Device for separating micro objects

• US 6,517,779 B1
• Filed: 01/13/1999
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bayer AG
• Original Assignee: Bayer AG
• Inventors: Luttermann, Klaus, Weidauer, Markus, Diessel, Edgar
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, Lyle A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US09/214,839
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/102, 422/99, 435/309.1, 738/641--86, 738/633.2, 738/64, 738/638.3, 738/640.1
• US Class Current: 422/502
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/021 Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 35/00 Means for application of stress for stimulating the growth of microorganisms or the generation of fermentation or metabolic products; Means for electroporation or cell fusion machines for extracting juice from animal or plant tissue by electroplasmolysis A23N1/006, processes employing electric or wave energy B01J19/08; treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00; methods for cell fusion C12N15/02; introduction of foreign genetic material C12N15/87
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/04 Cell isolation or sorting purging biological preparations of unwanted cells C12N5/0081, determining the presence or kind of microorganism C12Q1/04

Abstract

The device serves for the transfer of microobjects, in particular of biological objects, from a current substrate (9) to a target substrate. In this case, use is made of a displaceable pipette system which is connected to a pressure generating device for aspirating in and flushing out the biological objects. The pipette system is disposed in a micromanipulator (3) and consists mainly of a substantially vertically disposed microcapillary (1) having a clear width of 1 μm to 50 μm.

Claims

1. A device for the transfer of microobjects from a current substrate to a target substrate, having a displaceable pipette system which is connected to a pressure generating device for aspirating in and flushing out the microobjects, wherein the pipette system is disposed in a micromanipulator and has a microcapillary having a first end which is open to receive and discharge said microobjects, which first end has a clear width of 1 μ

m to 50 μ

m, a distal end of the microcapillary beingdisposed substantially vertically, and a medial portion of the microcapillary of adjacent the distal end being disposed substantially at a right angle to the distal end, the microcapillary having a fixed shape.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the microcapillary consists of a cylindrical glass tube.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the microcapillary consists of borosilicate glass, aluminum silicate glass or haematocrit glass.

4. Device according to claim 1, further comprising means controlling the micromanipulator and the pressure generating device in such a way that in the event of a reduced pressure setting in one working step a plurality of biological objects are aspirated in, in succession, by the microcapillary and subsequently, in the next working step, are flushed out again, in succession with an excess pressure setting.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the current substrate and the target substrate consist of a carrier coated with agar or agarose.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the target substrate consists of a microtitration plate.