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US 2013/0210600 A1Published application
Apparatus for centrifugation and methods therefore
AssigneeStem Cell Partners LLC
InventorsJohn R. Chapman, Rodney Sparks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifuge vessel is configured to have at least two chambers therein separated by a divider, and with a spillway around a lip at an end of the divider to join the chambers. After centrifugation differing density phases of an original sample remain on opposite sides of the divider. Separate extraction ports are provided for removal of differing density phases of the original sample from opposite sides of the divider. A method of use of the centrifuge vessel includes centrifugation and extraction at differing orientations of the vessel for convenient and reliable extraction of differing density fractions from the original sample.
Claims27
1:
- A centrifuge vessel for separation of a heterogeneous fluid into a plurality of separate constituents having different densities, the vessel comprising in combination:
- a housing including a floor and side walls extending up from said floor;
- at least two chambers including a lower chamber and an upper chamber, said lower chamber closer to said floor than said upper chamber;
- a divider wall interposed between said upper chamber and said lower chamber;
- a spillway around said divider wall, said spillway joining said upper chamber to said lower chamber;
- and
- an outlet port extending from said lower chamber and out of said housing, such that a constituent of the fluid sample within said lower chamber can be removed from said lower chamber.
4 more elements
2:
- The vessel of claim 1 wherein said housing includes an inlet passing thereinto, said inlet adapted to allow a sample fluid to be passed into said housing.
3:
- The vessel of claim 2 wherein a suction port is provided into said housing separate from said inlet, such that a source of vacuum can be coupled to said suction port and gases within said housing can be removed as a fluid sample is passed into said housing through said inlet.
4:
- The vessel of claim 1 wherein a second outlet port is provided extending between said upper chamber and a space outside of said housing.
5:
- The vessel of claim 1 wherein said divider wall has a hole passing therethrough in a portion of said divider wall spaced from said spillway, said outlet port of said lower chamber routed through said hole in said divider wall.
6:
- The vessel of claim 1 wherein a cover encloses said housing, said cover on a side of said housing opposite said floor.
7:
- The vessel of claim 6 wherein said outlet port accessing said lower chamber passes out of said housing through said cover.
8:
- The vessel of claim 7 wherein an inlet is provided through said cover, said inlet separate from said outlet port and adapted to receive a multi-constituent heterogeneous fluid therethrough.
9:
- The vessel of claim 1 wherein a pair of feet are provided extending laterally from said housing generally perpendicular with said floor, said feet adapted to support said housing when resting on its side upon a substantially horizontal surface with said floor extending perpendicular to said horizontal surface.
10:
- The vessel of claim 1 wherein said divider wall has an angle with a lip of said divider wall adjacent said spillway, said lip of said divider wall closer to said floor than portions of said divider wall at said spillway spaced from said lip.
11:
- A method for separation of a multi-constituent fluid having constituents of differing density, the method including the steps of:
- identifying a centrifuge vessel with a housing including a floor and side walls extending up from the floor;
- at least two chambers including a lower chamber and an upper chamber, the lower chamber closer to the floor than the upper chamber;
- a divider wall interposed between the upper chamber and the lower chamber;
- a spillway around the divider wall, the spillway joining the upper chamber to the lower chamber;
- and an outlet port extending from the lower chamber and out of the housing, such that a constituent of the fluid sample within the lower chamber can be removed from the lower chamber;
- inputting a heterogeneous multi-constituent fluid with constituents of differing densities into the vessel of said identifying step;
- centrifuging the vessel with gee forces oriented substantially toward the floor until the fluid is separated into at least two differing density fluids including a higher density phase and a lower density phase;
- and
- extracting the higher density phase fluid from the lower chamber through the outlet port.
7 more elements
12:
- The method of claim 11 including the further step of rotating the centrifuge vessel onto its side with the floor non-parallel with a horizontal surface and with a lip of the divider wall at the spillway defining a highest portion of the divider wall before said extracting step.
13:
- The method of claim 11 wherein said inputting step includes the heterogeneous fluid having at least three separate fluids including a medium density fluid;
- and
- the further step of removing said medium density fluid by rotating the housing back to vertical with the floor at a lowermost portion of the housing before extracting the medium density phase fluid through said outlet port.
14:
- The method of claim 13 including the further step of removing the lower density fluid by rotating the vessel back to horizontal with the floor non-parallel with a horizontal surface with extraction through an outlet coupled to the upper chamber of the vessel.
15:
- The method of claim 11 wherein said providing step includes the housing having an inlet passing thereinto, the inlet used in said inputting step to allow a sample fluid to be passed into the housing of the vessel during said inputting step.
16:
- The method of claim 11 wherein said identifying step includes the divider wall having a hole passing therethrough in a portion of the divider wall spaced from the spillway, the outlet port of the lower chamber routed through the hole in the divider wall.
17:
- The method of claim 11 wherein said identifying step includes a cover enclosing the housing, the cover on a side of the housing opposite the floor;
- and
- wherein the outlet port which accesses the lower chamber passes out of the housing through the cover.
18:
- The method of claim 11 wherein said identifying step includes a pair of feet extending laterally from the housing, generally perpendicular to the floor, the feet supporting the housing during said extracting step when resting on its side upon a substantially horizontal surface with the floor extending substantially perpendicular to the surface.
19:
- A centrifuge vessel comprising in combination:
- a housing including a floor and side walls extending up from said floor;
- at least two chambers including a lower chamber and an upper chamber, said lower chamber closer to said floor than said upper chamber;
- a divider wall interposed between said upper chamber and said lower chamber;
- a spillway around said divider wall, said spillway joining said upper chamber to said lower chamber;
- and
- said divider wall angled such that a lip of said divider wall adjacent said spillway is closer to said floor than other portions of said divider wall.
4 more elements
20:
- The vessel of claim 19 wherein an outlet port extends from said lower chamber and out of said housing.
21:
- The vessel of claim 20 wherein said divider wall has a hole passing therethrough in a portion of said divider wall spaced from said spillway, said outlet port of said lower chamber routed through said hole in said divider wall.
22:
- The vessel of claim 21 wherein a cover encloses said housing, said cover on a side of said housing opposite said floor;
- and
- wherein said outlet port accessing said lower chamber passes out of said housing through said cover.
23:
- A system for separation of a higher density phase of a fluid having multiple differing density constituents, the system comprising in combination:
- a centrifuge having a spin axis and a vessel support adapted to spin about said spin axis;
- a housing including a floor and side walls extending up from said floor;
- at least two chambers including a lower chamber and an upper chamber, said lower chamber closer to said floor than said upper chamber;
- a divider wall interposed between said upper chamber and said lower chamber;
- a spillway around said divider wall, said spillway joining said upper chamber to said lower chamber;
- and
- an outlet port extending from said lower chamber and out of said housing, such that a constituent of the fluid sample within said lower chamber can be removed from said lower chamber.
5 more elements
24:
- The system of claim 23 wherein said outlet extends through said divider wall.
25:
- The system of claim 24 wherein said outlet includes a tube extending through a hole in said divider wall and up to a cover of said housing opposite said floor and enclosing said housing.
26:
- The system of claim 24 wherein said spillway is at a lateral side of said divider wall adjacent one of said housing side walls.
27:
- The system of claim 26 wherein said divider wall has an angle with a lip of said divider wall adjacent said spillway, said lip of said divider wall closer to said floor than portions of said divider wall at said spillway spaced from said lip.