Lever-type Tissue Press

The Lever Tissue Press is a hand-operated press modified by the addition of a silicone-rubber gasket on the bottom of the lever press piston.  An extra "press can" is included to facilitate the processing of multiple samples.

The Lever Tissue Press is used as a mincing step for isolation of single cells, the extraction of intracellular components such as nuclei and mitochondria, and as a preliminary step in the preparation of a total cell lysate.  Unlike many other tissue dispersion, blending, and homogenizing devices, water or buffer is not included in the Tissue Press operation.

Special App - Disaggregation of tissue for primary culture:  Isolation of cells from a tissue sample frequently involves digestion of extracellular matrix with added proteolytic enzymes.  The first step in this protocol calls for manually chopping the tissue into little pieces with a scissors or scalpel in order to increase access of the digestive enzymes to tissue surfaces.  The Lever Tissue Press eliminates chopping and delivers a significantly improved product made up of much smaller tissue pieces than achieved with chopping.  The incubation time needed for enzyme-assisted tissue disaggregation is significantly reduced and diffusion of nutrients and gasses to the tissue mass is increased, thus supporting the maintenance of cell viability during enzyme disaggregation.

For an excellent review of the process of Enzymatic Disaggregation of Tissue Samples see http://www.worthington-biochem.com/tissuedissociation/default.html.

Operating Instructions:  Retract the piston of the Lever Tissue Press from its stainless steel can.  Add 1 to 10 g of fresh tissue to the ice-cold cavity of the press can and pivot the piston into position.  Close the levers together, thus forcing the piston down the press can and driving tissue through its holes.  The dispersed tissue protruding from the bottom of the can is removed with the swipe of a single-edge razor blade or scalpel.

Note: The Lever Tissue Press is designed for "soft" that is relatively non-fibrous and has high water content.  Acceptable tissue examples are muscle, brain, liver, plant fruits, and some plant roots and tubers.  If the tissue has fatty or partially fibrous areas trim them off before pressing.  Significant fibrous content in tissue samples interferes with the passage of tissue through the press and lowers the yield of dispersed cell material. Examples of unacceptable tissues are skin, hide, tendons, woody or fibrous plant stems, dry seeds, and tissues.  Rehydration of dried samples may make them amenable to pressing.