WO2014090257A1

WO2014090257A1 - A flusher for flushing of follicles

Info

Publication number: WO2014090257A1
Application number: PCT/DK2013/050423
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steen Broch Laursen; Lars Ploug HANSEN; Jacob MØLLENBACH
Original assignee: Steen Broch Laursen; Hansen Lars Ploug; Møllenbach Jacob
Priority date: 2012-12-10
Filing date: 2013-12-10
Publication date: 2014-06-19
Also published as: EP2931153A1

Abstract

A flusher (1) for rinsing/flushing of follicles comprising a flushing pump, a flushing fluid receptacle (3), such as a syringe, and a heating unit (4), wherein the heating unit comprises a first section (410) adapted for receiving and warming at least a part of said flushing fluid receptacle, at least one second section (411, 412) adapted for receiving and warming at least one receptacle for holding the aspirated folliclulat fluid, said at least one second section being adapted to be removable from said flusher, and a heat source arranged to provide heat to said first section and said at least one second section.

Description

A flusher for flushing of follicles

The invention relates to a flusher for rinsing and/or flushing of follicles comprising a flushing pump, a flushing fluid receptacle, such as a syringe, and a heating unit.

It is generally preferred to use such flushers when flushing follicles with the purpose of harvesting oocytes, e.g. for in vitro fertilization. This is due to the fact that when flushing the follicles an increased probability of actually harvesting an oocyte is obtained.

AT 505 749 A4 describes a flusher in which a syringe is mounted on a base by means of a holder, which holder may be operated by means of a foot-operated mechanical actuator to obtain a metered supply of flushing fluid. A flusing line is connected to the syringe to lead flushing fluid to a needle device such as to flush a follicle. However, AT 505 749 A4 does not mention a heating unit.

Furthermore, when aspirating follicles, it is of outmost importance for the survival of the oocyte that the follicular fluid containing the oocyte is kept at a constant temperature corresponding to the normal human body temperature, i.e. approximately 37 °C, after flushing and during handling of the follicu- lar fluid.

WO 2006/032860 A1 describes an attempt at providing an oocyte extraction apparatus meeting these temperature requirements. The apparatus comprises an oocyte extraction tube extending between a needle, a receptacle and a vacuum tube connected to the receptacle for providing a vacuum to suck a follicle into the receptacle. The apparatus further comprises a supply unit, the supply unit comprising a supply of warm water and a bath of warm water in which the receptacle is immersed so that the oocytes are kept warm after collection. The supply unit further comprises a tubing system arranged to extend along the oocyte extraction tube and connected to the supply unit. Warm water from the supply unit is circulated in the tubing system such as to warm the oocyte extraction tube. However, WO 2006/032860 A1 does not mention flushing of the follicles.

The prior art flusher described in AT 505 749 A4 has the disadvan- tage that it is not possible, due to the lack of a heating unit, to keep the extracted material, and particularly the extracted oocyte, at a constant temperature throughout the process. Furthermore, the prior art flusher has a rather complex construction with parts that may fairly easily break during use if not operated with sufficent carefulness.

This prior art apparatus described in WO 2006/032860 A1 has the disadvantage that it is very energy consuming to keep the extracted material, and particularly the extracted oocyte, at a constant temperature throughout the process. Also, there is a risk that the extracted material may be contami- nated by the water used in the heating system.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems, and particularly to provide a flusher with which the harvested oocytes may be kept at a constant temperature throughout the process.

According to a first aspect of the invention, this and other objects are achieved with a flusher for flushing of follicles comprising a flushing pump, a flushing fluid receptacle, such as a syringe, and a heating unit, wherein the heating unit comprises a first section adapted for receiving and warming at least a part of the flushing fluid receptacle, and at least one second section adapted for receiving and warming at least one receptacle for holding aspi- rated follicular fluid, the at least one second section being adapted to be removable from the flusher, and a heat source arranged to provide heat to the first section and the at least one second section.

Providing a flusher with a heating unit comprising a first section adapted for receiving and warming at least a part of said flushing fluid recep- tacle enables warming of the flushing fluid to the right temperature before it is brought into contact with a follicular fluid during flushing of the follicle and warming of the fluid and oocyte after flushing.

Providing the heating unit of the flusher with at least one second section adapted for receiving and warming at least one receptacle for holding the aspirated follicular fluid containing the oocyte from a follicle, enables the possibility of keeping the aspirated follicular fluid containing the oocyte at the correct temperature after flushing and deposition in the receptacle, e.g. while aspirating further follicles or performing other necessary operations on the flusher.

Providing the at least one second section to be adapted to be removable from said flusher enables the possibility of keeping an aspirated folli- cle at the correct temperature even during transport to the laboratory, e.g. to a site for further investigation or to a site, e.g. a cryogenically cooled container, for long term storage.

Furthermore, providing a flusher with such a heating unit provides for a simpler and more robust system in which all necessary heating may be un- dertaken at one place using one heat source. Thereby the energy consumption involved in the heating is lowered considerably. Also, the risk of contamination of the flushing fluid and aspirated fluid by the heating system is eliminated.

Further features and embodiments of a flusher according to the in- vention are described in the dependent claims.

This and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing embodiment(s) of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a flusher ac- cording to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the flusher according to Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the heating unit of the flusher according to Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the flushing fluid receptacle, the slider element and the heating unit of the flusher according to Fig. 1 , and

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a slider element for a flusher according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a flusher 1 according to the invention for flushing of follicles. The flusher 1 comprises a flushing pump (not shown), a flushing fluid receptacle 3, a heating unit 4, a base 5 and a slider element 6.

Although not shown on the figures, the flusher 1 may further comprise a tubing system, which is known per se, arranged between the flushing fluid receptacle 3, a double lumen follicle aspiration needle, which is likewise known per se, and a receptacle, such as e.g. a test tube, for receving the aspirated follicle.

The flushing pump may be any device suitable for actuating the flusher 1 , and particularly the flushing function of the flusher 1 . Such a flushing pump is known per se, and may e.g. be a foot pedal such as described in AT 505 749 A4 or an actuator element, such as a button or a lever, arranged on the flusher itself.

As shown in Fig. 1 , the flushing fluid receptacle 3 comprises a cham- ber 31 1 for containing a suitable amount of flushing liquid, a piston 310 and an opening (not visible on the figures) opposite the piston 310 adpted for attachment of the tubing system. It is noted that although the flushing fluid receptacle 3 shown on Fig. 1 is a syringe, other types of flushing fluid receptacles are also feasible.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, The heating unit 4, which is arranged on the base 5, preferably in a corresponding compartment thereof, comprises a heat source (not shown), a first section 410 adapted for receiving and warming at least a part of said flushing fluid receptacle 3, and two second sections 41 1 , 412 adapted for receiving and warming at least one receptacle (not shown) for holding an aspirated follicle. Obviously, any other number than two second sections, such as one or three second sections, is likewise feasible.

The first section 410 and the two second sections 41 1 , 412 are made of a material having good heat conducting properties. Preferably the first section 410 and the two second sections 41 1 , 412 are made of a heat conductor such as a metal, a preferred metal being aluminium, or other preferred material.

The heat source is arranged to provide heat to the first section 410 and to the at least one second section 41 1 , 412. The heat source is in other words arranged such as to be in a heat transferring relationship with at least one of the first section 410 and the two second sections 41 1 , 412.

Likewise the first section 410 and the two second sections 41 1 , 412 are arranged such as to be in a heat transferring relationship with one an- other. As shown in Fig. 3 heat transfer between the first section 410 and the two second sections 41 1 , 412 may be improved by providing the first section 410 with flanges 421 , 422 on which the respective second sections 41 1 , 412 rest when arranged on the flusher 1 . Alternatively, it is of course feasible to provide such flanges on the respective second sections 41 1 , 412 such that the first section 410 rests thereon when arranged on the flusher 1 .

Thus, with the heating unit according to the invention only one heat source is needed. The heat source may be any suitable type of heat source, such as an electrical heating element (preferred), a liquid based heating ele- ment and a gas-based heating element.

The two second sections 41 1 , 412 are adapted to be removable from the flusher 1 . This is in the embodiment shown achieved by providing the two second sections 41 1 , 412 as units being separate from the flusher 1 as well as the remaining parts of the heating unit 4.

Other configurations are, however, feasible. For instance, one second section 41 1 or 412 may be made removable, while the other one is arranged stationary on the flusher 1 . Alternatively one or both second sections 41 1 , 412 may be made removable as a common unit together with the first section 410 and/or with the heating element. Also, more than one heat source may in principle be present - for instance one or more of the first section 410 and the second sections 41 1 , 412 may be provided with separate heat sources

The second sections 41 1 , 412 further each comprise a plurality of compartments 417, 418 for receiving at least one receptacle (not shown) for holding an aspirated follicle. On Fig. 1 each second section 41 1 , 412 is shown comprising ten such compartments, and the compartments 417, 418 are shown as blind bores with a circular cross-section (cf. also Fig. 2) suitable for receving test tubes. Obvously, however, any other number of compartments than ten is feasible, and likewise the compartments may have other suitable sizes and/or cross-sectional shapes depending on the size and shape of the receptacle to be received.

With reference particularly to Fig. 2, the second sections 41 1 , 412 may furthermore comprise through bores 419, 420 extending between a bottom surface of the compartments 417, 418 and an outer surface of the second section 41 1 , 412. Such through bores 419, 420 serve the purpose of providing a hole through which any flushing liquid spilled from the receptacles into the compartments 417, 418 may escape rather than being accumulated in the compartment 417, 418. This in turn provides for a flusher with a construction being easier to keep clean, which reduces the risk of contamination of the aspirated follicles.

Referring again to Figs. 1 to 3, the first section 410 comprises a re- cess 415 (Fig. 3) configured to receive the flushing fluid receptacle 3, the recess 415 comprising a longitudinal direction L_B, and a slot 416 extending between the recess 415 and an upper outer surface 414 of the first section 410 in the longitudinal direction L_B. The slot 416 comprises a width that is smaller than a largest cross sectional dimension of the recess 415, but larger than the diameter of the tubing system (not shown) attached to the flushing fluid receptacle 3.

When arranged in the recess 415 of the first section 410 of the heating unit 4, the flushing fluid receptacle 3 may be heated evenly over its longitudinal extension as well as over at least a part of its outer circumference. Providing a slot 416 as described above has two advantages. Firstly, the flushing fluid receptacle 3 may be held safely in the recess 415 minimizing the risk of it falling out duing use of the flusher. Secondly, the flushing fluid receptacle 3 may be removed from the recess 415 without first having to remove the tubing system attached thereto. Thereby a flusher being considerably simpler to use is provided.

For easier introduction of the tubing system and thus the flushing fluid receptacle 3 into the recess 415, the slot 416 is furthermore provided with a slanted edge 423 such that the width of the slot 416 increases continuously over at least a part of the distance between the recess 415 and the outer surface 414 of the first section 410. Alternatively, the width of the slot 416 may increase gradually, e.g. stepwise, over at least a part of the distance between the recess 415 and the outer surface 414 of the first section 410. Referring now to Figs. 1 , 2 and 4, the slider element 6 is adapted for depressing the piston 310 of the flushing fluid receptacle 3, here preferably being a syringe. The slider element 6 is arranged on the flusher 1 in such a way as to be movable in a linear motion between a first position (cf. Figs. 1 and 4) allowing the piston to be substantially fully retracted and a second position in which the slider unit 6 depresses the piston 3 of the flushing fluid receptacle 3 substantially completely.

With reference particularly to Fig. 4 the slider element 6 comprises an end piece 613 and three guide rods 61 1 , 61 1 ', 612. It is noted that any other number of guide rods, e.g. one, two (cf. Fig. 5) or four, is likewise feasible as long as at least one guide rod is provided. Likewise the guide rods may in other embodiments be substituted with any other feasible type of guide element suitable for ensuring the linear motion described above. Examples are a guide rail and an elongated cavity fitting the slider element or at least a part thereof with a sufficeiently small play.

The end piece 613 is mounted on the guide rods 61 1 , 61 1 ', 612 in such way that the end piece 613 is movable in the linear motion between the first position and the second position along the guide rods 61 1 , 61 1 ', 612 as described above. The slider element 6 is furthermore mounted on the flusher 1 in such a way that it is substantially fixed with respect to movements in other directions than the direction of the said linear motion. With such a construction of the slider element 6 a particularly robust construction is achieved, which in turn provides for a particularly durable flusher 1 .

In the embodiment shown the end piece 613 comprises a top ele- ment 614, a bottom element 615, a connection element 616 extending between the top element 614 and the bottom element 615 and a back stop 617.

The connection element 616 is configured and dimensioned for fitting a guide slot 510 provided in the base 5 of the flusher 1 , preferably such that the top element 614 extends on the outside of the flusher 1 .

The back stop 617 is fixedly connected with the flusher 1 , particularly with the base 5, and with the guide rods 61 1 , 61 1 ' and 612.

The bottom element 615 is provided with through bores, cf. 618 and 619 on Fig. 5, through which the guide rods 61 1 , 61 1 ' and 612 extend such as to allow for the linear motion of the slider element 6 described above. The bottom element 615 may be arranged freely in an innner cavity of the flusher 1 , particularly of the base 5 of the flusher, or it may alternatively be arranged in an elongated cavity (not shown) with a cross section corresponding to the shape of the bottom element 615 such as to provide for further guidance of the linear motion of the slider element 6.

Furthermore, the end piece 613 comprises an abutment element 610 adapted for abutment with the piston 310 of the flushing fluid receptacle 3 during depression of the piston 3, i.e. when the slider element 6 is brought from the first position to the second position as described above. The end piece 613 may also be adapted for connection with the piston 310 such as to allow for retracting the piston 310 when the slider element 6 is brought from the second position to the first position.

The abutment element 610 is arranged in a slit 620 in the top element 614 of the end piece 613, preferably in such a way as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to that of the linear motion of the slider element. In an alternative or supplementary embodiment the slider element may be rotatable around its own longitudinal axis. This configuration allows for enabling the possibility of removing the flushing fluid receptacle 3 even when the slider element 6 is not moved completely to its first position shown in Fig. 1 .

For added stability of the abutment element 610 it may be provided with a flange 621 and the end piece 613 may be provided with a corresponding incision 622, the abutment element 610 being arranged such that the flange 621 extends into the incision 622, cf. Fig. 5.

It is noted that the end piece 613, the top element 614, the bottom element 615, the connection element 616, the back stop 617 and the abutment element 610 may have a large variety of shapes, and are thus not limited to the shapes shown on the figures.

It is noted that the slider element 6 of the flusher 1 according to the invention may in principle be used on any type of flusher on which such a slider element is required. Hence, it would be feasible to provide a flusher for flushing of follicles, the flusher comprising a slider element and a flushing fluid receptacle, the flushing fluid receptacle comprising a piston, the slider element being adapted for depressing the piston of the flushing fluid receptacle, the slider element being arranged on the flusher in such a way as to be movable in a linear motion between a first position and a second position in which said slider unit depresses said piston of said flushing fluid receptacle substantially completely, the slider element comprising an end piece and at least one guide element, such as a guide rod, the end piece being mounted on the guide element in such way that the end piece is movable in the said linear motion between a first position and a second position along the guide element, and the slider element being mounted on the flusher in such a way that it is substantially fixed with respect to movements in other directions than the direction of the linear motion. In further embodiments, such a flusher may further- more comprise any of the elements described herein.

The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For instance an apparatus according to the invention may further be provided with means for providing suction such as to enable aspiration of follicles. Also, it is feasible that an apparatus according to the invention may be used for treatment or medication of follicles, for instance by adding a suitable medicament to the flushing fluid or by using the medicament itself or a suitable solution thereof as flushing fluid.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1. A flusher for rinsing and/or flushing of follicles comprising a flushing pump, a flushing fluid receptacle, such as a syringe, and a heating unit, wherein the heating unit comprises:

a first section adapted for receiving and warming at least a part of said flushing fluid receptacle, and

at least one second section adapted for receiving and warming at least one receptacle for holding the aspirated follicular fluid, said at least one second section being adapted to be removable from said flusher, and

a heat source arranged to provide heat to said first section and said at least one second section.

2. A flusher according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one second section comprises at least one compartment configured to receive said at least one receptacle for holding the aspirated follicular fluid.

3. A flusher according to claim 2, characterized in that said compartment is a blind bore configured to receive a test tube.

4. A flusher according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that said compartment comprises a through opening extending between a bottom surface of said compartment and an outer surface of said second unit.

5. A flusher according to any one of the above claims, charac- t e r i z e d in that said first section comprises:

a recess configured to receive said flushing fluid receptacle, said recess comprising a longitudinal direction, and

a slot extending between said recess and an outer surface of said first section in said longitudinal direction of said recess, said slot comprising a width being smaller than a cross sectional dimension of said recess.

6. A flusher according to claim 5, characterized in that said width of said slot increases gradually or continuously over at least a part of the distance between said recess and said outer surface of said first section.

7. A flusher according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that said flushing fluid receptacle comprises a piston, and that said flusher further comprises a slider element adapted for depressing said piston of said flushing fluid receptacle, said slider element being arranged on said flusher in such a way as to be movable in a linear motion between a first position and a second position in which said slider unit depresses said piston of said flushing fluid receptacle substantially completely.

8. A flusher according to claim 7, characterized in that said slider element comprises an end piece and at least one guide rod, the end piece being mounted on the guide rod in such way that the end piece is movable in said linear motion between a first position and a second position along said guide rod, and the slider element being mounted on the flusher in such a way that it is substantially fixed with respect to movements in other directions than the direction of said linear motion.

9. A flusher according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that said heating unit is made of a heat condutor, such as a metal, preferably aluminium or the like.

10. A flusher according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that it further comprises a base adapted for receiving said flushing fluid receptacle, said heating unit and said slider element.