Five-Stage Analysis and Explanation of the Pocket-Sized Centrifuge

　　I. What is a handheld centrifuge?

　　A pocket centrifuge is a small centrifuge that’s about the size of a palm. It can spin centrifuge tubes, rapidly separating the samples inside. Pocket centrifuges typically operate using electricity rather than mechanical means.

　　Handheld centrifuges typically come in two types: one is the mechanical handheld centrifuge, with suppliers including Cora and Emd Millipore’s palm-sized centrifuges; the other is the electronic handheld centrifuge, which can be operated by Agri, a bioengineering company, as well as other brands of handheld centrifuges.

　　II. Principle

　　The key principles involved are the use of centripetal force and centrifugal force. A handheld centrifuge essentially rotates a liquid within a centrifuge tube, causing the heavier components outside the liquid to be separated under the influence of centripetal and centrifugal forces and deposited either at the bottom or the top of the tube. This process can be used to separate cells or remove precipitates and other important constituents from a sample.

　　Centrifugal force consists of two components: inertial force and centrifugal force. Inertial force is the force resulting from an object's inertia. Centrifugal force is the force caused by an object’s motion along a curved path. Together, inertial force and centrifugal force create a large and powerful force that can push an object outward away from the axis of rotation.

　　Through this force, the pocket-sized centrifuge can separate cells, isolate proteins, and filter out other biomolecules from the sample. Typically, in a centrifuge tube operated on a pocket-sized centrifuge, the sample is added to the bottom portion of a convex lens, and then, by rotating the centrifuge tube, the liquid inside is separated into distinct layers. This process can be used to remove suspended particles, isolate genomes, DNA, RNA, and separate proteins, among other applications.

　　III. Instructions for Use

　　The usage is simple; the specific steps are as follows:

　　1. Insert the rotary stage and the transparent centrifuge tube plug into the corresponding positions.

　　2. Place the sample requiring centrifugation into a centrifuge tube, then gently push the centrifuge tube into the slot on the rotating platform; the plug should be inserted into the slot on the tube cap.

　　3. Close the centrifuge lid.

　　4. Turn on the power and select the appropriate speed; generally, it is recommended to use a speed corresponding to 10 times the centrifugal force.

　　5. Start operation; set the running time as needed, typically 10–15 minutes.

　　6. Stop the centrifuge and open its lid. Remove the tube caps using the handles and take out the samples. The centrifuge tubes should be kept horizontal and tilted as little as possible.

　　7. Turn off the centrifuge and tidy up the centrifuge and the centrifuge tubes.

　　IV. Advantages

　　1. Miniaturization: Compared to traditional centrifuges, the handheld centrifuge is a miniaturized device.

　　2. Portability: Because the pocket-sized centrifuge is very small, it is highly portable. It can be taken to laboratories, field sites, and mobile testing environments. This compact device is specifically designed for fieldwork, off-site sampling, and wildlife analysis.

　　3. Speed: The handheld centrifuge can complete sample separation and processing in as little as 10 minutes—a remarkably short time.

　　4. High efficiency: The centrifugal speed is faster than that of conventional centrifuges, allowing more samples to be separated in the same amount of time.

　　V. Applications

　　Handheld centrifuges are widely used for separating cells, isolating proteins, and purifying other biomolecules from filtrates. Their application areas are as follows:

　　1. Cell separation: The handheld centrifuge can separate green cells stained with fluorescein, MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells, and red cells stained with eosin, among others.

　　2. Protein separation: The protein is separated from the mixture by centrifugation. During centrifugation, the protein will separate from the mixture and settle at the bottom of the tube.

　　3. DNA and RNA Separation: The most common centrifugation method can be used to separate DNA and RNA. During centrifugation, DNA and RNA can be separated from the mixture and settle at the bottom of the tube.

　　4. Reagent Mixing: Place the components strictly within a small tube to maximize the sample’s effectiveness.

　　5. Protein purification: Proteins can be rapidly separated and purified using a portable centrifuge.

　　Overall, as biology-related technologies continue to advance and their applications become increasingly widespread, handheld centrifuges are playing an important role in many fields, including scientific experiments.