Sample support and sample store, especially for the cryopreservation of biological samples

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9464973-B2
Application number	US-16213607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2007
Priority date	Jan 27, 2006
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A sample support ( 100, 101, 102 , . . . ), in particular for cryopreservation of biological samples, is described and includes: a holder part ( 10 ) with a sample receiving chamber ( 11 ), a retaining device ( 12, 13 ) on which a sample can be disposed, and support connecting elements ( 14, 15 ) which are directed at opposite holder part ends ( 16, 17 ) and are formed to fit together so that a plurality of holder parts ( 16 ) can be put together. A sample store ( 200 ), which includes an assemblage of a large number of such sample supports, and a method for the cryopreservation of biological samples, are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sample carrier for cryopreservation of a biological sample, comprising:
a casing part defining a sample receiving and having two casing part ends at opposite ends of the casing part,
a holding device on which the sample can be arranged, wherein the holding device includes a bottom element with which the sample receiving space is closed on one end of the casing part such that the bottom element of the holding device is formed by said closed end of the casing part;
carrier connection elements that are arranged on the casing part ends and that are directed to opposite casing part ends and are formed in such a manner that said carrier connection elements fit one another so that at least two casing parts can be assembled, said carrier connection elements forming a connection between said at least two assembled casing parts, said connection being closed on all sides in a gas-tight manner;
at least one separate sample container having a shape of a capillary, tube or beaker and being fixed on the bottom element at a first end thereof, the at least one separate sample container configured to receive the sample in a liquid state and to contain the sample disposed therein; and
a seal consisting of a substantially flat sealing element including an elastically deformable plastic layer arranged on a second side of the bottom element opposite the first side of the bottom element that is fixed to the at least one separate container, the plastic layer being configured to tightly close a separate sample container having a shape of a capillary, tube or beaker and being arranged within a sample receiving space of an adjacent sample carrier.

2. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of containers for receiving the sample is arranged on the bottom element.

3. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom element comprises at least one substrate for adherent adhering of at least one sample.

4. The sample carrier according to claim 3 , wherein the bottom element comprises a substrate stack for the adherent adhering of a plurality of samples.

5. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one container is arranged on a side of the bottom element facing the sample receiving space of an associated casing part.

6. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one container is arranged on a side of the bottom element opposite the sample receiving space of an associated casing part.

7. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier connection elements are set up to produce at least one connection type selected from the group consisting of a bayonet connection, a screw connection, a plug-in connection and a magnet connection.

8. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the sample receiving space can be closed gas-tight on each of the casing part ends with placed-on casing parts of further sample carriers.

9. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the casing part has an outer contour that forms at least one engagement surface for a tool.

10. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the casing part carries a cover part on one of the casing part ends.

11. The sample carrier according to claim 10 , wherein the cover part comprises at least one cover connection element formed to fit one of the carrier connection elements of the casing part.

12. The sample carrier according to claim 10 , wherein the cover part comprises at least one function device selected from the group consisting of an electronic memory, a transponder, a computer circuit, an RFID system, a marking, a sensor, and a mechanical holding element.

13. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one conduction element extending between the casing part ends.

14. The sample carrier according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one conduction element comprises at least one of an electrical conductor, an optical conductor and a hollow conductor for substance transport.

15. A sample storage for cryopreservation of a plurality of biological samples, said sample storage comprising an interconnection system of a plurality of the sample carrier according to claim 1 .

16. The sample storage according to claim 15 , wherein the interconnection system comprises a stack of sample carriers that are assembled immediately adjacent to each other with the carrier connection elements.

17. The sample storage according to claim 16 , wherein the sample connected to one of the sample carriers is arranged in the sample receiving space of the casing part of said sample carrier.

18. The sample storage according to claim 16 , wherein the sample connected to one of the sample carriers is arranged in the sample receiving space of the casing part of an adjacent sample carrier.

19. The sample storage according to claim 15 , wherein the interconnection system comprises a stack of sample carriers and cover parts that are assembled immediately adjacent to each other with the carrier- and cover connection elements.

20. The sample storage according to claim 15 , wherein the interconnection system comprises several stacks of sample carriers arranged adjacent to each other.

21. The sample storage according to claim 20 , wherein the stacks of sample carriers are connected radially immediately adjacent to each other by storage connection elements.

22. The sample storage according to claim 21 , wherein the stacks of sample carriers are connected radially distanced by a common cover part.

23. A method for the cryopreservation of biological samples in the sample carrier according to claim 1 , said method comprising the following steps:
depositing of samples in the sample carriers,
connecting of the sample carriers to a sample storage comprising a plurality of the sample carriers, and
transferring the sample storage into an environment of reduced temperature.

24. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the depositing of samples comprises a receiving of the samples in the at least one container of the sample carrier under action of capillary forces.

25. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the depositing of samples comprises a receiving of the samples in a hose-shaped sample chamber and wherein a series of casing parts can be drawn onto the sample chamber and connected to each other in order to connect the sample carriers.

26. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the samples comprise suspension samples, tissue samples or organ samples.

27. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , the bottom element defining a bore, the at least one separate sample container being inserted into the bore.

28. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one separate container is fluid impermeable to isolate the sample disposed within the at least one separate container.

29. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , at least one separate sample container being fixed on the bottom element at a first end thereof is below the bottom element, and the casing part extends both above and below the bottom element.

30. The sample carrier according to claim 1 , the elastically deformable plastic layer configured to extend across the separate sample container arranged in the sample receiving space of the adjacent sample carrier to close the separate sample containe

Assignees

• Fuhr Günter R
• Zimmermann Heiko
• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Fuhr Günter R
• Zimmermann Heiko

Classifications

• B01L2200/025

  Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other · CPC title

• A01N1/00

  Preservation of bodies of humans or animals, or parts thereof · CPC title

• B01L3/50855

  using modular assemblies of strips or of individual wells · CPC title

• B01L2300/022

  Transponder chips · CPC title

• B01L2300/0838

  Capillaries · CPC title