Omni International, Inc.

John Hancock

Voya Alex Vidakovic

Thomas Gray

Spencer A Smith

Karl Jahn

Alan Vaughn

A flow disrupter in a tube chamber of a tube assembly for homogenizing sample materials includes a flow-disrupting body that extends generally transversely into the tube chamber and divides the tube chamber into two sub-chambers. The flow-disrupting body includes at least one narrowed flow passageway through which the sample flows back and forth in both axially reciprocating directions as the tube assembly is vigorously shaken at high speeds faster and more reliably than what can be accomplished by hand shaking. And the flow-disrupting body includes at least two flow-interrupting surfaces facing generally in opposite axial directions and against which the sample impacts in each respective axially reciprocating direction as the tube assembly is vigorously shaken. In this way, the vigorous high-speed shaking of the tube assembly including the flow disrupter results in significant particle-size reduction of the sample by mechanical shear, fluid shear, cavitation, and/or pressure differentials.

Flow disrupters for use with homogenization tubes for beadless interrupted flow

A processing plate assembly for mounting to a homogenizer and for holding tubes containing samples to be homogenized. The processing plate assembly includes a mounting structure and one or plural tube holders. The mounting structure removably or permanently mounts to the homogenizer and can be provided by for example a flat plate-like mounting structure. The tube holders are attached to the mounting structure and hold the tubes in generally tangential use positions with a centroid of each tube positioned along a longitudinal axis of the tube and axially offset from a radius line of the processing plate that is perpendicular to the tube axis. In this way, the homogenizer imparts sinusoidal swashing forces on the tubes that urge the tubes forward into securement in their tube holders and that produces improved homogenization in the tubes.

Homogenizer processing plate for self-securing of sample tubes

A tube holder for mounting a sample-tube assembly to a homogenizing device includes at least one clamp, at least one retainer, and a mount. The mount couples the tube holder to the homogenizing device. Each clamp defines a tube channel and a transverse ledge surface, with the tube channel having a lateral opening through which a tube of the tube assembly can be easily inserted and removed for example with one hand. And each retainer defines a retaining surface that extends over the respective tube channel and opposes the respective ledge surface to cooperatively form a receptacle that receives/retains a cap of the tube assembly against axial tube motion during homogenization. In some embodiments, multiple retaining surfaces are included for retaining different types of tube assemblies, multiple clamps and retainers are included for holding multiple tube assemblies simultaneously, and/or ejection mechanisms are included for ease of ejecting the tube assemblies.

Sample-tube holder for easy tube insertion and removal

Agitation mechanisms for homogenization devices for processing sample materials in tubes that are secured by tube holders to the agitation mechanisms. Each agitation mechanism includes a first rotary member having a first fixed rotational axis, a second rotary member having a second fixed rotational axis, and a connecting member that extends between them, is rotationally mounted to them at third and fourth non-fixed rotational axes, and to which the tube holder is mounted, with the first and third rotational axes defining a first offset, and with the second and fourth rotational axes defining a second offset. When the first rotary member is driven through rotation, the sample in the tube in the tube holder on the connecting member is driven through a nonlinearly reciprocating motion profile to produce a grinding shear action to better homogenize the samples. Other disclosed embodiments produce linearly reciprocating motion profiles.

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Atlanta, GA, United States of America

John Hancock