Patent Document ID: 9989449
Application ID: 15006850
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of handling anatomical pathology specimens comprising: positioning a specimen carrier strip to receive a specimen block portion including a specimen, the specimen comprising an infiltrated histology specimen, the specimen carrier strip comprising multiple specimen regions segregated by intermediate regions, respective specimen regions comprising a specimen carrier strip backing for receiving the specimen, respective intermediate regions comprising a region of thinned carrier material configured to allow for bending of the specimen carrier strip at the respective intermediate regions; placing the specimen block portion on the specimen carrier strip backing, the specimen block portion comprising a paraffin material, the carrier strip backing comprising a transparent material to allow for high resolution imaging of the specimen; positioning a specimen carrier strip backing of the specimen carrier strip under a staining device, the specimen carrier strip having a specimen block portion disposed thereon, the specimen carrier strip including a specimen, positioning the staining device such that the staining device is proximate to the specimen, the staining device comprising a plurality of heads extending from a base, the plurality of heads configured to rotate about the base, each head of the plurality of heads configured to dispense a stain; applying a stain to the specimen disposed within the specimen block portion; raising the staining device such that the staining device is distal to the stained specimen disposed within the specimen block portion; transitioning the staining device laterally with respect to the stained specimen; rotating the base of the staining device while the staining device is laterally transitioned with respect to the stained specimen; obtaining a digital image of the stained specimen via an imaging subsystem, the imaging subsystem comprising an imaging device for capturing an image of the stained specimen and a light source configured to emit light having an emission characteristic at or near an excitation frequency of the stain; storing the digital image of the first stained specimen as a data structure in an electronic health record database; electronically distributing, via a computerized subsystem, the digital image of the first stained specimen to a plurality of pathologists to perform a diagnostic study of the first stained specimen; receiving a plurality of electronic reports from respective pathologists of the plurality of pathologists, the electronic report comprising an evaluation of the respective pathologist corresponding to the first stained specimen; calculating, via the computerized subsystem, a consensus diagnosis corresponding to the first stained specimen based upon the plurality of electronic reports; deselecting, via the computerized subsystem, a pathologist of the plurality of pathologists based upon a diagnostic study variance of the pathologist with respect to a consensus diagnosis of the plurality of pathologists, wherein deselecting of the first pathologists comprises causing the first pathologist to be deselected for referral of future pathology studies.