EP0405026A1 - Tube centrifuge unitaire et réceptacle de distribution séparable - Google Patents

Tube centrifuge unitaire et réceptacle de distribution séparable Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0405026A1
EP0405026A1 EP89306520A EP89306520A EP0405026A1 EP 0405026 A1 EP0405026 A1 EP 0405026A1 EP 89306520 A EP89306520 A EP 89306520A EP 89306520 A EP89306520 A EP 89306520A EP 0405026 A1 EP0405026 A1 EP 0405026A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
receptacle
tube
sidewalls
centrifuge tube
connecting tube
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP89306520A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
David H. Kuntz
Louis Frederick Muller
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Imagyn Medical Technologies California Inc
Original Assignee
Davstar California Inc
Davstar Industries Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Davstar California Inc, Davstar Industries Inc filed Critical Davstar California Inc
Priority to EP89306520A priority Critical patent/EP0405026A1/fr
Publication of EP0405026A1 publication Critical patent/EP0405026A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
    • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
    • B01L3/50—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes
    • B01L3/502—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures
    • B01L3/5021—Test tubes specially adapted for centrifugation purposes

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a disposable one-piece centrifuge tube with a separable dispenser receptacle at the end of the centrifuge tube.
  • the standard technique of first mixing the sediment with some supernatant liquid to facilitate the transferral to a microscope slide and then pipetting the mixed sediment to the slide is overly time-consuming. Furthermore, the mixing and transferring steps make use of three different pieces of equipment in contact with the sediment (the centrifuge tube, the pipet, and the microscope slide), increasing the possibility of specimen contamination prior to examination.
  • the present invention avoids the need for such extra steps and equipment.
  • a unitary centrifuge tube and separable sediment dispenser is provided in accordance with the present invention.
  • a main body portion is generally tubular with a diameter that tapers from a largest value at a first, open end to a smallest value close to an almost completely closed lower end.
  • a small opening in the lower end communicates through a short connecting tube of small diameter with a sediment receptacle.
  • the sediment receptacle is designed to be easily separated from the centrifuge tube after centrifugation by twisting the receptacle and centrifuge tube with respect to each other or otherwise severing the coupling between them.
  • a short segment of the connecting tube which remains attached to the sediment container allows convenient dispensing of the enclosed sediment by squeezing a first pair of opposing walls of the receptacle.
  • An opposed second pair of transverse sidewalls are designed so as to resist flexing during the separation procedure.
  • both pairs of sidewalls are planar and parallel.
  • the interior spacing between one sidewall pair is substantially greater than the spacing between the second sidewall pair.
  • the more narrowly separated sidewalls have greater surface area and flex more readily under pressure than the more widely separated sidewalls.
  • the end of the sediment receptacle adjoining the connecting tube has sloping portions which provide a smooth transition from the bore of the connecting tube to the spacings of the opposed sidewall pairs.
  • the large-area sidewalls are concave outward and the smaller-area sidewalls each have two planar facets consisting of narrow strips forming an outwardly convex dihedral angle.
  • Each sidewall at its upper end adjoins a planar facet which slopes toward the connecting tube.
  • Other alternative embodiments of the receptacle are characterized by designs which provide one opposed pair of sidewalls which resist flexing and a transverse pair of opposed sidewalls which are easily flexed.
  • the stiffly opposed sidewalls are manipulated in separating the receptacle from the centrifuge tube, whereas the flexibly opposed sidewalls are utilized in dispensing controlled amounts of the contents through the stub of connecting tube left after separation from the centrifuge tube.
  • the unitary centrifuge tube and dispensing receptacle device can be cheaply and simply manufactured by either blow-molding or injection-molding of a suitable plastic.
  • the plastic can be transparent to allow viewing of the contents.
  • Various kinds of measuring marks can be molded into the surfaces of the centrifuge tube and the receptacle to allow quantitative filling of the centrifuge tube and dispensing of the contents of the receptacle.
  • a unitary centrifuge tube and separable dispensing receptacle device 10 is provided which is useful for medical and biological laboratory procedures.
  • device 10 comprises a generally tubular centrifuge tube 12 with a cross section that narrows from a maximum at an open top end 14 to a smaller value near a bottom end 16.
  • Bottom end 16 of centrifuge tube 12 has a rounded portion 18 with a centrally located opening 20 that communicates through a connecting tube 22 with a dispensing receptacle 24.
  • a pair of parallel planar opposed sidewalls 26 connect a generally flat bottom end 28 of receptacle 24 with a top end 30 comprising a plurality of sloping facets 32. Additional details of receptacle 24 are shown in FIG. 2, in particular a second pair of opposing sidewalls 34 which are transverse to sidewalls 26. Sidewalls 26 are spaced considerably further apart than are sidewalls 34.
  • Device 10 can be conveniently manufactured by either a blow-molding process or an injection-molding process starting with a raw material comprising a plastic which is suitable to the appropriate process.
  • Fiducial marks can be molded into the exterior surfaces of centrifuge tube 12 and dispensing receptacle 24 during the manufacturing process to provide convenient means of quantitatively filling the centrifuge tube 12 and dispensing measured amounts of the contents of receptacle 24.
  • FIG. 3 An alternative embodiment with a differently shaped dispensing receptacle 24′ is illustrated in the perspective view of FIG. 3.
  • a first pair of opposed sidewalls 26′ is generally transverse to a second pair of opposed sidewalls 34′.
  • Each sidewall 26′ comprises two adjacent planar strips joined along a ridge line 36 to form a dihedral angle.
  • the surface areas of sidewalls 34′ are considerably larger than the surface areas of sidewalls 26′.
  • Sidewalls 34′ are curved and outwardly convex. They provide much less resistance to flexure upon application of forces normal to their surfaces than do sidewalls 26′, which are relatively stiff.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of dispensing receptacle 24′ of the alternative embodiment.
  • Connecting tube 22 can have a structurally weakened portion centered along its length at which torsional failure will occur when tube 12 and receptacle 24 are twisted with respect to each other. Subsequent to separation of receptacle 24 from centrifuge tube 12, the sediment contained in receptacle 24 can be conveniently dispensed in a controlled manner by squeezing sidewalls 34′ to expel the sediment through a stub of connecting tube which remains attached to receptacle 24.
  • FIGS. 5A-5D show a number of examples of how the connecting tube 22 may be provided with a structurally weakened portion to reduce the torsional force required for severing the tube 22 and concentrate it at the specific region of weakening.
  • FIG. 5A shows a cross section of the coupling tube 22 provided with a notch 40 in the tube sidewall which results in a reduced cross-section of the tube sidewall at that point.
  • the notch 40 is shown in FIG. 5A as providing a U-shaped, generally square-cornered, reduction in sidewall thickness. It may extend circumferentially around the tube 22 or it may be present at only a few points about the tube (like the two shown in FIG. 5A).
  • FIG. 5D shows a similar configuration in which a notch or ring 42 of reduced outer diameter is formed with a generally V-shaped notch which may extend about the tube 22.
  • the sidewalls 44 of the tube 22 are thinned by forming them with a gradual taper to a central point 46 where the walls 44 are the thinnest, this being the weakest point for severing the tube 22.
  • FIG. 5C shows the tube 22 with a structurally weakened portion 48 formed by the walls of the tube 22 being fabricated with a slight protuberance 50 along the outer wall surface, which may correspond to a circumferential ring on the inside of the tube 22 such that the walls of the tube are actually thinner at that point.
  • the unitary centrifuge tube and separable dispensing receptacle 10 of the present invention allows the heaviest components in a liquid sample to be centrifuged into a receptacle which can then be easily detached and used to dispense the separated components without any intermediate handling steps or the use of any auxiliary components or devices.
  • multiple slides can be prepared from a single centrifuge sample and specialized slide preparation techniques can be employed before microscopic examination of the slides takes place.
  • the stub of connecting tube 22 remaining after separation of receptacle 24 from centrifuge tube 12 can be sealed for purposes of transport, environmental treatment, or storage. Any type of simple stopper known in the art can be used. If the device 10 is made of a thermoplastic, the end of the stub of connecting tube 22 can be heat sealed to isolate the contents of receptacle 26.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Hematology (AREA)
  • Clinical Laboratory Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Centrifugal Separators (AREA)
EP89306520A 1989-06-27 1989-06-27 Tube centrifuge unitaire et réceptacle de distribution séparable Withdrawn EP0405026A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP89306520A EP0405026A1 (fr) 1989-06-27 1989-06-27 Tube centrifuge unitaire et réceptacle de distribution séparable

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP89306520A EP0405026A1 (fr) 1989-06-27 1989-06-27 Tube centrifuge unitaire et réceptacle de distribution séparable

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0405026A1 true EP0405026A1 (fr) 1991-01-02

Family

ID=8202727

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89306520A Withdrawn EP0405026A1 (fr) 1989-06-27 1989-06-27 Tube centrifuge unitaire et réceptacle de distribution séparable

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0405026A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2006123949A2 (fr) * 2005-05-16 2006-11-23 Lab-Tek International Limited Support d'echantillon
FR2923164A1 (fr) * 2007-11-05 2009-05-08 Raymond Et Cie Soc En Commandi Eprouvette d'analyse

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1598143A1 (de) * 1966-10-15 1970-05-21 Rudolf Brand Fabrik Fuer Labor Zentrifugenzelle,insbesondere fuer Ultrazentrifugen
DE2201141A1 (de) * 1971-01-12 1972-08-10 Damon Corp Probenbehaelter
WO1984000313A1 (fr) * 1982-07-06 1984-02-02 Beckman Instruments Inc Tube ultracentrifugeur a chambres multiples

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1598143A1 (de) * 1966-10-15 1970-05-21 Rudolf Brand Fabrik Fuer Labor Zentrifugenzelle,insbesondere fuer Ultrazentrifugen
DE2201141A1 (de) * 1971-01-12 1972-08-10 Damon Corp Probenbehaelter
WO1984000313A1 (fr) * 1982-07-06 1984-02-02 Beckman Instruments Inc Tube ultracentrifugeur a chambres multiples

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2006123949A2 (fr) * 2005-05-16 2006-11-23 Lab-Tek International Limited Support d'echantillon
WO2006123949A3 (fr) * 2005-05-16 2006-12-21 Lab Tek Internat Ltd Support d'echantillon
FR2923164A1 (fr) * 2007-11-05 2009-05-08 Raymond Et Cie Soc En Commandi Eprouvette d'analyse
WO2009059687A1 (fr) * 2007-11-05 2009-05-14 A. Raymond Et Cie Eprouvette d'analyse

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PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

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Effective date: 19930619