淘洗转子
淘洗转子适用于根据大小分离及/或浓缩单细胞或颗粒的单一散度悬浮液（直径约为 2 至 50 µm）。淘洗转子结合了两种分离技术，并有两种相对的力量作用于转子舱室中的每个槽孔：
- 离心力：推离旋转轴心。这是在离心力场的影响下的沉降程序。
- 液体速度：拉近旋转轴心 —“逆流淘洗”。这是借由洗脱方式进行的分离程序。
分离发生于漏斗状的淘洗舱室。当转子在离心机中旋转时，细胞悬浮液按预设的流速自离心机外部泵入转子中进入淘洗舱室的狭窄末端。随着悬浮细胞导入舱室，这些细胞按其沉降速率移动至两种力量对这些细胞所产生效应达成平衡的梯度位置。
低沉降速率的小细胞被快速向旋转轴心洗出。这些细胞被洗出舱室之外，沿着转子上升，然后离开转子进入收集管。较大或较密集的细胞较慢移动离开舱室，并且在淘洗边界达成平行。最大或最密集的细胞留在舱室的进口，此处离心力与液体速度是高的。借由逐步增加流速，大小或密集度递增的细胞连续组分可被洗出转子之外并且被收集。持续递增的流速最终会将所有细胞自舱室中洗出。
FAQ on Elutriation Rotors
What are the advantages of centrifugal elutriation?
Centrifugal elutriation can support gentle cell processing, high recovery rates, scalable workflows, and reproducible fractionation of cell populations. It is commonly used when viable cells must be isolated without labeling or extensive sample manipulation.
Why is elutriation used for cell separation?
Elutriation enables label-free separation of viable cells based on physical properties such as size and sedimentation rate. This makes it useful for applications where maintaining cell integrity and functionality is important.
How are cells separated during centrifugal elutriation?
During centrifugal elutriation, cells are exposed to two opposing forces: centrifugal force, which drives cells away from the axis of rotation, and fluid flow, which pushes them in the opposite direction. Cells separate according to their size and sedimentation behavior. Smaller cells are elutriated first, while larger or denser cells remain in the chamber until higher flow rates are applied.
What is counterflow centrifugal elutriation?
Counterflow centrifugal elutriation is a separation method in which fluid is pumped toward the center of a spinning rotor while centrifugal force drives particles outward. The balance between these opposing forces allows cells to be separated according to size and sedimentation behavior.
What is elutriation?
Elutriation is a separation technique that uses opposing fluid flow and centrifugal force to separate particles or cells according to their size and sedimentation properties. Unlike pelleting-based methods, elutriation enables continuous fractionation of cell populations while helping maintain cell viability.
How does an elutriation rotor work?
An elutriation rotor contains a specialized chamber in which cells are exposed to opposing centrifugal and fluid-flow forces. Smaller cells are carried out of the chamber more readily, while larger or denser cells remain until flow conditions change. This enables sequential collection of distinct cell populations.
What is centrifugal elutriation?
Centrifugal elutriation is a laboratory technique that combines centrifugation and controlled fluid flow within an elutriation chamber. Cells or particles separate based on their size and sedimentation rate as fluid moves against the centrifugal field.
What applications are elutriation rotors commonly used for?
Elutriation rotors are commonly used for cell fractionation, immune cell isolation, stem cell research, cell enrichment, cell therapy development, and other applications requiring gentle separation of viable cells.
What is the difference between elutriation and conventional centrifugation?
Conventional centrifugation typically separates particles by pelleting them within a tube. Elutriation separates cells continuously using opposing fluid flow and centrifugal force, enabling collection of distinct populations while minimizing cell stress and supporting higher cell viability.
