An inoculation device

Abstract

This utility model provides an inoculation device, including an outer container, an inner container fitted inside the outer container, a fixed handle fixedly connected to the outer container, and a rotating handle fixedly connected to the inner container. The rotating handle has a cylindrical structure, and the rotating handle and the fixed handle face the same direction, with the rotating handle located above the fixed handle. Both the inner container and the outer container have open upper halves, and the inner container is smaller than the outer container. A rigid sleeve with a circular cross-section is also connected to the fixed handle, and the outer end of the rotating handle is fitted inside the rigid sleeve. Using this technical solution, the inoculation process can be standardized and quantified, which helps to establish a standardized inoculation technology system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical device technology, and more particularly to an inoculation device, and more specifically, an inoculation device for Wharton's jelly in the umbilical cord. Background Technology

[0002] Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of pluripotent progenitor cell possessing both self-renewal potential and multi-lineage differentiation capacity, exhibiting core biological characteristics such as hematopoietic support, immune regulation, tissue repair and regeneration, and targeted homing. Currently, umbilical cord-derived MSCs are the most widely used human MSCs in clinical and research applications, with their outstanding advantages including minimal invasiveness during retrieval, stable biological phenotype, strong in vitro proliferation capacity, and fewer ethical restrictions. These cells can be isolated from the perivascular stroma, Wharton's jelly, and amniotic epithelium of the umbilical cord. Among these, Wharton's jelly, due to its high proportion in umbilical cord tissue, rich mesenchymal components, and ease of aseptic separation, has become the primary source of MSCs.

[0003] In the isolation and preparation of Wharton's glial mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from the umbilical cord, the tissue block adherent culture method is the most commonly used technique. The tissue block method involves mechanically dispersing Wharton's glial tissue into standardized micro-tissue units, which are then directly seeded onto an extracellular matrix-coated culture interface. MSCs rely on their own chemotactic migration ability to migrate in situ and proliferate clonally.

[0004] The current standardized separation procedure for Wharton's jelly tissue blocks is as follows: First, the umbilical cord is aseptically cleaned, the outer membrane is cut open, and two arteries and one vein are removed with sterile forceps. Then, Wharton's jelly is obtained by peeling it off from the inside of the outer membrane. Subsequently, the fresh Wharton's jelly is cut into tissue blocks of a predetermined size with sterile scissors, evenly spread in a sterile culture bottle, and after adding an appropriate amount of primary culture medium, it is placed in an incubator for primary cell culture.

[0005] In tissue block culture technology, seeding discrete Wharton's jelly tissue blocks evenly onto the cell culture surface is a crucial step. This process must ensure that the tissue blocks form a regular lattice distribution on the substrate surface, and that the spacing between adjacent tissue blocks is maintained within the range of 0.5-1.0 cm, to avoid contact inhibition of the clonal colonies formed after cell migration.

[0006] Currently, there is no device available for quantitative seeding of tissue blocks. The number of tissue blocks at each seeding site relies on manual judgment, resulting in low accuracy and inconsistent primary cell migration efficiency. Therefore, developing a device for quantitative seeding of tissue blocks is a problem that needs to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0007] This utility model provides an inoculation device to ensure the uniformity and quantification of inoculation work.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an inoculation device, characterized in that it includes an outer container, an inner container sleeved inside the outer container, a fixed handle fixedly connected to the outer container, and a rotating handle fixedly connected to the inner container; the rotating handle has a cylindrical structure, the rotating handle and the fixed handle face the same direction, and the rotating handle is located above the fixed handle; both the inner container and the outer container have an open upper half structure, and the inner container is smaller than the outer container; a rigid sleeve is also connected to the fixed handle, the rigid sleeve has a circular cross-section, and the outer end of the rotating handle is sleeved inside the rigid sleeve (the outer end of the rotating handle refers to the end away from the inner container; similarly, in the following description, the outer end of the telescopic rod refers to the end away from the inner container, and the inner end of the telescopic rod refers to the end close to the inner container).

[0009] Furthermore, both the outer container and the inner container are spoon-shaped structures with an arc-shaped indentation in the middle.

[0010] Furthermore, the inoculation device also includes a telescopic handle that engages with the outside of the fixed handle, and the telescopic handle is slidably connected to the fixed handle.

[0011] Furthermore, a telescopic rod is also fitted inside the rigid sleeve, with the outer end of the telescopic rod protruding beyond the end of the rigid sleeve, and the inner end of the telescopic rod connected to the rotating handle.

[0012] Furthermore, the telescopic rod is connected to the handle via a universal joint; the rigid sleeve is also provided with an obtuse angle bend, which divides the rigid sleeve into a front section and a rear section. The handle is located inside the front section of the sleeve, and the telescopic rod is located inside the rear section of the sleeve. That is, at this time, the telescopic rod and the handle also form an obtuse angle.

[0013] Furthermore, a pin is hinged to the fixed handle, and the axis of the pin is perpendicular to the length direction of the fixed handle; the rear section of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the pin.

[0014] Furthermore, a return spring is also provided between the rear section of the sleeve and the external fixing handle.

[0015] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] After adopting this technology, the sampling amount for each vaccination operation is fixed, unlike existing technologies that rely on human experience. Therefore, the vaccination standard can be uniformly quantified, and a standardized vaccination technology system can be established.

[0017] In addition, this technical solution also has the following characteristics:

[0018] 1. While culture dishes offer ease of operation in Wharton's collagen inoculation, their open structure prevents the formation of a closed culture environment within the incubator. This makes them susceptible to the introduction of exogenous microorganisms due to airflow disturbances or operational oversights, significantly increasing the risk of contamination. In contrast, the screw-cap closed system of culture flasks creates a highly efficient aseptic barrier, ensuring efficient gas exchange while reducing the probability of contamination. From a large-scale production perspective, the standardized configuration of culture flasks allows for precise control of culture conditions, meeting the stringent requirements for uniform cell community distribution and consistent proliferative activity in large-scale expansion. Therefore, the uniformity of tissue inoculation becomes particularly important.

[0019] 2. Existing technologies generally use culture containers with deep openings. However, the existing equipment is difficult to operate, time-consuming, and labor-intensive during inoculation, which further leads to poor uniformity of the inoculated tissue mass, affecting the harvesting efficiency and quality stability of primary cells. This invention, however, uses a telescopic component (including a telescopic handle and a telescopic rod) to achieve inoculation in deep-well culture containers, meeting the stringent requirements for batch-to-batch consistency in large-scale cell preparation, and its operation is much simpler. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram (side view) of an inoculation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram (top view) of an inoculation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the telescopic rod and the rotating handle in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the inner container after it has been rotated 180° in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0025] Reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Telescopic rod; 2. Telescopic handle; 3. Rigid sleeve; 4. Fixed handle; 5. Pin; 6. Rotary handle; 7. Inner container; 8. Outer container; 9. Return spring; 10. Universal joint. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment of the present invention provides an inoculation device, including an outer container 8, an inner container 7 sleeved inside the outer container 8, a fixing handle 4 fixedly connected to the outer container 8, and a rotating handle 6 fixedly connected to the inner container 7; the rotating handle 6 has a cylindrical structure, the rotating handle 6 and the fixing handle 4 face the same direction, and the rotating handle 6 is located above the fixing handle 4; both the inner container 7 and the outer container 8 have an open upper half structure, and the inner container 7 is smaller than the outer container 8; a rigid sleeve 3 is also connected to the fixing handle 4, the rigid sleeve 3 has a circular cross-section, and the outer end of the rotating handle 6 is sleeved inside the rigid sleeve 3.

[0028] To address the aforementioned problems, this technical solution includes an inoculation device consisting of a double-layered container. The inner container 7 can rotate around the handle 6. During application, the inner container 7 and the outer container 8 are inserted into the tissue block. One hand holds the fixing handle 4, while the other hand rotates the handle 6 to rotate the inner container 7 180°, thus forming... Figure 4 As shown, the inner container 7 is fastened above the outer container 8. At this time, the grasped tissue mass will be temporarily stored in the closed cavity formed by the inner container 7 and the outer container 8. Even if there is shaking or the overall angle of the device is flipped during the movement of the inoculation device, the tissue block between the inner container 7 and the outer container 8 will not fall out. At the same time, since the volume of the cavity between the inner container 7 and the outer container 8 is fixed, the number of tissue blocks grasped each time is also fixed, thus ensuring the quantification of each inoculation operation, which is conducive to establishing a standardized inoculation technology system.

[0029] Furthermore, the outer container 8 and the inner container 7 can have various shapes, as long as they have a cavity in the middle and the inner container 7 does not interfere with the outer container 8 when it rotates. However, the preferred form is a spoon-shaped structure with an arc-shaped depression in the middle. Therefore, the outer container 8 and the inner container 7 can also be referred to as the outer spoon body and the inner spoon body, respectively.

[0030] Furthermore, to accommodate culture containers with deep openings, the inoculation device also includes a telescopic handle 2 that engages with the outside of the fixed handle 4, the telescopic handle 2 being slidably connected to the fixed handle 4. Figure 2As shown, both the telescopic handle 2 and the fixed handle 4 have grooves, and they are nested together through the grooves. When the telescopic handle 2 is pulled outward, the lower part (inner end) of the telescopic handle 2 will slide along the groove, thereby shortening the length of the telescopic handle 2 embedded in the fixed handle 4, that is, the length adjustment of the telescopic handle 2 is realized.

[0031] Furthermore, a telescopic rod 1 is also fitted inside the rigid sleeve 3. The outer end of the telescopic rod 1 protrudes beyond the end of the rigid sleeve 3, and the inner end of the telescopic rod 1 is connected to the rotating handle 6. The telescopic rod 1 expands the operating range of the rotating handle 6, allowing the operator to directly rotate the outer end of the telescopic rod 1 to drive the rotating handle 6 below to rotate, without needing to directly operate the rotating handle 6. The telescopic rod 1 itself also has a nested multi-layered structure, allowing the outer components to slide axially by pulling, thereby achieving axial extension of the telescopic rod 1, making it more suitable for culture containers with deep openings.

[0032] Furthermore, the telescopic rod 1 is connected to the rotating handle 6 via a universal joint 10; the rigid sleeve 3 is also provided with an obtuse angle bend, which divides the rigid sleeve 3 into a front section and a rear section, with the rotating handle 6 located in the front section and the telescopic rod 1 located in the rear section.

[0033] This bending design makes the inoculation device appear... Figure 1 The state shown is such that when the handle 6 is not in operation, it is horizontal, with the bottom surface of the inner container 7 resting against the bottom surface of the outer container 8. A large angle exists between the outer end of the telescopic rod 1 and the telescopic handle 2, providing more space for both hands to grip the handle 2 and the rod 1, thus avoiding interference. However, after a bend, an angle of the same angle exists between the telescopic rod 1 and the handle 6. In this case, a [specific feature] should be provided at the connection point between the two. Figure 3 The universal joint 10 shown changes the direction of power transmission, ensuring that the handle 6 can rotate synchronously with the telescopic rod 1.

[0034] Furthermore, a pin 5 is hinged to the fixing handle 4, and the axis of the pin 5 is perpendicular to the length direction of the fixing handle 4; the rear section of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the pin 5.

[0035] Instead of fixing the rigid sleeve 3, the rigid sleeve 3 is connected to a rotatable pin 5. This design has the advantage that after the inoculation device reaches the target position, pressing down on the telescopic rod 1 causes the telescopic rod 1 to drive the pin 5 to rotate. This causes the rear section of the sleeve to move closer to the telescopic handle 2, while the front section of the sleeve lifts upward. The front section of the sleeve then drives the rotating handle 6 to lift the inner container 7 and separate it from the outer container 8. At this point, the tissue block stored between the inner container 7 and the outer container 8 will fall off and be inoculated onto the inner wall of the container. Therefore, this design allows for rapid operation and, due to its simplicity, results in higher inoculation accuracy. Without this structure, the telescopic rod 1 must be rotated again to flip the inner container 7 during inoculation. This method is complex and slow, and since the inner container 7 and the outer container 8 are already inside the culture container, the complex operation may lead to a decrease in the accuracy of the inoculation position.

[0036] Furthermore, a return spring 9 is provided between the rear section of the sleeve and the outer fixing handle 4. After the tissue block is completely removed, the inner container 7 will automatically return to its initial state when the telescopic rod 1 is no longer pressed.

[0037] The technical solution will be described in detail below with a specific embodiment:

[0038] The inoculation device in this specific embodiment consists of an outer spoon and an inner spoon. The outer spoon is fixed to a fixed handle 4, and the lower part of the telescopic handle 2 can slide axially along a groove built into the upper part of the fixed handle 4 to adjust the length of the telescopic handle 2. The inner spoon is fixed to a rotating handle 6 at the lower end, which is movably connected to the lower part of the telescopic rod 1 via a universal joint 10. When the lower part of the telescopic rod 1 is rotated around its axis, the inner spoon can be driven to complete a 360° rotation through the spatial transmission characteristics of the universal joint 10. The telescopic rod 1 can slide nestedly along its internal cavity to achieve axial extension of the telescopic rod 1. The universal joint 10 connecting the rotating handle 6 and the telescopic rod 1 is covered with a metal protective rigid sleeve 3, which is connected to the fixed handle 4 via a pin 5. A return spring 9 is provided on the outside of the rigid sleeve 3, which can drive the inner spoon to move in the opposite direction to the convex surface by pressing down the telescopic rod 1, thus completing the tissue block grasping and release action. In this inoculation device, both the outer and inner spoon bodies are made of medical-grade polymer materials, the return spring 9 is made of medical-grade nickel-titanium alloy, and the remaining parts are made of medical-grade stainless steel.

[0039] The operation process is as follows:

[0040] Before inoculating with Wharton's jelly, the shredded tissue block should be pre-stored in a 50ml sterile centrifuge tube. During the procedure, insert the inner and outer spoons into the tissue block, rotate the telescopic rod 1 to rotate the inner spoon 180°, temporarily storing the grasped tissue mass in the closed cavity formed by the inner and outer spoons. Then remove the inoculation device. Next, insert the inner and outer spoons into the pre-prepared culture system (if using a deep culture container, extend the telescopic handle 2 and telescopic rod 1 to the preset length beforehand to ensure the outer spoon can reach the bottom of the container). Once the outer spoon reaches the target position, press the telescopic rod 1 to separate the inner and outer spoons, inoculating the tissue mass in the closed cavity onto the inner wall of the container. After inoculation, release the telescopic rod 1, and the return spring 9 will reset the container. If the tissue mass is difficult to release due to its high viscosity, the telescopic rod 1 can be rotated to reset the inner spoon body, and then the telescopic rod 1 can be pressed down (to deal with the situation where some tissue is stuck inside the inner spoon body and cannot be removed after rotation and reset), so that the inner spoon body fits against the culture surface, thus completing the precise inoculation of the tissue mass.

[0041] In the above detailed description, various features are combined together in a single embodiment to simplify this disclosure. This approach to disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that embodiments of the claimed subject matter require more features than are explicitly stated in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the appended claims, the invention is presented with fewer features than all of the features in a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the appended claims are hereby explicitly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim representing a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0042] The disclosed embodiments have been described above to enable any person skilled in the art to implement or use this invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments given herein, but is consistent with the widest scope of the principles and novel features disclosed in this application.

[0043] The above specific embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solution and beneficial effects of this utility model. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. An inoculation device, characterized in that, It includes an outer container (8), an inner container (7) fitted inside the outer container (8), a fixed handle (4) fixedly connected to the outer container (8), and a rotating handle (6) fixedly connected to the inner container (7); The rotating handle (6) has a cylindrical structure, the rotating handle (6) and the fixed handle (4) are oriented in the same direction, and the rotating handle (6) is located above the fixed handle (4); Both the inner container (7) and the outer container (8) are open at the top, and the inner container (7) is smaller than the outer container (8). A rigid sleeve (3) is also connected to the fixed handle (4). The rigid sleeve (3) has a circular cross-section, and the outer end of the rotating handle (6) is fitted inside the rigid sleeve (3).

2. The inoculation device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the outer container (8) and the inner container (7) are spoon-shaped structures with an arc-shaped depression in the middle.

3. The inoculation device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a telescopic handle (2) that engages with the outside of the fixed handle (4), and the telescopic handle (2) is slidably connected to the fixed handle (4).

4. The inoculation device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, A telescopic rod (1) is also fitted inside the rigid sleeve (3). The outer end of the telescopic rod (1) protrudes beyond the end of the rigid sleeve (3), and the inner end of the telescopic rod (1) is connected to the handle (6).

5. The inoculation device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The telescopic rod (1) is connected to the rotating handle (6) via a universal joint (10); the rigid sleeve (3) is also provided with an obtuse angle bend, which divides the rigid sleeve (3) into a front section and a rear section, the rotating handle (6) is located in the front section of the sleeve, and the telescopic rod (1) is located in the rear section of the sleeve.

6. The inoculation device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A pin (5) is hinged to the fixed handle (4), and the axis of the pin (5) is perpendicular to the length direction of the fixed handle (4); the rear section of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the pin (5).

7. The inoculation device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, A return spring (9) is also provided between the rear section of the sleeve and the outer fixing handle (4).

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