JP6955306B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed technique relates to a processing device.

The following techniques are known as techniques for processing devices for separating (or isolating) cells from living tissues. For example, in Japanese Patent No. 6164612, a collection chamber for collecting at least one of a treatment liquid and cells, a inlet for charging the treatment liquid, and a tissue retention chamber provided above the collection chamber are used for collection. A cell separation vessel with a compartment filter that separates the chamber from the tissue retention chamber is described. This cell separation vessel regulates the inflow and outflow of gas in the collection chamber and the tissue retention chamber so that the treatment liquid charged into the tissue retention chamber is retained in the tissue retention chamber without passing through the compartment filter, or the compartment filter is used. It has a pressure control mechanism that can switch whether to pass through the gas and discharge it to the collection chamber. The air pressure control mechanism includes a first air pressure control unit provided in the collection chamber to regulate the inflow and outflow of gas in the collection chamber, and a second air pressure control unit provided in the tissue retention chamber to control the inflow and outflow of gas in the tissue retention chamber. , Equipped with.

Living tissue is composed of cells and an extracellular matrix existing around the cells. The separation process for separating (or isolating) cells from living tissue is a process for extracting cells by decomposing the extracellular matrix of the living tissue using a treatment solution such as an enzyme agent. In the separation process, it is important to keep the living tissue and the surrounding environment of the cells separated from the living tissue in an aseptic state in order to increase the survival rate of the cells.

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 (Patent No. 6164612) discloses a cell separation container suitable for the separation treatment. However, in the cell separation vessel described in Patent Document 1, in order to hold the treatment liquid in the tissue holding chamber, it is necessary to open the second atmospheric pressure regulating unit that suppresses the rise in air pressure in the tissue holding chamber to the atmosphere. .. When the second atmospheric pressure control unit is opened to the atmosphere, the risk of exposure of living tissues and cells separated from living cells to contamination sources such as bacteria and viruses increases. That is, usually, a commercially available sterile filter is widely used in order to prevent germs from invading from a portion open to the atmosphere. However, the size of the aseptic filter is limited to prevent the invasion of bacteria, and the invasion of viruses smaller than that cannot be stopped.

The disclosed technology suppresses the increase in air pressure inside the container due to the transfer of the treatment liquid to the container for containing the living tissue, while suppressing the risk of the living tissue and cells separated from the living tissue being exposed to the contamination source. The purpose is to do.

The processing apparatus according to the disclosed technique includes a first container for accommodating a biological tissue to be treated, at least one second container for enclosing a treatment liquid used for treating the biological tissue, and a first container. A closed system is formed in the liquid feeding flow path connecting the container and the second container, the processing liquid transfer means for transferring the processing liquid from the second container to the first container, and the first container. Includes a connected, variable volume third container. The first container has a first air chamber and a second air chamber separated from each other by a compartment filter through which the treatment liquid can permeate. While the treatment liquid is being transferred from the second container to the first container, the gas in the first air chamber is transferred to the third container, and the air pressure in the first air chamber becomes the second. The state of being lower than the air pressure in the air chamber is maintained, and the treatment liquid transferred to the first container is held in the first air chamber.

According to the processing apparatus according to the disclosed technique, since the third container having a variable volume is connected to the first container by forming a closed system, the living tissue and the cells separated from the living tissue are the sources of contamination. It is possible to suppress the increase in air pressure inside the first container due to the transfer of the treatment liquid to the first container while suppressing the risk of being exposed to.

The third container may be configured to include a bag made of a flexible material. As a result, the resistance associated with the expansion of the volume of the third container can be reduced, and the effect of suppressing the increase in the air pressure inside the first container can be enhanced. The material of the bag having flexibility may be, for example, a resin film. By using a resin film as the material of the bag, the manufacturing cost of the bag can be suppressed and the bag can be disposable. Further, the third container may be configured to include a syringe.

The first container has a first air chamber and a second air chamber separated from each other by a partition filter, a first distribution port and a second distribution port communicating with the first air chamber, respectively, and a second. It may include a third outlet that communicates with the air chamber. The first flow port may be connected to the liquid feed flow path, the second flow port may be connected to the third container, and the third flow port may be connected to the drainage flow path. Since the first container has the above configuration, the treatment liquid can be retained together with the living tissue in the first air chamber by adjusting the air pressure in the first air chamber and the second air chamber, or the used treatment liquid can be retained. Can be discharged to the drainage flow path via the second air chamber.

The treatment apparatus may further include a drain valve provided in the drain flow path that is closed while the treatment liquid is being fed from the second container to the first container. According to this aspect, it is possible to adjust the air pressure of the first container by controlling the opening and closing of the drainage valve.

According to the processing apparatus according to the disclosed technique, while the processing liquid is being sent from the second container to the first container, the third container is accompanied by the inflow of gas into the third container. The volume of is expanded.

According to the disclosed technology, the air pressure inside the container increases due to the transfer of the treatment liquid to the container for containing the living tissue while suppressing the risk of the living tissue and the cells separated from the living tissue being exposed to the contamination source. Can be suppressed.

It is a front view which shows an example of the structure of the processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of the disclosed technique. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the processing container which concerns on embodiment of the disclosed technique. It is a side view which shows an example of the structure of the processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of the disclosed technique. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the distribution system in the processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of the disclosed technique. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the structure of the main body of the processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of the disclosed technique. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the process executed by the control part which concerns on embodiment of the disclosed technique. It is a front view which shows an example of the structure of the processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of the disclosed technique.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, substantially the same or equivalent components or parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the disclosed technology. The processing apparatus 1 has a processing container 20 for accommodating the biological tissue to be treated, and a plurality of processing liquid-filled containers 10 for enclosing the processing liquid used for the separation treatment of the biological tissue. Further, the processing apparatus 1 has an individual flow path 31 and a common flow path 32 as flow paths for connecting the treatment container 20 and each of the plurality of treatment liquid-filled containers 10. Further, the processing apparatus 1 has a liquid feeding pump 51 as a processing liquid transfer means for transferring the processing liquid from the processing liquid-filled container 10 to the processing container 20. The treatment apparatus 1 decomposes the extracellular matrix constituting the biological tissue by adding the treatment liquid sealed in the treatment liquid-filled container 10 to the biological tissue contained in the treatment container 20, and removes cells from the biological tissue. Separation The separation process is automatically performed.

In the separation treatment, for example, a disinfectant solution for disinfecting living tissue, a cleaning solution for washing away the disinfectant solution, at least one enzyme solution for decomposing the biological tissue, and a culture solution for washing away the enzyme solution are used as the treatment solution. The disinfectant solution, the cleaning solution, the enzyme solution, and the culture solution are sealed in different treatment liquid encapsulation containers 10. In other words, different types of treatment liquids are sealed in the plurality of treatment liquid filling containers 10. The different types of treatment liquids sealed in the plurality of treatment liquid-filled containers 10 are transferred to the treatment container 20 in a predetermined order. It is preferable that different types of treatment liquids are not mixed in the treatment liquid-filled container 10, the treatment container 20, and the flow path.

Each of the treatment liquid-filled containers 10 is preferably a disposable closed container in order to suppress the risk of contamination by a contamination source such as bacteria and viruses from the outside. For example, a container commercially available as a centrifuge tube is used as the treatment liquid. It can be used as an enclosed container 10. Further, a syringe or a bag having a variable volume can be suitably used as the treatment liquid-filled container 10. FIG. 1 illustrates a case where a syringe is used as the treatment liquid-filled container 10.

Each of the plurality of individual flow paths 31 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of processing liquid-filled containers 10. Each of the individual flow paths 31 is connected to the corresponding processing liquid-filled container 10 at one end and to the common flow path 32 at the other end.

A joint 35 is provided at each connection portion between each of the individual flow paths 31 and the common flow path 32. In the present specification, the individual flow path 31 means a flow path section from the treatment liquid-filled container 10 to the joint 35. Further, in the present specification, the common flow path 32 means a flow path section from each joint 35 to the processing container 20. Therefore, the flow path section between the joint 35 and the joint 35 adjacent to each other belongs to the common flow path 32. The processing container 20 is connected to one end of the common flow path 32.

A liquid feeding valve 41 is provided in the middle of each of the individual flow paths 31. That is, each of the plurality of liquid feeding valves 41 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of processing liquid filling containers 10. Each of the liquid feed valves 41 is used to selectively transfer the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid filling container 10 to the treatment container 20. That is, when the selected liquid feed valve 41 is opened and the liquid feed pump 51 operates, the treatment liquid sealed in the treatment liquid filling container 10 corresponding to the liquid feed valve 41 flows into the corresponding individual flow. It is transferred to the processing container 20 via the road 31 and the common flow path 32. A pinch valve can be preferably used as the liquid feed valve 41. By using a pinch valve as the liquid feed valve 41, it is possible to open and close the flow path without contacting the fluid passing through the individual flow path 31.

The individual flow path 31 and the common flow path 32 are composed of tubular members. It is preferable that the tubular members constituting the individual flow path 31 and the common flow path 32 can be sterilized, have a small amount of eluate, and have corrosion resistance to the treatment liquid. Further, it is preferable that the tubular member constituting the individual flow path 31 and the common flow path 32 has thermoplasticity. The thermoplasticity of the tubular member allows the tubular member to be sealed by heat welding after use, which allows the source of contamination to be external, for example when living tissue or cells are infected with a source of contamination such as cells and viruses. The risk of leakage to the virus can be suppressed. As the tubular member constituting the individual flow path 31 and the common flow path 32, for example, a silicon tube can be used.

The joint 35 preferably has corrosion resistance to the treatment liquid. As the material of the joint 35, for example, Teflon (registered trademark), polypropylene, or polyvinylidene fluoride can be used. Further, the joint 35 is preferably heat sterilized and gamma ray sterilized, and polyvinylidene fluoride is preferable as the material of the joint 35.

The liquid feed pump 51 is provided in the middle of the common flow path 32. A tube pump can be preferably used as the liquid feed pump 51. By using a tube pump as the liquid feed pump 51, it is possible to transfer the fluid without coming into contact with the fluid passing through the common flow path 32.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the processing container 20. The processing container 20 has a first air chamber 21 and a second air chamber 22 separated from each other by a compartment filter 23. Further, the processing container 20 communicates with the first air chamber 21 through the first distribution port 24 and the second distribution port 25, respectively, and the second air chamber 22 with the second air chamber 22 via the conduit 27. It has a distribution port 26. One end of the pipeline 27 is connected to the third flow port 26, penetrates the first air chamber 21 and the partition filter 23, and the other end reaches the second air chamber 22.

The first distribution port 24 is connected to one end of the common flow path 32. That is, the treatment liquid sealed in each of the treatment liquid-filled containers 10 flows into the first air chamber 21 of the treatment container 20 from the first distribution port 24. The first air chamber 21 is a space in which the biological tissue to be treated and the cells separated from the biological tissue by the separation treatment are housed. The second air chamber 22 is a space in which the used treatment liquid is stored.

The compartment filter 23 has, for example, a filter hole having a size smaller than the size of the cells separated from the living tissue. By maintaining the air pressure of the first air chamber 21 lower than the air pressure of the second air chamber 22, the processing liquid flowing into the processing container 20 can be retained in the first air chamber 21. Is. On the other hand, by lowering the air pressure of the second air chamber 22 to be lower than the air pressure of the first air chamber 21, it is possible to transfer the treatment liquid from the first air chamber 21 to the second air chamber 22. Is. In order to keep the treatment liquid flowing into the treatment container 20 in the first air chamber 21, the surface tension acting on the treatment liquid or the force of the partition filter 23 to support the treatment liquid may be used.

One end of the exhaust flow path 33 is connected to the second distribution port 25. A closed container 90 is connected to the other end of the exhaust flow path 33. The closed container 90 is connected to the processing container 20 by forming a closed system. "Connected to form a closed system" means a state in which contamination sources such as bacteria and viruses are prevented from entering the system. The volume of the closed container 90 is variable. As the closed container 90, a syringe 91 can be used as shown in FIG. The syringe 91 includes a barrel 92 and a plunger 93, and the plunger 93 slides along the inner wall of the barrel 92 to expand or contract the volume inside the barrel 92.

An exhaust valve 42 is provided in the middle of the exhaust flow path 33. The exhaust valve 42 is opened when the processing liquid is transferred to the processing container 20. As a result, while the processing liquid is being transferred to the processing container 20, the gas in the processing container 20 is transferred to the closed container 90 via the exhaust flow path 33, and the pressure in the first air chamber 21 becomes atmospheric pressure. Be maintained. On the other hand, the pressure of the second air chamber 22 becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure due to the treatment liquid slightly leaking from the first air chamber 21 to the second air chamber 22 through the filter 23. Therefore, the air pressure of the first air chamber 21 is maintained lower than the air pressure of the second air chamber 22.

One end of the drainage flow path 34 is connected to the third distribution port 26. A waste liquid tank 60 is connected to the other end of the drainage flow path 34. A drainage pump 52 and a drainage valve 43 are provided in the middle of the drainage flow path 34. When the drain valve 43 is opened and the drain pump 52 operates, the processing liquid staying in the first air chamber 21 is discharged to the second air chamber 22, the third distribution port 26, and the drain. It is transferred to the waste liquid tank 60 via the liquid flow path 34.

A gas-liquid discrimination sensor 50A is provided at a portion of the common flow path 32 between the liquid feed pump 51 and the processing container 20. Further, a gas-liquid discrimination sensor 50B is provided at a portion of the drainage flow path 34 between the processing container 20 and the drainage pump 52. The gas-liquid discrimination sensors 50A and 50B each discriminate whether the fluid flowing through the flow path is a liquid or a gas, and supply a discriminant signal indicating the discriminant result to the control unit 80 (see FIG. 3) described later. do. The gas-liquid discrimination sensors 50A and 50B discriminate whether the fluid flowing in the flow path is a liquid or a gas, for example, based on the refraction angle of the laser beam irradiated in the flow path. May be good.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the processing device 1. The processing device 1 has a vibration mechanism 70 that applies vibration to the processing container 20. The vibration exciting mechanism 70 is connected to the motor 71, the cam 73 connected to the rotating shaft 72 of the motor 71, the cam follower 74 arranged so as to come into contact with the cam 73, and the cam follower 74, and is connected to the cam follower 74 to rotate the cam 73. Along with this, it is configured to include a vibration stage 75 that performs a linear reciprocating operation. The drive control of the motor 71 is performed by the control unit 80. The vibration stage 75 is equipped with a holding portion 76 that holds the processing container 20. When the vibration stage 75 performs a linear reciprocating operation, vibration is applied to the processing container 20 held by the holding portion 76. The control unit 80, the motor 71, the cam 73, and the cam follower 74 are housed inside the housing 81.

A heater 77 and a temperature sensor 78 are embedded in the holding portion 76. The holding portion 76 is made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity such as metal, and also functions as a heat block that transfers the heat generated from the heater 77 to the processing container 20. The temperature sensor 78 is configured to include, for example, a thermocouple, detects the temperature of the holding unit 76, and supplies a temperature detection signal indicating the detected temperature to the control unit 80. The control unit 80 controls the heater 77 based on the temperature detection signal from the temperature sensor 78. The control unit 80 controls the heater 77 so that the temperature of the holding unit 76 maintains a predetermined temperature (for example, 37 ° C.). By holding the processing container 20 in the temperature-controlled holding unit 76, the ambient temperature of the processing container 20 is kept constant (for example, 37 ° C.).

In addition to controlling the motor 71 and the heater 77, the control unit 80 controls the opening and closing of the liquid feed valve 41, the exhaust valve 42, and the drainage valve 43, and controls the drive of the liquid feed pump 51 and the drainage pump 52.

FIG. 4A shows a plurality of processing liquid-filled containers 10, a processing container 20, a closed container 90, and a waste liquid tank 60 having flow paths (individual flow path 31, common flow path 32, exhaust flow path 33, and drainage flow path 34). It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the distribution system 2 of the processing apparatus 1 which is connected and configured through. FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the main body 3 of the processing device 1. As shown in FIG. 4A, the distribution system 2 can be attached to and detached from the main body 3 with a plurality of processing liquid-filled containers 10, a processing container 20, a closed container 90, and a waste liquid tank 60 connected via a flow path. Is. This makes it possible to perform heat sterilization treatment and γ-ray irradiation sterilization treatment on each component of the distribution system 2 without removing the tubular member and the joint 35 that form the flow path. Further, after the sterilization process, the distribution system 2 can be attached to the main body 3 as it is. In this way, by maintaining the connection of each component of the distribution system 2 throughout the use and maintenance of the processing device 1, the risk of each component of the distribution system 2 being exposed to the pollution source can be suppressed. ..

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process executed by the control unit 80 when the separation process for separating the cells from the living tissue is performed in the processing device 1. It is assumed that different types of treatment liquids are sealed in each of the plurality of treatment liquid-filled containers 10. It is assumed that the first air chamber 21 of the treatment container 20 contains the living cells to be treated. It is assumed that the plunger 93 is pushed into the closed container 90 so that its volume is minimized. It is assumed that each of the plurality of liquid feed valves 41 is identified by the identification number N (N is a natural number) in the control unit 80. In the initial state, it is assumed that the liquid feed valve 41, the exhaust valve 42, and the drainage valve 43 are in the closed state, and the liquid feed pump 51 and the drainage pump 52 are in the stopped state, respectively.

In step S1, the control unit 80 sets the set value of the identification number N of the liquid feed valve 41 to 1. As a result, the liquid feed valve 41 corresponding to the identification number 1 is selected. In step S2, the control unit 80 controls the exhaust valve 42 in the open state. In step S3, the control unit 80 controls the liquid feed valve 41 corresponding to the identification number 1 in the open state. In step S4, the control unit 80 starts the operation of the liquid feed pump 51. As a result, the processing liquid sealed in the processing liquid-filled container 10 corresponding to the identification number 1 is transferred to the processing container 20 via the corresponding individual flow paths 31 and the common flow path 32.

By keeping the exhaust valve 42 open and the drain valve 43 closed when the treatment liquid is transferred to the treatment container 20, the first air chamber 21 accompanies the inflow of the treatment liquid into the treatment container 20. The gas inside is transferred to the closed container 90 (syringe 91) via the exhaust flow path 33 while expanding the volume of the closed container 90 (syringe 91). As a result, the increase in the air pressure in the first air chamber 21 due to the transfer of the processing liquid to the processing container 20 is suppressed, and the air pressure in the first air chamber 21 is lower than the air pressure in the second air chamber 22. Can be formed. As a result, the treatment liquid that has flowed into the treatment container 20 can be retained in the first air chamber 21. As a result, the biological tissue can be immersed in the treatment liquid in the first air chamber 21.

In step S4A, the control unit 80 detects the liquid feeding state of the processing liquid by monitoring the discrimination signal supplied from the gas-liquid discrimination sensor 50A. In step S5, the control unit 80 determines whether or not the feeding of the processing liquid is completed. When the control unit 80 determines that the fluid flowing through the common flow path 32 has changed from a liquid to a gas based on the discrimination signal supplied from the gas-liquid discrimination sensor 50A, the control unit 80 determines that the liquid feeding of the processing liquid has been completed. do. When the control unit 80 determines that the feeding of the processing liquid is completed, the control unit 80 shifts the processing to step S6.

In step S6, the control unit 80 controls the liquid feed valve 41 corresponding to the identification number 1 to the closed state. In step S7, the control unit 80 stops the operation of the liquid feed pump 51. In step S8, the control unit 80 controls the exhaust valve 42 in the closed state. At this time, the state in which the biological tissue and the treatment liquid are contained in the first air chamber 21 is maintained.

In step S9, the control unit 80 starts the operation of the vibration mechanism 70 by starting the driving of the motor 71. As a result, the treatment liquid contained in the treatment container 20 is agitated, and the treatment of the living tissue with the treatment liquid is promoted.

In step S10, the control unit 80 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation of the vibration mechanism 70 was started, and if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the control unit 80 stops the operation of the vibration mechanism 70 by stopping the driving of the motor 71. As a result, the stirring process of the processing liquid contained in the processing container 20 is completed.

In step S12, the control unit 80 controls the exhaust valve 42 in the open state. In step S13, the control unit 80 controls the drainage valve 43 to be in the open state. In step S14, the control unit 80 starts the operation of the drainage pump 52. By the processing from step S12 to step S14, the air pressure in the second air chamber 22 becomes lower than the air pressure in the first air chamber 21, and the processing liquid staying in the first air chamber 21 is filtered by the partition filter. It permeates and is transferred to the second air chamber 22. After that, the treatment liquid is transferred to the waste liquid tank 60 via the drainage flow path 34.

In step S14A, the control unit 80 detects the liquid feeding state of the processing liquid by monitoring the discrimination signal supplied from the gas-liquid discrimination sensor 50B. In step S15, the control unit 80 determines whether or not the feeding of the processing liquid from the processing container 20 to the waste liquid tank 60 is completed. When the control unit 80 determines that the fluid flowing through the drainage flow path 34 has changed from a liquid to a gas based on the discrimination signal supplied from the gas-liquid discrimination sensor 50B, the liquid feeding of the processing liquid is completed. Is determined. When the control unit 80 determines that the feeding of the processing liquid is completed, the control unit 80 shifts the processing to step S16. In step S16, the control unit 80 controls the drainage valve 43 to be in the closed state. In step S17, the control unit 80 stops the operation of the drainage pump 52.

In step S18, the control unit 80 determines whether or not the processing from step S2 to step S17 described above has been completed for all the processing liquids sealed in each of the processing liquid-filled containers 10.

The control unit 80 makes the above determination by, for example, determining whether or not the set value of the current identification number N of the liquid feed valve 41 is the maximum value corresponding to the number of the processing liquid-filled containers 10. May be good. When the control unit 80 determines that the processing from step S2 to step S17 is completed for all the processing liquids, the control unit 80 terminates this routine. On the other hand, when the control unit 80 determines that the processing from step S2 to step S17 is not completed for all the processing liquids, the control unit 80 shifts the processing to step S19.

In step S19, the control unit 80 increases the set value of the identification number N of the liquid feeding valve 41 by one, and returns the process to step S2. As a result, the liquid feeding valve 41 corresponding to the identification number 2 is selected, and the processing from step S2 to step S17 described above is performed on the processing liquid sealed in the processing liquid filling container 10 corresponding to the identification number 2. The above-mentioned treatments from step S2 to step S17 are repeated until the treatment is completed for all the treatment liquids sealed in each of the treatment liquid-filled containers 10.

As is clear from the above description, according to the processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the disclosed technique, the processing of sequentially transferring different types of processing liquids from the processing liquid-filled container 10 to the processing container 20, and used The process of transferring the treatment liquid from the treatment container 20 to the waste liquid tank 60 can be automatically performed.

Further, since the first air chamber 21 of the processing container 20 is connected to the closed container 90 having a variable volume, when the processing liquid is transferred to the processing container 20, the gas in the first air chamber 21 is sealed. It is transferred to the closed container 90 while expanding the volume of the container 90. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the air pressure of the first air chamber 21 due to the transfer of the processing liquid to the processing container 20, and the air pressure of the first air chamber 21 is higher than the air pressure of the second air chamber 22. It can be kept low. As a result, the treatment liquid that has flowed into the treatment container 20 can be retained in the first air chamber 21. Since the closed container 90 is connected to the processing container 20 by forming a closed system, the risk of exposure of the living tissue and cells separated from the living tissue to the contamination source can be suppressed.

For example, an aseptic filter may be connected to the end of the exhaust flow path 33 instead of the closed container 90. Here, the minimum pore diameters of the aseptic filters manufactured by Sartorius and Millipore are 0.2 μm and 0.1 μm, respectively (both catalog values). On the other hand, according to Taiko Pharmaceutical's website "Health Information Bureau" (https://www.seirogan.co.jp/fun/infection-control/infection/dengerous_pathogen.html), the size of the virus is 0.1 μm or less. It is shown to be. Furthermore, according to "Sterile drug WHO-GMP" (WHO Technical Report Series, No. 961, Annex 6, 2011), bacteria and fungi can be removed by a sterile filter with a nominal pore size of 0.22 μm or less. It states that it can be removed, but not all viruses and mycoplasmas can be removed.

As described above, contaminants such as viruses and mycoplasmas that are smaller than the size of the filter holes in the sterile filter can penetrate the sterile filter. Therefore, according to the embodiment in which the sterile filter is connected to the end of the exhaust flow path 33 instead of the closed container 90, there is a risk that the living tissue and the cells separated from the living tissue are contaminated.

On the other hand, according to the processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the disclosed technique, as the air pressure adjusting means of the first air chamber 21, a closed container 90 connected by forming a closed system to the processing container 20 is used. It is also possible to suppress the invasion of viruses and pollutants such as mycoplasma that cannot be completely protected by a sterile filter.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the processing device 1A according to the second embodiment of the disclosed technology. The processing device 1A has a bag 94 as a closed container 90 having a variable volume and connected to one end of the exhaust flow path 33. That is, the bag 94 is used as a substitute for the syringe 91 (see FIG. 1) in the processing device 1 according to the first embodiment. The bag 94 is connected to the processing container 20 by forming a closed system. The bag 94 is configured to include, for example, a flexible resin film.

According to the processing device 1A according to the second embodiment of the disclosed technique, the exhaust valve 42 is opened and the drain valve 43 is closed as in the processing device 1 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment. When the treatment liquid is made to flow into the treatment container 20 as a state, the gas in the first air chamber 21 is transferred to the closed container 90 (bag 94) while expanding the volume of the closed container 90 (bag 94). As a result, the increase in the pressure in the first air chamber 21 due to the transfer of the treatment liquid to the treatment container 20 is suppressed, and the pressure in the first air chamber 21 is maintained at the atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, the pressure of the second air chamber 22 becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure due to the treatment liquid slightly leaking from the first air chamber 21 to the second air chamber 22 through the filter 23. Therefore, the air pressure of the first air chamber 21 can be maintained lower than the air pressure of the second air chamber 22. As a result, the treatment liquid that has flowed into the treatment container 20 can be retained in the first air chamber 21. As a result, the biological tissue can be immersed in the treatment liquid in the first air chamber 21.

Here, when the syringe 91 is used as the closed container 90, the processing liquid is transferred to the processing container 20 due to the sliding resistance of the plunger 93 that slides along the inner wall of the barrel 92. The air pressure in the first air chamber 21 rises slightly, and as a result, the treatment liquid may leak to the second air chamber 22. On the other hand, since the bag 94 is used as the closed container 90, almost no drag force such as sliding resistance against the expansion of the volume is generated, so that the air pressure of the first air chamber 21 accompanying the transfer of the processing liquid to the processing container 20 is generated. The rise of the treatment liquid can be sufficiently suppressed, and the risk of the treatment liquid leaking to the second air chamber 22 can be reduced.

In the first and second embodiments described above, an embodiment in which the processing liquid is transferred from each of the processing liquid-filled containers 10 to the processing container 20 by a liquid feeding pump 51 provided in the middle of the common flow path 32 is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this aspect. For example, when each of the plurality of treatment liquid-filled containers 10 is composed of syringes, the transfer of the treatment liquid from each of the treatment liquid-filled containers 10 to the treatment container 20 is transferred to each of the plurality of treatment liquid-filled containers 10. It may be carried out by a syringe pump provided accordingly.

The processing container 20 is an example of the first container in the disclosed technology. The treatment liquid-filled container 10 is an example of a second container in the disclosed technology. The closed container 90 is an example of a third container in the disclosed technology. The liquid feed pump 51 is an example of a processing liquid transfer means in the disclosed technology.

The disclosure of Japanese patent application 2018-030807 filed on February 23, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Also, all documents, patent applications and technical standards described herein are to the same extent as if the individual documents, patent applications and technical standards were specifically and individually stated to be incorporated by reference. , Incorporated by reference herein.

Claims (8)

A first container for accommodating the biological tissue to be treated,
At least one second container for enclosing the treatment liquid used for treating the biological tissue, and
A liquid feeding flow path connecting the first container and the second container,
A treatment liquid transfer means for transferring the treatment liquid from the second container to the first container, and
A third container having a variable volume and connected to the first container by forming a closed system,
Including
The first container has a first air chamber and a second air chamber separated from each other by a partition filter through which the treatment liquid can permeate.
While the treatment liquid is being transferred from the second container to the first container, the gas in the first air chamber is transferred to the third container, and the gas in the first air chamber is transferred. A processing device in which a state in which the air pressure is maintained lower than the air pressure in the second air chamber is maintained, and the processing liquid transferred to the first container is held in the first air chamber. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third container includes a bag made of a flexible material. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flexible material is a resin film. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third container includes a syringe. Said first container,
Before Symbol first flow port and a second flow port for respectively communicating with the first air chamber,
A third distribution port that communicates with the second air chamber,
Including
The first flow port is connected to the liquid feeding flow path, and the first flow port is connected to the liquid feeding flow path.
The second distribution port is connected to the third container,
The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the third flow port is connected to a drainage flow path. The fifth aspect of the present invention further includes a drainage valve provided in the drainage flow path and closed while the treatment liquid is being sent from the second container to the first container. The processing device described. Claim that the volume of the third container is expanded with the inflow of gas into the third container while the treatment liquid is being sent from the second container to the first container. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A first container for accommodating the biological tissue to be treated,
At least one second container for enclosing the treatment liquid used for treating the biological tissue, and
A liquid feeding flow path connecting the first container and the second container,
A third container having a variable volume and connected to the first container by forming a closed system,
Including
The first container has a first air chamber and a second air chamber separated from each other by a partition filter through which the treatment liquid can permeate.
It is the operation method of the processing device.
While the treatment liquid is being transferred from the second container to the first container, the gas in the first air chamber is transferred to the third container, and the air pressure in the first air chamber is transferred. Is maintained at a state lower than the air pressure of the second air chamber, and the treatment liquid transferred to the first container is held in the first air chamber.
How it works.

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