Patent ID: 8329427
Filing Date: 2012-12-11
Classification: C12Q,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A device for allocating identification information to tissue slice supports presented to a technician working on a microtome, the technician manually mounting a thin tissue sample slice onto the tissue slice support, the device comprising: a tissue sample holder having identification information, said tissue sample holder being configured to support a tissue sample disposed in the microtome; a microtome slicing element configured to cut the tissue sample slice from the tissue sample held in said tissue sample holder, said slicing element also configured to cut the slice with a slice thickness which is sufficiently thin as to require manual removal of the cut tissue sample slice from the microtome as well as subsequent stretching of the slice in a water bath, the slice thickness being sufficiently thin to also permit histological examination of the tissue slice in a microscope; a detector configured to read said identification information on said tissue sample holder when said tissue sample holder is disposed in the microtome; a tissue slice support labeling mechanism; an information transfer device cooperating with said detector and configured to transfer at least a portion of said identification information from said detector to said tissue slice support labeling mechanism, said labeling mechanism subsequently disposing said identification information onto at least one tissue slice support; and a tissue slice support dispenser cooperating with said tissue slice support labeling mechanism to dispense the tissue slice support subsequent to labeling thereof, wherein said tissue slice support dispenser is configured to only provide the single tissue slice support having correct, automatically transferred identification information to the technician at a time during which the tissue sample slice is to be manually mounted on the tissue slice support.