Automated cell culture system and method
First Claim
1. An automated method for culturing stem cells using a robotic liquid handling system including a translatable bed and a movable multi-channel pipette, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing a suspension of stem cells in a first trough of the multi-trough plate positioned on the bed;
placing a cell culture media in a second trough of the multiple-trough plate;
mixing the suspension of stem cells in the multi-trough plate by linearly moving the translatable bed back and forth;
plating stem cells in a first multi-well cell culture plate located on the bed such that at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate have different densities of stem cells byusing the multi-channel pipette, transferring different volumes of the suspension of stem cells from the first trough to the at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate, andusing the multi-channel pipette, transferring different volumes of the cell culture media from the second trough to the at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate,wherein the different volumes of the suspension of stem cells and the different volumes of cell culture media are defined to achieve the different densities of stem cells in the at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate, andwherein the back and forth linear motion of the translatable bed maintains the suspension of stem cells in the first trough at a uniform concentration during the plating;
selecting a well of the first multi-well cell culture plate having a desired density of stem cells after growth of cell colonies in the first multi-well cell culture plate;
using the multi-channel pipette, transferring the cells of the selected well of the first multi-well cell culture plate to a plurality of wells of a second multi-well cell culture plate, wherein the first multi-well cell culture plate is positioned on a heated, angled adapter located on the bed while the cells are transferred from the selected well of the first multi-well cell culture plate to the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate;
using the multi-channel pipette, transferring a portion of the cell culture media to the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate; and
feeding the stem cells in the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate, by removing the cell culture media from the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate and adding new cell culture media to the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate.
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Abstract
An automated method for culturing stem cells using a robotic liquid handling system including a translatable bed and a movable multichannel pipette. The method includes the steps of: locating a first multi-well cell culture plate and a multi-trough plate on the bed; placing a suspension of stem cells in at least one trough of the multi-trough plate; using the multi-channel pipette, transferring a portion of the suspension of stem cells to each well of the first multi-well cell culture plate such that at least two of the wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate have different densities of stem cells; selecting a well of the first multi-well cell culture plate having a desired stem cell density; locating a second multi-well cell culture plate; and using the multi-channel pipette, transferring the cells of the selected well to a plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An automated method for culturing stem cells using a robotic liquid handling system including a translatable bed and a movable multi-channel pipette, the method comprising the steps of:
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placing a suspension of stem cells in a first trough of the multi-trough plate positioned on the bed; placing a cell culture media in a second trough of the multiple-trough plate; mixing the suspension of stem cells in the multi-trough plate by linearly moving the translatable bed back and forth; plating stem cells in a first multi-well cell culture plate located on the bed such that at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate have different densities of stem cells by using the multi-channel pipette, transferring different volumes of the suspension of stem cells from the first trough to the at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate, and using the multi-channel pipette, transferring different volumes of the cell culture media from the second trough to the at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate, wherein the different volumes of the suspension of stem cells and the different volumes of cell culture media are defined to achieve the different densities of stem cells in the at least two wells of the first multi-well cell culture plate, and wherein the back and forth linear motion of the translatable bed maintains the suspension of stem cells in the first trough at a uniform concentration during the plating; selecting a well of the first multi-well cell culture plate having a desired density of stem cells after growth of cell colonies in the first multi-well cell culture plate; using the multi-channel pipette, transferring the cells of the selected well of the first multi-well cell culture plate to a plurality of wells of a second multi-well cell culture plate, wherein the first multi-well cell culture plate is positioned on a heated, angled adapter located on the bed while the cells are transferred from the selected well of the first multi-well cell culture plate to the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate; using the multi-channel pipette, transferring a portion of the cell culture media to the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate; and feeding the stem cells in the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate, by removing the cell culture media from the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate and adding new cell culture media to the plurality of wells of the second multi-well cell culture plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification