Centrifugal test tube capable of precise layering and separation method

Abstract

The application provides a centrifugal test tube capable of precise layering and a separation method, and belongs to the technical field of centrifugal test tubes. To solve the problem that after layering, the sample is too small, the test tube diameter is large, and misdiagnosis or false negative may occur; or after centrifugation of bloody effusion, the sample is divided into three layers, and it is difficult to take out the middle layer, or after processing blood cells, brown or black color appears, and it is difficult to see the layering. The test tube comprises a test tube body and a lower sampling part, the upper end of the test tube body is provided with a detachable test tube cover, the lower end of the test tube body is a conical structure, the bottom of the conical structure is provided with a visible layering area, the lower sampling part is detachably connected with the visible layering area, and the lower sampling part is used for adjusting and storing the separated sample or the sample and blood content. Since the supernatant does not need to be taken out, the content of the separated sample is greatly reduced, the content of the abandoned sample is small, when the content of the sample itself is small, the separation loss is reduced, and the possibility of misdiagnosis or false negative is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of centrifuge tube technology, and more specifically, to a centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification and a separation method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] Malignant tumors in almost all systems of the human body can potentially spread to the serous cavity, with lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer being the most common. Among these, metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma is the most frequent, often caused by tumor cell destruction or tumor emboli obstructing lymphatic vessels and blood vessels, thus frequently resulting in bloody serous cavity effusion. Early diagnosis can often be made through cytological testing of serous cavity effusion. The cytological testing of serous cavity effusion typically involves injecting the collected serous cavity effusion into a test tube, centrifuging it, discarding the supernatant, and using the lower sediment as the sample. The sample needs to be mixed with egg white or agar for solidification, embedded, and then sectioned for observation.

[0003] However, in routine laboratory procedures, about 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the serous cavity effusion contains blood. After centrifugation, the contents from top to bottom are supernatant, sample, and blood, while the middle layer contains less sample and is easily mixed with blood when obtained. For ease of sampling, acetic acid and ethanol are generally used to treat bloody effusions. The swelling of tumor cells by acetic acid and the contraction of tumor cells by ethanol can cancel each other out. In bloody pleural effusions where the precipitate moves after centrifugation, the background of erythrocyte dissolution is clean. However, in bloody pleural effusions where the acetic acid dissolves erythrocyte fragments, the background staining is darkened, i.e., the inner wall of the centrifuge tube is brown or even black, making it impossible to see the internal layers and making it difficult to determine whether the entire sample has been obtained. For dark red, thick bloody pleural effusions, there are often too many erythrocytes and too few effective tumor cells during sampling; the mixing of erythrocytes, tumor cells, and protein mucus interferes with the separation of tumor cells, which can cause problems for subsequent immunocytochemical staining and molecular detection, potentially leading to missed diagnoses or false negatives.

[0004] Meanwhile, for some types of tumors, the sample volume after centrifugation is small, and the existing centrifuge tubes have a large diameter. After embedding, the sample thickness is less than 0.3 cm. When observing the slides, 0.1 cm to 0.2 cm needs to be removed in advance, and the remaining sample is difficult to extract again, which may also lead to missed diagnosis or false negative. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is:

[0006] To address the issues that existing centrifuge tubes may cause missed diagnoses or false negatives due to insufficient sample size after stratification and large tube diameter; or that bloody effusion may separate into three layers after centrifugation, making it difficult to extract the middle layer; or that blood cells may appear brown or black after processing, making it difficult to see the stratification.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0008] This invention provides a centrifuge tube with precise layering, including a tube body, a detachable tube cap at the upper end of the tube body, and a lower sampling component. The lower end of the tube body has a conical structure with a visible layering area at the bottom. The lower sampling component is detachably connected to the visible layering area. The lower sampling component is used to adjust and store the separated sample or sample and blood content.

[0009] Furthermore, the lower sampling component includes a visually layered area connecting part that is connected and integrally formed and a volume adjustment tube. The volume adjustment tube is provided with a sampling adjustment valve inside. The sampling adjustment valve is threadedly connected to the inner wall of the volume adjustment tube and is connected to an operating rod.

[0010] Furthermore, a piston is provided on the upper end face of the sampling regulating valve.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the visible layered area is 0.05cm-0.8cm.

[0012] Furthermore, the outer wall of the test tube body is provided with graduations.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a middle layer sampling component, which includes a central storage cavity. One end of the storage area is provided with a visual separation connection part, and the other end of the storage cavity is provided with a visual separation part. The test tube body is connected to the middle layer sampling component and the lower layer sampling component in sequence.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a connector, which is a plate structure. The connector has grooves on both the upper and lower sides and a flow guide hole. The ends of the visible layer area and the connecting part of the visible layer area are provided with sliders, and the sliders are engaged with the grooves and can slide along the extension direction of the grooves. When sampling is required, the visible layer area and the connecting part of the visible layer area are slid to the flow guide hole, so that the test tube body and the lower sampling component are in a connected state. When sampling is not required, the visible layer area or the connecting part of the visible layer area is slid and offset from the flow guide hole.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a sealing element that is detachably connected to the visible layered area.

[0016] Furthermore, a layering line is provided in the middle of the outer wall of the visible layering area. When the visible separation connecting part is connected to the visible layering area, the upper surface of the visible separation connecting part is lower than the layering line.

[0017] A precise stratification separation method using a separation test tube includes the following steps: connecting the test tube body and the lower sampling component, adjusting the volume of the lower sampling component to its minimum content, placing serous cavity effusion into the test tube body, tightening the test tube cap, and centrifuging to separate the layers. When two layers are separated, the test tube cap is removed, and the volume of the lower sampling component is adjusted according to the sample volume to ensure the stratification interface is within the visible stratification area. The test tube cap is tightened again, and further centrifugation is performed to make the stratification interface clearer. The stratification interface is observed to ensure it is within the visible stratification area. If the stratification interface is not within the visible stratification area, the above operation needs to be repeated to further fine-tune the volume of the lower sampling component so that the stratification interface is precisely located at the midline of the visible stratification area. The test tube cap is then tightened to disconnect the test tube body and the lower sampling component, completing the sampling. When three layers are separated after centrifugation, the test tube cap is removed, the above operation is repeated, the bottom blood is drained, and the above operation is repeated again to obtain the sample.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0019] The present invention provides a centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification, comprising a tube body and a lower sampling component. The upper end of the tube body is provided with a detachable tube cap, and the lower end of the tube body is a conical structure with a visible stratification area at the bottom of the conical structure. The lower sampling component is detachably connected to the visible stratification area and is used to adjust and store the separated sample or the sample and blood content.

[0020] Because the visible layering area is the bottom of a cone-shaped structure with an inner diameter smaller than that of the main body of the test tube, when the centrifuged serous cavity fluid separates into supernatant and sample, the sample is taken out and stored in the lower sampling component. After observing that the interface between the sample and supernatant is located within the visible layering area, the test tube cap is tightened, and the main body of the test tube is separated from the lower sampling component to obtain the completely separated sample. When the centrifuged serous cavity fluid separates into supernatant, sample, and blood, the blood at the bottom layer is first taken out into the lower sampling component and discarded, and then the above operation is repeated to obtain the sample.

[0021] Compared to existing separation tubes, there is no need to remove the supernatant, and the supernatant content in the separated sample is greatly reduced. Furthermore, the small-diameter layered interface results in less sample being discarded when separating the main body of the tube from the lower sampling component. When the sample content is low, separation loss is reduced, thus lowering the possibility of missed diagnoses or false negatives. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional view of a centrifuge tube capable of precise layering according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is the structure of a centrifuge tube capable of precise layering in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 3 This is the structure of a centrifuge tube capable of precise layering in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0025] Figure 4 This is the structure of a centrifuge tube capable of precise layering in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0026] Figure 5 This is the structure of a centrifuge tube capable of precise layering in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 ;

[0027] Figure 6 This is the structure of a centrifuge tube capable of precise layering in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 ;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the connector in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 1. Test tube cap; 2. Test tube body; 3. Scale; 4. Visible layering area; 5. Middle layer sampling component; 6. Lower layer sampling component; 7. Piston; 8. Sampling regulating valve; 9. Operating lever; 10. Operating knob; 11. Supernatant; 12. Sample; 13. Blood; 15. Connector; 601. Small-dose lower sampling component; 1501. Slide groove; 1502. Drainage hole. Detailed Implementation

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms used in the various embodiments, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," and "right," which indicate orientation, are only used to simplify the description of the positional relationships based on the accompanying drawings and do not mean that the components and devices referred to must be operated in accordance with the specific orientations and defined operations, methods, and structures in the specification. Such directional terms do not constitute a limitation of this invention.

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Specific Implementation Plan 1: Combining Figures 1 to 7As shown, the present invention provides a centrifuge tube capable of precise layering. The centrifuge tube includes a tube body 2 and a lower sampling component 6. The upper end of the tube body 2 is provided with a detachable tube cap 1, and the lower end of the tube body 2 has a conical structure with a visible layering area 4 at the bottom of the conical structure. The lower sampling component 6 is detachably connected to the visible layering area 4. The lower sampling component 6 is used to adjust and store the content of the separated sample 12 or sample 12 and blood 13.

[0034] Since the visible layering area 4 has a conical bottom and its inner diameter is smaller than that of the test tube body 2, when the centrifuged serous cavity fluid is separated into supernatant 11 and sample 12, sample 12 is taken out and stored in the lower sampling component 6. After observing that the layering interface between sample 12 and supernatant 11 is located in the visible layering area 4, the test tube cap 1 is tightened, and the test tube body 2 is separated from the lower sampling component 6 to obtain the completely separated sample 12. When the centrifuged serous cavity fluid is separated into supernatant 11, sample 12 and blood 13, the bottom layer of blood 13 is first taken out into the lower sampling component 6 and discarded, and then the above operation is repeated to obtain sample 12.

[0035] Compared to existing separation tubes, it is not necessary to remove the supernatant 11, and the content of supernatant 11 in the separated sample 12 is greatly reduced. In addition, the small-diameter layered interface results in less discarded sample 12 when separating the test tube body 2 from the lower sampling component 6. When the content of sample 12 itself is low, separation loss is reduced, and the possibility of missed diagnosis or false negative is reduced.

[0036] Specific Implementation Plan Two: Combining Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the lower sampling component 6 includes a connected and integrally formed visible layered area connecting part and a sampling volume adjustment tube. A sampling adjustment valve 8 is provided inside the sampling volume adjustment tube. The sampling adjustment valve 8 is threadedly connected to the inner wall of the sampling volume adjustment tube. The sampling adjustment valve 8 is connected to an operating rod 9, which is used to rotate the operating rod 9 to drive the sampling adjustment valve 8 to rotate, causing the sampling adjustment valve 8 to move up and down, thereby adjusting the sampling volume. Other combinations and connections in this embodiment are the same as in specific embodiment one. The sampling adjustment valve 8 used to adjust the sampling volume can also be other existing structures that adjust the sampling volume by moving the sampling adjustment valve 8 up and down.

[0037] Specific Implementation Plan Three: Combining Figure 5As shown, the lower sampling component 6 is a small-dose lower sampling component 601. The small-dose lower sampling component 601 includes a sampling body and an adjustment knob. The sampling body has a cylindrical structure, and the adjustment knob is located inside the sampling body and is threadedly connected to it. It is used when the sample 12 content is extremely low, such as when collecting cerebrospinal fluid or aqueous humor from the eye. The sample 12 is screwed into the sampling body, and agar is added from the top of the sampling body for solidification. The solidified sample is then screwed out through the adjustment knob to obtain sample 12. Other combinations and connections in this embodiment are the same as in specific embodiment one.

[0038] The rotation adjustment makes it easy to adjust the sampling speed. For the three-layer separation layer, it can avoid the phenomenon of blood 13 and sample 12 mixing due to excessive sampling speed.

[0039] Preferably, the upper end face of the sampling regulating valve 8 is provided with a piston 7 to prevent blood 13 or sample 12 from leaking from the gap between the sampling regulating valve 8 and the volume regulating rod.

[0040] Preferably, the piston 7 is a rubber piston, which has good sealing properties.

[0041] Preferably, the inner diameter of the visible layered area 4 is 0.05cm-0.8cm.

[0042] Preferably, the outer wall of the test tube body 2 is provided with a scale 3 to facilitate reading the content of the sample 12 after stratification.

[0043] Preferably, the end of the operating lever 9 is provided with an operating knob 10 for easy operation.

[0044] Specific Implementation Plan Four: Combining Figures 1 to 5 As shown, it also includes a middle-layer sampling component 5, which includes a central storage cavity. One end of the storage cavity has a visual separation connection, and the other end has a visual separation part. The test tube body 2 is sequentially connected to the middle-layer sampling component 5 and the lower-layer sampling component 6. This is suitable for serous cavity effusions separated into three layers after centrifugation. Sample 12 is located within the storage cavity. The layering interface between sample 12 and supernatant 11 is located within the test tube body 2 or within the visual separation connection of the test tube body 2. The layering interface between sample 12 and blood 13 is located within the lower-layer sampling component 6. This ensures that the middle-layer sampling component 5 contains only sample 12, eliminating the need to break up blood cells and preventing the formation of visible layers due to broken-up blood cells adhering to the walls. Other combinations and connections in this implementation scheme are the same as in specific implementation scheme two.

[0045] Preferably, the volume of the storage cavity is 1 ml, 2 ml, or 3 ml, but other volumes are also possible, which can be changed and adjusted according to the content of sample 12. During operation, the effusion in the serous cavity is first centrifuged to separate layers. The volume of sample 12 is read according to the scale 3 on the test tube body 2, and then the middle layer sampling component 5 with the corresponding volume is selected.

[0046] Preferably, the volume of the storage cavity should be smaller than the volume of sample 12. This is to avoid mixing of supernatant 11 or blood 13 within the storage cavity.

[0047] Preferably, the volume of the test tube body 2 is 15ml or 50ml, which conforms to the volume specifications of existing centrifuge test tubes and can be used in existing centrifuges.

[0048] Specific Implementation Plan Five: Combining Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, it also includes a connector 15, which is a plate structure. The connector 15 has grooves 1501 on both its upper and lower sides, and a flow guide hole 1502. The ends of the visible layered area 4 and the connecting part of the visible layered area are each provided with a slider, which is engaged with the groove 1501 and can slide along the extension direction of the groove 1501. When sampling is required, the visible layered area 4 and the connecting part of the visible layered area are slid to the flow guide hole 1502, so that the test tube body 2 and the lower sampling component 6 are in a connected state. When sampling is not required, the visible layered area 4 or the connecting part of the visible layered area is slid and offset from the flow guide hole 1502. Other combinations and connection relationships in this embodiment are the same as in specific embodiment four.

[0049] Furthermore, the connector 15 can be used to seal the test tube body 2 or the lower sampling component 6.

[0050] Preferably, it also includes a sealing component, which is detachably connected to the visible layered area 4, so as to facilitate placing the test tube body 2 into the centrifuge for centrifugation.

[0051] Preferably, a layering line is provided in the middle of the outer wall of the visible layering area 4. When the visible separation connecting part is connected to the visible layering area 4, the upper end surface of the visible separation connecting part is lower than the layering line. The layering line facilitates observation of the position of the layering interface and prevents blood 13 from mixing with sample 12.

[0052] Specific Implementation Plan Six: Combining Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this invention provides a precise separation method using the aforementioned separation test tube. The specific steps are as follows:

[0053] Connect the test tube body 2 and the lower sampling component 6. Adjust the volume of the lower sampling component 6 to the minimum content. After placing the serous cavity effusion into the test tube body 2, tighten the test tube cap 1 and centrifuge to separate the layers. When it separates into two layers, remove the test tube cap 1. Adjust the volume of the lower sampling component 6 according to the sample 12 volume so that the separation interface is located within the visible separation area 4. Tighten the test tube cap 1 and centrifuge again to make the separation interface clearer. Observe whether the separation interface is located within the visible separation area 4. If the separation interface is not within the visible separation area 4, repeat the above operation to further fine-tune the volume of the lower sampling component 6 so that the separation interface is accurately located at the midline of the visible separation area 4. Tighten the test tube cap 1 to disconnect the test tube body 2 and the lower sampling component 6 to complete the sampling. This ensures that the obtained sample 12 contains very little supernatant 11 or blood 13. When it separates into three layers after centrifugation, remove the test tube cap 1 and repeat the above operation to drain the blood 13 at the bottom. Repeat the above operation to obtain sample 12. The other combinations and connections in this implementation scheme are the same as in Specific Implementation Scheme 3.

[0054] If the layers are uneven after sampling by the lower sampling component 6, centrifugation can be performed again and sampling can be performed again.

[0055] Preferably, the visible layer area 4 of the middle layer sampling component 5 can be sealed with a rubber stopper.

[0056] While the present invention has been disclosed above, its scope of protection is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such changes and modifications will fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A centrifuge tube capable of precise layering, comprising a tube body (2), wherein the upper end of the tube body (2) is provided with a detachable tube cap (1), characterized in that: It also includes a lower sampling component (6), the lower end of the test tube body (2) is a conical structure and the bottom of the conical structure is provided with a visible layering area (4), the lower sampling component (6) is detachably connected to the visible layering area (4); the lower sampling component (6) is used to adjust the volume of the separated sample (12) or sample (12) and blood (13) so that the layering interface is located in the visible layering area (4) and stores the separated sample (12) or sample (12) and blood (13); The lower sampling component (6) includes a visually layered area connecting part that is connected and integrally formed and a sampling adjustment tube. The sampling adjustment tube is provided with a sampling adjustment valve (8) inside. The sampling adjustment valve (8) is connected to the operating rod (9). The upper end face of the sampling regulating valve is provided with a piston (7); The visible layered area (4) has a layered line in the middle of its outer wall.

2. The centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sampling regulating valve (8) is connected to the inner wall of the sampling regulating tube by a thread.

3. A centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the visible layered area (4) is 0.05cm-0.8cm.

4. A centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer wall of the test tube body (2) is provided with graduations (3).

5. A centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a middle sampling component (5), which includes a storage cavity in the middle, a visual separation connection part at one end of the storage cavity, and a visual separation part at the other end of the storage cavity. The test tube body (2) is connected to the middle sampling component (5) and the lower sampling component (6) in sequence.

6. A centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a connector (15), which is a plate structure. The connector (15) has a sliding groove (1501) on both the upper and lower sides and a guide hole (1502) on both sides. The visible layer area (4) and the end of the visible layer area connection are both provided with sliders. The sliders are engaged with the sliding groove (1501) and can slide along the extension direction of the sliding groove (1501). When sampling is required, the visible layer area (4) and the visible layer area connection are slid to the guide hole (1502) so that the test tube body (2) and the lower sampling component (6) are in a connected state. When sampling is not required, the visible layer area (4) or the visible layer area connection is slid and offset from the guide hole (1502).

7. A centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a sealing element that is detachably connected to the visible layered area (4).

8. A centrifuge tube capable of precise stratification according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the visual separation connection part is connected to the visual layering area (4), the upper surface of the visual separation connection part is lower than the layering line.

9. A precise separation method, utilizing a precise separation centrifuge tube as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The steps are as follows: Connect the test tube body (2) and the lower sampling component (6). Adjust the volume of the lower sampling component (6) to the minimum volume. Put the serous cavity effusion into the test tube body (2) and then tighten the test tube cap (1). Perform centrifugation to separate the layers. When the layers are separated into two, remove the test tube cap (1). Adjust the volume of the lower sampling component (6) according to the sample (12) amount so that the separation interface is located in the visible separation area (4). Tighten the test tube cap (1) and perform further centrifugation to make the separation interface clearer and observe the separation. If the interface is not within the visible layering area (4), the above operation needs to be repeated to further fine-tune the volume of the lower sampling component (6) so that the layering interface is precisely located in the center line of the visible layering area (4). Tighten the test tube cap (1) to disconnect the test tube body (2) and the lower sampling component (6) to complete the sampling. When the test tube is divided into three layers after centrifugation, remove the test tube cap (1), repeat the above operation, drain the blood at the bottom (13), and repeat the above operation to obtain the sample (12).

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