DEVICE AND PROCESS FOR ISOLATING AND CULTIVATING LIVE CELLS ON A FILTER OR EXTRACTING THEIR GENETIC MATERIAL

• US 20120129164A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ScreenCell, Co.
• Original Assignee: ScreenCell, Co.
• Inventors: Cayre, Yvon
• Granted Patent: US 8,709,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/04 by injection or suction, e.g. using pipettes, syringes, needles pipettes in general B01L3/02
• 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 2001/4088 filtration

Abstract

The process for isolating live cells on a filter or extracting their genetic material. The process comprises the steps of attaching, at least temporarily, a filter to a lower opening of a compartment having, in addition, an air inlet; inserting into the compartment a liquid carrying the cells; and attaching, in an impermeable manner, a needle, at least temporarily, to the compartment opening, the filter being positioned between the needle and the interior volume of the compartment. The process further comprises the steps of perforation, with the needle, of a plug of a vacuum tube with negative pressure relative to ambient pressure; and aspiration, by means of negative pressure from the vacuum tube, of the liquid through the filter, the filter retaining the cells.

Claims

1. A device for isolating fixed or live cells on a filter or extracting genetic material from live cells, comprising:

a compartment with an interior volume for receiving liquid carrying said cells, a lower opening and an air inlet;

a filter forming a single unit, at least provisionally, with said compartment opening, designed to retain said cells when liquid is passed through the filter;

a needle forming a single impermeable unit, at least temporarily, with said compartment opening, the filter being positioned between the needle and the interior volume of the compartment, said needle being designed to pierce a plug of a vacuum tube with negative pressure relative to ambient pressure in order to aspirate the liquid through said filter; and

a connection means between the compartment and a protective cylinder surrounding the needle, said connection means being adapted to surround, at least in part, the vacuum tube during aspiration of the liquid through the filter.

11. The device according to claim 1, further comprising, at least provisionally, the protective cylinder.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the connection means is provisional and enables joint removal of the protective cylinder together with the vacuum tube.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the connection means is provisional and enables joint removal of the protective cylinder together with the vacuum tube.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the protective cylinder comprises a movable film sealing an opening of the protective cylinder facing the connection means, said opening being adapted to receive the vacuum tube into the protective cylinder after removal of the movable film.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the protective cylinder comprises a movable film sealing an opening of the protective cylinder facing the connection means, said opening being adapted to receive the vacuum tube into the protective cylinder after removal of the movable film.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein the protective cylinder comprises a movable film sealing an opening of the protective cylinder facing the connection means, said opening being adapted to receive the vacuum tube into the protective cylinder after removal of the movable film.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the protective cylinder comprises a movable film sealing an opening of the protective cylinder facing the connection means, said opening being adapted to receive the vacuum tube into the protective cylinder after removal of the movable film.

18. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a surgical steel movable filter support adapted to be temporarily joined to a lower opening of the compartment.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the thickness of the filter support is adapted to enable the filter support to be scanned.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein said filter support carries an identifier.

21. The device according to claim 18, wherein said filter support carries an identifier.

2-10. -10. (canceled)

22. A process for isolating fixed or live cells on a filter or extracting the genetic material of live cells, comprising the steps of:

attaching, at least temporarily, a filter to a lower opening of a compartment having, in addition, an air inlet;

inserting into said compartment a liquid carrying said cells;

attaching, at least temporarily, in an impermeable manner, a needle to said compartment opening, the filter being positioned between the needle and the interior volume of the compartment;

fastening, at least temporarily, a protective cylinder to the compartment, said protective cylinder then surrounding the needle;

perforation, with said needle, of a plug of a vacuum tube with negative pressure relative to ambient pressure, the vacuum tube being inserted into the protective cylinder during the perforation step; and

aspiration, by means of negative pressure from the vacuum tube, of the liquid through said filter, said filter retaining said cells.

23. The process according to claim 22, further comprising a step of jointly removing the protective cylinder together with the vacuum tube.

24. The process according to claim 23, wherein the protective cylinder comprises a movable film sealing an opening of the protective cylinder facing the connection means;

and further comprising a step of removing the movable film before inserting the vacuum tube into the protective cylinder.

25. The process according to claim 22, wherein said protective cylinder comprising a movable film sealing an opening of the protective cylinder facing the connection means;

and further comprising a step of removing the movable film before inserting the vacuum tube into the protective cylinder.