HISTOLOGICAL SPECIMEN CASSETTE COLOR PRINTING SYSTEM

A color printer for histological specimen cassettes. One embodiment of the invention includes a cassette receiving structure to receive cassettes having print zones, an an ink receiving structure to receive a multi-colored ink source, a printhead, a cassette index assembly and a control system. The cassette index assembly includes a carriage support, a carriage drive, and a carriage coupled to the carriage drive and mounted to the carriage support for reciprocal movement with respect to the printhead and the cassette receiving structure. The carriage includes a cassette carrier having a print area and a reset area, wherein when the cassettes are on the print area and are driven past the printhead the print zones will be at a printing position with respect to the printhead, and when the cassettes are on the reset area and driven past the printhead the print zones will be spaced from the printhead. The control system is responsive to specimen data representative of histological specimens to control the carriage drive and the printhead, including driving the carriage through cassette picking, printing and reset strokes. During the picking strokes cassettes are positioned on the print area of the carrier. During the printing strokes the carriage drives the cassettes in a first direction past the printhead to position the print zones at the printing position with respect to the printhead, and the printhead transfers ink from the ink source and prints specimen information on the print zones. During the reset strokes the cassettes are positioned on the reset area of the carrier and the carriage drives the cassettes in a second direction past the printhead with the print zones spaced from the printhead. L'invention concerne une imprimante couleur pour cassettes de spécimens histologiques. Un mode de réalisation de l'invention comprend une structure de réception de cassettes afin de recevoir des cassettes comportant une zone d'impression, une structure de réception d'encre afin de recevoir une source d'encre multicolore, une tête d'impression, un système d'index de cassettes et un système de commande. Le système d'index de cassettes comprend un support de chariot, un entraînement de chariot, et un chariot couplé à l'entraînement de chariot et monté sur le support de chariot afin d'effectuer un mouvement de va-et-vient par rapport à la tête d'impression et à la structure de réception de cassettes. Le chariot comprend un support de cassette comportant une zone d'impr