HOMOGENIZATION TUBES WITH FLOW DISRUPTERS FOR BEADLESS INTERRUPTED FLOW

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A flow disrupter for a tube assembly for homogenizing a sample by axially-reciprocal shaking, the tube assembly having an internal tube chamber with a longitudinal axis, the flow disrupter comprising:
a flow-interrupting body that extends generally transversely to the tube-chamber axis and into the tube chamber to divide the tube chamber into two axially-aligned sub-chambers, the body including at least two flow-interrupting impact surfaces and at least one flow-constricting passageway, wherein the at least one flow-constricting passageway is defined at least in part by and extends between the two flow-interrupting impact surfaces, has a cross-sectional flow area that is less than a cross-sectional flow area of the two sub-chambers, and forms a path for the sample to flow generally axially between the two sub-chambers in an accelerating then decelerating sequence in response to the axially-reciprocal shaking of the tube assembly, and wherein the at least two flow-interrupting impact surfaces are generally oppositely arranged on the flow-interrupting body facing in generally opposite axial directions, so that a first one of the impact surfaces is impacted by the sample as the sample flows in a first axial direction in a first one of the sub-chambers toward a second one of the sub-chambers, and a second one of the impact surfaces is impacted by the sample as the sample flows in a second axial direction in the second sub-chamber back toward the first sub-chamber during the axially-reciprocal shaking of the tube assembly.