Slide Processing Apparatus and Method

Abstract

A basket processing apparatus that includes a basket storage portion in a form of a horizontal load rail. A plurality of slide storage baskets can be located in series on the rail. Each basket is ‘side loading’ and the side loading aperture of each basket can be selectively covered by a slide retaining bar. When the baskets are placed on the load rail, the basket can be moved along the horizontal rail by a basket moving means. The arrangement of the rail and the basket moving means is such that the baskets can be pushed together and move as a ‘train’. Baskets moved to the pick-up end of the rail can then be removed from the rail and processed. A vertical lift mechanism can be used to remove the basket and transport it to a processing device, for example a coverslipper.

1 - 102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . A slide detector for detecting at least one property of a slide, the slide detector comprising an image generating means for generating an image of the slide, and image processing means for identifying the at least one property of the slide based on the generated image. 
     
     
         104 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the slide detector is for use in a slide processing apparatus comprising a coverslipper. 
     
     
         105 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the at least one property of the slide comprises the position of the slide with respect to a slide processing mechanism. 
     
     
         106 . A slide detector according to  claim 105 , wherein the image processing means is configured to identify at least one edge of the slide. 
     
     
         107 . A slide detector according to  claim 106 , wherein the image processing means is configured to make a plurality of measurements from the generated image so as to identify the edge. 
     
     
         108 . A slide detector according to  claim 106 , wherein the slide processing mechanism includes a slide gripper and the slide detector detects the position of the slide with respect to the slide gripper. 
     
     
         109 . A slide detector according to  claim 108 , wherein the image generating means is configured to generate an image of the slide gripper. 
     
     
         110 . A slide detector according to  claim 109 , wherein the image processing means is configured to identify at least one edge of the slide gripper. 
     
     
         111 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the image generating means comprises at least one of a camera, a linear sensor array, and a charge coupled device. 
     
     
         112 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the image generating means can detect one or both of light intensity and colour. 
     
     
         113 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the image processing means includes a processor. 
     
     
         114 . A slide detector according to  claim 113 , wherein the image processing means includes software. 
     
     
         115 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the image processing means is configured to identify the alignment of a slide with respect to a basket in which the slide is located. 
     
     
         116 . A slide detector according to  claim 115 , wherein the image processing means is adapted to identify whether the slide has a predetermined alignment. 
     
     
         117 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the slide detector is configured to identify whether a slide is present in a slot of a basket in which the slide is located. 
     
     
         118 . A slide detector according to  claim 117 , wherein the image generating means is configured to generate an image of at least one slot of a basket and the image processing means is configured to measure the colour or intensity gradient of the part of the image corresponding to the slot. 
     
     
         119 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the image processing means is configured to identify the thickness of a slide. 
     
     
         120 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the slide detector is configured to generate a plurality of images of the slide so that the at least one property of the slide can be detected as a function of time. 
     
     
         121 . A slide detector according to  claim 103 , wherein the slide detector is associated with a slide processing apparatus comprising a slide processing mechanism, and the slide processing mechanism is moveable with respect to the slide in response to the detected at least one property of the slide. 
     
     
         122 . A slide detector according to  claim 121 , wherein the at least one property of the slide includes the position of the slide with respect to the slide processing mechanism. 
     
     
         123 . A slide processing apparatus including a slide detector according to  claim 103 . 
     
     
         124 . A slide processing apparatus according to  claim 123 , comprising a coverslipper. 
     
     
         125 . A method of detecting at least one property of a slide, the method including generating an image of the slide and processing the image to detect the at least one property. 
     
     
         126 . A method according to  claim 125 , wherein the at least one property is the position of the slide with respect to a slide processing mechanism. 
     
     
         127 . A method according to  claim 126 , wherein the method includes the step of moving the slide with respect to the slide processing mechanism in response to the detected slide position. 
     
     
         128 . A method according to  claim 127 , wherein the detection of the slide position is repeated during movement of the slide. 
     
     
         129 . A basket detecting device for detecting at least one property of a basket for storing slides in a slide processing apparatus, the basket detecting device comprising an image generating means for generating an image of at least part of the basket, and image processing means for identifying the at least one property of the basket based on the generated image. 
     
     
         130 . A basket detecting device according to  claim 129 , wherein the image processing means is configured to identify a structural feature of the basket. 
     
     
         131 . A basket detecting device according to  claim 130 , wherein the basket is capable of storing a plurality of slides and has an aperture through which slides can be loaded and unloaded, wherein the basket includes a slide retaining member for selectively covering at least part of the aperture, and wherein the structural feature of the basket that the image processing means is configured to identify is the slide retaining member. 
     
     
         132 . A basket detecting device according to  claim 130 , wherein the image processing means is configured to identify at least one of the colour of the structural feature, the shape of the structural feature and the size of the structural feature. 
     
     
         133 . A basket detecting device according to  claim 129 , wherein the basket detecting device includes a basket property look-up means for retrieving predetermined basket property information in response to the detected at least one property. 
     
     
         134 . A basket detecting device according to  claim 129 , wherein the image generating means comprises at least one of a camera, a linear sensor array and a charge coupled device. 
     
     
         135 . A method of detecting at least one property of a basket for storing slides in a slide processing apparatus, the method including generating an image of at least part of the basket and processing the image to identify the at least one property of the basket based on the generated image. 
     
     
         136 . A method according to  claim 135 , wherein the at least one property includes the type of basket. 
     
     
         137 . A method according to  claim 135 , wherein the method includes processing the basket based on the detected at least one property.