Gas driven gene delivery instrument
First Claim
1. A gene delivery instrument adapted to be connected to a source of compressed gas, the instrument comprisinga body having a particle acceleration passage formed therein and opening at one end thereof;
- a valve adapted to be connected to the source of compressed gas and connected to selectively admit compressed gas into the particle acceleration passage to make an accelerating gas stream;
a cartridge chamber of a shape adapted to receive therein a particle cartridge having carrier particles coated with genetic material deposited thereon, the chamber positioned in the body and in the particle acceleration passage so that the gas stream expanding down the particle acceleration passage will pass adjacent the particle cartridge and pick up and accelerate the carrier particles from the cartridge; and
a substantially conical exit nozzle at the opening of the particle acceleration passage from the body, the conical shape of the conical exit nozzle being such that the cone of the exit nozzle is significantly longer in the direction of gas flow than it is wide in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow at any point, the conical shape causing the gas stream exiting from the body to expand outward so as to distribute the carrier particles over a wider area than would be the case if the exit nozzle were not conical.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gas driven apparatus for accelerating particles coated with a genetic material into a target comprises a reservoir for releasably retaining a gas at a sufficiently high pressure to detach the particles from the surface of a sample cartridge and to carry the particles through the apparatus toward the target. When leaving the apparatus, the particles entrained in the gas stream pass through a substantially conical exit nozzle which causes the pattern of distribution of the particles to greatly expand. Methods for using the apparatus and for preparing the sample cartridges are also described.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A gene delivery instrument adapted to be connected to a source of compressed gas, the instrument comprising
a body having a particle acceleration passage formed therein and opening at one end thereof; -
a valve adapted to be connected to the source of compressed gas and connected to selectively admit compressed gas into the particle acceleration passage to make an accelerating gas stream; a cartridge chamber of a shape adapted to receive therein a particle cartridge having carrier particles coated with genetic material deposited thereon, the chamber positioned in the body and in the particle acceleration passage so that the gas stream expanding down the particle acceleration passage will pass adjacent the particle cartridge and pick up and accelerate the carrier particles from the cartridge; and a substantially conical exit nozzle at the opening of the particle acceleration passage from the body, the conical shape of the conical exit nozzle being such that the cone of the exit nozzle is significantly longer in the direction of gas flow than it is wide in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow at any point, the conical shape causing the gas stream exiting from the body to expand outward so as to distribute the carrier particles over a wider area than would be the case if the exit nozzle were not conical. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9)
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6. A gene delivery instrument adapted to be connected to a source of compressed gas, the instrument comprising
a body having a particle acceleration passage formed therein and opening at one end thereof; -
a valve adapted to be connected to the source of compressed gas and connected to selectively admit compressed gas into the particle acceleration passage to make an accelerating gas stream; a cartridge chamber of a shape adapted to receive therein a particle cartridge having carrier particles coated with genetic material deposited thereon, the chamber positioned in the body and in the particle acceleration passage so that the gas stream expanding down the particle acceleration passage will pass adjacent the particle cartridge and pick up and accelerate the carrier particles from the cartridge; a substantially conical exit nozzle at the opening of the particle acceleration passage from the body, the conical shape of the conical exit nozzle being such that the cone of the exit nozzle is longer in the direction of gas flow than it is wide in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow, the conical shape causing the gas stream exiting from the body to expand outward so as to distribute the carrier particles over a wider area than would be the case if the exit nozzle were not conical; and a spacer attached to instrument at the end of the exit nozzle to space the instrument a predetermined distance from a tissue or living organism to be treated.
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8. A gene delivery instrument adapted to be connected to a source of compressed gas, the instrument comprising
a body having a particle acceleration passage formed therein and opening at one end thereof; -
a valve adapted to be connected to the source of compressed gas and connected to selectively admit compressed gas into the particle acceleration passage to make an accelerating gas stream; a cartridge chamber of cylindrical shape adapted to receive therein a tubular particle cartridge having carrier particles coated with genetic material deposited on the interior of the cartridge, the chamber positioned in the body and in the particle acceleration passage so that the gas stream expanding down the particle acceleration passage will pass adjacent the particle cartridge and pick up and accelerate the carrier particles from the cartridge; and a substantially conical exit nozzle at the opening of the particle acceleration passage from the body, the conical shape of the conical exit nozzle being such that the cone of the exit nozzle is longer in the direction of gas flow than it is wide in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow, the conical shape causing the gas stream exiting from the body to expand outward so as to distribute the carrier particles over a wider area than would be the case if the exit nozzle were not conical.
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10. A gene delivery instrument adapted to be connected to a source of compressed gas, the instrument comprising
a body having a particle acceleration passage formed therein and opening at one end thereof; -
a valve adapted to be connected to the source of compressed gas and connected to selectively admit compressed gas into the particle acceleration passage to make an accelerating gas stream; a cartridge chamber of a shape adapted to receive therein a particle cartridge having carrier particles coated with genetic material deposited thereon, the chamber positioned in the body and in the particle acceleration passage so that the gas stream expanding down the particle acceleration passage will pass adjacent the particle cartridge and pick up and accelerate the carrier particles from the cartridge; and a substantially conical exit nozzle at the opening of the particle acceleration passage from the body, the conical shape of the conical exit nozzle being such that the cone of the exit nozzle is longer in the direction of gas flow than it is wide in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow, the conical shape causing the gas stream exiting from the body to expand outward so as to distribute the carrier particles over a wider area than would be the case if the exit nozzle were not conical; and a helium bleed tube provided extending across the valve to introduce residual helium in the exit nozzle prior to operation of the instrument.
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- 11. As an article of manufacture, a cartridge for use in a compressed gas-driven gene delivery instrument, the cartridge comprising a concave rigid body with an arcuate linear passage formed on the interior thereof and a deposit of carrier particles coated with genetic material deposited in the passage in the cartridge so that the particles can be dislodged by an expanding gas stream passing through the passage, the cartridge being manually manipulable by a user without the user having to touch the carrier particles deposited on the cartridge.
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15. As an article of manufacture, a cartridge for use in a compressed gas-driven gene delivery instrument, the cartridge comprising a cylindrical rigid tubular body with a cylindrical passage formed through the interior thereof and a deposit of carrier particles coated with genetic material deposited in the passage in the cartridge so that the particles can be dislodged by an expanding gas stream passing through the passage, the cartridge being manually manipulable by a user without the user having to touch the carrier particles deposited on the cartridge.
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16. A method for delivery of genetic material into a target organism, the method comprising the steps of:
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connecting a gene delivery instrument having formed in it a particle acceleration passage to a source of compressed gas through a controllable valve; placing a particle cartridge of suitable shape into a suitably formed cartridge chamber in the particle acceleration passage of the gene delivery instrument, the particle cartridge having been previously loaded onto its interior concave surface with biologically inert carrier particles small in relation to the size of the cells of the organism onto which have been coated copies of the genetic material, placing the gene delivery instrument adjacent to the target organism with the particle acceleration passage directed toward the target organism; operating the valve to permit flow of compressed gas into and through the particle acceleration passage of the gene delivery instrument to create a gas stream in the particle acceleration passage under conditions such that the gas stream picks up the carrier particles from the particle cartridge and carries the carrier particles toward the target organism; and expanding the gas stream as it passes out of the instrument by means of a conically tapered exit nozzle on the gene delivery instrument which acts on the gas stream to expand the gas stream generally perpendicularly to its direction of flow so that the particles are spread out when they impact the target organism. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for delivery of genetic material into a target organism, the method comprising the steps of:
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connecting a gene delivery instrument having formed in it a particle acceleration passage to a source of compressed gas through a controllable valve; placing a particle cartridge in the particle acceleration passage of the gene delivery instrument, the particle cartridge having been previously loaded onto its interior concave surface with biologically inert carrier particles small in relation to the size of the cells of the organism onto which have been coated copies of the genetic material, placing the gene delivery instrument adjacent to the target organism with the particle acceleration passage directed toward the target organism; operating the valve to permit flow of compressed gas into and through the particle acceleration passage of the gene delivery instrument to create a gas stream in the particle acceleration passage under conditions such that the gas stream picks up the carrier particles from the particle cartridge and carries the carrier particles toward the target organism; and expanding the gas stream as it passes out of the instrument by means of a conically tapered exit nozzle on the gene delivery instrument which acts on the gas stream to expand the gas stream generally perpendicularly to its direction of flow so that the particles are spread out when they impact the target organism.
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Specification