JP2007189927A - Collector for cell in block - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a collector for cells in a block, capable of collecting cells from block excrements such as sputum or feces without disrupting the cells. <P>SOLUTION: The collector 10 for cells in a block comprises mesh-like receivers 12 and 14 receiving a block 30 containing cells, a bottomed cylinder part 16 housing the receivers 12 and 14 and having a cell trapping region 24, and an elastic protector part 18 protecting the cell trapping region 24 of the bottomed cylinder part 16 from ultrasonic radiation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cell collection device, and more particularly to a cell collection device in a lump that collects cells from a lump such as stool and sputum.

Conventionally, in the field of biology and biochemistry, it has been widely practiced to collect cells from living organisms and identify them, and their importance is increasing especially for early detection of diseases such as cancer.
In this case, for example, a cell mass is generally collected by biopsy or the like, and loosened to obtain cells.
On the other hand, cancer cells or bacterial cells, for example, can be separated and collected from sputum or stool excreted from the subject without using a test that stresses the human body such as a biopsy. It is expected as an inspection method.
However, it has been inevitable that manual removal of cells from a lump or stool such as stool is extremely complicated and difficult.
On the other hand, various developments have been made on devices and methods for extracting DNA, RNA and other intracellular components from cells or living tissues (utility model registration No. 3092396, WO 98/43724, etc.).
Utility model registration No. 3092396 WO98 / 43724

However, when these intracellular component extraction devices are used to collect cells from a lump, the cells themselves are destroyed along with the crushing of the lump, which is practically inapplicable.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a cell collection device in a lump that can be taken out from lump or feces or other lump without destroying cells. .

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cell-collecting device in a lump that collects cells by crushing a lump containing cells by external ultrasonic irradiation,
A mesh-like storage section for storing the mass,
A bottomed tubular portion that houses the storage portion and has a cell trap region below the storage portion;
A flexible protection part for protecting the cell trap region of the bottomed cylindrical part from ultrasonic irradiation;
It is provided with.
In the apparatus, the mesh-shaped storage unit includes a coarse mesh-shaped storage unit and a fine mesh-shaped storage unit, and the lump is stored in the inner coarse mesh-shaped storage unit, and the coarse mesh-shaped storage unit is fine. It is preferable to be accommodated in the mesh mesh accommodating portion.
In the apparatus, a ring-shaped buffer portion is disposed in the gap between the coarse mesh-shaped storage portion bottom and the fine mesh-shaped storage portion, and in the gap between the fine mesh-shaped storage portion bottom and the bottomed cylindrical portion. Is preferred.
In addition, it is preferable that the fine mesh has a mesh diameter that allows free cells to pass through, that is, 5 to 50 μm, and the coarse mesh is a mesh that allows free cells to pass through as little as possible through the crushing residue according to the type of agglomerates. The diameter is preferably 55 to 500 μm.

As described above, according to the cell collection device in a lump according to the present invention, the lump in the mesh storage unit is irradiated with ultrasonic waves to crush the lump, and cells released from the lump pass through the mesh. And accumulates in the cell trap region of the cylindrical portion. And since this cell trap area | region is protected by the softness | flexibility protection part which does not allow an ultrasonic wave to pass practically, it will not crush even to a free cell.
Moreover, in this invention, the mesh-shaped storage part is made into two tanks, an inner tank is made into a coarse mesh, and an outer tank is made into a fine mesh, and the clogging of the mesh by the crushing residue of a lump can be prevented efficiently. .
Further, in the present invention, a ring-shaped buffer portion is provided in the gap between the coarse mesh storage portion that is the inner tank and the fine mesh storage portion that is the outer tank, and the gap between the outer tank storage portion bottom and the bottomed cylindrical portion. By providing, it is possible to efficiently prevent the meshes or the mesh and the bottomed cylindrical portion wall surface from rubbing and being destroyed when the released cells pass through the mesh.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of parts of a cell collection device 10 in a lump according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The cell collection device 10 shown in the figure includes a coarse mesh-shaped storage portion 12, a fine mesh-shaped storage portion 14, a plastic (or hard glass) bottomed cylindrical portion 16, and a silicon rubber flexible protection portion 18. With.
The coarse mesh-shaped storage portion 12 is a stainless steel slag having a slightly smaller diameter than the fine mesh-shaped storage portion 14 and is inserted into the fine mesh-shaped storage portion 14 via the first ring-shaped cushioning material 20.

Further, the fine mesh-shaped storage portion 14 is a stainless steel mesh cage having a slightly smaller diameter than the bottomed cylindrical portion 16 and is inserted into the bottomed cylindrical portion 16 via the second ring-shaped cushioning material 22.
Further, the bottom end of the bottomed cylindrical portion 16 is pointed in an inverted conical shape to form a cell trap region 24, which makes it easy to collect free cells that settle.
Then, the flexible protection portion 18 is fitted so as to cover the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular portion 16, that is, the cell trap region 24.
A lump such as stool or sputum is introduced into the coarse mesh-shaped storage unit 12 and a dispersion medium such as water is injected, and then the cap 26 is fitted into the upper opening of the bottomed cylindrical unit 16.
The cell collection device 10 in the lump according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, and FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the assembled state.

As shown in FIG. 2, a lump stool 30 is introduced into a coarse mesh-like storage unit 12 that is the innermost tank of the cell collection device 10, and water 32 is injected as a dispersion medium. And the crossed ultrasonic waves 34a and 34b are irradiated with respect to the massive stool 30. FIG.
In the present embodiment, the intersecting ultrasonic waves 34a and 34b are generated by the cell crushing device 36 (details are utility model registration No. 3092396) as shown in FIG. It has a strong strength.
That is, the cell disruption device 36 includes a processing tank 38 and ultrasonic generators 40a and 40b installed on the inclined wall surface of the processing tank 38, and water 42 is injected into the tank 38 as an ultrasonic transmission medium. ing. When the ultrasonic generators 40a and 40b start transmitting, the ultrasonic waves 34a and 34b cross each other, and a strong crushing force is generated by the interference.

Then, when the massive stool 30 is crushed by the crushing force of the intersecting ultrasonic waves, the coarse mesh-shaped storage portion 12 and the fine mesh-shaped storage portion 14 are sequentially filtered, and fine cells are centered in the ring-shaped buffer materials 22 and 24. It descends through the openings 22a and 24a and accumulates at a high concentration in the cell trap region 24 of the bottomed tubular portion 16.
At this time, the ultrasonic waves 34a and 33b are applied to almost the entire cell collection device 10, and the intensity thereof is sufficient to destroy the cells, but the cell trap region 24 is covered with the flexible protection portion 18. The ultrasonic waves 34a and 34b cannot pass through the flexible protection part 18, and the cells accumulated in the cell trap region 24 are protected.

As described above, according to the cell collection device 10 according to the present embodiment, cells can be collected more efficiently than the lump stool 30 without destroying the cells.
In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the coarse mesh storage portion 12 has a diameter of 55 to 500 μm.
Moreover, it is suitable for the fine mesh storage part 14 to be a diameter of 5-50 micrometers from a viewpoint which allows a cell to pass through efficiently and removes the crushing residue of feces as much as possible.
The bottomed cylindrical portion 16 is preferably made of plastic, hard glass, quartz glass, or the like, which has good ultrasonic transmission and allows internal observation.
Further, the material, thickness, and the like of the flexible protective material 18 are determined from the ability to block ultrasonic waves, but it is preferable that the flexible protective material 18 be made of rubber, silicon rubber, or the like.

FIG. 1 is a component configuration diagram of a cell collection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the assembled state of the apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a lump stool crushing state by the cell crushing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cell collection apparatus 12 Coarse mesh storage part 14 Fine mesh storage part 16 Bottomed cylindrical part 18 Flexible protection part 20, 22 Ring-shaped buffer 24 Cell trap region

Claims (3)

A device for crushing a lump containing cells by external ultrasonic irradiation and collecting the cells,
A mesh-like storage section for storing the mass,
A bottomed tubular portion that houses the storage portion and has a cell trap region below the storage portion;
A flexible protection part for protecting the cell trap region of the bottomed cylindrical part from ultrasonic irradiation;
A device for collecting cells in a block, comprising: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mesh storage unit includes a coarse mesh storage unit and a fine mesh storage unit, and the lump is stored in the inner coarse mesh storage unit, and the coarse mesh storage unit. Is stored in a fine mesh storage part. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a ring-shaped buffer portion is disposed in a gap between the bottom portion of the coarse mesh storage portion and the fine mesh storage portion, and a gap between the bottom portion of the fine mesh storage portion and the bottomed cylindrical portion. An apparatus for collecting cells in a block, which is characterized by comprising:

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