Tissue biopsy cell suspender for cell analysis

A tissue biopsy cell suspender device comprising:

• a tubular receptacle with a capacity between about one and five ml having a sealable opening, said receptacle containing between about 0.5 ml to about 1.5 ml of an aqueous minimum essential medium (M.E.M) to support an enzymatic dissociation of cells from a tissue biopsy sample;
• a removable closure for sealing said opening, said closure having a first sealing position and a second sealing position;
• and
• a frangible glass container having a sufficient quantity of an enzyme therein to dissociate cells from the tissue biopsy sample, said frangible container being covered with a permeable polyethylene terephthalate membrane, said membrane being permeable to water and to said enzyme, said frangible container being disposed within said receptacle so that said container is intact when said closure is in said first sealing position, said container being breached when said closure is in said second sealing position, thereby to release said enzyme to permeate through said membrane into said medium.

A method for releasing intact cells for analysis from a tissue biopsy sample comprising:

• providing a sample of tissue from a biopsy;
• removing a resealable closure from an opening of a tissue cell suspender device having a receptacle, said receptacle containing a sufficient quantity of an aqueous medium to support an enzymatic dissociation of cells from a tissue biopsy sample wherein said closure has a first sealing position and a second sealing position, said receptacle having a frangible container having a sufficient quantity of an enzyme therein to dissociate cells from the tissue biopsy sample, said frangible container being covered with a permeable membrane, said membrane being permeable to water and to said enzyme, said frangible container being disposed within said receptacle so that said container is intact when said closure is in said first sealing position, said container being breached when said closure is in said second sealing position, thereby to release said enzyme to permeate into said medium;
• introducing the tissue sample into said tissue cell suspender device;
• replacing said closure thereby sealing said receptacle;
• moving said closure to said second sealing position, thereby breaching said frangible container and releasing said enzyme into said medium;
• and
• incubating said tissue sample container for a sufficient time to allow said enzyme to permeate into said medium and dissociate the cells from said tissue.