Sakura Tissue-Tek AutoTEC - Page 9

INTRODUCTION
1.4 Revised 5/19/2010
Figure 1-F: Cassette Sensors, Paraform Recovery
Chute, Chute Count Sensor, and Wide Beam Sensor
Once a Paraform Cassette has been picked and validated,
by the sensors, a small heating unit is engaged to keep
the cassette warm during transportation to the base mold.
The gripper will then move the cassette to the base mold
module (Figure 1-G).
Figure 1-G: The Gripper places a 13x13 Paraform
Cassette in a Base mold
The Teflon coated base mold module comprises three
channels of eight base molds each. The base molds in the
first channel, closest to the back of the system, are sized
to accept the larger standard Paraform Cassettes. The
base molds in the second channel accept the 26x19mm
biopsy and other specialty Paraform Cassettes. The third
channel accepts the 13x13mm Biopsy Cassettes. Each
individual base mold is a Thermo Electric Cooler (TEC)
acting as a heating and cooling element.
The stager (and its paraffin dispensing mechanism) performs
the embedding of the Paraform Cassettes as follows.
First, the stager assembly positions the paraffin dispensing
mechanism (heated solenoid valve and nozzle) over the
cassette already placed into the heated base mold. It then
stages (presses down with a tamper) the Sectionable
Cassette to lower it through the frame until the cassette
bottom is pressed against the base mold surface. The
stager dispenses an even flow of molten paraffin to the
correct volume. Since the temperature and flow are
controlled, bubble production is minimized; however, tiny
to small bubbles in the formed block are not unusual.
Figure 1-H shows paraffin being dispensed into a base
mold.
Figure 1-H: Stager Dispensing Paraffin
Two paraffin dispensing methods are available, Standard
or Pre-fill, configurable in Service Mode. Standard method
dispenses a fixed amount of paraffin in a single shot. Pre-
fill method dispenses the fixed amount of paraffin in two
separate shots, the first shot is dispensed into the base
mold before the cassette is placed and the second shot is
dispensed after the cassette is staged. Please contact
Sakura, if the Pre-fill method is needed.
When paraffin is dispensed, the base mold switches to its
cooling mode. Once the block has solidified, the stager
moves away and the gripper comes back to demold the
block and to place it in one of the empty positions of the
output doors.
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