LYNX II Automated Tissue Processor for Histology and Microscopy (continued) 4. Agitation and Vacuum


8. Seal for the Reagent Vials


The arm provides a gentle agitation (approx. 5 mm up and down travel at a rate of 2.5 mm per second or one up/down agitation per second) once the sample is in the reagent container. Five agitation strokes are executed in 5 seconds and repeated every 45 seconds. If vacuum infiltration is selected, the agitation will be applied for 5 seconds followed by 40 seconds of vacuum. These agitation-only or the agitation-vacuum cycles will be repeated for the duration of the station time.


The sample holder assembly has a fitting to attach the vacuum hose from the vacuum pump.


5. Heating-Cooling Stations


The LYNX II provides 2 independent, identical heating-cooling stations (HCS). Each HCS is heated or cooled by a Peltier module and has its own temperature sensor. One HCS is located at the sample processing station and the second one is located one position prior to the sample processing station. This arrangement allows for the pre-heating or pre-cooling of the reagent for a program where the reagents are arranged in a sequential, contiguous manner.


Each HCS can be programmed to be between 4°C and 65°C. The accuracy of the actual temperature will be ±2°C measured on the surface of the Heating – Cooling station. The set point at the HCS surface is reached within 7 minutes of the arrival of the reagent at the station.


6. Fume Control


LYNX II provides a fume extraction fan to direct fumes from the reagent/sample area to an exhaust port. An external hose may be connected to the unit and the hose may be directed to a fume hood or to laboratory exhaust system. The fume extraction is designed to ensure that the fumes are diverted away from electronics and the mechanism components.


7. Lid/Cover


An acrylic cover with a latch is part of the fume control system. Controller of the system can detect if the cover is latched or not. By default, a run cannot be started (and will pause) if the cover is not in place. However,there is a software override will allow for the running of the unitt without closing the cover.


A tight seal is provided to cover all reagent vials except for the one under the processing station.


Reagents Used


Materials for various components and subsystems of LYNX II is compatible with the following reagents during the processing.


HP Processing Formalin Xylene Water


EM Processing Buffers


Ethyl Alcohol Propylene Oxide Alcohol


Xylene Substitutes Paraffin


10% bleach solution (to wipe clean the system)


Osmium Tetroxide Acetone


Epoxy/acrylic resins 9. Operation During Power Outage


The LYNX II contains a small internal battery (that is capable of moving the sample from up position to down position and to move the carousel in the next reagent position at least three times without being re-charged) to preserve the sample during a power outage. When the electronics in LYNX II detects that the A/C power is about to fail, the LYNX II will shut down the power to the Peltier elements at both heating/cooling stations. Next, it will ensure that the samples are down in a reagent container. If the samples are out of a reagent vial (since LYNX II was just about to rotate the carousel to the next reagent position or was in the middle of the rotation), the carousel will be rotated by one position and then the samples will be lowered in to the reagent at the processing station. The time when the power fail warning was activated will be recorded and the unit will go in the stand by mode.


Once the power is restored and is maintained for at least 30 seconds, LYNX II will resume the run. As LYNX II resumes run, the station time count down does not resume until the heating/cooling stations have reached the desired temperatures. The station time countdown does not begin for additional 60 minutes if the temperature at the processing station or at the previous station was above 55°C during an HP run. This feature ensures that the paraffin at either of the two stations completely melts before moving to the next station.


See how it works...


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