Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of pathological anatomy, especially the sector related to printing codes on slides used in hospital departments and, more specifically, concerns a printer for slides which allows writing by means of a laser of ID - 2D (barcodes or data matrix) and alphanumeric codes so as to allow, in the reading phase, identification of the code printed on the slides by means of suitable readers.

Background of the invention.

In the state of the art it is known that the term slide is used to indicate a small plate, usually of glass, of an approximate size of 75*25 mm with a thickness of about 1 mm, on which a“slice” of histological section resulting from the treatment of a sample of tissue is laid. Said“slice” is fixed on the slide by means of a second plate known as a slide cover, having the function of covering the sample of biological material to be analysed under a microscope. In the state of the art it is also known that said slides, to be identified, are marked by identification codes which may be:

- ID or 2D (barcodes or data matrix) or alphanumeric,

- handwritten using pens with indelible inks,

- obtained manually with electric etching tools,

- normally printed using heat transfer or other technologies,

- written on labels subsequently applied to the slide.

Said identification codes may thus be printed using various methods, as described above, and the laying of the“slice” takes place after the printing of the slide. The most common method of printing slides is the one using heat transfer methods i.e. transferring the code to be written, previously written on the PC, by exerting a pressure on the face to be printed, by means of heads, ribbons and inks. The contrast exerted by the pressure of the head on the slide can cause abrasion with possible breakage of the slide itself which is very fragile, given its reduced thickness.

The printers used are composed of known commercial print heads and therefore use ribbons and inks that are consumable and that need to be replaced depending on the length of use of the printer.

One disadvantage of the known printers is that special indelible inks must be used for printing on the slide, which prove very expensive and which, in any case, due to the various colouring processes (immersions in solvents or aggressive colouring liquids) may fade over time until erased.

In addition, the slides, after being assembled and analysed, must by law be filed and stored for many years and time may accelerate the discolouration process.

The printing methods which consist of transferring the code by means of ribbons and heads (as was the case for typewriters), which in any case provide for writing alphanumeric codes only, are now outdated. Said printers, due to the nature of the machine, normally not connected to PC, are not able to print barcodes or data matrix. The pathological anatomy operator is generally in the condition of having to manage a large number of slides and often needs to identify them easily and quickly, ensuring that the process takes place in compliance with quality and traceability requirements and ensuring that the probability of making mistakes is minimal.

It is also known that the slides are stored in containers or holders in which they are:

- either superposed

- or housed vertically touching each other, - or housed vertically in slots (cavities) that distance them from each other, therefore without direct contact, ensuring ease of insertion and removal of the slides from the containment slots.

In the state of the art, in the sector of printing of codes on the slides, the following documents are known:

- WO2012/036874 which discloses a cartridge for slides for histological samples and a thermal transfer printer using said cartridge;

- EP2226123 which discloses an apparatus for production of customized containers for microscope slides in which said slides are provided with a region markable comprising a sensitive to electromagnetic radiation coating. Disclosure of the invention

The object of the present invention is to create a printer for writing easily, quickly and above all permanently, an identification code of various nature on histological slides.

Another object of the present invention is to create a slide printer which can write on any type of slide.

Another object of the present invention is to create a slide printer the printing of which on the slide is durable over time.

Another object of the present invention is to create a slide printer the print quality of which is superior to that of the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to create a printer that allows one or more slides to be printed manually by launching a single print file.

Another object of the present invention is to create a printer that also allows, as an alternative to manual printing, automatic printing.

A no less important object of the present invention is to create a printer that is able to facilitate the writing operations of the slides avoiding contact of the print heads with the slide itself.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be clearer from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the laser printer of the present patent application, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the appended drawings below:

- Fig. 1 shows, in a three-dimensional view, a laser printer (1) for histological and cytological slides (2) equipped with:

- a small laser with power varying between 3 and 5 Watts consisting of:

• a galvanometric scanning head with 1064 nm YAG source;

• a resonator;

· a focal lens (3) suitable to determine the printing area and the printing distance between the lens itself and the slide (2);

- a thrust actuator (4);

- a container (5) containing the slides (2) to be printed;

- a guide (6) semi-closed above;

- a bottom surface (10).

- Fig. 2 shows, in a three-dimensional view, the laser printer (1) for histological and cytological slides (2) equipped with a container (7) for collecting the printed slides.

- Fig. 3 shows, in a three-dimensional view, the laser printer (1) in which the loading of the slide (2) is manual, therefore being equipped solely with the guide (6) on which sensors (8) are placed suitable to detect the presence of the slides (2).

- Fig. 4 shows, in a three-dimensional view, the laser printer (1) in which the thrust actuator (4), advancing, pushes the slide (2) moving it from the container (5) to the guide (6).

- Fig. 5 shows, in a three-dimensional, cross-section view, the laser printer (1) in Fig. 4, where it can be seen that the container (7) is equipped with an inclined input guide (7a) to facilitate the insertion of the printed slide (2). - Fig. 6 shows, in a three-dimensional, cross-section view, the laser printer (1) in Fig. 5 where the slide (2) passes through a series of dragging rollers (9) placed horizontally or alternatively vertically (not shown) (in the first case the thrust takes place on the face of the slide, in the second on the thickness).

- Fig. 7 shows, in a three-dimensional, cross-section view, the laser printer (1) in which the slide (2) is in the input guide profile (7a) of the container (7).

Detailed description of the invention

According to a preferred - but not limiting - embodiment, the present invention relates to a printer (1) for writing in a simple, rapid and above all indelible manner, ID - 2D (bar codes or data matrix) and alphanumeric identification codes on histological and cytological slides (2).

Said printer (1) is composed of:

- a small laser with power varying between 3 and 5 Watts consisting of:

• a galvanometric scanning head with 1064 nm YAG source;

• a resonator;

• a focal lens (3) suitable to determine the printing area and the printing distance between the lens (3) itself and the slide (2);

- a thrust actuator (4);

- a container (5) containing the slides (2) to be printed;

- a guide (6) semi-closed above;

- a container (7) for the collection of the printed slides (2);

- sensors (8) to detect the presence of the slide (2);

- drag rollers (9).

The printer (1) according to this patent application can print different types of slides (2), such as:

- standard slides, known in the state of the art, provided with a coloured band for writing; the laser of this printer (1) removes the paint on the slide (2) and the code is read by ID - 2D readers in transparency on the removed paint (positive engraving).

- Standard slides, known in the state of the art, provided with a coloured band for writing; the laser of this printer (1) removes the paint around the outline of the code, leaving instead the paint that defines it. Therefore, said code can be read by ID - 2D readers, reading in negative the code where the paint has remained.

- slides, known in the state of the art, specially made to be lasered to increase the reading contrast, having a painted face in which the first layer is white and the substrate, placed under the white layer, is black paint; by focusing the laser of the present printer (1), it removes the upper paint leaving intact the lower paint, generally black, creating an excellent reading contrast.

- slides, known in the state of the art, having a painted face, normally white, and a substrate of black paint on the back of the slide; by focusing the laser of the present printer (1) on the back of the slide (2) it removes the upper white paint leaving intact the black paint present on the face under it, creating an excellent reading contrast.

- slides, known in the state of the art, provided with a specific strip for lasering placed on the back of the slides; the laser beam, which passes through the slide, hits the strip which, being in contact with the slide, transfers the black colour of the strip to the rear of said slide.

The printer (1) according to this patent application can operate in two different modes:

- manual

- automatic.

In the case of a manual printer (1), each slide (2) is placed by an operator, as said manually, on the guide (6). The slide detection (2) sensor (8) placed on the guide (6) creates a top abutment for said slide (2); in other words, said slide (2) stops in the right position to be printed.

Once the printing operation is completed, the slide (2) is extracted from the guide (6), again manually.

In the case of a manual printer (1), the slide (2) is introduced from the outside towards the inside (as indicated by the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3).

In the case of an automatic printer (1), the slides (2) are placed in containers (5). The thrust actuator (4) has the task of advancing the slide (2) from the container (5) to the guide (6) and, once printed, thanks to the same actuator (4), the slide is moved from the guide (6) to the container (7) passing through a series of drag rollers (9).

The container (7) is equipped with an inclined input guide profile (7a) (visible in Fig. 5) to facilitate the insertion of the slide (2).

Each time a slide (2) is printed, the previous slide (2) is raised over the last slide (2) printed.

Alternatively, the slides (2), once printed, need not be collected inside the container (7), but simply dropped onto the bottom surface (10) of the printer (1).

Unlike the printer (1) with manual loading, in the case of automatic loading, the slides (2), as mentioned above, are placed inside the container (5) in turn positioned inside the printer (1) itself or, in an alternative embodiment, loaders (not shown) may be provided placed to the right and left of the said printer (1); therefore it is clear that the loading direction is from the inside to the outside.

Both in the case of the manual and the automatic printer (1), the laser works by engraving, because this excludes any possibility of deletion of the code with respect to the systems known in the state of the art. The high durability over time of the printing on the slide (2) is very important given the fact that current regulations require filing of the slides for ten years.

The laser of the printer (1), by means of a galvanometric scanning head and a focal lens (3) which determines the printing area, emits a series of micro points (high resolution) which engrave the painted part of the slide (2).

The laser printer (1) according to this patent application can be used with containers of any size and is based on the fact of removing from the container (5) one or more slides (2) at a time and inserting the printed slide (2), one or more at a time, in the containers (7).

In any case, the number of containers (5, 7) both of slides to be printed and of printed slides depends on the print area of the focal lens (3). As seen in the drawings appended to this patent application, two containers (5, 7) are shown side by side, since the focal lens printing area (3) is able to cover two slides (2).

In addition, the thrust actuators (4) both for the introduction and the extraction are individual for each slide (2), allowing maximum freedom of choice. In this patent application only one thrust actuator (4) is provided, but in an alternative embodiment, to speed up the printing process, the printer (1) may be provided with a second actuator (4) positioned between the container (5) and the guide (6).

Said printer (1) entails the association of printing management software of one or more slides (2), completely eliminating human error.

The materials and dimensions of the invention as described above, illustrated in the appended drawings and claimed below, may be any as required. In addition, all the details are replaceable with others technically equivalent, while remaining within the sphere of protection of this patent application.