Automatic fast perfusion system for imaging and recording baths

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic fast perfusion system used for measurement and experimentation in imaging and recording baths in laboratories.

Description

[0001] AUTOMATIC FAST PERFUSION SYSTEM FOR IMAGING AND RECORDING BATHS

[0002] Technical field of the invention:

[0003] The invention relates to an automatic fast perfusion system used for measurement and experimentation in imaging and recording baths in laboratories.

[0004] State of the art:

[0005] A fast perfusion control system is a system that enables the relevant solutions to be delivered onto a target cell / tissue at a specified flow rate in measurement setups such as a cell or tissue bath, without delay and without undergoing dilution. Compared to conventional cell / tissue bath perfusion systems, this system is very fast and provides the possibility of switching between solution tubes on a millisecond basis. It is an ideal system for directly applying the desired solution onto the cell at the most accurate concentration by approaching the target cell to a very close proximity at the micrometre level or immediately above it under a microscope. Existing systems designed for this purpose generally rely on a manual control principle, and the researcher adjusts the opening and closing of the required valve at the desired time via a trigger signal generated by an external contact button. With the development of technological possibilities, existing fast perfusion systems have become incapable of meeting the needs of more complex experimental protocols. For example, the practitioner conducting the experiment may encounter needs such as the automatic delivery of different solutions at different times instead of a single solution, and stopping and restarting this automated timer when desired. In some complex experimental designs, it is also necessary to report the timing of solution applications or to execute the same application protocol consecutively in similar designs.

[0006] In systems, liquid exchange is generally performed via sensitive microvalves and electronic control systems. For regulating liquid flow, sensitive flow devices such as peristaltic or micro-membrane pumps are used. These mechanisms are designed to ensure that the liquid reaches the target sample at a specific speed and volume. Inaddition, the process of discharging the liquid from the sample and transferring a new liquid is generally carried out simultaneously. In this way, a complete and homogeneous change of the liquid environment becomes possible.

[0007] Modem systems use low-volume microfluidic channels and high-precision flowregulating valves to optimise liquid transition speed and shorten process time. In addition, sensor-based feedback mechanisms and software-supported control panels are integrated to monitor the operating status of the system at every stage of the perfusion process. These control systems not only increase the accuracy of liquid exchange, but also help to minimise the physical effects on the sample during the experiment.

[0008] In currently used fast perfusion systems, controls are generally provided manually via on / off buttons. In some specialised fast perfusion systems, on / off operations and flow rate determination are provided via a touchscreen located on the device. The apparatus on which the solution injectors are located is generally similar in perfusion systems. In addition, existing systems generally operate within a closed design system. That is, operation in experimental environments of different brands and models is highly problematic.

[0009] Although various proposals and applications have been developed for perfusion systems in the state of the art, these developments are not sufficient. Some applications belonging to inventions developed for this purpose are given below.

[0010] The patent document numbered “US2001013822A1” in the state of the art has been examined. The invention subject to the application has been developed in the form of a medical perfusion system for use in connection with a patient’s medical treatment, a first type of perfusion device in the form of a blood pump adapted to pump blood through a fluid channel connected to the patient, a second type of perfusion device in the form of a sensor adapted to detect a condition related to pumping blood through the fluid channel and to generate a sensing signal related to the condition, and a data communication network for functionally connecting the perfusion devices to each other. The perfusion system comprises means for transmitting messages in the form of digital data packets between perfusion devices over the data communication network and a controller functionally connected to the perfusion devices over the data communicationnetwork, the controller having an input device for accepting pump control commands related to the blood pump from an operator.

[0011] The patent document numbered “US2012093390A1” in the state of the art has been examined. In the invention subject to the application, a system is described for the quantitative analysis of perfusion images, including image elements having associated intensity values. The system includes a frequency distribution calculation subsystem for calculating multiple frequency distributions of intensity values of at least a portion of the images. The system includes a perfusion information extractor for extracting perfusion-related information from the multiple frequency distributions. The perfusion information extractor includes a shift detector for detecting a shift in intensity values of the frequency distribution. The perfusion information extractor is arranged to extract perfusion-related information based on the detected shift. A user interface element allows a user to specify a boundary between a core region and a peripheral region with a single degree of freedom. A vasculature subsystem associates a vasculature value with an image element.

[0012] The patent document numbered “US10912471 B2” in the state of the art has been examined. In the invention subject to the application, a system and method for automatically and continuously measuring and evaluating haemodynamics uses fluorescence imaging in which a fluorescent agent is controlled and automated. A system for automatic perfusion assessment during a medical procedure includes a controllable injection pump for holding at least one first fluorescent imaging agent, the injection pump being configured to inject a predefined amount of the first fluorescent imaging agent into the blood. The system is configured to acquire and analyse a series of fluorescent images and to determine at least one perfusion parameter based on the analysis.

[0013] Perfusion systems exist in the state of the art. However, the perfusion systems in the state of the art contain problems such as the control of the perfusion system being provided via a touchscreen on the device or manually, causing usage problems in the experimental environment, the lack of a computer interface leading to difficulties in synchronised operation, and the inability to perform on / off, stop, restart, and flow-rate determination operations outside the screen located on the device causing interruption of the experiment and problems during the experiment, and the absence of advancedreporting systems hindering experiment repeatability or causing confusion in terms of interpreting experimental outputs afterwards, especially if proper notes are not taken. As a result, due to the above-mentioned disadvantages and the insufficiency of existing solutions, it has become necessary to make an improvement in the relevant technical field.

[0014] The Aim of the invention:

[0015] The most important aim of the invention is to provide a flexible and easy-to-use environment for the user by enabling control of the valves used for solutions via both an interface and a keypad.

[0016] Another aim of the invention is to obtain easier and more objective results by increasing standardisation through enabling the height of the apparatus on which the solution injectors are located to be adjusted via the interface.

[0017] Another aim of the invention is to ensure that operations can be carried out more comfortably in the experimental environment by providing control via a computer interface instead of the screen located on the device.

[0018] Another aim of the invention is to provide advantages to practitioners, particularly in reusing similar protocols, through advanced reporting included in the interface that provides control of the device.

[0019] The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all its advantageswill be more clearly understood through the detailed description written with reference to the figures given below. Therefore, evaluation should also be carried out by taking these figures and the detailed description into consideration.

[0020] Description of the drawings:

[0021] FIGURE-1: A drawing giving the image of the system diagram of the automatic fast perfusion system that is the subject of the invention.Reference numbers:

[0022] 1. Solution injector apparatus

[0023] 2. Movable body

[0024] 3. Valve unit

[0025] 4. Silicone tube holder

[0026] 5. Application tube

[0027] 6. Perfusion apparatus

[0028] 7. Control interface

[0029] 8. USB connection

[0030] 9. Electronic control unit

[0031] 10. Control keypad

[0032] 11. Printer

[0033] Description of the invention:

[0034] The invention relates to an automatic fast perfusion system used for measurement and experimentation in imaging and recording baths in laboratories.

[0035] The automatic fast perfusion system mainly comprises a solution injector apparatus (1) in which solutions are located and opening / closing operations are provided via valves located in the valve unit (3), a control card that provides communication with a control interface (7) and a control keypad (10) that control these valves, and an electronic control unit (9) that provides operations such as protocol creation and reporting.

[0036] The solution injector apparatus (1), in which the injector and valves containing the solutions are located, comprises a servo motor unit that can be adjusted at different height levels and whose height can also be determined by the control interface (7). The electronic control unit (9) is responsible for opening / closing the required valves and adjusting the height of the solution injector apparatus (1) via the servo motor byproviding communication with the control interface (7) and the control keypad (10). The height of the solution injector apparatus (1 ) in which the solution reservoirs are located can be an important parameter in experiments. Manual adjustment of this height level causes a subjectivity problem due to differences between practitioners. Instead, a solution capable of automatically determining the height level is provided within the scope of the invention.

[0037] The electronic control unit (9) receives the relevant protocol timing or instantaneous commands from the control interface (7) via the USB connection (8). Thereafter, the electronic control unit (9) executes the commands received via the USB communication protocol and transmits them to the relevant units. All these control operations are provided by the electronic control unit (9). The outer part of the electronic control unit (9) is provided with waterproof plastic material.

[0038] Plastic injectors (reservoirs) are used for loading and storing solutions. In this way, they can be easily replaced when needed. Valves forming the valve unit (3) to be used in opening / closing operations are located immediately below the solution injectors. Control of the valves is provided via two cables exiting the electronic control unit (9). The part to which the valves are connected and the part to which the injectors are connected are connected to each other by the movable body (2) located at the rear. Inside the movable body (2), a rail (gear) section intended to provide height control by the servo motor is located. The tubes carrying the solution located at the outlet of the valves pass through the silicone tube holder (4) and combine at the lower part of the solution injector apparatus (1), providing transfer to parts such as a cell bath or tissue bath via a single tube, namely the application tube (5).

[0039] The control interface (7) can operate on all operating platforms such as Windows, MacOS, and Linux. In the control interface (7), eight separate valves are represented by eight circular buttons. After selecting the button to which the relevant valve is connected, control can be provided via the speed bar located on the control interface (7) to determine the flow rate. Operations such as starting, stopping, and restarting the perfusion process are provided via the relevant buttons located on the control interface (7). Parameters such as scheduling of the measurement protocol, which valve is opened / closed and when, how long it remains open, the total duration of the measurement, and whether the measurement is paused are recorded as a report in PDF format generated by the control interface (7), and output can be obtained fromthe printer (11) when desired. In addition, a created protocol can be stored within the control interface (7) and reused or modified when desired.

[0040] More effective use is provided with the developed automatic fast perfusion system. In particular, determining pre-defined opening / closing timings in some experimental protocols can be quite difficult. However, the inability to place the computer on which the control interface (7) is installed near the measurement area (such as experimental environments where special measurements are taken, like a Faraday cage) also creates the need for an external control unit. For this reason, a separate control keypad (10) is provided within the scope of the invention. In this way, the user can easily control functions such as stopping, starting, and pausing at any time. With the touchscreen located on the control keypad (10), eight different keys represent each valve, and the flow rate can also be determined via the button located on these keys. While adding a new electronic device to the environment can be quite problematic in specialised experiments, providing control via a small control keypad (10) is an important advantage that can increase the field of use of the invention.

[0041] At the lower part of the automatic fast perfusion system, a perfusion apparatus (6) is located, which ensures physical stability.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An automatic fast perfusion system used for measurement and experimentation in imaging and recording baths in laboratories, comprising;- at least one solution injector apparatus (1 ) in which solutions are located and opening / closing operations are provided via valves located in the valve unit (3), which can be adjusted to different height levels via a control interface (7) and whose height can be determined by a servo motor unit,- at least one movable body (2) in which the part to which the valves are connected and the part to which the injectors are connected are connected, and in which a geared rail system intended to provide height control by the servo motor is located,- at least one valve unit (3) on which valves are located to provide opening / closing operations of the solution injector apparatus (1), and the control of which is provided via an electronic control unit (9),- at least one control interface (7) controlled by the electronic control unit (9), which performs opening / closing operations of the valves located in the valve unit (3) via the buttons located thereon, adjusts the solution injector apparatus (1) to different height levels and controls this height, and performs control of parameters such as scheduling of the measurement protocol, which valve is opened / closed and when, how long it remains open, the total duration of the measurement, and whether the measurement is paused, - at least one USB connection (8) by means of which the electronic control unit (9) receives the relevant protocol timing or instantaneous commands from the control interface (7),- at least one electronic control unit (9) that provides communication with the control interface (7) and the control keypad (10), is responsible for opening / closing the required valves and adjusting the height of the solution injector apparatus (1) via the servo motor, provides the creation and reporting of protocols, receives the relevant protocol timing or instantaneous commands via the USB connection (8), and thereafter executes the commands received via the USB communication protocol, and- at least one control keypad (10) controlled by the electronic control unit (9), which can be used when the control interface (7) cannot be accessed,enables the user to perform stop / start / pause functions at any time, in which each key on the touchscreen represents a different valve, and by means of the button located on these keys the flow rate can be determined.

2. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1, comprising a silicone tube holder (4) in which the tubes carrying the solution located at the outlet of the valves are brought together.

3. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1, comprising an application tube (5) that combines at the lower part of the solution injector apparatus (1), provides transfer to the cell bath and tissue bath parts, and has a single tube structure.

4. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1 , comprising a perfusion apparatus (6) located at the lower part of the automatic fast perfusion system and ensuring physical stability.

5. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1 , comprising a control interface (7) capable of operating on all operating platforms.

6. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1 , comprising a control interface (7) in which control can be provided via a speed bar located thereon to determine the flow rate after selecting the button to which the relevant valve is connected.

7. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1 , comprising a control interface (7) in which operations such as starting, stopping, and restarting the perfusion process are provided via the relevant buttons located thereon.

8. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1 , comprising a control interface (7) in which eight separate valves are represented by eight circular buttons.

9. The automatic fast perfusion system according to claim 1 , comprising an electronic control unit (9) having an outer part that contains waterproof plastic material.

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