Cell collecting apparatus and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778152-B2
Application number	US-201314397855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2013
Priority date	Apr 30, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for microdissecting a biological sample. In particular, apparatuses of the invention include a cell collecting device 100 that is operated by a pneumatic device 200 . In one particular embodiment, apparatuses of the invention are used for collecting and transferring cell sample to and from cell collecting device 100.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for collecting a cell sample from a tissue sample, said apparatus consisting of:
a cell sample collecting device comprising a cell collecting element, wherein said cell collecting element comprises a cell collecting orifice and a pneumatic connector orifice, and wherein said cell collecting orifice is adapted for aspirating and expelling a cell sample into and from said cell collecting element, wherein said cell sample collecting device is configured to remove a cell sample from a tissue sample by scraping means;
a pneumatic connector comprising a first orifice and a second orifice, wherein said first orifice of said pneumatic connector is removably attached to said pneumatic connector orifice of said cell collecting element;
a pneumatic device operatively connected to said second orifice of said pneumatic connector; and
a control unit operatively connected to said pneumatic device such that said pneumatic device provides means for aspirating or expelling the cell sample into or from said cell collecting element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cell sample collecting device further comprises a guide element adapted to aid in positioning said cell sample collecting element to be removably attached to said pneumatic connector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cell sample collecting device further comprises a housing that encases at least a portion of said cell sample collecting element.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said control unit is located within said housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cell collecting element comprises a pipette.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cell collecting device is attached to a stand, wherein said stand comprises a base unit and an arm unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said arm unit comprises a hinge.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said control unit further comprises a variable control for adjusting the cell sample aspiration force, cell sample expelling force, or both.

9. A method for obtaining a cell sample for analysis from a tissue sample, said method comprising:
identifying a cell sample to be analyzed from a tissue sample; and
obtaining the cell sample to be analyzed using an apparatus of claim 1 .

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said step of identifying the cell sample to be analyzed comprises observing the tissue sample using a microscope.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said step of obtaining the cell sample comprises:
contacting the cell collecting element with the cell sample to be analyzed;
aspirating the cell sample into said cell collecting element using said pneumatic device; and
expelling the collected cell sample from said cell collecting element into a cell sample collecting vessel.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of adjusting the control unit after said step of aspirating the cell sample into said cell collecting element such that said pneumatic device provides a positive pressure within said cell collecting element, thereby expelling the collected cell sample from said cell collecting element.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of analyzing the obtained cell sample.

Assignees

• Univ Colorado Regents
• Univ Colorado Regents

Inventors

• Franklin Wilbur
• Lieberman Aaron
• Palmer Mark
• Berglund Willem
• Demars Stephen
• Hanuszek Andrew
• Aisner Dara
• Ren Qing
• Kelso Eric

Classifications

• G01N2001/2873

  Cutting or cleaving · CPC title

• A61B10/0283

  with vacuum aspiration, e.g. caused by retractable plunger or by connected syringe (A61B10/025, A61B10/0266 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N1/286 Primary

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

• G01N1/04

  in the solid state, e.g. by cutting · CPC title