A collagen extraction device for preparing a tissue filler

Abstract

This invention discloses a collagen extraction device for preparing tissue fillers. The device includes a mounting frame, an upper tank, a filter cylinder, a drive structure, and a lower tank. The upper tank is fixed on the mounting frame and has a first temperature control jacket on its exterior and a first shearing structure on its inner wall. The filter cylinder is located inside the upper tank, and its outer wall has a second shearing structure arranged in the opposite direction to the first shearing structure to create relative shearing during rotation. The inner wall of the filter cylinder has a selective adsorption membrane, and its bottom is fixed with a drain pipe rotatably connected to the bottom of the upper tank. The drive structure is connected to the filter cylinder to drive its rotation. The lower tank is located below the upper tank and covers the drain pipe. It has a second temperature control jacket on its exterior and a filtration separation structure inside. This device integrates efficient shearing, simultaneous adsorption and impurity removal, controllable enzymatic hydrolysis, and precise temperature control functions, achieving continuous and efficient extraction of collagen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tissue filler preparation technology, and more specifically, to a collagen extraction device for preparing tissue fillers. Background Technology

[0002] The preparation of tissue fillers requires high purity and bioactivity of the collagen used as raw material. Traditional collagen extraction equipment typically separates the steps of tissue disruption, impurity separation, and enzymatic purification into different devices. This stepwise process is not only cumbersome and time-consuming, but also prone to introducing contamination or causing loss of effective components during material transfer.

[0003] In the tissue disruption stage, existing devices often employ simple stirring or cutting methods, which have limited and uneven shearing action, making it difficult to fully break down dense connective tissue. This results in insufficient exposure area of ​​collagen fibers, affecting the efficiency and thoroughness of subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis reactions.

[0004] Furthermore, if impurities such as fats and elastic fibers generated during the crushing process are not removed in time, they will enter the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis stage, interfering with the directional action of proteases and thus reducing the purity of the final collagen product. On the other hand, enzymatic hydrolysis requires specific and stable temperature conditions to protect the triple helix structure of collagen from damage. However, existing separate devices often lack a precise temperature control system integrated with the crushing and filtration steps, making it difficult to maintain the optimal temperature environment required for enzymatic hydrolysis. This may lead to excessive breakage of collagen peptide chains or an undesirable molecular weight distribution. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems mentioned in the background art above, and to provide a collagen extraction device for the preparation of tissue fillers.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: 1. A collagen extraction device for preparing tissue fillers, characterized in that it includes a mounting frame; A circular, open-topped upper tank is fixed to the mounting bracket. A discharge port is located on the side of the upper tank near the bottom. A first temperature control jacket is provided on the outside of the upper tank, configured to maintain the internal temperature of the upper tank at -5°C to 0°C. A first shearing structure is provided on the inner wall of the upper tank. A rotatable filter cartridge is located inside the upper tank, and its outer wall is provided with a second shearing structure. The second shearing structure is arranged in the opposite direction to the first shearing structure, so that it forms relative shearing with the first shearing structure during rotation. The filter cartridge... The inner wall is provided with a selective adsorption membrane; the bottom of the filter cartridge is spaced from the bottom of the upper tank, and a drain pipe is fixedly provided at its bottom and rotatably connected to the bottom of the upper tank, the drain pipe extending to the bottom of the upper tank; a drive structure is connected to the filter cartridge and is used to drive the filter cartridge to rotate; a lower tank with an open top is installed below the upper tank and covers the outside of the drain pipe, the lower tank is provided with a second temperature control jacket, the second temperature control jacket is configured to maintain the temperature inside the lower tank at 15°C to 20°C; a filtration separation structure is provided inside the lower tank.

[0007] Furthermore, the first shearing structure includes a plurality of first toothed blades arranged in a spiral pattern on the inner wall of the upper tank.

[0008] Furthermore, the second shearing structure includes a plurality of second toothed blades arranged in a spiral pattern on the outer wall of the filter cartridge.

[0009] Furthermore, the top of the filter cartridge extends upward and is provided with a cover plate, and the drive structure is connected to the cover plate.

[0010] Furthermore, a cover is sealed and installed at the top opening of the upper tank, the middle part of the cover is rotatably connected to the wall of the filter cylinder, and the cover is provided with a feed inlet.

[0011] Furthermore, the selective adsorption membrane is a modified graphene adsorption membrane with collagen-specific ligands modified on its surface.

[0012] Furthermore, a stirring rod is installed on the drain pipe, and the stirring rod is located inside the lower tank.

[0013] Furthermore, the lower tank has an enzyme inlet near the top, a waste outlet near the bottom, and a liquid outlet at the bottom.

[0014] Furthermore, the filtration and separation structure includes a filter screen disposed in the lower tank and an ultrafiltration membrane laid on the filter screen.

[0015] Furthermore, the enzyme added to the lower tank is a complex enzyme system: a mixture of pepsin, trypsin, and elastase in a 3:2:1 ratio; and the lower tank also contains an enzymatic hydrolysis protectant: 0.1%-0.2% proline derivative.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention firstly establishes a first shearing structure and a second shearing structure arranged in opposite directions within the upper tank, and rotates the filter cylinder under the drive of the driving structure. The two structures can form a highly efficient relative shearing motion, which generates a strong squeezing and tearing effect on the material, greatly increasing the exposed area of ​​collagen fibers and creating favorable conditions for subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. This directly solves the problems of low shearing efficiency and insufficient crushing in the prior art.

[0017] Secondly, by setting a selective adsorption membrane on the inner wall of the rotating filter cylinder, it is possible to simultaneously adsorb and remove impurities such as fat and elastic fibers from the raw materials during the crushing process, thus preventing impurities from interfering with the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction in subsequent processes and effectively improving the purity of the final collagen.

[0018] Furthermore, by integrating the upper tank with the first temperature control jacket and the lower tank with the second temperature control jacket and filtration separation structure into the same device, continuous operation of crushing adsorption and enzymatic purification is achieved. The first temperature control jacket maintains a low temperature to prevent thermal denaturation of collagen during crushing, while the second temperature control jacket maintains a suitable temperature for enzymatic hydrolysis to protect the collagen structure. This solves the problems of low efficiency and inconvenient temperature control caused by step-by-step processing.

[0019] In addition, the drain pipe can also drive the stirring rod on it to rotate when it rotates, so as to fully mix the enzymatic hydrolysate in the lower tank, further promoting the uniformity and efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a collagen extraction device provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Mounting frame; 2. Upper tank; 21. First temperature control jacket; 22. First shearing structure; 221. First toothed blade; 23. Discharge port; 3. Filter cylinder; 31. Second shearing structure; 311. Second toothed blade; 32. Selective adsorption membrane; 4. Drive structure; 5. Drain pipe; 51. Stirring rod; 6. Lower tank; 61. Second temperature control jacket; 62. Filtration and separation structure; 621. Filter screen; 622. Ultrafiltration membrane; 63. Enzyme addition port; 64. Impurity discharge port; 65. Liquid outlet; 7. Cover plate; 8. Cover body; 81. Feed inlet. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0023] Tissue fillers require high-purity collagen with a complete triple helix structure as raw material. Traditional stepwise extraction devices have problems such as cumbersome process flow, incomplete shearing and crushing, untimely removal of impurities, and inconvenience in controlling enzymatic hydrolysis temperature, which affect the extraction efficiency and final quality of collagen.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a collagen extraction device for preparing tissue fillers. The device includes a mounting frame 1, an upper tank 2, a filter cylinder 3, a drive structure 4, and a lower tank 6.

[0025] Specifically, the mounting frame 1 serves as the basic framework supporting the entire device. The upper tank 2 is fixed to the mounting frame 1, with an open and circular top to accommodate the biological tissue material to be processed. The upper tank 2 is equipped with a first temperature control jacket 21. By circulating a low-temperature medium, such as coolant, into the first temperature control jacket 21, the internal temperature of the upper tank 2 can be maintained at a low temperature environment of -5°C to 0°C, effectively preventing collagen thermal denaturation caused by frictional heat during tissue disruption and protecting its biological activity.

[0026] The inner wall of the upper tank 2 is provided with a first shearing structure 22. In this embodiment, the first shearing structure 22 is selected as a plurality of first toothed blades 221 arranged in a spiral pattern on the inner wall of the upper tank 2. The spiral arrangement of the first toothed blades 221 lays the foundation for the subsequent formation of efficient relative shearing motion. A discharge port 23 is provided on the side of the upper tank 2 near the bottom for discharging residual waste after initial crushing or when cleaning is required.

[0027] The filter cartridge 3 is located inside the upper tank 2 and can rotate relative to the upper tank 2. The outer wall of the filter cartridge 3 is provided with a second shearing structure 31, the arrangement direction of which is opposite to the arrangement direction of the first shearing structure 22. For example... Figure 1As shown, the second shearing structure 31 can be selected as several second toothed blades 311 arranged in a spiral pattern on the outer wall of the filter cylinder 3. When the driving structure 4 drives the filter cylinder 3 to rotate, the second toothed blades 311 on the outer wall and the first toothed blades 221 on the inner wall form a reverse relative shearing motion. This design allows the material to undergo complex alternating turbulent and laminar flow between the two, with the two sets of toothed blades acting like countless tiny "squeegees," progressively squeezing and tearing the collagen fibers during rotation, greatly increasing the exposed area of ​​the collagen fibers and creating favorable conditions for subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0028] The inner wall of the filter cartridge 3 is provided with a selective adsorption membrane 32. In this embodiment, the selective adsorption membrane 32 is preferably a modified graphene adsorption membrane with collagen-specific ligands modified on its surface. The ligands can be gelatin peptides, etc. While the filter cartridge 3 rotates and shears the material, the fats, elastic fibers and other impurities in the slurry will come into full contact with the selective adsorption membrane 32 and be selectively adsorbed and captured by its surface ligands, thereby removing impurities simultaneously during the crushing stage, effectively preventing impurities from entering the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis process, and improving the purity of the final collagen product.

[0029] A gap is left between the bottom of the filter cylinder 3 and the bottom surface of the upper tank 2, allowing the liquid, after preliminary shearing and impurity removal, to flow out through this gap. A drain pipe 5 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the filter cylinder 3. The drain pipe 5 passes through the bottom of the upper tank 2 and is rotatably connected to the upper tank 2 via a bearing, thereby achieving rotation while ensuring a seal. The drain pipe 5 extends to the bottom of the upper tank 2, serving as a channel connecting the upper and lower tanks.

[0030] The drive structure 4 is connected to the filter cylinder 3 and is used to drive the filter cylinder 3 to rotate. The drive structure 4 can be one of the existing motor-driven belt drive mechanism, chain drive mechanism, or gear drive mechanism, and those skilled in the art can choose according to the actual spatial layout and transmission ratio requirements. To facilitate the connection of the drive structure 4, the top of the filter cylinder 3 extends upward and is provided with a cover plate 7, and the drive structure 4 is connected to the cover plate 7 through a transmission mechanism 42. At the same time, in order to ensure the sealing of the upper tank 2, a cover 8 is sealed and installed at the top opening of the upper tank 2. The middle part of the cover 8 is rotatably connected to the cylinder wall of the filter cylinder 3 through rotating parts such as bearings. The cover 8 may also be provided with a feed inlet 81.

[0031] The lower tank 6 is installed below the upper tank 2, with its top open and covering the outside of the drain pipe 5. It receives the filtrate from the upper tank 2 for subsequent enzymatic purification. The top edge of the lower tank 6 is fixedly connected to the bottom outer side of the upper tank 2 using flanges, bolts, or other connectors to ensure a stable and sealed connection between the upper and lower tanks. The lower tank 6 is equipped with a second temperature-controlled jacket 61, similar in structure to the first temperature-controlled jacket 21. By circulating a constant-temperature medium into the second temperature-controlled jacket 61, the temperature of the enzymatic reaction zone within the lower tank 6 can be precisely maintained within the optimal enzymatic hydrolysis temperature range of 15°C to 20°C, protecting the triple helix structure of collagen while ensuring efficient enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0032] The lower tank 6 is equipped with a filtration and separation structure 62. This filtration and separation structure 62 includes a filter screen 621 horizontally positioned in the middle of the lower tank 6's interior cavity, and an ultrafiltration membrane 622 laid on the filter screen 621. The filter screen 621 divides the interior of the lower tank 6 into an upper enzymatic reaction zone and a lower filtrate collection zone. An enzyme addition port 63 is located on the side of the lower tank 6 near the upper part for adding protease to the enzymatic reaction zone. A discharge port 64 is located near the bottom for discharging impurities or concentrate that failed to pass through the filter membrane. A liquid outlet 65 is located at the bottom for collecting the purified collagen solution that ultimately permeates through the ultrafiltration membrane 622.

[0033] To further promote the uniformity of the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction within the lower tank 6, a stirring rod 51 is installed on the drain pipe 5. This stirring rod 51 is located within the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction zone of the lower tank 6. When the filter cartridge 3 rotates, the drain pipe 5 rotates accordingly, thereby driving the stirring rod 51 to rotate as well. This continuously and thoroughly stirs and mixes the enzymatic hydrolysate within the lower tank 6, ensuring sufficient contact between the enzyme and the substrate and improving the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency.

[0034] The device provides stable support for all components via the mounting bracket 1. The first shearing structure 22 and the second shearing structure 31 within the upper tank 2 and the filter cartridge 3, driven by the driving structure 4, form a highly efficient shearing mechanism, achieving thorough disruption of biological tissues. Simultaneously, the selective adsorption membrane 32 on the inner wall of the filter cartridge 3 adsorbs and removes impurities, preliminarily purifying the collagen. After shearing and impurity removal, the filtrate enters the lower tank 6 through the drain pipe 5, where it undergoes enzymatic hydrolysis at a suitable temperature maintained by the second temperature control jacket 61, and is further purified by the filtration separation structure 62. This allows for efficient and high-quality collagen extraction within an integrated device.

[0035] In practical use, the enzyme added to the lower tank 6 is a complex enzyme system, such as a complex enzyme system composed of pepsin, trypsin, and elastase in a specific ratio (e.g., 3:2:1) to achieve gradient enzymatic hydrolysis. Simultaneously, a small amount (e.g., 0.1%-0.2%) of an enzymatic hydrolysis protectant (e.g., a proline derivative) can be added. This protects collagen molecules from damage to their triple helix structure and inhibits excessive protease activity, resulting in a more ideal molecular weight distribution of the hydrolyzed collagen, for example, concentrated in the 30kDa-100kDa range, meeting the quality requirements of tissue fillers. Through this integrated design, this device achieves continuous, integrated operation from tissue disruption and simultaneous impurity removal to controlled enzymatic hydrolysis and separation purification.

Claims

1. A collagen extraction device for preparing tissue fillers, characterized in that, include: Mounting rack; An open-top, circular upper tank is fixed to the mounting frame, and a discharge port is provided on the side of the upper tank near the bottom. The upper tank body is provided with a first temperature control jacket on the outside, the first temperature control jacket is configured to maintain the temperature inside the upper tank body at -5℃ to 0℃; the inner wall of the upper tank body is provided with a first shearing structure; A rotatable filter cartridge is located inside the upper tank. Its outer wall is provided with a second shearing structure, the second shearing structure being arranged in the opposite direction to the first shearing structure, so as to form relative shearing with the first shearing structure when rotating. The inner wall of the filter cartridge is provided with a selective adsorption membrane. The bottom of the filter cartridge is spaced from the bottom surface of the upper tank, and a drain pipe is fixedly provided at its bottom, which is rotatably connected to the bottom of the upper tank. The drain pipe extends to the bottom of the upper tank. A drive structure, connected to the filter cartridge, is used to drive the filter cartridge to rotate; The lower tank, which is open at the top, is installed below the upper tank and covers the outside of the drain pipe. The lower tank is provided with a second temperature control jacket, which is configured to maintain the temperature inside the lower tank at 15°C to 20°C. The lower tank is provided with a filtration and separation structure.

2. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first shearing structure includes a plurality of first toothed blades arranged in a spiral pattern on the inner wall of the upper tank.

3. The collagen extraction device for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second shearing structure includes a plurality of second toothed blades arranged in a spiral pattern on the outer wall of the filter cartridge.

4. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top of the filter cartridge extends upward and is provided with a cover plate, and the drive structure is connected to the cover plate.

5. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 4, characterized in that, The top of the upper tank is sealed with a cover, the middle of which is rotatably connected to the wall of the filter cylinder, and the cover is provided with a feed inlet.

6. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 5, characterized in that, The selective adsorption membrane is a modified graphene adsorption membrane with collagen-specific ligands modified on its surface.

7. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 1, characterized in that, A stirring rod is installed on the drain pipe, and the stirring rod is located inside the lower tank.

8. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower tank has an enzyme inlet near the top, a waste outlet near the bottom, and a liquid outlet at the bottom.

9. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filtration and separation structure includes a filter screen disposed in the lower tank and an ultrafiltration membrane laid on the filter screen.

10. The collagen extraction apparatus for preparing tissue fillers according to claim 8, characterized in that, The enzyme added to the lower tank is a complex enzyme system: a mixture of pepsin, trypsin, and elastase in a ratio of 3:2:1; and the lower tank also contains an enzymatic hydrolysis protectant: 0.1%-0.2% proline derivative.

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