Abstract:
A core sampling device includes a core sampling punch, a core excision punch that makes a recess in a receiver body, and an ejector that expels a sample core into the receiver body. The core excision punch is mounted inside the core sampling punch and is substantially coaxial with the core sampling punch. Both punches are able to move in translation and/or rotation with respect to one another, and the ejector is arranged so as to expel cores from each punch.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The technical scope of the present invention is that of techniques to produce tissue arrays. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The tissue array is a technique to mount sections of biological tissues onto microscope slides for their future visual or electronic analysis. The tissue array technique enables a large number of tissue sections to be mounted onto the same slide contrary to the technique traditionally practiced in pathology laboratories where only one to three sections may be mounted together. 
     The tissue array techniques consist in taking one or several cores from several dozen, or even several hundred, different blocks containing tissue samples either embedded in paraffin or frozen. All the cores are then assembled in a paraffin block or in a frozen inclusion milieu in which recesses have been made. 
     The tissue array technique is well known and requires no further description here. 
     Reference may be made, for example, to patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,518 which describes a core sampling device. The embodiment proposed is complicated and based on an arm that is pivoted to successively bring into a working position two sampling punches. The rotation of one punch to the other requires the perfect alignment of the two punches above the core sampling position. Moreover, the position of the donor block support platform must be modified at every operation thereby making the use of such a device both slow and cumbersome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is to supply a core sampling device that is of simple design, easy to implement by the user and which overcomes the above drawbacks. 
     The invention thus relates to a core sampling device intended to assemble tissue arrays of the type incorporating a core excision punch intended to make recesses in one or several so-called receiver blocks, a core sampling punch and means to expel the sample cores into one or several paraffin receiver blocks or into any frozen milieu or not, characterized by the fact that the core excision punch is mounted substantially coaxially in the core sampling punch, the sampling punch being in the external position, both punches being able to move in translation and/or rotation with respect to one another, and the ejection means being arranged so as to expel the cores from each punch. 
     According to one characteristic of the invention, the ejection means are positioned in the sampling punch. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the ejection means are in the form of a rod. 
     According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the external diameter of the rod is close to the internal diameter of the sampling punch. 
     According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the punches and ejection means are able to move in translation and in rotation independently of one another. 
     According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the internal diameter of the external diameter of the core extracted from the donor block. 
     According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the sampling punch has an internal diameter that substantially corresponds to the external diameter of the core extracted from the receiver block. 
     According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the punches have a sharp edge intended to facilitate their penetration into the paraffin or the frozen block as well as to facilitate the extraction of the cores. 
     According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises an optical system and a first software interface enabling the core extraction positions to be parametered on a donor block, a second software interface to parameter the core positions on the receiver block or blocks, and a positive identification system for the donor and receiver blocks. 
     A first advantage of the device according to the invention lies in the fact that it enables the pathologists to study a large number of patients simultaneously with a restricted budget and within a limited lapse of time. This thus enables a great acceleration in the progress of research knowledge into new prognostic and diagnostic methodologies, and thus into new treatments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics, particulars and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description given hereafter by way of illustration and in reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of the device according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  shows an example embodiment of the block support platform, and 
         FIG. 3  shows an example embodiment of a core extraction system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows a core extraction device  1  mounted on a support  2  itself integral with a frame  3  fixed onto a support plate  4  intended to support all the elements required for the operation of the device, such as a hydraulic or electrical power unit required to control the different elements, as will be explained hereafter. It classically incorporates a core extraction punch  6  and a core sampling punch  5 . 
     According to the invention, these two punches  5  and  6  are arranged aligned along the same longitudinal axis and defining an inner punch and an outer punch. For the rest of the description, the terms external punch  5  and internal punch  6  will be used. The support  2  receives the external punch  5 , the internal punch  6  and an ejector  7 . These three parts are mounted aligned along the same axis and able to slide with respect to one another. Punches  5  and  6  are in the form of two tubes, internal punch  6  being inserted in external punch  5 . These two punches slide forwards and backwards independently of one another. The ejector  7  is in the form of a solid cylindrical part inserted into the internal punch. Together, these three parts constitute a compact assembly providing all the functionalities of the device  1 . Moreover, these three parts are made mobile either manually using toothed bars or by means of the hydraulic unit mentioned previously. 
       FIG. 1  also shows a support plate  8  on which two core extraction blocks  9  and  10  have been positioned. Block  9  is constituted, for example, by a sample of tissues from which core samples are to be extracted. This block  9  will be termed donor block. Block  10  is a blank block intended to receive the sample cores taken from different donor blocks. block  10  will be termed receiver block. These two blocks are classically blocks of paraffin or frozen blocks. 
     Advantageously, the support  2  may be mobile and the block plates immobile, or vice versa. 
     The core extraction device  1  according to the invention is used in the following manner. Naturally, the device  1  is preferentially used in the vertical position as shown in the plane of  FIG. 1 . 
     Firstly, the ejector  7  and external punch  5  are made to retract so as to partially free the internal punch  6 . The receiver block  10  is brought into a precise position using a classical reference guide system. Firstly, a core is removed from the receiver block  10  using the internal punch  6  to provide a recess into which the tissue sample can be inserted. During this phase, the external punch  5  and the ejector  7  are completely retracted, as indicated above. 
     The internal punch  6  is made to rotate so as to expel the core taken from the receiver block. This rotation breaks the base of the core which is then able to be removed without difficulty. The core is eliminated by sliding the ejector  7  into the internal punch  6 . 
     A sample core is then taken from a donor block  9  using the external punch  5  by bringing this block perpendicular to the punches. To do this, the internal punch  6  and the ejector  7  are fully retracted manually towards the support  2  using a toothed bar or automatically using a hydraulic or electric unit. The core sample is removed from the donor block  9  by rotating the external punch  5 . 
     The core sample taken from the donor block  9  is transferred into the receiver block  10  once this has been brought back into the position initially referenced by making the recess previously obtained correspond with the position of the external punch  5 . The core sample taken from the donor block  9  is then transferred into this recess by sliding the ejector  7  and the internal punch  6  in the external punch  5 . 
     By controlling the height at which the ejector  7  stops, the depth at which the core is introduced into the recess is determined. 
     This sequence of operations is repeated as often as necessary to obtain the required number of core samples in the receiver block  10  by using different donor blocks  9 . 
     Advantageously, the core extraction device  1  according to the invention is included into an assembly, not shown here, which enables the motorization of the translational and rotational movements of punches  5  and  6  and of the ejector  7 , and of the positioning of the punches above the donor and receiver blocks. 
     This appliance, normally called a tissue arrayer, enables tissue arrays to be built up from donor blocks embedded in paraffin, or from frozen blocks. In the latter case, the punches are themselves refrigerated to preserve the frozen state of the cores during their extraction and transfer. 
     Its structure may be of the following type. 
     According to one embodiment, the appliance  1  incorporates a support plate  12  intended to support the donor blocks  9  and a second support plate  12 ′ intended to support the receiver blocks  10 . These plates  12  and  12 ′ may be removed from the appliance  1  so as to be loaded up with donor and receiver blocks. The appliance  1  may also incorporate a platform incorporating positioning means for the support plates. This platform may integrate one or several positions for the donor blocks according to the capacity required by the user. Each position incorporates a refrigeration system to keep the donor and receiver blocks frozen during the construction of frozen tissue arrays if using frozen blocks. 
     The appliance comprises a core extraction device such as that described previously placed on a motor assembly enabling its movement to the nearest micron along the three axes in space so as to place the core extraction system in precise and parametered positions above the donor and receiver blocks. The motorization also enables the separate rotation of each punch, as well as the sliding of each punch and of the ejector. 
     The appliance may also comprise an optical system  13  and a first software interface  14  enabling the core extraction position or positions to be parametered on the donor block, and a second software interface  15  to enable the position of the cores to be parametered on the receiver block or blocks. 
     The appliance may integrate a positive identification system  16  for the donor and receiver blocks before each core extraction operation (scanning of barcodes, magnetic codes, etc.) to avoid any error. 
     It may also comprise a system to detect the sample and the length of the cores and associated error management. 
     Lastly, it may be enclosed in a enclosed space so as to prevent users from interfering with the movements of the sampling system and to protect the samples during these operations and keep them in a dry atmosphere to avoid the formation of condensation and frost on the blocks, the structures and the punches in the case of tissue arrays being constructed from frozen donor blocks.