Patent ID: 7217392

Claim:
A microscope slide stainer, comprising: a staining protocol program comprising instructions for applying reagents and heat to a plurality of microscope slides bearing biological samples; a plurality of slide supports, each support being comprised of a heating element that underlies at least one microscope slide and having a surface on which the at least one microscope slide rests so as to transfer heat to the at least one microscope slide; at least one reagent dispenser that can dispense a liquid reagent onto a microscope slide on one of the slide supports; a movable carriage that causes the reagent dispenser to be aligned over a desired microscope slide on one of the slide supports, as specified in the staining protocol program, so that reagent dispensed out of the reagent dispenser drops onto an underlying microscope slide on one of the slide supports; and a control system that issues commands to cause relative motion between the reagent dispenser and microscope slide on one of the slide supports so that the reagent dispenser is aligned over the microscope slide on one of the slide supports, as specified in the staining protocol program, and that issues commands to cause the heating elements to heat at the times specified in the staining protocol program, the control system controlling heating of one heating element to a different temperature than another.