Patent ID: 9335334
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: B05C,B05D,B60T,G01N,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method for automated preparation of a slide using a smear cartridge of a smearing subsystem, said method comprising the steps of: moving a slide towards a smear surface of a smearing tape of the smear cartridge, wherein the smear surface is included on a blade of a perforation of the smearing tape, and wherein the smearing tape is initially wound within an input reel and coupled to a take-up reel of the smear cartridge; contacting the slide with an exposed smear surface of the smearing tape, wherein the smear surface is exposed when the position of the blade of the perforation is extended by a deflection component of the smear cartridge as the smearing tape is drawn from the input reel and into the take-up reel; and transporting the slide across the exposed smear surface.