Patent Application
20050277538
The present invention relates to homogenization of substances and disruption/disintegration of cells and tissues, and centrifugation of these media and, more particularly, to a novel automated device for homogenization and resuspension of substances, disruption of living cells, disintegration of tissues contained in test tubes, and centrifugation of these and similar media.
Disruption of various types of cells and tissues, mixing solutions and centrifugation are very widespread procedures both in biomedical researches and clinics. Often these procedures are performed in multiple test tubes. The test tubes filled with various solutions, cell suspensions or pieces of tissues, are exposed to homogenization, or mixing, or resuspension, or disruption, or disintegration followed by centrifugation. Accordingly tubes having tested media inside should be taken from a rack, manually placed in a device that makes homogeneous solution of the media, and then manually placed in a centrifuge rotor. These procedures are time-consuming and tedious, and often lead to mistakes in placing of tubes in a proper order, eventually leading to mistakes in experimental results. An automated device which combines these functions to reduce manual operations and inevitable errors would be very desirable.
However, existing technologies of mixing/disintegration and centrifugation are the main obstacle for creation of such a device.
The nature of the processes of homogenization/resuspension and disintegration/disruption of substances are quite opposite to the centrifugation process. The first two are used to make homogenized media, whereas the centrifugation needs to separate the homogenized media into liquid and solid components. This difference determines differences in mechanical principals of the existing devices: homogenization/resuspension is achieved by vibrating, shaking and vortexing of media in test tubes whereas centrifugation—by high-speed rotation of tubes along an outside axis. As a result, even though these processes are usually performed subsequently, they are incompatible.
The development of a device that can perform both processes became possible after a new striking technology for homogenization/resuspension of substances and disintegration/disruption of tissues and cells was invented (U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,538 “Mixer having means for periodically mechanically striking liquid-containing tubes to induce motion of the tubes”).
The technology is based on striking of test tubes with media placed inside. The tubes are subjected to thousands (5,000-8,000 or more) of hits per minute that induce vigorous turbulent motion of the media and a very effective homogenization/resuspension of substances or disintegration/disruption of cells and tissues in presence of glass beads. As a striking means it is used multiple of extensions engaged the tubes' walls when the striking means is rotated.
The described technology, as well as centrifugation technology, both based on rotation of the tubes or means for their processing about outside axis. These technologies are compatible that is exploited in the present invention.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an automated device for mixing and homogenization substances or resuspension pellets or disintegration of living cells, or disruption of tissues placed in test tubes, and subsequent centrifugation these media. Additional advantage of the device is ability to remove the rotor from the device, and place it on a separate stand to be used as a rack for manipulations with the tubes.
The present invention achieves the above objectives, among others, by providing, in a preferred embodiment, a device for biological and medical tests wherein tested media placed in test tube is subjected to following processes performed in two stages: the first stage is mixing, or homogenization, or resuspention, or disintegration, or disruption, and the second stage is centrifugation, comprising: a housing, a replaceable rotor for said tubes having a closure, a driving means for rotation of said rotor about the axis located outside said tubes, capable to rotate said rotor clockwise or counterclockwise and to move the rotor along the shaft, and a striking means, capable to engage walls of said tubes at the first stage and disengage the walls at the second stage of processing of tested tubes.
Understanding of the present invention and the various aspects thereof will be facilitated by reference to the accompanying drawing figures, provided for purposes of illustration only and not intended to define the scope of the invention, on which:
The invention is related to automated devices for biological and medical tests wherein tested media in test tube is subjected to mixing, or homogenization, or resuspention, or disintegration, or disruption, or centrifugation.
The main novelty in this device is striking of test tubes that induce vigorous motion of the media inside the tubes, and following centrifugation of the media in the tubes.
The description of the invention is made with an example of a device for test tubes of 1, 5-2 ml volume, providing consequently homogenization of substances in test tubes and centrifugation of the homogenized media.
Referring to the drawings in detail, in
Rotor 2 is a support for a number of tubes 6. The main part of the rotor is disk 21 having holes 22 the tubes pass through. The axis of the holes is tilted about shaft 41 that provides tilted position of tubes 6. The tubes are supported by rotor 2 due to the diameter of flange 61 of the tubes is bigger than the diameter of holes 22 (
Rotor 2 includes means 7 for moving the rotor up and down along shaft 41 (
Rotor 2 is supported by and coupled with bush 72. When the bush is rotated about shaft 41, the rotor receives the same rotation and when the bush moves up or down along the sleeve, the rotor also moves up and down. As is clear, the same motions receive tubes 6 inside the rotor. The vertical motion of the tubes places them in a position providing engagement or disengagement of the tubes with striking means 5. As a version, rotor 2 can be integrated with bush 72.
As is shown in
To enhance effectiveness of mixing of substances, the rotor includes removable closure 3 overlapping flanges 61 of tubes 6 and pressing gently the flanges against rotor 2 (
Electric motor 42 of driving means 4 provides clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of shaft 41. For the mixing process the shaft is rotated in one direction and rotor 2 is moved downward, in its lowest position. In this position striking means 5 engages tubes 6. When the first stage of the process is finished, rotation of the shaft changes its direction to opposite and rotor 2 is moved upward. Simultaneously, striking means 5 disengages tubes 6 (
Depending on operator's needs, filling of rotor 2 with tubes 6 can be made when rotor 6 is attached to driving means 4 of the device, or detached from the device. In the last case the rotor should be placed to a special stand on a laboratory bench. The stand may comprise: a base having a column and a plate affixed to the top end of column. Sleeve 71 of rotor can seat upon and embrace the column. In this position rotor can be used as a rack for filling the tubes or making other manipulations with the tubes. To facilitate manipulations with the tubes and recording of placed tubes, the rotor can be rotated on the stand along its vertical axis, and openings 22 are numbered.
This invention is not limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes are possible without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. What is desire to be protected is set forth in particular in the appended claims.
