Method and apparatus for processing tissue samples
AssigneeS2 Genomics, Inc.
InventorsStevan Bogdan Jovanovich, Kaiwan Chear, Bruce Leisz, David Eberhart, John Bashkin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, methods, and apparatus are described to collect and prepare single cells, nuclei, subcellular components, and biomolecules from specimens including tissues and in some embodiments use the single cells to form organoids or microtissues. The system can perform enzymatic and/or physical disruption of the tissue to dissociate it into single-cells and then use a hanging droplet method to form organoids or microtissues.
Claims30
A system comprising:
- (a) an instrument comprising:
- (i) one or more cartridge interfaces, each configured to engage a cartridge and comprising one or more fluid ports;
- (ii) a fluidics subsystem comprising:
- (1) one or more sources of liquids and/or gasses;
- (2) one or more fluid lines communicating with the sources and with fluid ports in the cartridge interface;
- and
- (3) one or more pumps configured to move liquids and/or gasses from the sources into and/or out of the one or more fluid ports;
- (iii) a subsystem comprising an actuator to actuate a tissue disruptor in a cartridge engaged with a cartridge interface (e.g., a mechanical, pneumatic, electromagnetic, or hydraulic actuator);
- and
- (b) one or more cartridges, each engaged with one of the cartridge interfaces, wherein each cartridge comprises:
- (i) one or more cartridge ports communicating with the fluid ports in the cartridge interface;
- (ii) a preprocessing chamber comprising an opening and, positioned in the opening, a tissue disruptor configured for mechanical disruption of tissue, wherein the tissue disruptor engages with and is actuated by the actuator when the cartridge is engaged with the cartridge interface;
- and
- (iii) a processing chamber communicating with the preprocessing chamber, and with one or more cartridge ports and configured to collect a suspension of biological material from the preprocessing chamber.
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A cartridge comprising:
- (i) a preprocessing chamber comprising:
- (1) an opening and, positioned in the opening, a tissue disruptor configured for mechanical disruption of tissue, and (2) a preprocessing chamber port;
- and
- (ii) a processing chamber comprising a processing chamber port communicating with the preprocessing chamber port through a fluid line, and
- (iii) a cartridge port that communicates with the processing chamber, wherein a vacuum applied to the cartridge port pulls material from the preprocessing chamber into the processing chamber.
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A method of creating a microtissue comprising:
- (a) providing a cartridge comprising:
- (i) a preprocessing chamber comprising an opening and, positioned in the opening, a tissue disruptor configured for mechanical disruption of tissue;
- (ii) a strain chamber comprising a strainer, wherein the strain chamber communicates with the preprocessing chamber;
- (iii) a first processing chamber communicating with the strain chamber;
- (iv) an optional second processing chamber communicating with the first processing chamber;
- (v) one or more cartridge ports communicating with the processing chamber and the second processing chamber if present;
- and further comprising a tissue;
- (b) disrupting the tissue with the tissue disruptor to produce a cell suspension;
- (c) straining the cell suspension with the strainer to produce strained cell suspension;
- and
- (d) forming a hanging drop from the strained cell suspension using the element.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.