DEVICE FOR TREATING CELLS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for treating cells for stimulating cell growth, comprising a unit (2) for generating and emitting electric pulses and an electric field resulting therefrom, and a treatment space (3) that can be penetrated by the emitted electric pulses, wherein the device (1) further comprises a unit (4, 9) which can be moved into and out of said treatment space (3) such that cell material provided within a compartment (4a) of said unit (4), or provided in a container (5) on or in said unit (4, 9), can be moved into and out of said treatment space (3), and wherein said treatment space (3) is provided between two electrodes (2a, 2b) or plates of a capacitor parallel to each other.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A device, comprising a unit for generating and emitting electric pulses, and one treatment space that can be penetrated by the emitted electric pulses and an electric field resulting therefrom, wherein the device further comprises a unit which can be moved into and out of said treatment space such that a cell material provided within a compartment of said unit, or provided in a container on or in said unit, can be moved into and out of said treatment space, and wherein said treatment space is provided between two electrodes or plates of a capacitor parallel to each other.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the unit is provided on a motor for generating a rotational movement.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the unit is a plate or a conveying device arranged on said motor for generating a rotational movement, on which plate or conveying device the at least one container can be fastened.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein 1 to 20 containers can be arranged on the unit.

21. The device according to claim 17, wherein the unit is a body which has at least one compartment for receiving cell material and is arranged on said motor for generating a rotational movement.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein 1 to 20 compartments are arranged in the unit.

23. The device according to claim 17, wherein the device furthermore comprises a filling unit for filling cell material into the at least one compartment or the at least one container.

24. The device according to claim 17, wherein the device furthermore comprises an emptying unit for removing cell material from the at least one compartment or the at least one container.

25. The device according to claim 17, wherein the unit for generating and emitting electric pulses comprises two electrodes or plates of a capacitor and can generate electric pulses, so that a voltage increase takes place between the two electrodes of 10% to 90% of a tar-get voltage of the electric pulses within a period of 0.1 to 1000 ns, the electric pulses have a pulse duration of 5 ns to 50000 ns, and the electric pulses, upon reaching the target voltage, have an electric field strength of 0.5 kV/cm to 100 kV/cm.

26. A method for treating cells for stimulating cell growth, performed in a device according to claim 17, comprising the steps: a) providing a cell material in at least one compartment of a unit or at least one container on or in a unit; b) applying an electric field to the treatment space of the device; and c) performing a movement of the unit into the treatment space.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the cell material is provided in the at least one compartment of the unit or at least one container on or in the unit as a suspension in an electrically conductive liquid.

28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the cell material is provided through a filling unit to the at least one compartment of the unit or at least one container on or in the unit.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein a rotational movement of the at least one compartment of the unit or at least one container on or in the unit into the treatment space is realized by moving the unit through the treatment space.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein when the unit has been moved into the treatment space, movement of the unit is stopped for a period of treatment of the cell material that is present in the treatment space.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein an electric field is applied with such electric pulses, so that a voltage increase takes place between the two electrodes or plates of a capacitor of 10% to 90% of a target voltage of the electric pulses within a period of 0.1 to 1000 ns, the electric pulses have a pulse duration of 5 ns to 50000 ns, and the electric pulses, upon reaching the target voltage, have an electric field strength of 0.5 kV/cm to 100 kV/cm.

Description

[0060] The present invention is explained below by way of non-limiting examples and figures. Shown are:

[0061] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the device of the present invention

[0062] FIG. 2 a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the device of the present invention FIG. 3 a schematic representation of an alternative of the first embodiment of the device of the present invention FIG. 4 a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the device of the present invention

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the device (1) of the present invention.

[0064] The device has a unit (2) for generating and emitting electric pulses, for example, a pulse generator. The unit (2) is electrically connected to two electrodes (2a, 2b). A treatment space (3) is located between and closed by the electrodes (2a, 2b), on which treatment space (3) electric pulses generated by the unit (2) are applied. The electrodes (2a, 2b) are arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the unit (4). When the compartment (4a) enters the treatment space (3), it takes a position in the space between said electrodes (2a, 2b), so that one electrode (2a) is provided over said compartment (4a), and the other electrode (2b) is provided below said compartment (4a).

[0065] A rotatable unit (4) is provided in the device (1). In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, this unit (4) is a cylindrical body, which by way of example here has 4 compartments (4a) for receiving cell materials. The compartments (4a) are blind holes of suitable dimension.

[0066] The rotatable unit (4) is arranged on a motor (6) which generates a rotational movement and sets the unit (4) arranged on it into rotary movement. The compartments (4a) also undergo a rotational movement in this way. Preferably, the unit (4) is rotated at least once around an imaginary axis defined through the center of the unit (4), whereby the compartments (4a) undergo a rotation of 360°. A multiple complete rotation of the unit (4) is possible and advantageous depending on the cell material to be treated.

[0067] In a region of the device (1) preceding the treatment space (3) in the direction of movement of the unit (4), a compartment (4a) is filled with cell material by means of a filling unit (7).

[0068] The filling unit (7) is connected to a device (not shown) in which the cell material or a suspension containing the cell material is located.

[0069] The filling region is arranged such that the compartment (4a) is first moved into the filling region, where the compartment (4a) is filled to a desired volume (during which time the compartment (4a) remains in a filling position relative to the filling unit (7)), and subsequently the unit (4) is moved further such that the filled compartment (4a) is transferred into the treatment space (3).

[0070] Subsequently, the filled compartment (4a) is transported into the treatment space (3), by means of movement of the unit (4). Therein, the cell material in the compartment (4a) undergoes the desired treatment.

[0071] After treatment, the cell material is removed from the compartment (4a) by means of an emptying unit (8). In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the emptying unit (8) is a pipeline having an inlet in an emptying region. When the at least one compartment (4a) filled with the treated cell material, after treatment in the treatment space (3), is moved into the emptying region, by means of movement of the unit (4), the compartment (4a) can be connected with the inlet of the emptying unit (8).

[0072] The empty compartment (4a) can be subsequently moved again into the filling region, to start another treatment cycle. Optionally, a sterilization/sanitization step may be performed prior to the start of another treatment cycle. Known sterilization/sanitization processes such as steam-based processes can be used in accordance with the present invention.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the device (1) of the present invention. Like reference numerals designate the same components as in FIG. 1.

[0074] In this embodiment, a unit (4) in the form of a plate is provided. Said unit (4) comprises recesses in which one or more containers (5) can be securely arranged so as to not fall off during movement of the unit (4). In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the unit (4) comprises 4 recesses and thus can take up 4 containers (5).

[0075] Similar to the embodiment according to FIG. 1, in a region of the device (1) preceding the treatment space (3) in the direction of movement of the unit (4), a container (5) is filled with cell material by means of a filling unit (7).

[0076] The filling unit (7) is connected to a device (not shown) in which the cell material or a suspension containing the cell material is located.

[0077] The filling region is arranged such that the container (5) is first moved into the filling region, where the container (5) is filled to a desired volume (during which time the container (5) remains in a filling position relative to the filling unit (7)), and subsequently the unit (4) is moved further such that the filled container (5) is transferred into the treatment space (3).

[0078] Alternatively, instead of filling a container (5) in the filling region, also a filled container (5) may be put (manually or automatically) into a free recess on the unit (4).

[0079] Subsequently, the filled container (5) is transported into the treatment space (3), by means of movement of the unit (4). Therein, the cell material in the container (5) undergoes the desired treatment.

[0080] After treatment, the cell material is removed from the container (5) by means of an emptying unit (8). In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the emptying unit (8) is a pipeline having an inlet in an emptying region. When the at least one container (5) filled with the treated cell material, after treatment in the treatment space (3), is moved into the emptying region, by means of movement of the unit (4), the container (5) can be connected with the inlet of the emptying unit (8).

[0081] Alternatively, instead of emptying a container (5) in the emptying region, also a filled container (5) may be removed (manually or automatically) from the unit (4) altogether.

[0082] The empty container (5) can be subsequently moved again into the filling region, to start another treatment cycle. Alternatively, an empty or filled container (5) may be put into a free recess on the unit (4).

[0083] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of an alternative of the first embodiment of the device (1) of the present invention. Like reference numerals designate the same components as in FIG. 1.

[0084] In contrast to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 the cell material is not filled into compartments (4a), but in containers (5). The containers (5) are inserted into the compartments (4a) and moved into the treatment space (3), as described above for FIG. 1.

[0085] In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, filed containers (5) are inserted into the compartments (4a) of the unit (4) and after treatment are removed altogether. Accordingly, in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 it is not necessary to provide a filling unit or an emptying unit.

[0086] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the device (1) of the present invention. Like reference numerals designate the same components as in FIG. 1.

[0087] In this embodiment, a conveyor belt (9) is provided as unit (4), which extends out of the treatment space (3) and passes through the treatment space (3) in the form of a path which corresponds to the Greek letter omega. A container (5) located on the conveyor belt (9) is conveyed by the movement of the conveyor belt (usually generated by a motor not shown) in an analogous way through the treatment space (3) as in the above embodiments and thereby undergoes a rotational movement through 180° (around an imaginary axis defined by the middle of the path of the conveyor belt (9) corresponding to the Greek letter omega).