Method and apparatus for preparing cells for examination

A method for the mechanized collection of particles from liquid suspension for examination, said method comprising the steps of

• A. immersing into the particle-suspending liquid an agitating device for producing shear in the particle-suspending liquid for dispersing the particles,
• B. agitatingly moving the agitating device relative to the particle-suspending liquid for producing shear forces for dispersing the particles,
• C. providing a screen filter element on the agitating device for immersion in the particle-suspending liquid, said filter element having a porosity for blocking particles of interest and for passing smaller particles, and having a filter surface on which the blocked particles collect with a selected spatial distribution and from which the collected particles are transferred, with substantially the same spatial distribution, to a viewing device in contact with the filter surface, and
• D. directing a flow of the particle-suspending liquid through the immersed filter element for collecting particles of interest on the filter element with a spatial distribution ready for said transfer and examination.

Apparatus for collecting, from a liquid suspension, a selected spatial distribution of particles, aid apparatus comprising

• A. fluid-confining vessel means having
• (i) vessel walls for immersion into the particle-suspending liquid and for producing shear forces in that liquid in response to agitating movement of said vessel walls relative to the liquid, and
• (ii) screen filter means forming part of said vessel means and having a filter porosity to block and thereby to collect thereon particles of interest and to pass liquid and smaller particles, said filter means being disposed for the collection of particles thereon with a substantially monolayer spatial distribution,
• B. means for the transfer of particles from said filter means to a viewing device contiguous therewith with said spatial distribution of the particles for visual examination, and
• C. mounting means secured to said vessel means for removeably and replaceably mounting said vessel means with selected orientation and with selected disposition of said vessel walls and of said filter means.

Apparatus for processing particles suspended in liquid, said apparatus comprising

• A. fluid-confining vessel means having
• (i) vessel walls for immersion into the particle-suspending liquid, and
• (ii) screen filter means forming part of said vessel means and having a filter porosity to block particles of interest and to pass liquid and smaller particles,
• (iii) said vessel means being elongated along a first axis and having said filter means disposed at a first location along said axis and oriented substantially transverse thereto, and
• B. conduit means extending from outside said vessel means to a conduit end disposed within said vessel means,
• (i) said vessel means being arranged to be fluid tight, except at said filter means and at said conduit means,
• (ii) said filter means and said conduit means providing said vessel means with a first chamber section for containing, when oriented with said filter means vertically below said conduit end, a first volume of liquid below said conduit end, and providing said vessel means with a second chamber section, when oriented with said filter means vertically above the conduit end, for containing said first volume of liquid below said conduit end.

Apparatus for processing particles, including cells, suspended in liquid, said apparatus comprising

• A. a liquid containment body formed at least in part with a screen filter element through which liquid can flow into and out of said containment body, said filter element having a porosity selected to pass liquid and particles below a selected threshold size and for blocking on a filter surface particles larger than said threshold size,
• B. said filter element having said filter surface disposed for the collection thereon of blocked particles in a substantially monolayer spatial distribution and for the subsequent transfer therefrom of the collected particles to a viewing device in contact therewith, with the transferred particles having substantially the same spatial distribution,
• C. said liquid containment body being arranged for movement relative to a selected axis and relative to the particle-suspending liquid, for thereby subjecting the particle-suspending liquid to shear forces for dispersing the particles,
• D. means on said containment body for mountingly-supporting said containment body, said means being arranged for removably and replaceably mounting said body and for receiving driven movement for said movement of said body relative to said axis, and
• E. means forming a removable and replaceable fluid-tight sealing aperture on said liquid containment body.

Apparatus for processing particles, including cells, suspended in liquid, said apparatus comprising

• A. a liquid containment body formed at least in part with a screen filter element through which liquid can flow into and out of said containment body, said filter element having a porosity selected to pass liquid and particles below a selected threshold size and for blocking particles larger than said threshold size,
• B. said liquid containment body being arranged for agitating movement relative to a selected axis and relative to the cell-suspending liquid, for thereby subjecting the cell-suspending liquid to shear forces for dispersing the particles,
• C. means connected to said containment body for mountingly-supporting said containment body, said means being arranged for removably and replaceably mounting said body and for receiving driven movement for said agitating movement of said body relative to said axis, and
• D. conduit means extending within said liquid containment body and having a conduit end located to be vertically above a first volume of liquid therein both when said body is oriented with said filter element lowermost and when said body is inverted from that orientation.

Apparatus for preparing sample cells that are in liquid suspension for visual examination, said apparatus comprising

• A. a cell dispersing device and means for operating said cell dispersing device to disperse the sample cells,
• B. a screen filter device arranged for immersion in the cell-suspending liquid and having a substantially planar disposition and a porosity for blocking sample cells of interest on a planar surface thereof and for passing smaller particles, said filter device being arranged for the transfer therefrom, to a viewing device, of cells collected thereon from the liquid suspension,
• C. means for directing a flow of the cell-suspending liquid through said filter device immersed therein for collecting sample cells of interest on the filter device, and
• D. means for immersing said filter device in the cell-suspending liquid, and for withdrawing said filter device from the cell suspending liquid with sample cells collected thereon with a spatial distribution ready for said visual examination.

A method for preparing sample cells in liquid suspension for examination, said method comprising the steps of

• A. immersing into the cell-suspending liquid an agitating device for producing shear in the cell-suspending liquid for dispersing the cells,
• B. agitatingly moving the agitating device relative to the cell-suspending liquid for producing shear forces for dispersing the cells,
• C. providing a screen filter element on the agitating device for immersion in the cell-suspending liquid, said filter element having a porosity for blocking sample cells of interest and for passing smaller particles,
• D. directing a flow of the cell-suspending liquid through the immersed filter element for collecting sample cells of interest on the filter element with a spatial distribution ready for said examination,
• E. removing the filter element with sample cells collected thereon from the cell-suspending liquid,
• F. disposing the filter element adjacent a viewing slid element, and
• G. subjecting the filter element to a fluid condition for transferring the collected sample cells from the filter element to the viewing slide element with substantially the same spatial distribution.

Apparatus for preparing for examination sample cells in a liquid suspension, said apparatus comprising

• A. a cell-dispersing agitating device arranged for immersion into the cell-suspending liquid to produce shear forces in the cell-suspending liquid for dispersing the cells,
• B. a screen filter element on the agitating device for immersion in the cell-suspending liquid, said screen filter element having a porosity for blocking sample cells of interest and for passing smaller particles,
• C. means for directing a flow of the cell-suspending liquid through the immersed screen filter element for collecting sample cells of interest on said screen filter element with a spatial distribution ready for examination,
• D. means for removing said filter element with sample cells collected thereon from the cell-suspending liquid,
• E. means for disposing the filter element contiguously adjacent a viewing slide element, and
• F. means for transferring the collected sample cells from the filter element to the viewing slide element with substantially the same spatial distribution.