METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC SPECIMEN SUPPLY

摘要

In order to provide a method and an apparatus for automatic specimen supply for microscope-like measuring or preparation apparatuses, with which in particular plate-like slide-form samples are automatically supplied to a holder, and removed again, in order for it to be possible for them to be measured optically in the transmitted light, or by the evaluation of fluorescence radiation, in a microscope-like measuring apparatus, or to be manipulated in a preparation apparatus, it is proposed that the slides (2) arranged in a slide box (3) can be moved by a carry-along device (4) and positioned by a positioning device (1), and are picked up by a controllable specimen gripper (5) and then can be supplied, by means of a displacement device (6), to a slide holder (18), provided on a microscope stage (17), for measurement in fixed positions, wherein, prior to the slides (2) being deposited on the microscope stage (17), a digital camera (21) provides a general image. In order for the slides (2) to be measured, the microscope stage (17) can be displaced by the power of a motor in a stepwise and continuous manner into predetermined desired positions. Once the optical measurement of the slide (2) has been carried out, finally, the slide (2) is picked up again by the sample gripper (5) and deposited in the slide box (3).