Closed cell separation operation device

Abstract

A closed cell separation and manipulation device is provided. [Solution] The closed type cell separation and manipulation device has a first tube (10) having an air hole and an inlet, a second tube (20) having an air hole (131) and an inlet, and a connecting tube (24) connecting the first tube (10) and the second tube (20), wherein an air hole (131) is provided on the first tube (10) to allow air to flow in and out of the first tube (10), the first tube (10) has an inlet (132) to allow fluid from an external fluid source to enter the first tube (10), the first tube (10) has an outlet (121), and wherein an air hole (231) is provided on the second tube (20) to allow air to flow in and out of the second tube (20), the second tube (20) allows a portion of the fluid from the outlet (121) of the first tube (10) to enter the inlet (232) of the second tube (20), and the second tube (20) has an outlet (221), and the closed type cell separation and manipulation device can provide a closed and contamination-free environment during centrifugation and during supernatant liquid separation after centrifugation.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of cell centrifugation, and in particular to a closed cell separation and operation device that can provide a closed, contamination-free operating environment for separating supernatant liquid during and after centrifugation. [Background technology]

[0002] Centrifugation is a technique commonly used in cell-related research and testing to separate cells from specimens such as concentrated bone marrow aspirate (BMAC), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peripheral blood, urine, peritoneal fluid, and cell culture media. Centrifuge tubes are essential tools for centrifugation, and are commonly test tubes with lids, such as those sold under the name Nunc (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] According to the prior art, the fluid to be centrifuged must be poured into a centrifuge tube, which must then be sealed and placed in a centrifuge for processing. After centrifugation, to remove the separated supernatant (e.g., plasma when centrifuging whole blood) and obtain the sediment (e.g., blood cells when centrifuging whole blood), or vice versa, the operator must open the test tube and pour the supernatant into a secondary container, only then can the two parts be separated. However, this procedure necessarily exposes the supernatant and sediment to the surrounding environment, creating a risk of contamination. One solution to avoid this concern is to perform the entire work in a clean room or biological safety cabinet (BSC), but the associated equipment is expensive, difficult to transport, and not suitable for clinical use.

[0004] Furthermore, the conventional method of separating the supernatant after centrifugation had the problem that splashes were generated when the contents of the centrifuge tube were transferred, reducing the amount of sample that could be used. This could have a detrimental effect on subsequent research or testing, or it could even prevent research or testing from being carried out at all. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a new post-centrifugation supernatant separation device that can effectively separate cells while preventing sample contamination, avoiding the risk of sample splashing, and eliminating the need to purchase expensive laboratory equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Based on the above needs, the main object of the present invention is to provide a closed cell separation and manipulation device that can provide a sealed and contaminant-free environment for separating the supernatant during or after centrifugation while avoiding the risk of sample scattering, and does not require the purchase of expensive laboratory equipment.

[0006] The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to the present invention has a first tubular body, a second tubular body, and a connecting tube, The first tube is a cylindrical container having a peripheral wall, the first tube has a closed top and is in closable communication with the outside through a pore and an inlet, the pore being a pore for passing gas into and out of the first tube, the inlet being an inlet for allowing fluid from an external fluid source to enter the first tube, the first tube has a closed bottom and is in closable communication with the outside through a central outlet, The second tube is a cylindrical container having a peripheral wall, the second tube has a closed top and communicates with the outside in a closable manner through an air hole and an inlet, the air hole being an air hole that allows gas to pass through and enter and exit the second tube, the inlet allowing at least a portion of the fluid from the outlet of the first tube to enter the inlet of the second tube, the second tube has a closed bottom and communicates with the outside in a closable manner through an outlet formed in the center, The connecting pipe is disposed between the outlet of the first pipe and the inlet of the second pipe, and connects the first pipe and the second pipe.

[0007] Furthermore, the peripheral walls of the first and second pipe bodies extend downward toward the bottom of the pipe bodies, and the peripheral walls and the bottom form a pipe storage space around the outlet of the pipe bodies, and at least a portion of the connecting pipe and / or at least a portion of the extension pipe are wrapped around the outlet and stored within the pipe storage space.

[0008] Furthermore, the closed type cell separation and manipulation device further has an extension tube installed at the second tube outlet, and the second tube is connected to another first tube of another closed type cell separation and manipulation device through the extension tube.

[0009] Furthermore, a tank opening through which the connecting pipe passes is formed on at least one lower edge in the peripheral walls of the first pipe body and the second pipe body, so that when the first pipe body and the second pipe body are stood on a flat surface, a passage is left in the pipe storage space of the first pipe body / second pipe body, through which the connecting pipe can pass.

[0010] Furthermore, at least one of the connecting pipe and the extension pipe is provided with a valve component for closing or opening the connecting pipe or the extension pipe, and the valve component is selected from at least one of a pipe wrench, a flow control valve, a three-way faucet connector and a fluid switching valve.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom of at least one of the first and second tubes has a downwardly converging conical structure, the diameter of which gradually decreases and reaches a minimum at the outlet of the first and / or second tube.

[0012] Furthermore, at least one of the air holes of the first tube and the second tube is provided with a filter program for filtering air passing through the air hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the closed cell separation and manipulation device further includes an air pressure source disposed in at least one air hole in the first and second tubular bodies, the air pressure source being used to push or pull air into or out of the first tubular body and / or the second tubular body, the air pressure source being an air pump or an air injector.

[0014] Furthermore, at least one of the inlets and the air holes of the first and second tubes is provided with a sealing member that is sealed in an airtight manner.

[0015] Furthermore, at least one of the inlets and the pores of the first and second tubes is further provided with a conduit for carrying a valve component.

[0016] The valve part is selected from at least one of a pipe wrench, a flow control valve, a three-way faucet connector, and a fluid switching valve.

[0017] The effects of the present invention are as follows. The closed cell separation and manipulation device of the present invention can provide a sealed, contaminant-free environment for separating the supernatant during or after centrifugation while avoiding the risk of specimen scattering, and does not require the purchase of expensive laboratory equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a closed cell separation and manipulation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application of the closed cell separation and manipulation device according to the present invention, showing an operating state during centrifugation using the closed cell separation and manipulation device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the application of the closed cell separation and manipulation device according to the present invention, showing the operation state during centrifugation and after centrifugation to separate the supernatant using the closed cell separation and manipulation device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application of the closed cell separation and manipulation device according to the present invention, showing the operation state of supernatant separation after centrifugation using the closed cell separation and manipulation device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment in which two closed cell separation and manipulation devices according to the present invention are connected in series. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a closed cell separation and manipulation device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] (One embodiment) The concepts of the present invention are described below with reference to preferred embodiments, however, parts of the embodiments shown in the figures are for convenience of illustration only and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In this specification and claims, the singular form "a" includes plural references unless the context dictates otherwise.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a closed cell separation and manipulation device has a first tubular body 10 having a first cap 13, a second tubular body 20 having a second cap 23, and a connecting tube 24 connecting the first tubular body 10 and the second tubular body 20.

[0021] The first tube 10 and the second tube 20 are structurally identical, and for the sake of brevity, only one of them will be described below. The first tubular body 10 or the second tubular body 20 is a cylindrical container surrounded by a peripheral wall 122 or 222 . The first tube 10 or the second tube 20 has a top that is completely open to the outside through an opening 11 or 21, and a bottom 12 or 22 that is closed but forms an external outlet 121 or 221 in the center. Specifically, the bottom 12 or 22 has a funnel-like, tapered structure, with the diameter gradually decreasing from top to bottom, reaching a minimum around the outlet 121 or 221 . The peripheral wall 122 or 222 of the first pipe 10 or the second pipe 20 extends downward beyond the closed bottom 12 or 22, so as to collectively form a pipe receiving space 123 or 223 around the outlet 121 or 221 together with the funnel-shaped bottom 12 or 22. A tank opening 124 or 224 is further formed at the lower edge of the peripheral wall 122 or 222, so that when the pipe body 10 or 20 is placed upright on a flat surface, the pipe receiving space 123 or 223 forms a passage. The size of the first tubular body 10 or the second tubular body 20 is equivalent to that of a conventional centrifuge tube or blood collection tube, and therefore can be used with a conventional centrifuge.

[0022] Similarly, the first cap 13 and the second cap 23 are structurally identical and, for the sake of brevity, only one of them will be described below. The first cap 13 or the second cap 23 can cover the top of the first tube 10 or the second tube 20 from top to bottom, and has an air hole 131 or 231 and an inlet 132 or 232 . As will be described in more detail below, the vent 131 or 231 and inlet 132 or 232, respectively, are configured to be removably connected to a conduit during use, or removably sealed with a sealing member 80 when not in use.

[0023] In this embodiment, the first cap 13 or the second cap 23 on the first tube 10 or the second tube 20 has an air hole 131 or 231 and an inlet 132 or 232 . However, in other embodiments, the air hole 131 or 231 and the inlet 132 or 232 of the closed cell separation and manipulation device of the present invention can be installed directly on the closed top of the first tube 10 or the second tube 20, without using a cap 13 or 23 to cover the first tube 10 or the second tube 20.

[0024] The connecting tube 24 is disposed between the outlet 121 of the first tube 10 and the inlet 232 of the second tube 20, thereby creating fluid communication between the first tube 10 and the second tube 20. A portion of the connecting pipe 24 is wound around the outlet 121 of the first pipe body 10 and is appropriately stored in the pipe storage space 123 of the first pipe body 10. Since a tank mouth 124 is formed on the peripheral wall 122 of the first pipe 10, the connecting pipe 24 extends between the first pipe 10 and the second pipe 20, and does not affect the first pipe 10 from standing stably on a flat surface. The connecting pipe 24 is further provided with a valve member 60 for opening or closing the connecting pipe 24 .

[0025] In use, when the connecting tube 24 is closed by the valve component 60, the inlet 132 of the first tube 10 is connected to the feed tube 40 which communicates with a source of fluid to be processed (such as a blood bag, blood collection needle or specimen tube, not shown). At this time, the pores 131 of the first tube 10 remain open, allowing the fluid awaiting treatment (such as whole blood) to enter the first tube 10 (see FIG. 2). Here, a filter program can be installed in the air hole 131 of the first tube 10 to prevent foreign matter from entering the first tube 10 and ensure a pollution-free operating environment. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the air permeable pipe 30 in which the filter program 31 is installed and the air hole 131 of the first pipe body 10 are connected to each other. The air tube 30 is similarly controlled by a valve assembly 60 to be opened or closed. After filling the first tube 10 with fluid, a sealing member 80 is used to airtightly cover the inlet 132 of the first tube 10, or a sealing member 80 is used to airtightly cover the liquid supply tube 40 connected to the inlet 132 of the first tube 10 (see FIG. 1). Similarly, the sealing member 80 can be used to directly and air-tightly cover the air hole 131 of the first tube 10, or the sealing member 80 can be used to air-tightly cover the air permeable tube 30 connected to the position of the air hole 131 (see FIG. 1).

[0026] It is to be noted here that when the connecting pipe 24, the air permeation pipe 30 and the liquid advance pipe 40 are closed by the valve parts 60, the inside and the outside of the first pipe body 10 are separated to form a closed environment. Similarly, at this time, the pores 231 and the outlet 221 of the second tube 20 are also closed, and thus isolated from the outside.

[0027] Next, the entire closed cell separation and manipulation apparatus is moved into a centrifuge (not shown) for centrifugation. During the centrifugation process, the first tube 10 and the second tube 20 are positioned at two adjacent tube locations within the centrifuge. At this time, a part of the connecting pipe 24 is wrapped around the outlet 121 and stored in the pipe storage space 123 of the first pipe body 10 . In this way, excessive vibration of the connecting tube 24 during the centrifugal operation can be prevented.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, at this point, the fluid in the first tubular body 10 has already been separated into a supernatant (such as plasma when whole blood is centrifuged) and a precipitate (such as blood cells when whole blood is centrifuged). Next, when the sediment is transferred to the second tube 20, the valve assembly 60 on the connecting tube 24 is first opened, and the caps 80 on the air permeable tube 30 of the first tube 10 and the air hole 231 of the second tube 20 are removed respectively. The air pressure source 70 can optionally be removably connected onto the air hole 231 of the second tube 20 to utilize suction force to accelerate the rate of sediment migration.

[0029] The bottom 12 of the first tube 10 is funnel-shaped, i.e., has a downwardly conical structure, and the outlet 121 is at the lowest point of the bottom 12 of the first tube 10, allowing the operator to precisely control the movement of the sediment and eliminating the risk of the supernatant liquid inadvertently entering the second tube 20. In addition, since the sediment flows directly into the second pipe 20, the risk of scattering can be completely avoided. Once the sediment has entered the second tube 20, the valve assembly 60 is used to close the connecting tube 24 and re-cap the vent 231 of the second tube 20 after the air source 70 has already been removed. In this way, the supernatant liquid and the sediment are sealed in the first tube 10 and the second tube 20, respectively. Through the above structure, efficient and reliable separation of the precipitate and the supernatant can be achieved (see Figure 4).

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, in various applications requiring multiple separation, another closed cell separation and manipulation device according to the present invention is connected in series after the first closed cell separation and manipulation device. Specifically, an extension tube 50 is used and connected to the first tube body 10 of the second closed-type cell separation and manipulation device. In this situation, the extension tube 50 can be wrapped around the outlet 221 and housed in the pipe housing space 223 of the second tube body 20 before centrifugation, similar to the connecting tube 24 described above.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the closed cell separation and manipulation device of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the closed type cell separation and manipulation device according to the present invention can further be provided with a second air permeable tube 90 attached to the air hole 231 of the second tubular body 20 . Similarly, the second air permeable pipe 90 is provided with a valve part 60 for opening and closing the same. A separate filter program 91 is connected to the second air permeable pipe 90 to prevent foreign matter from entering the second pipe body 20 and to ensure an operating environment free from the risk of contamination. In this situation, the air pressure source 70 described above can be connected to the air hole 131 of the first tube 10 to force the contents of the first tube 10 into the second tube 20 .

[0032] The above-mentioned valve component 60 may be, but is not limited to, a pipe wrench, a flow control valve, a three-way faucet connector, or a fluid switching valve. The air pressure source 70 attached to the air hole 131 of the first tube 10 and / or the air hole 231 of the second tube 20 may be an air pump or air injector, or any other device capable of varying the pressure in the first tube 10, the second tube 20, and facilitating the flow of fluid from the first tube 10 to the second tube 20.

[0033] Centrifugation is widely used in a variety of medical and biological applications and is well known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, the relevant operations and principles will not be described in detail. Similarly, the cell separation technique using the closed cell separation and manipulation device according to the present invention is well known to technical personnel in this field, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0034] With the above-described configuration, the closed cell separation and manipulation device of the present invention can provide a closed, contamination-free environment during centrifugation and during the supernatant separation operation after centrifugation, while avoiding the risk of scattering and eliminating the need to purchase expensive laboratory equipment.

[0035] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10 first pipe body, 11, 21 aperture, 121, 221 exit, 12, 22 bottom, 122, 222 peripheral wall, 123, 223 Pipe storage space, 124, 224 Tankguchi, 13 First Cap, 131, 231 Stomata, 132, 232 entrance, 20 second pipe body, 23 Second Cap, 24 connecting pipe, 30 Air permeable pipe, 31 Filter Programs, 40 liquid advance tube, 50 stretched tube, 60 valve parts, 70 Atmospheric pressure source, 80 sealing member, 90 Second air permeable pipe, 91 Extra-frame filter program.

Claims

1. A closed cell separation and manipulation device having a first tube, a second tube, and a connecting tube, The first tube is a cylindrical container having a peripheral wall, the first tube has a closed top and communicates with the outside in a closable manner through an air hole and an inlet, the air hole is an air hole that allows gas to pass through and enter and exit the first tube, the inlet is an inlet that allows fluid from an external fluid source to enter the first tube, the first tube has a closed bottom and communicates with the outside in a closable manner through an outlet formed in the center, The second tube is a cylindrical container having a peripheral wall, the second tube has a closed top and communicates with the outside in a closable manner through an air hole and an inlet, the air hole is an air hole that allows gas to pass through and enter and exit the second tube, the inlet allows at least a portion of the fluid from the outlet of the first tube to enter the inlet of the second tube, the second tube has a closed bottom and communicates with the outside in a closable manner through an outlet formed in the center, The connecting pipe is disposed between the outlet of the first pipe and the inlet of the second pipe, and the first pipe is connected to the second pipe through the connecting pipe. Characterized in that Closed cell separation operation device.

2. The peripheral wall of the first pipe extends downward toward a bottom of the first pipe, and the peripheral wall and the bottom form a pipe storage space around the outlet of the first pipe. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 1 .

3. A tank opening through which the connecting pipe passes is formed at a lower edge of the peripheral wall of the first pipe body. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 2 .

4. The closed type cell separation and manipulation device further has an extension tube installed at the outlet of the second tube, and the second tube is connected to another first tube of another closed type cell separation and manipulation device through the extension tube. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 1 .

5. The peripheral wall of the second pipe extends downward toward a bottom of the second pipe, and the peripheral wall and the bottom form a pipe storage space around the outlet of the second pipe. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 4.

6. The second pipe is provided at its lower edge with a tank opening through which the connecting pipe passes. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 5 .

7. The connecting pipe is provided with a valve part for closing or opening the connecting pipe. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 1 .

8. The extension pipe is provided with a valve part for closing or opening the connecting pipe. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 4.

9. the bottom of the first tube is a downwardly converging cone-shaped structure, the diameter of which gradually decreases and becomes smallest at the outlet of the first tube; The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 2 .

10. the bottom of the second tube is a downwardly converging cone-shaped structure, the diameter of which gradually decreases and becomes smallest at the outlet of the second tube; The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 5 .

11. At least one of the air holes of the first tube and the second tube has a filter program for filtering air passing through the air hole. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 1 .

12. At least one of the air holes in the first tube and the second tube has an air pressure source for forcing air into or evacuating the first tube and / or the second tube. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 1 .

13. At least one of the inlets and the air holes of the first and second pipes is provided with a sealing member that is airtightly sealed. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 1 .

14. At least one of the inlet and the hole of the first and second pipes is further provided with a conduit for equipping a valve part. The closed cell separation and manipulation device according to claim 1 .

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