SEPARATION METHOD OF BIOLOGICAL OBJECTS RELATIVE TO THEIR VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for the separation of biological objects in a solution which have different viscoelastic properties, wherein said method comprises a filtration step allowing the higher viscoelastic biological objects to pass through the membrane while retaining the lower viscoelastic biological objects above the membrane, and a recovery step wherein the separated lower viscoelastic biological objects are recovered above or onto the membrane and/or the separated higher viscoelastic biological objects are recovered in the filtrate. Advantageously, the biological objects are cells. More advantageously, the recovered cells are viable cells. In one preferred embodiment, the cells are tumor cells. In another preferred embodiment, the cells are fetal cells and the method finds an application in prenatal diagnosis.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1-9. -9. (canceled)
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10. An apparatus for separating between cells having different viscoelasticity, the apparatus comprising:
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a top chamber and a bottom chamber separable by a filter, the top chamber is adapted to receive a fluid comprising at least a first type of cells and a second type of cells, wherein the first type of cells has viscoelasticity which is higher than the viscoelasticity of the second type of cells, and wherein the filter comprises pores having a pore size smaller than the diameter of at least the majority of the second type of cells; and a pressure differential unit adapted to apply a pressure differential of about 20 kPascal to 190 kPascal between the top chamber and the bottom chamber, wherein the pressure differential is adapted to force the majority of the first type of cells to pass through the filter while the majority of the second type of cells is stopped by the filter. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for separating between cells having different viscoelasticity, the method comprising:
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applying to a top side of a filter a fluid comprising at least a first type of cells and a second type of cells, wherein the first type of cells has viscoelasticity which is higher than the viscoelasticity of the second type of cells, wherein the filter comprises pores having a pore size smaller than the diameter of at least the majority of the second type of cells; and applying a pressure differential of between about 20 kPascal and 190 kPascal across the filter and, wherein the pressure differential forces the majority of the first type of cells to pass through the filter while the majority of the second type of cells is stopped by the filter, thereby separating between the first type of cells and the second type of cells. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification