FILTER APPARATUS AND FILTER PLATE SYSTEM

• US 20110233148A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stemcell Technologies Inc. (Stemcell Technologies Canada Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stemcell Technologies Inc. (Stemcell Technologies Canada Inc.)
• Inventors: Antonchuk, Jennifer, Miller, Cindy
• Granted Patent: US 9,290,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/772
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/30 Filter housing constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/30 Filter housing constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1692 Other shaped material, e.g. perforated or porous sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/02 Separating microorganisms from the culture medium; Concentration of biomass separating microorganisms from their culture media C12N1/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/34 Purifying; Cleaning processes or apparatus for extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/405 by adsorption or absorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4077 by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/4088 filtration

Abstract

A filter apparatus comprises a filter having first and second opposed surfaces. A first reservoir is positioned adjacent with the first surface and in communication with the first surface, and a first inlet-outlet port is in communication with the first reservoir and spaced from the first surface. A second reservoir is positioned adjacent the second surface, and in communication with the second surface, and a second inlet-outlet port is in communication with the second reservoir and spaced from the second surface. A filter plate system comprises a reservoir plate. The reservoir plate comprises at least one reservoir well. The filter plate system further comprises a strainer plate. The strainer plate comprises at least one strainer well, which is removably receivable in the reservoir well. The strainer well comprises at least one mesh wall portion.

Claims

1. A filter apparatus comprising:

a) a filter having first and second opposed surfaces;

b) a first reservoir positioned adjacent with the first surface and in communication with the first surface,

c) a first inlet-outlet port in communication with the first reservoir and spaced from the first surface;

d) a second reservoir positioned adjacent the second surface, and in communication with the second surface; and

e) a second inlet-outlet port in communication with the second reservoir and spaced from the second surface.

2. The filter apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

a) the first reservoir is defined by a least a first sidewall extending outwardly from the first surface; and

b) the second reservoir is defined by a second sidewall extending outwardly from the second surface.

3. The filter apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

a) the first sidewall has a first inner face; and

b) the second sidewall has a second inner face; and

c) the membrane is secured between the first and second inner faces.

4. The filter apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a first seating surface seatable on a rim of a fluid vessel to couple the filter apparatus to the fluid vessel, wherein when the first seating surface is seated on the rim of the fluid vessel, the first opening is positioned within the fluid vessel, and the second opening is positioned above the fluid vessel.

5. The filter apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a second seating surface seatable on the rim of the fluid vessel to couple the filter apparatus to the fluid vessel, wherein when the second seating surface is seated on the rim of the fluid vessel, the second opening is positioned within the fluid vessel, and the first opening is positioned above the fluid vessel.

6. The filter apparatus of claim 5 wherein

a) the first seating surface is provided by a first flange;

and

b) the second seating surface is provided by a second flange.

7. The filter apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first flange is integral with the second sidewall, and the second flange is integral with the first sidewall.

8. The filter apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a handle coupled to one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

9. The filter apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first sidewall extends substantially perpendicularly to the first surface, and the second sidewall extends substantially perpendicularly to the second surface.

10. The filter apparatus of claim 2, wherein the filter membrane is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyetheretherketone, polytetrafluoroethyline, polyfluoroethylenepropylene, polyvinyls, polysulfone, polyvinyl fluoride, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, aluminum, bass, copper, nickel, bronze, steel, stainless steel and titanium.

11. The filter apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first seating surface is provided by a first stepped portion of the first sidewall, and the second seating surface is provided by a second stepped portion of the second sidewall.

12. The filter apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a) an additional filter extending across the first opening, the additional filter having a first additional filter surface facing the first reservoir, and an opposed second additional filter surface;

b) a third reservoir adjacent and in communication with the first additional filter surface;

c) a third inlet-outlet port spaced from first additional filter surface and in communication with the third reservoir.

13. The filter apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second reservoir is separable into two reservoir portions.

14. The filter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reservoir is removably positioned adjacent with the first surface, and the second reservoir is removably positioned adjacent the second surface.

15. A method of separating at least a first population of target entities from a volume of fluid, the first population of target entities having a first average diameter, the method comprising:

a) providing a filter apparatus comprising

i) a filter membrane having first and second opposed surfaces, the filter membrane having a pore size less than the first average diameter;

ii) a first reservoir adjacent and in communication with the first surface; and

iii) a second reservoir adjacent and in communication with the second surface;

b) positioning the second reservoir in communication with a first fluid vessel, and the first reservoir above the second reservoir;

c) providing the volume fluid to the first reservoir and allowing the first volume of fluid to pass through the filter membrane and into the first fluid vessel while retaining at least some of the second population of target entities on the first surface;

d) positioning the first reservoir in communication with a second fluid vessel, and the second reservoir above the first reservoir;

e) providing a second volume of fluid to the first reservoir and allowing the second volume of fluid to pass through the filter membrane and wash the second population of target entities into the second fluid vessel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first population of target entities comprises three-dimensional cellular aggregates.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first population of target entities comprises a cellular aggregate selected from the group consisting of embryoid bodies, tumour spheroids, neurospheres, or mammospheres.

18. A filter plate system comprising:

a) a reservoir plate, the reservoir plate comprising at least one reservoir well;

b) a strainer plate, the strainer plate comprising at least one strainer well, the strainer well removably receivable in the reservoir well, the strainer well comprising at least one mesh wall portion.

19. The filter plate system of claim 18, wherein the reservoir plate comprises a plurality of reservoir wells, the strainer plate comprises a plurality of strainer wells, each strainer well is removably receivable in one of the reservoir wells, and each strainer well comprises at least one mesh wall portion.

20. The filter plate system of claim 18, wherein each reservoir well is defined by a reservoir well sidewall and a reservoir well base wall.

21. The filter plate system of claim 18, wherein each strainer well is defined by a strainer well sidewall and a strainer well base wall.

22. The filter plate system of claim 21, wherein each strainer well base wall comprises the mesh wall portion.

23. The filter plate system of claim 18, further comprising a lid mountable to the reservoir plate to seal the strainer plate within the reservoir plate.

24. The filter plate system of claim 23, wherein the reservoir plate, the strainer plate, and the lid are fabricated from polystyrene.

25. The filter plate of claim 18, wherein the pore size of the mesh is selected to allow the passage of single cells therethrough under the force of gravity, and to prevent the passage of cellular aggregates therethrough.

26. The filter plate system of claim 18, wherein the pore size of the mesh is between about 20 microns and about 100 microns.

27. The filter plate system of claim 18, wherein the mesh is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyetheretherketone, polytetrafluoroethyline, polyfluoroethylenepropylene, polyvinyls, polysulfone, polyvinyl fluoride, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, aluminum, bass, copper, nickel, bronze, steel, stainless steel and titanium.

28. The filter plate system of claim 18, wherein the reservoir plate comprises a plurality of reservoir wells, the strainer plate comprises one strainer well, the strainer well being positionable in one of the reservoir wells.

29. A method of separating a target population from a volume of liquid media, the method comprising:

a) providing a filter apparatus, the filter apparatus comprising;

i) a reservoir plate, the reservoir plate comprising at least one reservoir well;

ii) a strainer plate, the strainer plate comprising at least one strainer well, the strainer well positioned in the reservoir well, the strainer well comprising at least one mesh wall portion, the pore size of the mesh wall portion being less than the average diameter of the cell population;

b) providing the target population and the volume liquid media to the at least one strainer well; and

c) removing the strainer well from the reservoir well.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

a) removing the volume of liquid media from the reservoir well;

b) providing a second volume of liquid media to the reservoir well; and

c) positioning the strainer well in the reservoir well.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the target population comprises at least one cell type selected from the group consisting of mammalian cells, stem cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, neural cells and tumor cells.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the target population comprises at least one aggregate of cells selected from the group consisting of aggregates of mammalian cells, aggregates of stem cells, human ES cell aggregates, tumor spheroids, aggregates of pluripotent stem cells, and aggregates of induced pluripotent stem cells.