Abstract

A system for transporting a tray holding at least one specimen slide to and from the microscope. The tray includes index marker means and engagement means. The system comprises an input station, indexing means at the microscope stage and an output station. The input station includes a hopper to receive a stack of slide-carrying trays, a first carrier located within the hopper to carry the trays out of the hopper and onto the microscope stage and feeding means for dispensing the trays from the stack to the first carrier. The indexing means carries the tray to at least one predetermined index position on the stage and basically comprises a second carrier for moving the tray across the stage and a first sensor cooperating with the second carrier means. The index marker means activates the first sensor to stop the second carrier when the index marker means is in a first predetermined position corresponding to the tray being in the predetermined index position. The second carrier carries the tray horizontally from the predetermined index position to the output station.The output station receives the tray from the microscope stage and dispenses it into a storage container and basically comprises a tilt-table which is pivotable from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The table pivots when the tray has reached a predetermined idle position thereon.The operation of the entire system is under microprocessor control so that inputing and outputing occur at the same time.

Other References

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• Corning, "The Corning CARC Classifier", Bulletin, Jun., 1973