Methods and apparatuses of separating cells using magnets and droplet type cell suspension

• US 7,189,560 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-Woo, Kim, Young-Ho, Park, Jong Oh, Ju, Byeong-Kwon, Kim, Byung Kyu, Yun, Seok, Paek, Kyeong-Kap, Kang, Yu-Ri
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner; William H.
• Application Number:
  US10/878,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20050227349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 435/308.1, 436/526, 436/63
• US Class Current: 435/308.1
• 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: C12M 47/04 Cell isolation or sorting purging biological preparations of unwanted cells C12N5/0081, determining the presence or kind of microorganism C12Q1/04
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/02 Separating microorganisms from their culture media

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for separating cells using magnets and droplet type cell suspension according to the present invention, which may effectively separate cells by forming droplet type cell suspension with cell suspension sample containing cells to which magnetic beads are coupled and applying magnetic force to the droplet type cell suspension.

The apparatus of separating cells according to the present invention includes: a droplet type cell suspension forming part for forming a droplet type cell suspension under a lower part of the droplet type cell suspension forming part with cell suspension sample containing cells to which magnetic beads are coupled; a cell suspension inlet for supplying the droplet type cell suspension forming part with the cell suspension sample; a magnet for applying magnetic force to the droplet type cell suspension; a cell buffer inlet for supplying the droplet type cell suspension with cell buffer; and a temperature maintaining part for maintaining a temperature of the droplet type cell suspension.

Claims

1. An apparatus for separating cells using magnets and droplet type cell suspension, comprising:

a droplet type cell suspension forming part for forming a droplet type cell suspension under a lower part of the droplet type cell suspension forming part with cell suspension sample containing cells to which magnetic beads are coupled and wherein a region in which the droplet type cell suspension is to be formed, has a droplet type cell suspension forming part having a hydrophilic property and another region of the droplet type cell suspension forming part has a hydrophobic property;

a cell suspension inlet for supplying the droplet type cell suspension forming part with the cell suspension sample;

a magnet for applying magnetic force to the droplet type cell suspension;

a cell buffer inlet for supplying the droplet type cell suspension with cell buffer; and

a temperature maintaining part for maintaining the temperature of the droplet type cell suspension.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an outlet for discharging cell buffer and cell suspension sample left after the cells to which magnetic beads are coupled are separated; and

a droplet type cell suspension protecting part, connected to the outlet and spaced apart from the droplet type cell suspension forming part by a predetermined distance, for protecting the droplet type cell suspension.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the droplet type cell suspension forming part regulates a size of droplet type cell suspension to be formed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the magnet applies attraction force to the cells to which the magnetic beads are coupled in the droplet type cell suspension.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the magnet is not fixedly connected to the droplet type cell suspension forming part and is able to be easily separated from the droplet type cell suspension forming part.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the temperature maintaining part maintains temperatures of the droplet type cell suspension and the droplet type cell suspension protecting part.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the temperature maintaining part performs a cooling and a keeping warm simultaneously.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the temperature maintaining part is implemented by a peltier element.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the droplet type cell suspension protecting part prevents the droplet type cell suspension from evaporating.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the droplet type cell suspension is formed under a lower part of the droplet type cell suspension forming part.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cell buffer inlet regulates vertical location of the cell buffer inlet itself.

12. An apparatus for separating cells using magnets and droplet type cell suspension, comprising:

a droplet type cell suspension forming part for forming a droplet type cell suspension under a lower part of the droplet type cell suspension forming part with cell suspension sample containing cells to which magnetic beads are coupled and wherein a region in which the droplet type cell suspension is to be formed, has a droplet type cell suspension forming part having a hydrophilic property and another region of the droplet type cell suspension forming part has a hydrophobic property;

a cell suspension inlet for supplying the droplet type cell suspension forming part with the cell suspension sample;

a magnet for applying magnetic force to the droplet type cell suspension;

a cell buffer inlet for supplying the droplet type cell suspension with cell buffer and regulating vertical location of the cell buffer inlet itself; and

a droplet type cell suspension protecting part, connected to the outlet and spaced apart from the droplet type cell suspension forming part by a predetermined distance, for protecting the droplet type cell suspension.

13. The apparatus according to the claim 12, further comprising an outlet for discharging cell buffer and cell suspension sample left after the cells to which magnetic beads are coupled are separated.