Polymers for use in centrifugal separation of liquids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9248447-B2
Application number	US-33127708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2008
Priority date	Aug 10, 2005
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

Contemplated compositions and methods allow for in-situ formation of a rigid seal layer in a blood collection tube between a cell-depleted phase and a cell-enriched phase. Preferably, the seal layer is formed upon brief UV irradiation and comprises an acrylate, a methacrylate, an epoxy, a urethane, and/or a thiol-ene polymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blood collection tube for separation of whole blood into a cell-depleted phase and a cell-enriched phase comprising:
a polymerizable composition having a predetermined density and flowability effective to allow sedimentation of the composition under a centrifugal force to a position between the cell-depleted phase and the cell-enriched phase;
wherein the polymerizable composition has a composition effective to retain the predetermined flowability during irradiation sterilization, and to allow subsequent UV curing to a hardness of at least 10 on a Shore A hardness scale within ten minutes.

2. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the density is between 1.02 and 1.06 g/cm 3 .

3. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the polymerizable composition is polymerizable by UV curing to a polymer selected from the group consisting of an acrylate polymer, a methacrylate polymer, an epoxy polymer, a polyurethane, and a thiol-ene polymer.

4. The collection tube of claim 3 wherein the polymerizable composition comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a monofunctional acrylate, a bifunctional acrylate, a trifunctional acrylate, a tetrafunctional acrylate, and an acrylate containing oligomer.

5. The collection tube of claim 3 wherein the polymerizable composition comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a monofunctional methacrylate, a bifunctional methacrylate, a trifunctional methacrylate, a tetrafunctional methacrylate, and a methacrylate containing oligomer.

6. The collection tube of claim 3 wherein the polymerizable composition comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a polymer containing a terminal epoxy group, a polymer containing a pendant epoxy group, an epoxy-siloxane resin, an epoxy-polyurethane, an epoxy-polyesters, epichlorohydrin, a polyhydric diol, and a polyhydric polyol.

7. The collection tube of claim 3 wherein the polymerizable composition comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an aromatic isocyanate, an aliphatic isocyanate, a polymer comprising a terminal or pendant isocyanate group, a polymer comprising at least two hydroxyl groups, a polyhydric diol, and a polyhydric polyol.

8. The collection tube of claim 3 wherein the polymerizable composition comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic monomeric polythiol, an aliphatic dithiol, a cycloaliphatic dithiol, an aromatic dithiol, a polymeric polythiol, an acrylate, a methacrylate, an alkenyl, and a cycloalkenyl.

9. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the composition further comprises a photoinitiator and an optional photoinhibitor.

10. The collection tube of claim 9 wherein the photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of a phosphine oxide photoinitiator, a ketone-based photoinitiator, and a benzoin ether photoinitiator.

11. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the irradiation sterilization is gamma ray irradiation sterilization.

12. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the polymerizable composition further comprises silica.

13. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the polymerizable composition has a composition effective to allow curing without substantial cell entrapment.

14. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the hardness is achieved upon UV curing over a period of less than five minutes.

15. The collection tube of claim 1 wherein the polymerizable composition has a composition effective to form a fluid-proof barrier between the composition and an inner wall of the collection tube.

16. A method of assisting separation of whole blood in a blood collection tube in a cell-depleted phase and a cell-enriched phase comprising the steps of:
Adding into the collection tube a polymerizable composition having a predetermined density and flowability effective to allow sedimentation of the composition under a centrifugal force to a position between the cell-depleted phase and the cell-enriched phase, wherein the polymerizable composition has a composition effective to retain the predetermined flowability during irradiation sterilization, and to allow subsequent UV curing to a hardness of at least 10 on a Shore A hardness scale within them minutes;
Sterilizing the collection tube and optionally evacuating the collection tube; and
Providing instructions to use UV irradiation after centrifugation for a period of less than ten minutes to cure the polymerizable composition to a hardness of at least 10on a Shore A hardness scale.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the polymerizable composition is polymerizable by UV curing to a polymer selected from the group consisting of a acrylate polymer, a methacrylate polymer, an epoxy polymer, a polyurethane, and a thiol-ene polymer.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the composition further comprises a photoinitiator and an optional photoinhibitor.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein UV irradiation is performed in a rotor of a centrifuge.

Assignees

• Emerson Jane
• Raghavan Srinivasa
• Sun Kunshan
• Univ California
• Univ Maryland

Inventors

• Emerson Jane
• Raghavan Srinivasa
• Sun Kunshan

Classifications

• B01L3/50215 Primary

  using a float to separate phases · CPC title

• B01L3/5021

  Test tubes specially adapted for centrifugation purposes · CPC title

• B01L2300/12

  Specific details about materials · CPC title

• B01L2400/0677

  phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers · CPC title

• B01L2400/086

  using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions · CPC title