Object selecting device and object selecting method

Abstract

This object selecting device is provided with a container which has an inside bottom part and which stores a liquid, a plate which has a top surface and a bottom surface, which is immersed in the liquid, and which supports the objects to be selected, and a holding means which holds the plate in a state in which the bottom surface of the plate and the inside bottom part of the container are spaced apart. The plate has through-holes at the support positions, and the through-holes have a tapered portion allowing the objects to be selected to settle in the direction of gravity and to be supported through contact with the inner wall surfaces of the through-holes, wherein the opening area at the top end of the tapered portions is larger than the opening area at the bottom of the tapered portions. From a set of objects of different shapes, only the objects to be selected will be supported by the tapered portions, and non-selection objects will settle into the inner bottom part of the container. Further, when removing the objects to be selected that are supported, since the plate is spaced apart from the inner bottom part of the container by the holding means, non-selection objects that have settled to the inner bottom part will not be erroneously removed.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an object sorting device and an object sorting method. More specifically, it relates to an object sorting device and an object sorting method for sorting out only sorting targets of a predetermined shape from a collection of targets of various shapes. Background technique [0002] Conventionally, in various fields, sifters have been used to sort particles based on their size and shape (hereinafter, these may be simply referred to as shape). As the particles to be sorted, large ones include tablets, capsules, granules, etc., and small ones include cells derived from organisms used in the field of bio-related technology and medicine. [0003] As described above, for example, if cells are sorted and made uniform in shape, variations in test conditions can be reduced in various tests using the cells. The sorted cells can be used in high-throughput screening (HTS) and the like. [0004] However, it is very difficult to so...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0011] However, when the sorting nozzle is used to attract the cells supported on the plate with through holes described in Patent Document 1 or the capsules supported on the mesh described in Patent Document 2, the suction nozzle not only sucks the sorting object cells or capsules, and at the same time attract small cells and particles through the through-holes and meshes

In addition, when the vibration generator described in Patent Document 3 is used to vibrate, since the vibration generator is installed at a position where the container is vibrated, there are small cells and particles that sink to the inner bottom of the container and float up, and the sorting is performed by suction. Mouth does not distinguish between these and sorting objects and attracts problems

[0012] Therefore, none of the techniques described in these publications is a technique for sorting out sorting objects suitable for test conditions based on their shapes, so there is a possibility that only sorting objects suitable for test conditions cannot be sorted out of a collection of objects. Problems with objects (especially cell aggregates from living organisms)

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