Homogenizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9228924-B2
Application number	US-201313971451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2013
Priority date	Aug 21, 2012
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is a homogenizer comprising: a crushing part having a blender for crushing a tissue sample in a container; a rotation driver configured to rotate the blender in contact with the tissue sample; and an absorbing part for absorbing a pressure applied to the tissue sample, which is caused when the blender comes into contact with the tissue sample.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A homogenizer comprising:
a crushing part comprising a shaft, a blender for crushing a tissue sample in a container, and an attachment part connected between the shaft and the blender and having a diameter larger than that of the shaft;
a first driver configured to rotate the blender in contact with the tissue sample;
a support part supporting the crushing part and having a hole through which the shaft of the crushing part passes such that the crushing part is movable relative to the support part;
a second driver configured to move the support part in a first direction to insert the crushing part into the container; and
a spring being provided between the support part and the attachment part of the crushing part, wherein
the crushing part moves relative to the support part in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the blender is pressed against the tissue sample in the container, and the spring contracts according to the movement of the crushing part in the second direction, and
the blender is pressed against the tissue sample in the container with an elastic force of the spring.

2. The homogenizer according to claim 1 , wherein
the second driver reciprocates the support part in the first direction and the second direction thereof.

3. The homogenizer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control the first and second drivers such that the blender reciprocates in the container while rotating.

4. The homogenizer according to claim 3 , wherein
when crushing of the tissue sample by the blender is terminated, the controller controls the second driver to move the crushing part in the second direction, and controls the first driver to rotate the blender at a position away from the tissue sample in the container.

5. The homogenizer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a container holder including a plurality of holders each capable of holding a container, wherein
a pair of the crushing part and the first driver is provided for each of the plurality of holders, and
the spring is provided for each of the plurality of the crushing parts.

6. The homogenizer according to claim 1 , wherein
the blender has an inner blade and an outer blade, and
the first driver rotates either one of the inner blade and the outer blade relative to the other.

7. The homogenizer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller; and
a detector configured to detect the number of rotations of the blender, wherein
the controller controls the first driver to stop rotation of the blender when the number of the rotations is outside a predetermined range.

8. The homogenizer according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a container holder including a plurality of holders each capable of holding a container, wherein
a plurality of pairs of the crushing part and the first driver are provided so as to correspond to the container holder, and
in a case where the number of rotations of a blender driven by one of the first drivers is outside the predetermined range, the controller stops the first driver and causes the other first drivers to continue driving.

9. The homogenizer according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a notification part for making a notification of an abnormality, wherein
in a case where the number of rotations of the blender is smaller than a lower limit value of the predetermined range, the controller causes the blender to continue rotating and controls the notification part to output a notification of an abnormality after completion of the rotation.

10. The homogenizer according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of the crushing parts are supported by the support part, and
the second driver moves the plurality of the crushing parts simultaneously by moving the support part.

11. The homogenizer according to claim 1 , wherein the blender is detachably attached to the attachment part of the crushing part.

Assignees

• Sysmex Corp

Inventors

• Jindo Katsuhiko
• Ooi Yoshinori
• Asada Shoichiro
• Obinata Daijyu

Classifications

• G01N1/28 Primary

  Preparing specimens for investigation {including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q}(mounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 {; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00}) · CPC title

• C12M45/02 Primary

  by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting (crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C) · CPC title

• G01N1/286

  involving mechanical work, e.g. chopping, disintegrating, compacting, homogenising (microtomes G01N1/06; pulverising in general B02C; mixing in general B01F) · CPC title