Title: Blood bank microscopes with oscillating vessel support means

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A reverse microscope for viewing a fluid specimen through the fluid supporting surface of a specimen vessel, said microscope comprising, pivotally mounted means adapted to support a specimen vessel in the focal plane of the microscope optics, means located relative to said vessel support means for illuminating from above a fluid specimen supported by said vessel support means, optical means adapted to be focused on a fluid specimen supported by said vessel support means for viewing the specimen from below, and means for oscillating said vessel support means to cause a fluid specimen in a specimen vessel to flow back and forth through the focal point of the microscope optics.

2. A microscope according to claim 1 wherein said oscillating means comprises spring means connected to said vessel support means for biasing said vessel support means to a first position, and lever means connected to said vessel support means for tilting said vessel support means against the action of said spring means.

3. A microscope according to claim 1 wherein said vessel support means is adapted to accommodate a plurality of specimen vessels in side by side relationship, and including means for indexing the plurality of specimen vessels as a group so as to bring individual specimen vessels seriatim into the field of view of the microscope optics.

4. A microscope according to claim 3 wherein the vessel support means is adapted to accommodate a plurality of linearly arrayed specimen vessels, and said indexing means includes a slide member carried by said vessel support means into which the specimen vessels are placed and which can be stepped linearly relative to said object station means.

5. A microscope according to claim 1 including focusing means for adjusting the position of the focal point of the optical means to coincide with a selected point in a specimen held in the vessel support means.

6. A microscope according to claim 5 wherein said optical means includes a plurality of objective lenses, each adapted to be focused at the vessel support means, and selector means for moving a selected one of said objective lenses into operative position on the optical axis of the microscope.

7. The combination of a microscope according to claim 1 and a specimen vessel comprising an elongated cuvette having a flat side, and wherein said vessel support means is adapted to hold said cuvette in a substantially horizontal position such that the contents thereof lie on the flat side of the cuvette when the cuvette is placed in the vessel support means, whereby a thin layer of fluid is viewed from below through the flat side of the cuvette.

8. The combination of a microscope according to claim 3 and a plurality of specimen vessels, each comprising an elongated cuvette having a flat side.

9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein the plurality of cuvettes are joined together to form a cuvette cassette.

Other info:

Inventors: Irazoqui, Carlos A. (New York, NY, US)
Scordato, Emil A. (Bronxville, NY, US)

Application Number: 947631
Filing Date: 1978-10-02
Publication_date: 1980-10-07
Assignee: Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc. (Mount Vernon, NY)
Primary Class(es): 359/381 73/64.43, 356/246, 359/385, 359/392, 359/398
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3135817	Jun, 1964	Wigglesworth et al.	350/84.
3738730	Jun, 1973	Binnings et al.	350/90.
3777283	Dec, 1973	Elkins	350/95.
3905772	Sep, 1975	Hartnett et al.	23/230.

Other Refs: 2754498359335

Jun, 1978	DE
Feb, 1962	CH

Primary Examiner: Henry, Jon W.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Keegan; William P.