Sealed Chamber Cell Sorter for Hypoxic Phenotype Preservation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for maintaining hypoxic conditions during cell harvesting and experimentation are inadequate, leading to changes in cell phenotypes and functions when exposed to room air, which can alter the results of studies on low oxygen environments.
Innovation Solution
A sealed chamber system with processing chambers, buffer modules, and an incubator bank module that maintains consistent oxygen tensions, allowing for the sorting and analysis of cells under controlled conditions, including hypoxic environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cells are harvested and sorted under room air conditions (20% O2), then the sorting process can be performed using standard equipment and procedures, but the cell phenotypes and functions change quickly (within 10 minutes or less) from their native hypoxic state, leading to loss of biological relevance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies an inert atmosphere principle by creating a sealed chamber system that maintains a controlled hypoxic environment (1-9% O2) throughout the entire cell sorting process. This prevents cells from being exposed to room air conditions, thereby preserving their native phenotypic and functional characteristics while enabling standard sorting procedures to be performed under physiologically relevant conditions
2Reliability
If a sealed chamber system with controlled atmosphere is implemented, then cell phenotypes and functions are preserved under hypoxic conditions, but the device complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the system into distinct functional modules: a sealed chamber system for maintaining hypoxic conditions, a buffer module for fluid management, and an integrated cell sorter. This modular approach allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to preserve cell phenotypes, making the complex system more manageable and maintainable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by designing the sealed chamber system to perform multiple functions: maintaining controlled atmosphere, housing the cell sorter, providing buffer modules for fluid management, and enabling both harvesting and sorting operations within a single integrated platform, thereby reducing the need for separate equipment and procedures
3Measurement precision
If multiple markers are used to identify specific subpopulations of cells under hypoxia, then the isolation precision improves, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the sealed chamber system with all necessary reagents, buffers, and detection equipment required for multi-marker analysis. This allows researchers to perform complex multi-parameter flow cytometry or sorting without the need for separate preparation steps, reducing the practical difficulty of detecting and measuring multiple markers simultaneously while maintaining high identification precision
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus that is able to provide a sealed chamber system including a cell sorter, that allows for various oxygen tensions of choice to be maintained during cell harvest, sorting (and isolation of sub-populations of cells), analysis, etc.