Pluripotent stem cell production system

• US 10,508,260 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2019
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I Peace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: I Peace, Inc.
• Inventors: Tanabe, Koji, Kelly, Brendan, Suto, Kenta, Shimoda, Hidenori, Hiraide, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurst, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US16/299,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20190338237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/28 disposable or single use
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/44 Multiple separable units; Modules
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/00 Means for mixing, agitating or circulating fluids in the vessel by introduction of gas C12M29/06, C12M29/14, mixing in general or mixers per se B01F; mixing in apparatus for chemical or physical processes B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/00 Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps pumps per se F04B
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/04 Filters; Permeable or porous membranes or plates, e.g. dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 35/00 Means for application of stress for stimulating the growth of microorganisms or the generation of fermentation or metabolic products; Means for electroporation or cell fusion machines for extracting juice from animal or plant tissue by electroplasmolysis A23N1/006, processes employing electric or wave energy B01J19/08; treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00; methods for cell fusion C12N15/02; introduction of foreign genetic material C12N15/87
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/02 Filters
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/12 of temperature controlling the temperature of chemical or physical processes B01J19/0013, heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/36 of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/48 Automatic or computerized control automatic analysis G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/02 by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/04 Cell isolation or sorting purging biological preparations of unwanted cells C12N5/0081, determining the presence or kind of microorganism C12Q1/04
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0634 Cells from the blood or the immune system
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0696 Artificially induced pluripotent stem cells, e.g. iPS

Abstract

A cell mass dissociator for a pluripotent stem cell production system.

Claims

1. A cell mass dissociator comprising at least one connecting block having a through-hole through which a cell mass-containing culture medium flows, wherein:

a recess is provided at a first edge of the at least one connecting block and a protrusion is provided at a second edge of the at least one connecting block,

in the case of multiple connecting blocks, the protrusions engage with the recesses of the adjacent connecting blocks,

the through-hole has a first large pore size section that connects with the recess, a small pore size section that connects with the first large pore size section and has a smaller pore size than the first large pore size section, and a second large pore size section that connects with the small pore size section, the second large pore section having a larger pore size than the small pore size section and having an opening at the tip of the protrusion.

2. The cell mass dissociator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting block further comprises multiple connecting blocks, wherein the multiple connecting blocks are connected by protrusions engaging with recesses of adjacent connecting blocks and the second large pore size section of each connecting block is smoothly connected with the first large pore size sections of an adjacent connecting block.

3. The cell mass dissociator according to claim 1, wherein the central axes of the first and second large pore size sections and the central axis of the small pore size section are offset.

4. The cell mass dissociator according to claim 1, further comprising a tip block with a through-hole provided in the interior, wherein:

a recess is provided at a first edge of the tip block and a nozzle at a second edge of the tip block,

the recess of the tip block is engaged with the protrusion of said connecting block,

the through-hole of the tip block has a large pore size section that connects with the recess of the tip block, and a small pore size section of the tip block that connects with the large pore size section of the tip block, the small pore size section of the tip block having a smaller pore size than the large pore size section of the tip block, and

an opening is provided at the nozzle of the tip block.

5. The cell mass dissociator according to claim 4, wherein the second large pore size section of said connecting block and the large pore size section of the tip block are smoothly connected.

6. The cell mass dissociator according to claim 1, further comprising a terminal block with a through-hole provided in the interior,

wherein a recess is provided at a first edge of the terminal block and a protrusion is provided at a second edge of the terminal block, and the protrusion of the terminal block is engaged with a recess of said connecting block.

7. The cell mass dissociator according to claim 6, further comprising an insertion nozzle that is inserted in the recess of the terminal block and a suction drainer in connection with the insertion nozzle, wherein the suction drainer drains the cell mass-containing culture medium.