Array-type multiple cell injector
First Claim
1. Apparatus for injection of a medium into a plurality of cells, comprising:
- first means having a plurality of cell wells arranged in a regular array for holding a plurality of individual cells in a regular array;
second means having a plurality of injection needles spaced in an array corresponding to said regular array of said cell wells for injecting the medium into the individual cells; and
third means for positioning said first and second means accurately with respect to one another.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An injection device injects small amounts of injectate into each of a plurality of cells. A first plate, which may be made from a silicon chip, includes a large number of evenly spaced cell wells, in a regular array. Each well includes a through hole in the chip. A top plate, also formed from a silicon chip, includes a plurality of injection needles, arranged in a regular array corresponding to the position of the cell wells. A suspension of cells is washed over the first plate and individual cells are retained by the individual wells. A vacuum may be applied to the cell wells through a manifold beneath the first plate, thus to retain the cells in place. Excess cells and suspension are removed by washing the plate. The second plate, including the injection needles, is positioned on the first plate so that the needles pierce the plurality of cells retained in the wells, thus simultaneously introducing the injectate into a large number of individual cells.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. Apparatus for injection of a medium into a plurality of cells, comprising:
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first means having a plurality of cell wells arranged in a regular array for holding a plurality of individual cells in a regular array; second means having a plurality of injection needles spaced in an array corresponding to said regular array of said cell wells for injecting the medium into the individual cells; and third means for positioning said first and second means accurately with respect to one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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3. Apparatus for injection of a medium into a plurality of cells, comprising:
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first means having a plurality of cell wells arranged in a regular array for holding a plurality of cells in a regular array; second means having a plurality of injection needles spaced in an array corresponding to said regular array of said cell wells; and third means for positioning said first and second means accurately with respect to one another, wherein each of said wells has a predetermined size selected to match a size of a single cell, thereby limiting each well to hold therein only one cell. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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17. Apparatus for injection of a medium into a plurality of cells, comprising:
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first means having a plurality of cell wells arranged in a regular array for holding a plurality of individual cells in a regular array; second means having a plurality of injection needles spaced in an array corresponding to said regular array of said cell wells for injecting the medium into the individual cells; third means for positioning said first and second means accurately with respect to one another; said first and second means each comprising a substantially planar chip, said planar chips arranged substantially parallel to one another, and said third means comprising means for moving said planar chips towards and away from one another, to provide contact between each injection needle and a cell in each said well, wherein said means for moving comprises a flexibly hinged structure having a pair of arms in a tweezer-like arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for injection of a medium into a plurality of cells, comprising:
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first means having a plurality of cell wells arranged in a regular array for holding a plurality of individual cells in a regular array; second means having a plurality of injection needles spaced in an array corresponding to said regular array of said cell wells for injecting the medium into the individual cells; and third means for positioning said first and second means accurately with respect to one another, wherein said first and second means each comprises a plate, at least one of said plates having a convex curvature towards the other, thereby to facilitate contact between said needles and cells in said wells by a rolling motion of one plate relative to the other.
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21. Apparatus for injection of a medium into a plurality of cells, comprising:
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first means having a plurality of cell wells for holding a plurality of cells in a regular array; second means having an injection needle; and third means for positioning said first and second means accurately with respect to one another for injecting the medium into each of the cells in the array. - View Dependent Claims (22, 26, 27)
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23. Apparatus for injection of a medium into a plurality of cells, comprising:
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first means having a plurality of cell wells positioned in a regular array for holding a plurality of individual cells, each cell well having a size selected to match a size of a single cell, second means having at least one injection needle spaced apart from said regular array of said cell wells for injecting the medium into an individual cell in one of said regular array of cell wells; and third means for successively positioning said first and second means with respect to one another to position said at least one injection needle in successive positions corresponding to said regular array of cell wells for successively individually injecting each of the cells. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification