Tissue Disaggregator
Objective
The main goal of this project is to create a device that will replace our sponsor's existing device. Our Tissue Disaggregator will produce a higher yield of viable cells while giving the user the ability to process more than one sample at a time. The device is composed of a few systems that will be described below.
Heater Block
Our initial concept for our heater module was made of 6061-T6 Aluminum. Below are a few Solidworks renderings of this design.
The design includes slots for heater cartridges. The main purpose of the Heater Block is to maintain the vials at a temperature of about 37°C. A simulation was performed to ensure that the design was able to do this.
With a successful simulation, our team moved on to perform a real life experiment to make sure our concept produced desirable results. As seen below, the temperature control system was able to maintain the heater blocks temperature around 37°C. The controller will bring the heater blocks up to 37°C in less than five minutes at room temperature.
Temperature Controller
The temperature controller that is currently being used is the CAL 3200. This controller was generously donated to us by Hi-Z Technology, Inc.
Agitation System
Currently, we are looking into two methods. The first being a magnetic stirrer and the second being an ultrasonic method.
The diagram to the left is a breakdown of the magnetic stirrer concept we have so far. There are two magnets fixed to a magnetic bracket on the DC motor and when the motor spins it causes a magnetic bar within the vial to spin and stress the tissue sample.
The image on the right is the ultrasonic bath that was chosen to conduct tests with. This particular unit was chosen for its bath size, reasonable price and built-in temperature control.
Magnetic Stirrer Device Prototypes and Slipping of Stir Bar Testing
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For our first test, we built a prototype that included temperature control, 3 wells of different diameters, and a magnetic stirrer. The block design was changed for this test so that we could test different vial sizes with the hope that this test could help determine what vial size is optimal.
Slip test was performed on the magnetic stirrer to prevent slipping of stir bar when the motor is in motion. It was found out that a motor of 3000 rpm was good to use where no slipping occurred in its working range.
Micro-controller
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The micro-controller chosen for this project is a Raspberry Pi 3 model B. It features a single-board computer with wireless LAN and Bluetooth connectivity.
Display housing
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The housing for the Raspberry pi also houses the 7" touch screen and stand. The case is made out of strong ABS plastic and can be wall mounted to conserve lab space.
Ultrasonic Bath Magnetic Rotator
This device will provide magnetic stirring for 3 different vial sizes. The magnets rotate on the outside of the vials to allow ultrasonic waves to propagate to the bottom of each vial. The machined aluminum housing and motor are completely waterproof. The gears are made of nylon and the dry bearings are a PTFE material that will minimize friction and vibration.
Final Design
We have 2 deliverables for our final design. The first one is an "all-in-one" device which includes temperature control, magnetic stirring and ultrasonic bath. The second one is a combined temperature controller and magnetic stirrer.
The "All-in-one" device has a built-in heater that can heat up to 80 degree Celsius. In this project 37 degree Celsius is the required temperature for enzymes to work at an optimal level. The ultrasonic cleaner can be filled with coupling fluid such as distilled water and it provides a 40kHz agitation with its built-in ultrasonic transducer.
The combined temperature controller and magnetic stirrer is programmable for different stirring speeds. Users can control the settings through a Graphical User Interface in the Raspberry Pi touchscreen display.
The combined temperature controller and magnetic stirrer is programmable for different stirring speeds. Users can control the settings through a Graphical User Interface in the Raspberry Pi touchscreen display.
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3,000 RPM Motors
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Perfectly straight cylinder Vials of 3 different diameters
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Three individual module
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The each module can set with different speed of rotation