover slip separator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operation principle

 

The cover slipping head travels along the Y-direction on the spindle. The cover slipping lift block moves in Z-direction up and down according to the desired action.

The spindle and the head are moved by a stepper motor.

 

 

 

 

C_S_Head_statical_part.pngCover slipping

 

1.    After previous operations are finished (staining, washing, rinsing and air wiping), the slide is ready for cover slipping.

2.    To do this, the transporter moves the slide from its actual position (slide rack or from the wiper) to the manipulation bay 13; the cover slipping position.

3.    The cover slipping head is moved over the pipette tip storage so the pipette tip holder is right above the pipette tip.

4.    The cover slipping head is moved downwards and presses so the pipette tip onto the tip acceptor.

5.    The attached tip is taken out of the tip storage and moved above the mounting medium vial.

6.    The cover slipping head is moved downwards so the pipette tip is dipped in to the mounting medium; the deepness is defined by the known medium quantity for the procedure.

7.    The appropriate amount of mounting medium is sucked up into the pipette tip.

8.    Now, the cover slipping head is moved over the slide with the filled pipette tip.

9.    The mounting medium is applied onto the surface of the slide. As the cover slipping head moves longitudinal over the slide, the mounting medium is spread in the middle of the slide’s surface. The pipette tip will be emptied fully.

10. Now the cover slipping head is moved by software to the pipette tip’s storage.

11. After the head is moved downwards and a bit sideward, the pipette tip’s remover acts and removes the pipette tip from its acceptor.

12. Now, the cover slip w be mounted

13. The suction cup of the cover slipping head is moved above the cover slip pile in the cover slip holder.

14. The cover slips are manually pre-loaded into the cover slip storage.

15. The head is moved downwards until the suction cup touches the top cover slip in the pile.

16. The compressor is started and creates a vacuum in the suction cup, so the cover slip is hold by the suction cup.

17. The suction cup is moved upwards until the cover slip touches the cover slip separator. During the upward movement of the cover slip, the cover slip separator is slightly touched. As the cover slip is very thin, the cover slip is a bit bent on the cover slip separator. If there was taken two cover slips, the second cover slip is bent less, a space is created between both cover slips and the second cover slip can fall back to the storage place.

18. If the suction cup with the cover slip arrived over the slide, the cover slip is placed on the slide surface and is slightly pushed mechanically onto the slide; the mounting medium is evenly spreading.

19. After the mounting medium is spread evenly, the compressor pumps air into the suction cup and this releases so the cover slip. The head is moved to its home position and waits here for the next cover slipping action.