System and Method for Biological Specimen Mounting

Abstract

A system and method for mounting a section onto a substrate, the system comprising: a fluid channel including: a fluid channel inlet that receives the section, processed from a bulk embedded sample by a sample sectioning module positioned proximal the fluid channel inlet, a section-mounting region downstream of the fluid channel inlet, and a fluid channel outlet downstream of the section-mounting region; a reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid channel outlet; and a manifold, fluidly coupled to the reservoir, that delivers fluid from the reservoir to the fluid channel inlet, thereby transmitting fluid flow that drives delivery of the section from the fluid channel inlet toward the section-mounting region.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for mounting a first section onto a substrate, the system comprising:
 a fluid channel comprising:
 a fluid channel inlet that receives the first section, processed from a bulk embedded sample by a sample sectioning module positioned proximal the fluid channel inlet, and 
 a fluid channel outlet; 
   a manifold, fluidly coupled to the fluid channel, comprising:
 a fluid injector that directs a constant fluid flow at an angle relative to a base surface of the fluid channel inlet, thereby providing a force that separates the first section from a second section at a blade of the sample sectioning module, and 
 a pump that delivers fluid to the fluid channel inlet at the fluid injector, thereby transmitting fluid flow that drives delivery of the first section from the fluid channel inlet along the fluid channel to the fluid channel outlet; and 
   a controller, communicatively coupled to the fluid injector, operable to modulate the fluid flow from the fluid injector to provide a biasing force that moves the first section away from the sample sectioning module and retains the second section proximal the sample sectioning module.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a section size and further configured to generate an output signal based on the section size, and wherein the controller is operable to modulate the fluid flow from the fluid injector based on the output signal of the sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a section-mounting region connected to the fluid channel outlet, wherein the section-mounting region defines a lip arranged to receive a portion of the substrate and a flow pathway at an angle relative to a longitudinal direction of the fluid channel, thereby urging the section along the flow pathway at the angle as the section traverses the section-mounting region. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the flow pathway applies a first rotation to the section, and wherein the section-mounting region defines a channel morphology upstream of the lip configured to induce a flow path that applies a second rotation to the section, wherein the second rotation opposes the first rotation. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a kinetic sensor coupled to the blade of the sample sectioning module, wherein the kinetic sensor generates an output proportional to at least one of an acceleration and vibration of the blade, and wherein the controller is operable to automatically modulate sectioning parameters of the sample sectioning module based on the output of the kinetic sensor. 
     
     
         6 . A system for mounting a section onto a substrate, the system comprising:
 a fluid channel comprising:
 a fluid channel inlet that receives the section, processed from a bulk embedded sample by a sample sectioning module positioned proximal the fluid channel inlet, 
 a fluid channel outlet downstream of the fluid channel inlet, 
 wherein the fluid channel defines a longitudinal fluid flow path between the fluid channel inlet and the fluid channel outlet; 
   a section-mounting region that receives the section from the fluid channel outlet and defines a lip arranged to receive a portion of the substrate and a flow pathway at an angle relative to the longitudinal fluid flow path of the fluid channel, thereby urging the section along the flow pathway at the angle as the section traverses the section-mounting region; and   a manifold, fluidly coupled to the fluid channel inlet, comprising:
 a fluid injector that directs fluid into the fluid channel inlet, and 
 a pump that delivers fluid to the fluid channel inlet at the fluid injector, thereby transmitting fluid flow that drives delivery of the section from the fluid channel inlet along the fluid channel to the section-mounting region. 
   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the pump, wherein the controller is operable to modulate fluid flow from the fluid injector subsequent to separation of each section from the bulk embedded sample. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising an imaging sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the imaging sensor generates an output image of the section during transmission between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the controller automatically detects a condition of the section based on the output image. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is operable to automatically modulate sectioning parameters of the sample sectioning module based on the condition of the section. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is operable to automatically modulate at least one of the fluid temperature and the fluid flow rate based on the condition of the section. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a kinetic sensor coupled to the blade of the sample sectioning module, wherein the kinetic sensor generates an output proportional to at least one of an acceleration and vibration of the blade, and wherein the controller is operable to automatically modulate sectioning parameters of the sample sectioning module based on the output of the kinetic sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a temperature regulating module communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is operable to modulate the temperature of the fluid flow from the fluid injector cooperatively with the temperature regulating module. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the fluid flow from the injector is at a lower temperature than a temperature of the fluid flow from the channel inlet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a wrinkle-removal module fluidly coupled to the manifold and communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the wrinkle-removal module modulates a local fluid temperature within the section-mounting region upon injection of a volume of fluid into the fluid channel proximal the section-mounting region. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the wrinkle-removal module simultaneously modulates the local fluid temperature and adjusts a length of time over which the section resides within the section-mounting region based on an energy setpoint. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the wrinkle-removal module cyclically varies the local fluid temperature between an elevated temperature and a lower temperature in the section mounting region, wherein the local fluid temperature proximal the section immediately prior to section mounting is the lower temperature. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a sensor that reads an identifier displayed on the bulk sample, and further comprising a laser-etching device that automatically engraves the substrate label upon the substrate, wherein the substrate label comprises the identifier. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller receives the identifier from the sensor, records operating parameters of the system during operation, and associates the operating parameters with the substrate label in a centralized data storage device of a laboratory informational technology system. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the fluid injector directs fluid at an injection angle relative to a base surface of the fluid channel inlet, thereby providing a force that separates the section from the bulk embedded sample at the sample sectioning module. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the pump, wherein the controller is operable to modulate the fluid flow from the fluid injector such that the force moves the section away from the sample sectioning module and retains a second section proximal the sample sectioning module.