The Dako Autostainer System is an automated slide processing system compatible with currently available reagents for staining of paraffin-embedded and frozen tissue sections, cytospins, cell smears, and fine needle aspirates.

System Specifications:

A slide carrier holding 12 microscope slides in a horizontal position. The instrument hold a maximum of 4 racks. These racks are removable for slide loading and unloading.

Standard microscope slide to which specimen(s) is mounted for processing on the instrument.
Slide dimensions are 25mm x 75mm x 1mm.

Each rack holds up to 32 reagent vials and is marked with letters A-D and number 1-8 to designate each reagent vial position. The computer always assigns reagents to the front white rack first. If additional reagents are required for a procedure the computer will assign reagents to the blue rack.

A white, cup shaped assembly located in the rear right corner of the instruement. It is used as a cleaning station for the Teflon-coated reagent probe. The probe is washed at the beginning of every run and prior to application of each reagent.

The Teflon-coated tray that sits underneath the slide racks and channels the buffer/DI water washed and reagents into the waste reservoir.

The robotic arm extending from the back of the instrument towards the front carrying with it the Z head assembly. The Y arm moves from right to left across the instrument.

This enables the Y arm to move from left to right across the instrument. The X axis is stationary across the back of the instrument.

The dome-shaped assembly that sits over the Y arm. The Z head consists of three components: the probe tip, the wash head and the blow head. These components move up and down along the Z axis while the instrument is in operation. The Z head moves back and forth along the Y axis mechanism, allowing access to all slides and reagents.