Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
  • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
  • B04B5/00—Other centrifuges
  • B04B5/04—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers
  • B04B5/0407—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles
  • B04B5/0414—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles comprising test tubes
  • B04B5/0421—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles comprising test tubes pivotably mounted

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of biological analysis, and more particularly the field of equipment for the automatic extraction of biological components from separate biological samples.
• European patent EP740964 relates to another centrifuge equipment where a blocking means prevents the containers from returning to their equilibrium position.
• US patent US5178602 relates to centrifuge equipment where the containers are held in the position acquired under the effect of centrifugal force.
• Patent 09921658 relates to centrifuge equipment where mechanical means oppose tilting under the effect of centrifugal force.
• the object of the present invention is to provide equipment making it possible to automate an analysis protocol and to carry out simultaneously, without manual intervention, a plurality of extraction from several distinct samples, and to communicate to the tubes a constrained movement. periodic tilting to cause agitation of its contents.
• An additional aim is to propose an equipment making it possible to carry out a periodic tilting, for the agitation of the tubes, with a variable amplitude.
• the invention relates in its most general sense to equipment comprising means for causing complete or periodic tilting of the tubes independently of the centrifugal force.
• the equipment includes means for modifying the angular position of the tubes in the radial plane of the rotor independently of the centrifugal force, and constraining the angular position of these tubes.
• This characteristic makes it possible to carry out transfers of reagents into the tubes without it being necessary to remove them from the rotor of the centrifuge and to animate the tubes with a periodic movement.
• the equipment according to the invention comprises at least one movable stop in a radial direction to cause the tilting of the tube placed on the axis of movement of said movable stop.
• the stop is formed by an inclined plate movable along a radial axis inclined relative to a horizontal axis.
• the tubes are movable in rotation by approximately 180 ° between a vertical position and an inverted position.
• the rotor is closed by a cover crossed by nozzles for depositing reagents in at least one tube.
• the equipment according to the invention comprises an annular receptacle for receiving the liquids spilled by the tubes during their tilting.
• it comprises a member for actuating the plugs closing the tubes with a view to their plugging or unclogging.
• the equipment has thermoregulation means.
• FIG. 1 represents a schematic sectional view of the equipment
• Figure 2 shows an overview of an alternative embodiment
• FIG. 3 represents a detailed view of a tube suspended from the rotor, and of its guide mechanism.
• the equipment according to the invention comprises a centrifuge rotor, supporting pendulum tubes (1).
• these tubes tilt under the effect of centrifugal force.
• the tubes can also be inclined independently of the centrifugal force, under the effect of a movable stop (2) driven by a jack or an electric motor and a worm .
• This movable stop is inclined at an angle of about 60 ° relative to a horizontal plane. It moves along a radial axis (3) inclined at an angle of about 30 ° relative to the vertical. This stop comes into contact with the bottom (4) of the tube (1), and causes its tilting, until a complete overturning.
• the displacement axis (3) cuts the median axis (5) of the tube offset from the pivot point (6) in order to cause the tube (1) to overturn completely.
• the movable stop can take the form of a crown rising and falling under the action of an electric motor or a jack.
• the stop can take the form of a crown which can move vertically as well as horizontally.
• a collector (7) allows the collection of samples.
• the tubes or nacelles supporting the tubes may have at their lower end a guide pin which can be positioned in a slot provided on a crown movable in height between a spaced-apart position where the tubes can tilt freely, and a working position in which the pin of each tube is positioned in the slot to ensure oscillation of the tube during rotation of the rotor, and a third position for the complete tilting of the tubes for emptying, in which the crown is in the high position.
• This ring may have movement movements in horizontal planes to exert on the tubes a tilting of variable amplitude.
• the slot has a width corresponding substantially to the section of the stud. It forms an annular path, oscillating on either side of a circular line with a pitch corresponding to the spacing of two consecutive tubes or nacelles.
• the pitch of the oscillations is different from the pitch of the suspended tubes so as to create a tilting of variable amplitude.
• the equipment can also include a camera intended to acquire an image of a tube for the automatic measurement of the height of levels, of the position of a meniscus or of a zone of separation of two phases, or of verification the presence of a tube at a rotor position.
• the equipment includes a computer for programming the different stages.
• an extraction protocol will be described in the following: 50 ml capacity tubes are filled with a maximum of 15 ml of blood;
• the tubes are then tilted to empty the supernatant
• a centrifugation is then carried out for 10 minutes at 2000 G at 4 ° C;
• the tube is then rinsed with the above reagent;
• the supernatant is resuspended with the same reagent
• a new centrifugation is carried out for 10 minutes at 400 g or less at 4 ° C; Then heated to 50 ° C until the temperature is balanced;
• a solution of Proteinase K is added to a final mg / l, preheated to 50 ° C;
• Precipitation is carried out with ethanol (2 volumes) or with isopropanol (0.6 volumes);
• Figure 2 shows an overview of an alternative embodiment and Figure 3 shows a detailed view of a tube suspended from the rotor, and its guide mechanism.
• Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment where the pendulum tubes (1) are suspended from the arm (10) of a rotor (11).
• the articulation between the tube (1) and the arm (10) is for example constituted by a pivot (12) oriented in a tangential direction.
• the tubes (1) can thus tilt in a radial plane relative to the rotor (11).
• Each tube (1) is provided at its lower part with a stud (13) extending in a direction substantially parallel to the median axis (14) of the tube.
• This stud (13) forms a guide member able to cooperate with a groove (15) formed in a plate (16). This plate can be fixed in rotation.
• the axis of rotation (17) of the plate (16) can be offset relative to the axis of rotation (18) of the rotor (11), in order to create an additional relative component.
• the groove (14) has a width corresponding substantially to the section of the stud, in order to ensure constrained guidance of the stud.
• the groove (14) may be circular, the plate (16) then being off-center with respect to the axis (18) of the rotor
• the pins (13) come to engage in the groove (15) of the plate (16).
• the relative displacement between the rotor (11) and the plate (16) causes a periodic movement of the stud (15) relative to the reference linked to the rotor, and therefore a periodic tilting of the tube in the radial plane. .
• This constrained angular displacement is independent of the centrifugal force, and produces agitation of the contents of the tube.
• the periodicity of these rockers ents can be adjusted by the relative speed of rotation of the plate (16) and the rotor (11).
• the amplitude of these tiltings is defined by the shape of the groove, and by the offset of the plate relative to the axis of the rotor.
• the plate (16) is movable in translation along the axis (18) of the rotor (11), which also ensures a tilting of all the tubes.

Landscapes

• Centrifugal Separators (AREA)
• Apparatus Associated With Microorganisms And Enzymes (AREA)
• Saccharide Compounds (AREA)
• Measuring Or Testing Involving Enzymes Or Micro-Organisms (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9548817

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (13)

Family Cites Families (18)

• 1999
  • 1999-08-02 FR FR9910041A patent/FR2797202B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-08-02 AU AU68489/00A patent/AU6848900A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-08-02 AT AT00956601T patent/ATE280639T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-08-02 WO PCT/FR2000/002225 patent/WO2001008806A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-08-02 DE DE60015344T patent/DE60015344D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-08-02 EP EP20000956601 patent/EP1200195B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-08-02 JP JP2001513523A patent/JP2003521891A/ja active Pending
• 2002
  • 2002-01-31 US US10/062,036 patent/US6837843B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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