Pathologic staging compression apparatus and methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for staging colorectal cancer, such as manual dissection of fatty tissue, are time-consuming and risk missing diagnostically relevant microscopic tissue, leading to potential inaccuracies in cancer staging.
Innovation Solution
A filtration method using a sample receiver with a filter and a piston to apply pressure, forcing the solvent and fat through the filter while retaining the solid tissue, allowing for uniform compression and accurate examination of lymph nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual dissection of fatty tissue is used to examine lymph nodes, then the pathologist can identify and examine lymph nodes, but the process is time-consuming and risks missing microscopic tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the liquid phase (fatty tissue) from the sample, leaving behind only the solid components (lymph nodes and fibrous tissue). This is achieved through a compression apparatus that forces the liquid phase through a filter while retaining the solid tissue, thereby eliminating the need for time-consuming manual dissection of fat while preserving all diagnostically relevant solid structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and composition of the sample by dissolving lipids in acetone, then applying mechanical compression to separate the liquid phase from the solid phase. This parameter change from a mixed fatty tissue sample to a compressed solid tissue sample enables efficient examination without manual dissection while maintaining detection accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If random samples are selected from resected tissue for microscopic study, then some tissue can be examined, but very small or microscopic pieces of tissue may be left behind
Solution Approach 1:
The compression apparatus extracts and removes all liquid phase material from the sample, concentrating all solid tissue components including microscopic lymph nodes onto a small area. This extraction process ensures that no microscopic tissue is left behind in the fatty matrix, as all solid components are gathered together for examination.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges and concentrates all solid tissue components (lymph nodes, fibrous tissue) from the dispersed fatty tissue sample into a single compressed mass. This combining of all diagnostically relevant solid elements into one concentrated sample enables complete examination without the need to select multiple random samples throughout the original tissue.
3Productivity
If the acetone compression method is used to eliminate dissection time, then processing efficiency increases, but uniform compression and separation of solid from liquid components needs to be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The compression apparatus is designed with a universal compression mechanism that can uniformly compress samples of varying sizes and compositions. The system uses a piston and filter assembly that applies consistent pressure across the entire sample, ensuring uniform separation of liquid and solid phases regardless of the initial sample characteristics, thereby achieving both high productivity and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the manual mechanical dissection process with a controlled mechanical compression system. The piston-driven compression apparatus provides uniform, reproducible compression forces that automatically separate liquid from solid components, substituting the imprecise manual dissection process with a precise mechanical system that ensures consistent results.
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 method reduces sample-to-sample variation, increases the number of examined lymph nodes, and enhances the accuracy of cancer staging by efficiently separating solid from liquid components, thereby improving diagnostic precision.
Implementation Method 1
applying pressure to the sample so as to force the solvent and fat through the filter
Implementation Method 2
placing the sample in contact with a filter and applying pressure to the sample so as to force the solvent and fat through the filter while retaining the solid tissue on the filter
Implementation Method 3
Acetone dissolves lipids without affecting the integrity of fibrous tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A filtration assembly for separating solids from liquids contained in a sample, and a method for preparing such a sample are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, the filtration assembly includes an inner element (100) with proximal and distal ends (102,103) and a sample (200) disposed therein. A reinforcing sleeve (300) is disposed around the inner element (100) to form a sample receiver (250) with proximal and distal ends (252,253). A filter (400) is disposed at the open proximal end of the sample receiver (252) and a filtrate receiver (500) is placed over the filter (400) and threadedly engaged with the sample receiver (250) to clamp the filter (400) therebetween. Then, the receivers (250,500) are inverted and a pressure is applied to the sample (200) to force a liquid component (200a) through the filter (400) into the filtrate receiver (500), while solids (200b) are retained in the sample receiver (250).