Apparatus for sorting cells and cell alignment substrate of the same
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sorting cells, comprising:
- a cell alignment portion applying a process to a cell-suspending fluid in which a great number of cells are suspended and arraying the cells with a spacing between each cell;
a cell information detecting portion applying a detecting process to the cells arrayed by the cell alignment portion and detecting information on the cells;
a cell sorting portion for sorting the cells based upon the information detected by the cell information detecting portion;
a first passage included in the cell alignment portion so as to let the cell-suspending fluid flow; and
a second passage included in the cell alignment portion, intersecting with the first passage so as to communicate with the first passage, letting a splitting fluid flow so as to split the flow of the cell-suspending fluid in the first passage, and forming a great number of small cell-containing liquid drops, the apparatus further comprising;
a cell outlet port defined at a downstream portion of the second passage; and
a gas jet portion for applying gas to the cell-containing liquid drop and for dropping the cell-containing liquid drop which has reached the cell outlet port out of the cell outlet port by a pressure of the gas applied to the cell-containing liquid drop.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for sorting cells includes a cell alignment portion applying a process to a cell-suspending fluid with a great number of cells and arraying the cells with a spacing between each cell, a cell information detecting portion detecting information on the cells, a cell sorting portion for sorting the cells based upon the information detected by the cell information detecting portion, a first passage of the cell alignment portion so as to let the cell-suspending fluid flow, and a second passage of the cell alignment portion, intersecting with the first passage so as to communicate therewith, letting a splitting fluid flow so as to split the flow of the cell-suspending fluid in the first passage and forming a great number of small cell-containing liquid drops.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sorting cells, comprising:
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a cell alignment portion applying a process to a cell-suspending fluid in which a great number of cells are suspended and arraying the cells with a spacing between each cell; a cell information detecting portion applying a detecting process to the cells arrayed by the cell alignment portion and detecting information on the cells; a cell sorting portion for sorting the cells based upon the information detected by the cell information detecting portion; a first passage included in the cell alignment portion so as to let the cell-suspending fluid flow; and a second passage included in the cell alignment portion, intersecting with the first passage so as to communicate with the first passage, letting a splitting fluid flow so as to split the flow of the cell-suspending fluid in the first passage, and forming a great number of small cell-containing liquid drops, the apparatus further comprising; a cell outlet port defined at a downstream portion of the second passage; and a gas jet portion for applying gas to the cell-containing liquid drop and for dropping the cell-containing liquid drop which has reached the cell outlet port out of the cell outlet port by a pressure of the gas applied to the cell-containing liquid drop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for sorting cells, comprising:
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a cell alignment portion applying a process to a cell-suspending fluid in which a great number of cells are suspended and arraying the cells with a spacing between each cell; a cell information detecting portion applying a detecting process to the cells arrayed by the cell alignment portion and detecting information on the cells; a cell sorting portion for sorting the cells based upon the information detected by the cell information detecting portion; a first passage included in the cell alignment portion so as to let the cell-suspending fluid flow; and a second passage included in the cell alignment portion, intersecting with the first passage so as to communicate with the first passage, letting a splitting fluid flow so as to split the flow of the cell-suspending fluid in the first passage, and forming a great number of small cell-containing liquid drops, wherein at least either the first passage or the second passage is applied with a process so as to be-lyophobic relative to the cell-suspending fluid or the splitting fluid.
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5. An apparatus for sorting cells, comprising:
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cell alignment means for forming a number of discrete cell-containing liquid drops of a cell-suspending fluid in which a number of cells are suspended and arraying the cells with a spacing between each cell, the cell alignment means comprising a first passage for flowing a cell-suspending fluid and a second passage for flowing a splitting fluid, wherein the second passage intersects and communicates with the first passage so that the splitting fluid can split the flow of the cell-suspending fluid in the first passage; cell information detecting means for detecting information on the cells arrayed by the cell alignment means; and cell sorting means for sorting the cells based upon the information detected by the cell information detecting means, further comprising; a collecting passage branched from an end portion of the second passage; a waste fluid passage branched from the end portion of the second passage, wherein the collecting passage, the waste fluid passage, and the second passage forms a Y-shaped structure; a cell outlet port connected to the collecting passage; a waste fluid drain port connected to the waste fluid passage; a first guiding means disposed at an upstream portion of the branch portion of the collecting passage and the waste fluid passage so as to guide the cell-containing liquid drop to either the collecting passage or the waste fluid passage; a second guiding means disposed at the waste fluid passage so as to guide the cell-containing liquid drop to the waste fluid drain port; and a third guiding means disposed at the collecting passage so as to guide the cell-containing liquid drop to the cell outlet port. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for sorting cells, comprising:
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cell alignment means for forming a number of discrete cell-containing liquid drops of a cell-suspending fluid in which a number of cells are suspended and arraying the cells with a spacing between each cell, the cell alignment means comprising a first passage for flowing a cell-suspending fluid and a second passage for flowing a splitting fluid, wherein the second passage intersects and communicates with the first passage so that the splitting fluid can split the flow of the cell-suspending fluid in the first passage; cell information detecting means for detecting information on the cells arrayed by the cell alignment means; and cell sorting means for sorting the cells based upon the information detected by the cell information detecting means, wherein one of the cell suspending fluid and the splitting fluid comprises a hydrophilic fluid and the other of the cell suspending fluid and the splitting fluid comprises a hydrophobic fluid. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification