DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STORING AND SORTING CELLULAR SAMPLES

• US 20100062480A1
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA Recherche et Développement
• Original Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA Recherche et Développement
• Inventors: GRAF, Siegfried, KNAPP, Helmut, SCHMID, Noa
• Granted Patent: US 8,940,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/14 Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1404 Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/147 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/149 specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1006 for cytology
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1028 Sorting particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/08 using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/143333 Saccharide [e.g., DNA, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention discloses a sample sorter system adapted to receive and sort samples according to predetermined criteria. The sample sorter system comprises a receptacle that is adapted to receive and retain fluid and samples. The receptacle is operatively coupled with a drive and with a power source such that actuation of the drive causes the rotation of at least one circular component, which in turn causes the development of a flow regime in the receptacle such that the samples suspended in the fluid are conveyable along a closed path to at least one sample handling site that are positioned along said closed path.

Claims

1. A sample sorter device adapted to receive and sort samples according to predetermined criteria

wherein said sample sorter device comprises a receptacle that is adapted to receive and retain fluid and samples;

and

wherein said receptacle is operatively coupled with a drive and with a power source such that actuation of said drive causes the rotation of at least one circular component, which in turn causes the development of a flow regime in said receptacle such that said samples suspended in said fluid are conveyable along a closed path to at least one sample handling site that is positioned along said closed path.

2. The sample sorter device according to claim 1,

wherein said receptacle comprises at least one rotatable component delineating a circular transporting route for the transport of samples therein;

wherein said receptacle is adapted to receive samples and fluid from a sample source site; and

wherein said at least one rotatable component is rotatable along said circular transporting route by a drive at a velocity causing samples suspended in said fluid to become subjected to propelling forces such that at least one of said samples is conveyed to at least one of said at least one sample handling site.

3. The sample sorter device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one rotatable component is an annular conduit.

4. The sample sorter device according to claim 1, wherein said rotatable component is an annular section disassociated from direct frictional contact with said samples such that during rotation of said rotatable component, said samples are subjected to propelling forces corresponding to said generated flow regime only.

5. The sample sorter device according to claim 3 wherein said rotatable component is at least one of the following:

the annular inner side wall;

annular outer side wall;

annular cover; and

annular ground of said annular conduit.

6. A sample sorter system adapted to receive and sort samples according to predetermined criteria

wherein said sample sorter system comprises a receptacle that is adapted to receive and retain fluid and samples;

and

wherein said receptacle is operatively coupled with a drive and with a power source such that actuation of said drive causes the rotation of at least one circular component, which in turn causes the development of a flow regime in said receptacle such that said samples suspended in said fluid are conveyable along a closed path to at least one sample handling site that is positioned along said closed path.

7. The sample sorter system according to claim 6,

wherein said receptacle comprises at least one rotatable component delineating a circular transporting route for the transport of samples therein;

wherein said receptacle is adapted to receive samples and fluid from a sample source site (1215A); and

wherein said at least one rotatable component is rotatable along said circular transporting route by a drive at a velocity causing samples suspended in said fluid to become subjected to propelling forces such that at least one of said samples is conveyed to at least one of said at least one sample handling site.

8. The sample sorter system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one rotatable component is an annular conduit.

9. The sample sorter system according to claim 6, wherein said rotatable component is an annular section disassociated from direct frictional contact with said samples such that during rotation of said rotatable component, said samples are subjected to propelling forces corresponding to said generated flow regime only.

10. The sample sorter system according to claim 9 wherein said rotatable component is at least one of the following:

the annular inner side wall;

annular outer side wall;

annular cover; and

annular ground of said annular conduit.

11. The sample sorter system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one sample-handling site includes an examination-site comprising at least one sensor adapted to determine at least one of the following:

whether a sample is present, whether a sample passed said examination-site, and the characteristics of parameters of samples passing said examination-site, wherein said at least one sensor is implemented by at least one of the following group;

at least one camera, at least one capacitance-based sensor, at least one light barrier and at least one fluorescence-based sensor.

12. The sample sorter system according to claim 11, wherein said at least one sensor includes a plurality of cameras for imaging the entire surface of the samples.

13. The sample sorter system according to claim 6 comprising a sample-removal piping that are selectably operatively coupleable with said receptacle such to enable selective removal of said samples during the rotation of said receptacle.

14. The sample sorter system according to claim 13, wherein said sample-removal piping employs at least one of the following:

a release valve, a suction pump and a sample elutriator.

15. The sample sorter system according to claim 6, wherein said receptacle is configured such that said samples are successively alignable in said receptacle.

16. The sample sorter system according to claim 6, wherein said receptacle is adapted to convey samples having a diameter ranging from 20-2000 micron.

17. The sample sorter system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one sample-handling site operatively communicates with at least one of the following:

a supply-piping, a process-piping, a waste-piping and a sample return feed line, wherein said return feed line provides extracted samples back to said annular conduit.

18. The sample sorter system according to claim 6 comprising a fluid balancing mechanism ensuring that the volume contained in said annular conduit remains at least approximately constant during the sorting process to prevent overflow or unwanted depletion of fluid from said receptacle.

19. A method for sorting samples comprises the following procedures:

providing samples to a receptacle;

conveying said samples by rotating said receptacle to at least one sample-handling site; and

determining characteristics of said samples.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the procedures of:

making a selection of samples according to the determined characteristics to obtain selected samples; and

providing said selected samples according to the determined characteristics to either one of the following;

process-site, waste-site or retaining said samples in said circular receptacle.