Project number
25025
Organization
Roche Tissue Diagnostics
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
Histology labs remain one of the least automated environments in health care. Due to a shrinking pool of professionals, highly trained pathologists and histotechnicians are often required to perform these tedious and repetitive tasks, reducing their ability to focus on complex diagnostics. Additionally, tissue staining can leave residue on slides that can interfere with microscope analysis and digital scanning.
The team developed the Automated Slide Transfer System (ASTS) that combines the precision of a 3D printer with the functionality of a forklift to streamline laboratory workflow. ASTS accepts an input tray of up to 20 slides, individually removes and inspects each slide, detects excess reagent dots, reads barcode identifiers, and places slides into an output rack. It then generates a comma-separated values file containing barcode data and general slide quality information.
A Raspberry Pi 5 controls ASTS’s high-precision gantry system equipped with a custom-designed gripper for slide manipulation, offering 0.05 mm accuracy. A Blue Series M12 lens and a Raspberry Pi HQ camera analyze slides during transfer. This enables rapid barcode scanning and reagent detection. With adjustable gantry speeds of up to 1 ft per second, the system can process 20 slides in under 400 seconds.
By automating tedious histology tasks, the ASTS reduces workload, improves efficiency and enhances slide quality. This supports Roche’s mission of “doing now what patients need next.”
The team developed the Automated Slide Transfer System (ASTS) that combines the precision of a 3D printer with the functionality of a forklift to streamline laboratory workflow. ASTS accepts an input tray of up to 20 slides, individually removes and inspects each slide, detects excess reagent dots, reads barcode identifiers, and places slides into an output rack. It then generates a comma-separated values file containing barcode data and general slide quality information.
A Raspberry Pi 5 controls ASTS’s high-precision gantry system equipped with a custom-designed gripper for slide manipulation, offering 0.05 mm accuracy. A Blue Series M12 lens and a Raspberry Pi HQ camera analyze slides during transfer. This enables rapid barcode scanning and reagent detection. With adjustable gantry speeds of up to 1 ft per second, the system can process 20 slides in under 400 seconds.
By automating tedious histology tasks, the ASTS reduces workload, improves efficiency and enhances slide quality. This supports Roche’s mission of “doing now what patients need next.”