Process and apparatus for preparing and presenting a tissue sample for histological study

Abstract

An apparatus and method for preserving cytological specimens for histological or histopathological use. A cytological sample from a biological tissue such as a tumor or a tumor cell line is dehydrated, disbursed and evenly distributed throughout a volume of molten material. The molten material is then drawn into a tubular member such as a pipette and allowed to solidify. Upon solidification, the cylindrical specimen is partially or completely extrudedfrom the tube for further processing, including fixation, dehydration and molten paraffin infiltration and embedding as required for presentation to a sectioning device such as a microtome. Thin circular slices of the cylindrical specimen are removed from the cylindrical specimen and transferred to a slide, fixed and stained as desired. The device and method enable the production of a slide bearing a spatially homogeneous distribution of cytological material for microscopic examination.

1 . A method for preparing a portion of a tissue comprising cells for microscopic examination comprising the steps of: 
 (a) placing the portion of tissue into a volume of a fluid embedding medium, then    (b) disrupting said portion until said cells comprising said portion are distributed substantially homogeneously throughout said volume of said fluid embedding medium; then    (c) introducing a portion of said volume of said fluid embedding medium into an axial bore in a tubular member; then    (d) solidifying said fluid embedding material within said axial bore to form a cylindrical plug; then    (e) extruding a portion of said cylindrical plug from said axial bore and separating a portion of said cylindrical plug to form a separated portion; then    (f) mounting said separated portion of said cylindrical plug on a rigid support substrate.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said tissue is a cell line.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  or  2  wherein the introducing is with the same and/or different said fluid embedding mediums into at least two bore holes; and extruding of at least two formed plugs to form a new plug containing said at least two plugs.  
     
     
         4 . A method for preparing a portion of a tissue comprising cells for microscopic examination comprising the steps of: 
 (a) placing the portion of tissue into a volume of a fluid embedding medium, then    (b) disrupting said portion until said cells comprising said portion are distributed substantially homogeneously throughout said volume of said fluid embedding medium; then    (c) introducing a portion of said volume of said fluid embedding medium into an axial bore in a tubular member; then    (d) solidifying said fluid embedding material within said axial bore to form a cylindrical plug; then    (e) separating a portion of said tubular member containing a portion of said cylindrical plug from said tubular member to form a separated portion; then    (f) mounting said separated portion of said tubular member and cylindrical plug on a rigid support substrate.    
     
     
         5 . A method for preparing a portion of a tissue comprising cells for microscopic examination comprising the steps of: 
 (a) placing the portion of tissue into a volume of a fluid embedding medium, then    (b) disrupting said portion until said cells comprising said portion are distributed substantially homogeneously throughout said volume of said fluid embedding medium; then    (c) introducing a portion of said volume of said fluid embedding medium into a plurality of axial bores in an extrusion device; then    (d) solidifying said fluid embedding material within said axial bores to form a plurality of cylindrical plugs; then    (e) extruding a portion of said cylindrical plugs from said axial bores and separating a portion of said cylindrical plugs to form a plurality of separated portions; then    (f) mounting said plurality of separated portion of said cylindrical plugs on a rigid support substrate.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said tissue is a cell line.