FR2502978A1 - INFUSION BIN FOR STUDY OF HUMAN TISSUE OR ANIMAL CONSERVATION IN VITRO - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A TRAY FOR THE IN VITRO STUDY OF HUMAN OR ANIMAL TISSUE. THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION IS A TRAY INTENDED FOR THE STUDY OF HUMAN OR ANIMAL TISSUE PRESERVED IN VITRO, INCLUDING A BODY DEFINING A CAVITY 3, MEANS FOR ALLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF LIQUID IN THE SAID CAVITY 3 AND MEANS TO ALLOW THE DISCHARGE OF THE LIQUID OUT OF THE SAID CAVITY, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE SAID MEANS FOR ALLOWING THE DISCHARGE OF THE LIQUID INCLUDE A SPILL 6 SHAPED IN A WALL OF THE TANK, THIS SPOUT WITH AN UPPER RIM 5 AGENCY TO DETERMINE THE MAXIMUM LEVEL IN THE CAVITY OF THE BIN AND BEING EQUIPPED WITH 7 MEANS TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF THE LIQUID OUT OF THE BIN. APPLICATION TO THE STUDY OF HUMAN OR ANIMAL TISSUE IN VITRO.

Description

The present invention relates to an infusion container

  intended for the study of human or animal tissue preserved in vitro. Such studies are generally undertaken in a tray made wholly or partially of glass, or in a similar transparent material. During such studies, the tissue must be immersed in a physiologically balanced solution or other suitable liquid.

  whose flow through the tank is controlled to allow

  the discharge from the debris and other inde-

  sirables. It is also necessary that the surface of the

  it is shielded from ambient air so that the gas contained in the liquid can be maintained at predetermined levels. Bins are already known using a conduit of

  overflow liquid so that the surface of the

  This liquid is continually discharged as liquid is introduced. One of the drawbacks of such bins is that the drain holes tend to clog due to surface tension, which causes a fluctuation

  unwanted fluid level in the tank.

  The purpose of the invention is precisely to achieve a

  improved tank in which the level of the liquid inside

  the tank is kept substantially constant during

  sensitive reactions of the liquid flow velocity

in the bin.

  Another object of the invention is to provide a container having a liquid flow velocity through the

  higher than the one found in the modes of

  known infusion tray.

  Another object of the invention is to provide an infusion tray which is less likely to vibrate the suspension tissue preparation than the devices

currently known.

  For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a bath of

  studied in human or animal tissue preserved in vitro,

  having a body having a cavity, means for

  putting the introduction of liquid into said tank cavity, and means for allowing the liquid to escape out of the - 2 -

  cavity, characterized in that the means for enabling the evaluation

  cuation of the liquid comprise a weir formed in a wall of the tank, the weir having an upper rim arranged to determine the maximum level of the liquid in the tank cavity and being provided with means for regulating the flow of

liquid out of the tank.

  In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tray is made from a suitable plastic material and has substantially the shape of a boot open at the top. One or more walls are provided with a liquid inlet which is preferably constituted by at least one orifice communicating with the interior of the tank in the vicinity of the bottom thereof, the orifice or ports being connected by an appropriate conduit to the devices. valve so that a controlled liquid flow can be introduced into the

  tray. A wall is provided with a spillway, the upper surface of which

  The lower part of the tank is inclined downward from the tank, the inlet of the weir determining the height of the liquid inside the tank. The liquid flowing over the weir passes into a suitable duct forming an integral part with the wall of the

  bath for subsequent evacuation.

  Means are provided for controlling the flow of liquid over the weir, such means being preferably constituted by a throttling device in the form of an elongated corner which may also be formed from

  of a plastic material and which is shaped in a

  complementary to the shape of the weir.

  The throttling device cooperates with the release

  evening to regulate the amount of liquid and

  who pass over the spillway towards the

  evacuation duit. Preferably the spillway extends over all

  the width of the bath and thus constitutes a relatively

  long for evacuation from the tank of excess liquid

and other matters.

  Means are provided to allow the precise adjustment of the throttling device with respect to the spillway

  so that the correct evacuation speed can be

  trolle to fit the introduction of the liquid in the tray.

  The tray also has at least one

  jection of gas m swam in its wall or walls. This or these

  -3- qaz injection fices are connected by means of a conduit to a gas source so that the gas can be evacuated to

  through the orifice (s) in order to flow in the immediate vicinity of

  mediate the surface of the liquid in the tank.

  For this purpose, the orifices of gas injection

  are aligned in said walls, staggered, and have a diameter

  to ensure the desired flow of gas over

  face of the liquid. The gas injection orifice (s) are placed slightly above the level of the upper edge of the

weir.

  The gas used may be a mixture of various gases as is well known in this art and its purpose is to achieve the required protection for the contents of the tank by isolating the surface of the liquid from the ambient air. Of

  preferably this gas may for example be a mixture of 95% oxygen and

gene and 5% carbon dioxide.

  A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings in which:

  - Fig. 1 is a view of a preferred embodiment

  drip tray; - Fig. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 along line II-II showing the tank in its minimal flow mode of operation; - Fig. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 following the

  line II-II showing the ferry in its operating mode

  high flow, and - Fig. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 along line III-III showing the gas inlet

  and liquid in the end wall of the tray.

  Referring to the drawings, the tray is preferably made from a plastic material such as that known under the trademark "PERSPEX" and comprises a liquid-collecting device 1 comprising several

  liquid inlet ports 2 which communicate the arrangement

  1 with the cavity of the tank 3. A hole 4 made in the wall of the tank connects the liquid collecting device 1 with the outside and the end of this hole may be provided with means for connecting to the tank a source of liquid these means being constituted for example by a tapping 4 'or the like. Although it is possible to envisage

  only liquid inlet 2, in the embodiment of

  In the preferred embodiment, several inlet orifices are provided which are spaced along one or more walls of the tank,

  in order to cause minimum disturbances in the prepa-

  suspended tissue contained in the tank, while obtaining a high fresh liquid inlet flow at

  through the liquid inlet ports 2.

  A wall of the tray is provided with a cut-out portion so as to produce a substantially horizontal rim 5, and the upper face of this wall in the cut-out portion is shaped along an inclined surface extending downwards from the horizontal rim of In order to form a weir 6. A throttling device 7 cooperates with the inclined weir 6, which device 7 can have any suitable shape but in the preferred embodiment is formed as an elongated corner. The throttle device 7 extends its longitudinal axis of the same length as the horizontal rim 5, and its underside 7a is shaped so as to be complementary to the inclined face of the weir 6. In the preferred embodiment, these two surfaces are machined so as to be substantially

flat and smooth.

  The throttling device 7 is pivotally mounted along a longitudinal axis passing through the body of the device 7, said axis being parallel to the rim of the weir S, and the

  throttling device is fitted, in the method of

  tion, using pins 8 of circular section whose central axes are coaxial with the longitudinal axis about which the throttling device 7 can rotate. The pins 8 are engaged in notches 9 shaped in the body of the tray. The front edge 10 of the throttling device 7

  is rounded in an arc whose circle is perpendicular to

  dicular to the longitudinal axis on which the

nipples 8.

  In addition, the layout and depth of the

  Mounting dimensions 9 are such that the distance between the flange -5-

  spillway 5 and the front edge 10 of the

  In all respects, the alignment is the same along said rim 5, and thus the positioning constraints of the nubs 8 and notches 9 in relation to the front edge 10 cause the interval between the two edges to be constant when the throttling device pivots around its anchor points, at any angle up to 300

  for example, but whose optimum is between 5 and 15.

  Said interval, in the present embodiment

for example, is 1 mm.

  Means are provided to adjust the position of the

  throttling device 7 around the longitudinal axis pas-

  by the center of the mounting pins and, in the

  preferred embodiment, these means are constituted by a

  it is suitably secured to the upper surface of the device 7 by means of countersunk screws 12 or similar members, said plate having at its outwardly facing end a tapped hole 13 through which passes

  a threaded nipple 14 whose lower end bears a direct

  on the body of the tank. When the threaded nipple 14 is screwed on, the throttling device pivots around its

  anchor points so as to move away from the tank body.

  Conversely, when the pin 14 is unscrewed the device

  throttle pivots towards the tank body.

  In cooperation with said adjusting means, there is provided a stop means which can be formed by a suitable abutment constituted, in the preferred embodiment, by the contact of the underside of the plate 11 with the body of the tray. The plate 11 is mounted on the throttling device 7 so that when the screw 14 is unscrewed and the lower surface of the plate 11 abuts against the body of the tank, the distance between the face

  lower part 7a of the throttling device and the face

  the spine 6 is substantially equal in all respects

  at the distance between the rim of the spillway 5 and the border ridge

  Tale 10 (see Fig. 2). As mentioned above, when

  the throttle device 7 pivots when screwing the

  at tone 14, the distance between the rim of the weir 5 and the front edge 10 of the throttle device remains constant, while the distance between the inclined surface of the weir

  6 and the lower face 7a of the throttling device is

believes.

  Referring to the preferred embodiment of

  written above, we see that the liquid penetrating the

  of the tank through the inlet ports 2 pro-

  as filling the tank until the liquid

  held within the cavity reaches the level of the rim of the spillway 5. Any additional liquid inlet into the cavity causes a displacement of the liquid present in the cavity over the spill flange 5 and the liquid and

  moved down the sloping gap 23 formed between the inside face

  7a of the throttling device and the spillway 6,

  and any surplus of liquid present at the edge of the

  Pouroir will be dumped in said interval 23 by siphon effect. In addition, if the adjusting means is used to rotate the throttle device 7 as described above, the increased gap 23 (see Fig. 3) between the inclined surface

  the spillway and the underside 7a of the choke device

  make sure that the liquid lying in the right

  spillway 5 will be inserted into the spillway at one

  higher rate as a result of a Bernoulli effect. The liquid thus displaced flows along the spillway and into a sump whose bottom surface slopes so as to evacuate the liquid present in the sump via a

evacuation hole 16.

  The preferred embodiment also comprises a gas introduction collector device 17, communicating

  with the tank cavity by means of gas outlet ports 18.

  The gas outlet orifices are preferably substantially spaced equidistant along one or more oarois of the tray cavity and are placed at a height substantially at

  spillway rim level 5. A hole 20 is

  swam in the body of the ferry in the area adjacent to the

  gas inlet valve, this hole extending transversely to the body of the tank and having its two extreme orifices open on the outside. The hole 20 may be provided at one end 21 or both ends with means (not shown on the

  drawings) to allow connection to a gas source.

  Another hole 19 connects the hole 20 to the gas inlet manifold 17, whereby gas can be sent via these holes into the collector 17. The gas thus sent passes through the gas outlet orifices 18, these orifices being spaced so as to form a layer of gas above the surface of the liquid present in the tank for purposes which have

  already mentioned above.

  In addition, the preferred embodiment comprises

  a cutout 22 in the wall of the tray, said cutout communi-

  as with the tray cavity at a place below the level

  5. This cutout can serve as a storage space for

  to a reference electrode, in particular silver chloride, and to a temperature detector (not shown

  on the drawing) or other electrodes if the studies require

gent.

  Preferably the bottom of the tray is coated with a resin

  transparent, non-toxic and non-absorbing, such as

  naked under the trade name "Sylgard 184", to allow fasteners to be used to position and anchor the fabric to be studied, and also to allow the light to

  pass through for visual examination of the tissue

  pension. The tank may further include a heating element

  24 electric thermostatically controlled so that the li-

  It can be heated and maintained at the desired temperature.

  A suitable recess 25 may be provided in a wall of the

  tray for the passage of electrical conductors intended for

  heated or to facilitate the use of a bubbler

  for agglutinating gas or any other similar installation.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown and described above but covers

on the contrary all variants.

-8 -

Claims (11)

R E V E N D I C A T IO N S   1.Bac for the study of human or animal tissue preserved in vitro, having a body defining a cavity (3), means for allowing the introduction of liquid into said cavity (3) and means for enabling the evacuation liquid outside said cavity, characterized in that the   said means for allowing the evacuation of the liquid comprising   a spillway (6) formed in a wall of the tank, this   evening having an upper flange (S) arranged to determine   the maximum level of the liquid in the tank cavity and being provided with means (7) for regulating the flow of the liquid out of the bin.   2. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for regulating the flow of liquid out of the tray comprises a throttling device comprisinga face (7a) arranged to be maintained in   a predetermined position with respect to said weir (6).   3. Tray according to claim 2, characterized in that said weir (6) is shaped so as to be inclined downwards from said upper flange (5) and in that said throttling device (7) consists of an elongated corner arranged so that its underside   (7a) is maintained in a predetermined position by port overflow weir (6).   4. Tray according to claim 2 or 3 characterized in that the throttling device comprises a ridge   (10) and is pivotally mounted about a sensitive axis   parallel to the upper edge (5) of the weir (6) and   close to this rim, the assembly being such that an inter-   valle of constant dimension is maintained between said ridge   front end (10) and said upper flange (5) during rotation.   the throttling device (7).   5. Tray according to claim 4, characterized in that the throttling device (7) comprises means (11 to 14) to allow the adjustment of its position when rotates around its axis.   6. Tray according to one of claims 1 to 5   characterized in that it comprises means (17) for enabling   to a gas to spread over the surface of the li- _9- quide in the bin.   7. Tray according to claim 6, characterized in that said means comprise a collector device (17), arranged to receive a source of gas, and at least one outlet port (18) connected to the collector device and arranged to spread a tablecloth of gas above and in the immediate vicinity of the surface of the liquid contained in the tank.   8. Tray according to one of claims 1 to 7,   characterized in that said means for enabling the introduction   ducting of liquid in the tank comprises a liquid collecting device (1) arranged to receive a source   of liquid, at least one orifice (2) connected to the device   reader, this orifice being shaped in one of the walls of the   below the level of the upper edge (5) of the evening (6).   9. Tray according to claim 8, characterized in that the means for allowing the introduction of liquid into the tray comprises several orifices (2) substantially regularly spaced between them.   10. Tray according to one of claims 1 to 9,   characterized in that it is provided with a heating element thermostatically controlled.   11. Tray according to one of claims 1 to 10,   characterized in that it comprises a cut-out portion (22)   arranged to receive a reference electrode, a detection   temperature meter or other measuring device.