Patent ID: 7160514

Claim:
A slide case for holding and transporting at least one slide, the slide case comprising: a rack comprising four substantially planar walls having respective ends rigidly connected together, lower edges adapted to support the rack on a surface, a first support bar connected only to one of the walls and comprising a first longitudinal edge extending over a length of, and connected to, an inner surface of the one of the walls to cantilever the first support bar from the one of the walls, a second longitudinal edge being deflectable with respect to the one of the walls and being spaced away from the lower edges of the rack; and a first opening adapted to support one end of a slide, and a second support bar connected to only another one of the walls and comprising a third longitudinal edge extending over a length of, and connected to, an inner surface of the other one of the walls to cantilever the second support bar from the other one of the walls, a fourth longitudinal edge being deflectable with respect to the other one of the walls and being spaced away from the lower edges of the rack, the four walls defining an interior space within which the first support bar, the second support bar and the slide are located, the space comprising no rack structure between a plane defined by the second longitudinal edge and the fourth longitudinal edge, the four walls and a plane defined by the lower edges of the rack; and a second opening disposed opposite the first opening and adapted to support an opposite end of the slide, the rack is usable for supporting the ends of the slide outside of the slide case prior to, during and after a slide processing operation; a base comprising four walls connected to a bottom, the rack being removably positionable in the base; and a cover having a projection on an inner surface and being positionable on the base, the projection on the cover adapted to press against the slide and deflect the support bars, thereby securing the slide between the rack and the cover during transportation of the slide.