A centrifuge tube and assembly for making cell wax blocks

Abstract

The application discloses a centrifugal tube and assembly for making cell wax blocks. The centrifugal tube comprises a ball-sac-equipped inner thread top cover, a centrifugal tube body composed of a funnel part and a cell enrichment tube, a cell collection capsule, a bottom pad and a bottom-sealed inner thread cover. The cell collection capsule and the bottom pad are arranged inside the cell enrichment tube to collect cells and can be taken in and out of the lower opening of the cell enrichment tube. After installation, detection liquid is added to the centrifugal tube body, and the centrifugal tube body is centrifuged by a centrifugal machine. The cells in the liquid are settled in the collection capsule. The bottom thread cover is unscrewed, the ball sac is pressed, and the cell collection capsule with the internal cell sediment is discharged from the lower opening of the cell enrichment tube under the hydraulic action. Then, the cell collection capsule is taken with the capsule cap and is placed in 10% neutral formalin solution for fixation. The fixing solution gradually penetrates into the cell mass, and the cell sediment gradually forms a certain shape and hardness. In this way, the cell wax block is simple and convenient to make and is not limited by the small amount of cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cell pathology technology, specifically to centrifuge tubes for preparing cell paraffin blocks. Background Technology

[0002] Cell blocks are primarily used for clinical examinations of serous cavity effusions and in vitro cultured cell specimens. The process involves centrifuging to collect the underlying cell sediment, followed by dehydration and paraffin embedding to create the blocks. After subsequent sectioning and staining, these blocks can be observed under a microscope, just like regular histopathological specimens, and a pathological report can be generated. They also preserve cells for subsequent immunohistochemistry and gene molecular detection. Currently, the common method for preparing cell blocks involves centrifuging centrifuge tubes for a few minutes, discarding the supernatant after cell precipitation, and then scraping the cell sediment onto embedding paper for further dehydration and embedding. However, this method often results in loose and fragile cell clusters, and in cases of low cell counts, the clusters are difficult to remove, leading to preparation failure. Sometimes, multiple centrifugations are required, resulting in a prolonged preparation time. This process can damage antigens and molecules within the cells, affecting the results of subsequent immunohistochemistry and molecular detection. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a centrifuge tube and components for making cell wax blocks.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, the centrifuge tube involved in this technical solution comprises the following structure: ① a threaded top cap with a balloon, ② a centrifuge tube body, ③ a centrifuge tube funnel, ④ a cell enrichment tube, ⑤ a cell collection capsule, ⑥ a bottom pad, and ⑦ a threaded cap for sealing the bottom. The centrifuge tube body, the centrifuge tube funnel, and the cell enrichment tube are fixedly connected to form the main body of the centrifuge tube, while the remaining components are matching, detachable parts.

[0005] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structure: the centrifuge tube body, the centrifuge tube funnel, and the cell enrichment tube are fixedly connected in a top-to-bottom order, with continuous tube walls and interconnected lumens. The centrifuge tube body, the centrifuge tube funnel, and the cell enrichment tube are all made of transparent material.

[0006] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structure: the centrifuge tube body is a relatively thick cylindrical structure with external threads on its top outer wall, and its lower part is fixedly connected to the upper opening of the centrifuge tube funnel.

[0007] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structure: the cell enrichment tube is a thin cylindrical structure with external threads on its bottom outer wall, and its upper part is fixedly connected to the lower opening of the centrifuge tube funnel.

[0008] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structure: the centrifuge tube funnel is a transitional part connecting the centrifuge tube body and the cell enrichment tube, and the tube diameter decreases from top to bottom.

[0009] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structure: the balloon in the internally threaded cap is a hollow hemispherical air bladder with an opening inward. It can deform under pressure, converting the pressure acting on the balloon into air pressure transmitted to the opening. The internal thread of the cap matches the external thread on the outer wall of the top of the centrifuge tube to form a detachable connection. A sealing ring is provided at the connection between the internally threaded cap with the balloon and the centrifuge tube.

[0010] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structure: the inner wall of the threaded cap at the sealed bottom is threaded, and a detachable connection is formed by matching the internal thread with the external thread at the bottom of the cell enrichment tube. A sealing ring is provided at the connection between the internal threaded cap at the sealed bottom and the cell enrichment tube.

[0011] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structures: the cell collection capsule is a capsule-shaped shell through which water molecules and small molecules can easily pass, while large cells cannot pass through the capsule shell. The diameter of the cell collection capsule is smaller than and very close to the inner diameter of the cell enrichment tube. When placed inside the cell enrichment tube, it can move up and down inside the cell enrichment tube and can enter the lower opening of the cell enrichment tube.

[0012] The centrifuge tubes and components involved in this technical solution also include the following structure: the outer diameter of the bottom pad is smaller than and very close to the inner diameter of the cell enrichment tube, it is placed at the bottom of the cell enrichment tube, it is placed below the cell collection capsule, and it can enter and exit the lower opening of the cell enrichment tube. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The disclosure of this invention patent is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention patent.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the centrifuge tube used in the present invention for making cell wax blocks.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internally threaded cap and sealing ring with a balloon according to the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the centrifuge tube used in the present invention for making cell wax blocks.

[0017] Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 31. The internally threaded cap with a balloon, 2. Centrifuge tube body, 3. Centrifuge tube funnel, 4. Cell enrichment tube, 5. Cell collection capsule, 6. Bottom pad, 7. Threaded cap for sealing the bottom and the corresponding spiral groove at the bottom of the centrifuge tube. 2, 3, and 4 are fixed connections, while 1, 5, 6, and 7 are matching detachable components. The sealing ring is not shown in the figure. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Step 1: Connect the above components in sequence: the cell collection capsule, the bottom pad placed inside the cell enrichment tube, the threaded cap sealing the bottom, and the internal threaded cap with the balloon connected to the centrifuge tube body and tightened. After preparation, press the balloon to check the airtightness of the device. If the airtightness is good, proceed to the next step.

[0019] Step 2: Remove the inner threaded cap with the balloon, add the liquid containing cells to be tested into the centrifuge tube, and tighten the inner threaded top cap with the balloon.

[0020] Step 3: After completing Step 2, place the centrifuge tube along with the liquid containing the cells into a centrifuge. After a short centrifugation of 2 to 5 minutes, the cells will gradually descend into the cell enrichment tube with a smaller diameter. Then, the cells will accumulate in the capsule shell, forming a cell block enclosed by the capsule shell.

[0021] Step 4: Remove the inner threaded cap at the bottom of the seal, hold the centrifuge tube body with your hand, squeeze the balloon with your thumb to generate air pressure, and transmit the air pressure to the cell block obtained by centrifugation. By controlling the balloon pressure, the cell enrichment capsule and the internal cell precipitate are discharged through the bottom of the cell enrichment tube.

[0022] Step 5: After separating the cell capsules, add eosin labeling to the cell precipitate and then cap the capsules. The resulting capsules need to be immediately placed in a neutral fixative containing 10% formalin for fixation. As the fixation time increases, the fixative penetrates through the capsule wall into the internal cell precipitate. Under the combined action of the fixative and the capsule shell, the cell precipitate forms a certain shape and hardness. After dehydration, paraffin impregnation, and embedding, a cell block is finally formed for use in tissue sections. After staining, the cells are concentrated, evenly distributed, and the section shape is regular. This also meets the needs of immunohistochemistry and molecular detection.

Claims

1. A centrifuge tube for preparing cell wax blocks, characterized in that, It includes the following structure: a threaded top cap with a balloon, a centrifuge tube body, a centrifuge tube funnel, a cell enrichment tube, a cell collection capsule, a bottom pad, and a threaded cap that seals the bottom. The centrifuge tube body, centrifuge tube funnel, and cell enrichment tube are sequentially and fixedly connected to form the centrifuge tube body. The cell collection capsule is a capsule-shaped shell that allows water molecules and small molecules to easily pass through its shell wall. The diameter of the cell collection capsule is smaller than and very close to the inner diameter of the cell enrichment tube. When placed inside the cell enrichment tube, it can move up and down inside the cell enrichment tube and can enter and exit the lower opening of the cell enrichment tube. The outer diameter of the base pad is smaller than and very close to the inner diameter of the cell enrichment tube. The base pad is a circular component made of soft material, placed at the bottom of the cell enrichment tube and located below the cell collection capsule, and can enter and exit the lower opening of the cell enrichment tube. The balloon in the internally threaded top cover is a hollow hemispherical air bladder made of a compressible material. The balloon opens into the internally threaded top cover, and the inner wall of the internally threaded top cover has threads that match the outer wall threads of the top of the centrifuge tube to form a detachable connection. The inner wall of the threaded cap at the sealed bottom is threaded, which matches the outer wall thread at the bottom of the aforementioned cell enrichment tube to form a detachable connection.

2. The centrifuge tube for preparing cell wax blocks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The centrifuge tube body, centrifuge tube funnel, and cell enrichment tube are fixedly connected, with continuous tube walls and interconnected lumens. The centrifuge tube body, centrifuge tube funnel, and cell enrichment tube are all made of transparent material.

3. The centrifuge tube for preparing cell wax blocks according to claim 2, characterized in that, The centrifuge tube is a cylindrical structure with a relatively large diameter, and its top outer wall is threaded. The lower opening of the centrifuge tube is connected to the upper opening of the centrifuge funnel.

4. The centrifuge tube for preparing cell wax blocks according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cell enrichment tube is a thin, round tube with threads on its bottom outer wall. The cell enrichment tube contains a cell collection capsule and a bottom pad, and its upper opening is connected to the lower opening of the centrifuge tube funnel.

5. The centrifuge tube for preparing cell wax blocks according to claim 2, characterized in that, The centrifuge tube funnel is a funnel-shaped transition section connecting the centrifuge tube body and the cell enrichment tube, with its diameter gradually decreasing from top to bottom.

6. The centrifuge tube for preparing cell wax blocks according to claim 1, characterized in that, Sealing rings are provided at the connection between the internally threaded top cap with the balloon and the centrifuge tube, and at the connection between the threaded cap at the sealed bottom and the cell enrichment tube.

7. The centrifuge tube for preparing cell wax blocks according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Connect all components in sequence: place the cell collection capsule and bottom pad inside the cell enrichment tube, connect the threaded cap at the bottom to the cell enrichment tube, and then connect the inner threaded cap with the balloon to the centrifuge tube. After preparation, press the balloon detection device to ensure airtightness. Step 2: Remove the inner threaded cap with the balloon, add the liquid containing cells to be tested to the centrifuge tube, replace the inner threaded cap with the balloon, and tighten it. Step 3: After completing Step 2, place the centrifuge tube in a centrifuge. After a short centrifugation of 2-5 minutes, the cell components gradually settle, pass through the narrower cell enrichment tube, and finally accumulate in the cell collection capsule, forming a cell mass enclosed by the capsule shell. Step 4: After centrifugation, remove the centrifuge tube from the centrifuge, unscrew the threaded cap at the bottom, and then hold the centrifuge tube by hand. The process involves squeezing the balloon with the thumb to generate air pressure, which is then transmitted to the cell blocks obtained by centrifugation. By controlling the balloon pressure, the cell enrichment capsule, along with the internal cell precipitate, is discharged through the lower end of the cell enrichment tube. Step 5: After separating the cell collection capsule, eosin is added to the cell precipitate. Then, the capsule cap is attached and the capsule is immediately placed in a neutral fixative containing 10% formalin for fixation. As the fixation time increases, the fixative penetrates through the capsule wall and into the internal cell precipitate. Under the combined action of the fixative and the capsule shell, the cell precipitate forms a certain shape and hardness. After dehydration, paraffin embedding, and other procedures using a tissue dehydrator, cell blocks are finally obtained for tissue sectioning. After sectioning and staining, the prepared sections have concentrated and evenly distributed cells, and the sections have regular shapes, making them easy to observe and meeting the needs of immunohistochemistry and molecular detection.

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