Centrifuge Supernatant Control via Dynamic Test Tube Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cell washing centrifuges face challenges in precisely controlling the discharge amount of supernatant, relying heavily on motor rotation speed control and struggling to finely adjust the remaining cleaning liquid in test tubes.
Innovation Solution
The centrifuge incorporates a control device that manages the rotation of the motor and the operation of a holding part to perform two types of decanting operations. During the supernatant discharging step, the holding part releases the test tube holders, allowing them to swing and adjust the supernatant discharge, thereby controlling the remaining cleaning liquid amount.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the test tube holder is held by the magnetic element in a substantially vertical state during supernatant discharge, then the supernatant can be discharged by centrifugal force, but the discharge amount cannot be finely controlled and the remaining cleaning liquid amount cannot be precisely adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The test tube holder is designed to be rotatable relative to the rotor, allowing the agitating angle to be dynamically adjusted between a first angle (substantially vertical) for supernatant discharge and a second angle for retaining cleaning liquid. This dynamic angle adjustment enables precise control of the supernatant discharge amount by controlling the rotation angle of the test tube holder during the discharge process.
2Reliability
If the rotor rotation speed is controlled to prevent overshooting, then the supernatant discharge can be managed, but the control system becomes complex and fine adjustment of remaining liquid is still difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of controlling the supernatant discharge amount solely through rotation speed control, the invention introduces a new control dimension by adjusting the agitating angle of the test tube holder. The control device controls both the rotor rotation speed and the rotation angle of the test tube holder, allowing independent control of discharge kinetics and discharge amount, thereby simplifying the control system while improving precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the test tube holder is made to swing by releasing the magnetic suction during rotor acceleration, then the supernatant discharge can be adjusted, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding part is designed as an intermediary component that can selectively apply magnetic force to hold or release the test tube holder. By controlling the magnetic suction force of the holding part, the system can easily switch between holding the test tube holder in a fixed position and allowing it to swing, providing flexible control of supernatant discharge without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables precise control of the supernatant discharge amount and allows for the adjustment of the remaining cleaning liquid in test tubes to desired levels, improving the accuracy and flexibility of the centrifugation process.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of test tube holders that are arranged side by side in a circumferential direction of the rotor and are rotatable (can agitate) in a radial direction by a centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotor
Implementation Method 2
a magnetic element (holding part) that sucks the test tube holder vertically or at a nearly vertical angle by a magnetic attraction force generated by energization of a magnetic coil
Data Source
AI summary
In a cell washing centrifuge for washing living cells such as blood cells, control of the remaining amount of a supernatant according to the related art greatly depends on controlling the rotation speed of a motor, and thus a highly accurate motor control part is required to prevent overshooting or the like. In place of the related art, an easy control method is required. In the discharging of a supernatant discharge by a centrifuge having a plurality of test tube holders that can radially swing through centrifugal force, a holding part using an electromagnet that can control the swinging of the test tube holders, and a cleaning liquid distribution element that supplies a cleaning liquid into a test tube, a first decanting operation (③-1) is performed by rotating a rotor in the order of acceleration, settling, and deceleration in a state in which the agitating angle of the test tube is restricted and discharging the supernatant of the cleaning liquid from the test tube, and a second decanting operation (③-2) is performed, at a time of a final decanting operation, by accelerating the rotor, releasing restriction on the agitating angle during the acceleration, and then decelerating the rotor.