Method of preparing glass slide specimen of cells

• US 10,641,689 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision Optics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Precision Optics Corporation
• Inventors: Kinuta, Seichin, Ichinosawa, Yoshiyuki, Nakanishi, Hayao, Ito, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhat, Narayan K
• Application Number:
  US15/739,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20190120735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 1/00 Apparatus for enzymology or microbiology
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 1/26 Inoculator or sampler
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 1/34 Measuring or testing with condition measuring or sensing means, e.g. colony counters
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/1003 Extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples, e.g. pure separation or isolation methods; Conditions, buffers or apparatuses therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/28 Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Qmounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 ; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2813 Producing thin layers of samples on a substrate, e.g. smearing, spinning-on G01N1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4077 by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/4088 filtration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/34 Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides

Abstract

A device for preparing a glass slide specimen of cells has: a filter that has recesses, which capture target cells that are at least one of circulating tumor cells within blood or rare tumor cells within a body fluid, and pores that are formed in the recesses and that pass non-target cells therethrough; a glass slide that is superposed onto a surface of the filter, at a side at which the target cells are captured, and onto which the target cells are transferred; a cover member that is placed on a surface of the filter at a side opposite from the glass slide, and that seals in a buffer solution for immersing the target cells at interiors of the recesses; and a container into which the glass slide is immersed and in which is stored a preservation liquid that preserves the target cells that have been transferred onto the glass slide.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a glass slide specimen of cells that has a filter that has recesses, which capture target cells that are at least one of circulating tumor cells within blood or rare tumor cells within a body fluid, and pores that are formed in the recesses and that pass non-target cells therethrough, the method comprising:

a first step of separating, via the filter, the target cells from the non-target cells and capturing the target cells;

a second step of superposing the filter on the glass slide such that a surface of the filter, at a side at which the target cells are captured, faces the glass slide, placing a cover member on the filter, and immersing the target cells, which are between the filter and the glass slide, in a buffer solution;

a third step of transferring the target cells, which are between the filter and the glass slide, onto the glass slide under application of centrifugal force or under pressurization by air pressure; and

a fourth step of, by immersing the glass slide in a container in which a preservation liquid is stored, causing the cover member and the filter to peel-off naturally from the glass slide and preserving the target cells, without impairing the target cells,

wherein a groove of a width of 1 to 5 μ

m and a depth of 1 to 5 μ

m is provided in the surface of the glass slide, and the groove is a drainage opening.

2. A method of preparing a glass slide specimen of cells that has a filter that has recesses, which capture target cells that are at least one of circulating tumor cells within blood or rare tumor cells within a body fluid, and pores that are formed in the recesses and that pass non-target cells therethrough, the method comprising:

a first step of separating, via the filter, the target cells from the non-target cells and capturing the target cells;

a second step of placing the target cells, which have been captured by the filter, in a buffer solution;

a third step of causing the target cells that are within the buffer solution to cling to the glass slide, and adhering and transferring the target cells onto the glass slide while still living; and

a fourth step of immersing the glass slide in a container in which a preservation liquid is stored, and preserving the target cells that have been transferred onto the glass slide,

wherein a groove of a width of 1 to 5 μ

m and a depth of 1 to 5 μ

m is provided in the surface of the glass slide, and the groove is a drainage opening.

3. A method of preparing a glass slide specimen of cells with a filter unit that has a filter that has recesses, which capture target cells that are at least one of circulating tumor cells within blood or rare tumor cells within a body fluid, and pores that are formed in the recesses and that pass non-target cells therethrough, and that supplies blood or a body fluid to a surface at a target cell capturing side of the filter, the method comprising:

a first step of separating, via the filter, the target cells from the non-target cells and capturing the target cells;

a second step of superposing the glass slide on the filter, at a side at which the target cells are captured, placing a plate-like cover member on the filter, at a side opposite to the glass slide, and immersing the target cells, which are settled between the recesses of the filter and the glass slide, in a buffer solution;

a third step of transferring the target cells, which are between the filter and the glass slide, onto the glass slide under application of centrifugal force; and

a fourth step of, by immersing the glass slide to which the target cells are transferred, the cover member and the filter in a container in which a preservation liquid is stored, causing the cover member and the filter to peel-off naturally from the glass slide and preserving the target cells that have been transferred onto the glass slide, without impairing the target cells.

4. A method of preparing a glass slide specimen of cells with a filter unit that has a filter that has recesses, which capture target cells that are at least one of circulating tumor cells within blood or rare tumor cells within a body fluid, and pores that are formed in the recesses and that pass non-target cells therethrough, and that supplies blood or a body fluid to a surface at a target cell capturing side of the filter, the method comprising:

a first step of separating, via the filter, the target cells from the non-target cells and capturing the target cells;

a second step of gently putting the glass slide on the filter, at a side at which the target cells are captured, and immersing the target cells, which are settled between the recesses of the filter and the glass slide, in a buffer solution;

a third step of transferring the target cells, which are between the filter and the glass slide, onto the glass slide by a slow liquid flow of the buffer solution that is made under pressurization by air pressure; and

a fourth step of, by immersing the glass slide to which the target cells are transferred and the filter in a container in which a preservation liquid is stored, causing the filter to peel-off naturally from the glass slide and preserving the target cells that have been transferred onto the glass slide, without impairing the target cells, or by immersing the glass slide to which the target cells are transferred in the container, causing the target cells that have been transferred onto the glass slide to be preserved, without impairing the target cells.