Apparatus for pretreating cells for flow cytometry

An apparatus for treating cells preparatory to a cytological study, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) sample containers for containing a sample liquid containing cells to be treated;
• (b) reagent containers for containing one or more reagents to be added to the sample liquid;
• (c) a rinsing liquid container for container a rinsing liquid;
• (d) pneumatic energy source means for developing pneumatic energy;
• (e) a horizontal rotary sample carrier of a substantially disk shape rotatable about a vertical axis,
• (f) a sample rack of a substantially arcuate elongated shape mounted on said sample carrier along a peripheral edge thereof, said sample rack being pivoted at two ends thereof to the sample carrier so as to be swingable radial outwardly of the sample carrier under centrifugal force when the carrier is rotated about said vertical axis, said sample rack having therealong a row of holes for receiving said sample containers;
• (g) drive means for imparting rotation about said vertical axis to the sample carrier to centrifuge the sample containers received in the holes of said sample rack;
• (h) constant temperature vessels of substantially arcuate elongated shape, said vessels having thermostatic means for maintaining a constant desired temperature and being provided horizontally under said sample carrier, said vessels being disposed in series in annular arrangement below a peripheral edge of the sample carrier, each of said vessels being movable vertically relative to the sample carrier to a position in which the sample containers carried by the sample rack are inserted into one of the vessels for application of a desired temperature to the sample containers;
• (i) a row of reagent supply nozzles disposed above the sample carrier along a peripheral edge thereof for simultaneously dropping the reagents into the sample containers on the sample rack to form sample-reagent mixtures in the sample containers;
• (j) a selector valve for selectively supplying the reagents and the rinsing liquid from said reagent containers and said rinsing liquid container into the sample containers;
• (k) a supply-discharge nozzle capable of communication with said selector valve and the pneumatic energy source means and movable into and out of the sample containers for introducing any of the one or more reagents or the rinsing liquid into the sample containers, and for withdrawing the sample-reagent mixtures or the rinsing liquid from the sample containers, under the force of the pneumatic energy;
• (l) positioning means coupled to said sample carrier for angularly indexing the carrier about the vertical axis thereof so as to cause the sample containers on the sample rack to take positions in vertical alignment with said reagent supply nozzles, said supply-discharge nozzle and said constant-temperature vessels;
• (m) a temporary storage vessel capable of communication with the supply-discharge nozzle;
• and
• (n) valve means for controlling the communication of the supply-discharge nozzle with the selector valve and the pneumatic energy source means and the temporary storage vessel to intimately intermingle the sample liquid and the reagents by causing the flow of the sample-reagent mixtures back and forth between the sample containers and the temporary storage vessel, and to rinse the nozzle means and the temporary storage with the rinsing liquid.