Pathologic staging compression apparatus and methods

Abstract

A pathologic staging compression device prepares a biological sample for pathologic staging by compressing the sample to remove liquid fat from the sample. In one embodiment, the apparatus preferably includes a compression tube, a removable drainage planum to hold the compression tube, a fat containment and drainage system, a gauge to monitor the extrusion force, use of hydraulic pressure to generation the extrusion force for sample compression, and ejection of the compressed sample after the compression tube has been removed from the drainage planum. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes an integrated riser assembly to stabilize and align the compression tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A compression device comprising:
 a frame;   a hydraulic ram held by the frame;   a hydraulic pump providing pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic ram to actuate the hydraulic ram;   a pressure sensor measuring a hydraulic pressure of the pressurized hydraulic fluid;   a compression tube mounted and held in the frame in alignment with the hydraulic ram, the compression tube comprising a cylindrical side wall and defining a cylindrical space between a top open end and a bottom open end for receiving a sample, the cylindrical side wall having a plurality of through-holes;   a bottom plug received in the bottom open end of the compression tube;   wherein actuation of the hydraulic ram by the hydraulic pump actuates the hydraulic ram to compress a sample in the cylindrical space between the hydraulic ram and the bottom plug.   
     
     
         2 . The compression device of  claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical shield placed around the compression tube. 
     
     
         3 . The compression device of  claim 2 , wherein the cylindrical shield is made of plastic. 
     
     
         4 . The compression device of  claim 2 , further comprising a mounting plate having a hole and a seal between the mounting plate and the cylindrical shield, wherein the cylindrical shield is mounted on the mounting plate. 
     
     
         5 . The compression device of  claim 4 , further comprising a drainage tube extending from the hole of the mounting plate. 
     
     
         6 . The compression device of  claim 4 , further comprising a plunger in the compression tube, and a seal between the compression tube and the mounting plate. 
     
     
         7 . The compression device of  claim 4 , further comprising a first flange along a lower edge of the compression tube and a second flange that mounts the mounting plate onto the compression tube. 
     
     
         8 . The compression device of  claim 1 , further comprising a plunger in the compression tube. 
     
     
         9 . The compression device of  claim 1 , further comprising a drainage planum, wherein the bottom plug is permanently affixed to the drainage planum. 
     
     
         10 . The compression device of  claim 9 , wherein the drainage planum, the bottom plug and the compression tube form a compression assembly that is removable from the frame of the compression device. 
     
     
         11 . The compression device of  claim 9 , further comprising a mesh sleeve that fits into the compression tube and holds the sample. 
     
     
         12 . The compression device of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom plug comprises a mesh filter disk. 
     
     
         13 . The compression device of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom plug is removable from the bottom of the compression tube. 
     
     
         14 . The compression device of  claim 1 , further comprising a stop block located below the bottom plug, at least one clamping plate shaped to fit around the compression tube, and a riser plate platform located under the clamping plate and surrounding the stop block, the clamping plate securing the compression tube to the riser plate platform using fasteners. 
     
     
         15 . The compression device of  claim 1 , wherein the compression tube has a volume between approximately 1.2 to 12 cubic inches. 
     
     
         16 . The compression device of  claim 1 , wherein the through-holes in the compression tube are approximately 3/64″ in diameter. 
     
     
         17 . The compression device of  claim 1 , wherein the through-holes have a shape selected from the group consisting of round perforations, slit perforations and spiral perforations. 
     
     
         18 . The compression device of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump is mounted directly on the frame. 
     
     
         19 . The compression device of  claim 1 , further comprising a mesh sleeve that fits into the compression tube and holds the sample. 
     
     
         20 . The compression device of  claim 19 , wherein the bottom plug comprises a mesh filter disk. 
     
     
         21 . The compression device of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom plug is permanently mounted in the bottom of the compression tube. 
     
     
         22 . The compression device of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom plug is reversibly mounted in the bottom of the compression tube. 
     
     
         23 . The compression device of  claim 1 , wherein the compression device is a pathologic staging compression device. 
     
     
         24 . The compression device of  claim 1 , further comprising an automated control system that directs a compression process by actuating and controlling an output of the hydraulic pump while monitoring a position of the hydraulic ram and monitoring a compression force to perform compression under predetermined conditions. 
     
     
         25 . A compression device comprising:
 a frame;   a compression tube mounted and held in the frame, the compression tube comprising a cylindrical side wall and defining a cylindrical space between a top open end and a bottom open end for receiving a sample, the cylindrical side wall having a plurality of through-holes;   a bottom plug received in the bottom of the compression tube;   a cylindrical shield shaped to fit around the compression tube and contain any fat that is removed from the sample during compression; and   a compression mechanism to compress the sample in the cylindrical space of the compression tube.   
     
     
         26 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the cylindrical shield is made of plastic. 
     
     
         27 . The compression device of  claim 25 , further comprising a mounting plate having a hole and a seal between the mounting plate and the cylindrical shield, wherein the cylindrical shield is mounted on the mounting plate. 
     
     
         28 . The compression device of  claim 27 , further comprising a drainage tube extending from the hole of the mounting plate to drain fat from the compression tube. 
     
     
         29 . The compression device of  claim 27 , further comprising a plunger in the compression tube, and a seal between the compression tube and the mounting plate. 
     
     
         30 . The compression device of  claim 27 , further comprising a first flange along a lower edge of the compression tube and a second flange that mounts the mounting plate onto the compression tube. 
     
     
         31 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the compression mechanism comprises:
 a hydraulic ram held by the frame, the hydraulic ram being aligned with the compression tube;   a hydraulic pump providing pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic ram to actuate the ram; and   a pressure sensor measuring a hydraulic pressure of the pressurized hydraulic fluid;   wherein actuation of the hydraulic ram by the hydraulic pump drives the hydraulic ram into the cylindrical space to compress the sample in the cylindrical space between the hydraulic ram and the bottom plug.   
     
     
         32 . The compression device of  claim 31 , wherein the hydraulic pump is mounted directly on the frame. 
     
     
         33 . The compression device of  claim 25 , further comprising a plunger in the compression tube. 
     
     
         34 . The compression device of  claim 25 , further comprising a drainage planum, wherein the bottom plug is permanently affixed to the drainage planum. 
     
     
         35 . The compression device of  claim 34 , wherein the drainage planum, the bottom plug and the compression tube form a compression assembly that is removable from the frame of the pathologic staging compression device. 
     
     
         36 . The compression device of  claim 34 , wherein the bottom plug is removable from the bottom of the compression tube. 
     
     
         37 . The compression device of  claim 34 , further comprising a mesh sleeve that fits into the compression tube and holds the sample. 
     
     
         38 . The compression device of  claim 37 , wherein the bottom plug comprises a mesh filter disk. 
     
     
         39 . The compression device of  claim 25 , further comprising a stop block located below the bottom plug, at least one clamping plate shaped to fit around the compression tube, and a riser plate platform located under the clamping plate and surrounding the stop block, the clamping plate securing the compression tube to the riser plate platform using fasteners. 
     
     
         40 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the compression tube has a volume between approximately 1.2 to 12 cubic inches. 
     
     
         41 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the through-holes in the compression tube are approximately 3/64″ in diameter. 
     
     
         42 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the through-holes have a shape selected from the group consisting of round perforations, slit perforations and spiral perforations. 
     
     
         43 . The compression device of  claim 25 , further comprising a mesh sleeve that fits into the compression tube and holds the sample. 
     
     
         44 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the bottom plug comprises a mesh filter disk. 
     
     
         45 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the bottom plug is permanently mounted in the bottom of the compression tube. 
     
     
         46 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the bottom plug is reversibly mounted in the bottom of the compression tube. 
     
     
         47 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the bottom plug comprises a mesh disk filter. 
     
     
         48 . The compression device of  claim 25 , wherein the compression device is a pathologic staging compression device. 
     
     
         49 . The compression device of  claim 25 , further comprising an automated control system that directs a compression process by actuating and controlling an output of the compression mechanism and monitoring a compression force to perform compression under predetermined conditions. 
     
     
         50 . A compression device comprising:
 a frame;   a compression tube mounted and held in the frame, the compression tube comprising a cylindrical side wall and defining a cylindrical space between a top open end and a bottom open end for receiving a sample, the cylindrical side wall having a plurality of through-holes;   a bottom plug received in the bottom of the compression tube;   a compression mechanism to compress the sample in the cylindrical space of the compression tube; and   an automated control system that directs a compression process by actuating and controlling an output of the compression mechanism and monitoring a compression force to perform compression under predetermined conditions.   
     
     
         51 . The compression device of  claim 50 , wherein the automated control system comprises a motor powering a force generator selected from the group consisting of: an electric hydraulic pump, a pneumatic pump, a hydraulic pump, and a worm-gear driven screw jack. 
     
     
         52 . The compression device of  claim 50 , wherein the automated control system further comprises a controller programmed to limit a maximum current delivered to the motor to a level that corresponds to a maximum force. 
     
     
         53 . The compression device of  claim 50 , wherein the automated control system comprises at least one sensor that that senses at least one parameter of a sample. 
     
     
         54 . The compression device of  claim 53 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a position sensor, a force sensor, and both a position sensor and a force sensor. 
     
     
         55 . The compression device of  claim 50 , wherein the compression device is a pathologic staging compression device. 
     
     
         56 . A pathologic staging compression kit comprising:
 a compression tube comprising a cylindrical side wall and defining a cylindrical space between a top open end and a bottom open end, the cylindrical side wall having a plurality of through-holes;   a bottom plug mounted into the bottom open end of the compression tube;   a cylindrical shield that is shaped to be placed around the compression tube;   a mesh sleeve that fits into the compression tube and holds a sample; and   at least one plunger to compress the sample in the compression tube.   
     
     
         57 . A pathologic staging compression kit comprising:
 a compression tube comprising a cylindrical side wall and defining a cylindrical space between a top open end and a bottom open end;   a mesh disk filter mounted into the bottom open end of the compression tube; and   at least one plunger to compress the sample in the compression tube.   
     
     
         58 . The pathologic staging compression kit of  claim 57 , wherein the cylindrical side wall is a solid cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         59 . The pathologic staging compression kit of  claim 57 , further comprising a cylindrical shield that is shaped to be placed around the compression tube; wherein the cylindrical side wall has a plurality of through-holes. 
     
     
         60 . A method of preparing a tissue sample for pathologic staging using a pathologic staging compression device comprising a compression tube comprising a cylindrical side wall and defining a cylindrical space between a top open end and a bottom open end, the cylindrical side wall having a plurality of through-holes, a bottom plug mounted in the bottom open end of the compression tube, and a cylindrical shield located around the compression tube, comprising the steps of:
 soaking the tissue sample in acetone;   compressing the sample in the compression tube of the pathologic staging compression device; and   containing fat removed from the sample during compression with the cylindrical shield.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the pathologic staging compression device further comprises a frame; a hydraulic ram held by the frame in alignment with the compression tube; a hydraulic pump providing pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic ram; a pressure sensor measuring a hydraulic pressure of the pressurized hydraulic fluid; and a bottom plug received in the bottom open end of the compression tube, wherein the compressing step comprises the substeps of:
 aligning the hydraulic ram with an opening in a top of the compression tube; and   actuating the hydraulic ram to drive the hydraulic ram into the cylindrical space and compress the sample in the cylindrical space between the hydraulic ram and the bottom plug.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the pathologic compression staging device further comprises a stop block below the bottom plug, and the compressing step further comprises the substep of ejecting the sample from the device by removing the stop block from below the bottom plug and actuating the hydraulic ram in a direction of actuation until the bottom plug is driven out of the compression tube. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the pathologic staging compression device further comprises a mounting plate connected to the cylindrical shield and a drainage tube extending from a hole in the mounting plate, wherein the containing step further comprises the substep of draining the fat through the drainage tube. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the pathologic staging compression device further comprises a drainage planum, wherein the bottom plug is permanently affixed to the drainage planum and the bottom plug is removable from the bottom of the compression tube. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , further comprising the step of collecting the sample from the compression tube. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein the pathologic staging compression device further comprises a mesh sleeve that fits into the compression tube and holds the sample. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the bottom plug comprises a mesh disk sleeve. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the compression step comprises the substep of hand compressing the sample using a hand plunger. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the compressing step is directed by an automated control system that actuates and controls an output of a force actuator and monitors a compression force.