Patent ID: 9034278
Filing Date: 2015-05-19
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus to clean a sample for spectroscopic analysis, comprising: a sample fixing station; an incubation station; a washing station; a drying station; an automated stage that advances a slide substrate inserted onto the automated stage, between the sample fixing station, the incubation station, the washing station and the drying station; a dispenser that dispenses a solution comprising an organic solvent that is selected to remove interferant particles from the slide substrate while retaining particles of interest that have been collected onto the slide substrate, where the dispenser is common to the washing station and at least one of the fixing station and the incubation station; wherein: the sample fixing station receives the slide substrate having a sample thereon, wherein the sample fixing station comprises a first surface that is heated to a controlled temperature to fix the sample to a substrate surface of the slide substrate; the incubation station receives the slide substrate after the sample has been fixed at the fixing station, wherein the incubation station holds the sample for a predetermined incubation time; the washing station receives the slide substrate after the sample has been incubated at the incubation station, wherein the dispenser is controlled to dispense the organic solvent onto the sample to wash the sample on the slide; and the drying station receives the slide substrates from the washing station after the slide substrate has been washed, the drying station comprising a second surface that is heated to a controlled temperature to dry the sample by applying heat to the slide substrate for a predetermined drying time that is sufficient to remove any organic solvent dispensed by the dispenser onto the slide substrate, wherein the sample on the slide substrate after processing at the drying station has retained particles of interest and any concentrations of impurities are removed from the sample that would otherwise mask the spectral signature of the retained particles of interest within the sample.