Cell suction system

Abstract

Provided is a cell aspiration system in which, after a tip connection shaft of an aspiration unit is connected to a tip base of a tip held in a tip container, a needle tip of a needle part of the tip can be moved with high precision to a position at which a cell should be aspirated. This cell suction system is provided with: a suction unit that has a tip connection shaft connected to a tip base of a tip held in a tip container, and that, in a state in which the tip is connected to the tip connection shaft, causes a needle part of the tip to suck a cell component or the entire cell from a needle tip for the cell and hold the cell component or the entire cell; and a tip container holding unit that holds the tip container so as to allow the relative movement of the tip and the tip container with respect to the tip connection shaft to eliminate eccentricity when the tip connection shaft is connected to the tip base of the tip held in the tip container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cell attraction system. Background Technology

[0002] Cell aspiration systems are known that use a needle portion of a suction tip to aspirate and retain cellular components or the entire cell (see, for example, Patent Documents 1-6).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6066110

[0004] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 6090387

[0005] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 6787274

[0006] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent No. 6953888

[0007] Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-18912

[0008] Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-17601 Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cell aspiration system that, after connecting the aspiration unit's aspiration tip connecting shaft to the aspiration tip base held in the aspiration tip container, enables the needle tip of the aspiration tip to be moved with high precision to the position of the cell to be aspirated.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is as follows.

[0011] [1] A cell attraction system, wherein,

[0012] The cell attraction system has:

[0013] A suction unit having a suction head connecting shaft connected to the base of a suction head held in a suction head container, wherein, with the suction head connected to the suction head connecting shaft, the needle portion of the suction head aspirates cellular components or entire cells from the needle tip and holds them; and

[0014] The suction head container retainer holds the suction head container in a manner that eliminates eccentricity when the suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container, and allows relative movement of the suction head and the suction head container relative to the suction head connecting shaft.

[0015] [2] According to the cell attraction system described in [1], in which,

[0016] The cell aspiration system has the suction head container.

[0017] The suction head container holding portion includes: a mounting portion for mounting the suction head container; and a suction head container limiting portion that, while allowing the suction head container to slide relative to the mounting portion to eliminate eccentricity when the suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container, restricts the horizontal movement of the suction head container.

[0018] [3] According to the cell attraction system described in [2], in which,

[0019] The suction head container has four corners when viewed from above.

[0020] The mounting portion of the suction head container holding part only holds the four corners of the suction head container.

[0021] [4] According to any one of [1] to [3], the cell attraction system described therein,

[0022] The suction head container holding part has a mounting part for holding the suction head container.

[0023] The mounting portion has: a substrate; and a surface layer coated on the upper surface of the substrate, having a coefficient of friction lower than that of the upper surface.

[0024] [5] According to any one of [1] to [4], the cell attraction system, wherein,

[0025] The cell attraction system has:

[0026] A first holding section, which holds the suction head container; and

[0027] The second retaining part retains the first retaining part while allowing relative movement of the first retaining part relative to the second retaining part to eliminate eccentricity when the suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container.

[0028] [6] According to the cell attraction system described in [5], in which,

[0029] The second holding portion includes: a second holding portion body; and a rolling element that is rotatably held in the second holding portion body for placement by the first holding portion.

[0030] [7] According to the cell attraction system described in [6], in which,

[0031] The rolling element is ball-shaped.

[0032] [8] According to the cell attraction system described in [6] or [7], wherein,

[0033] The number of rolling elements is three or more.

[0034] [9] According to any one of [6] to [8], the cell attraction system wherein,

[0035] The second retaining part body has: a reduced-diameter support surface that gradually narrows downward and slidably abuts against the lower surface of the rolling element, thereby supporting the rolling element to rotate; and an upward limiting part that restricts the upward relative movement of the first retaining part relative to the second retaining part body in such a way that the rolling element does not detach from the reduced-diameter support surface.

[0036]

[10] According to any one of [5] to [9], the cell attraction system wherein,

[0037] The suction head container holding part has a positioning part that changes between a positioning state in which the first holding part is positioned in a horizontal direction relative to the second holding part and a positioning release state in which the positioning is released.

[0038]

[11] According to any one of [5] to

[10] , the cell attraction system wherein,

[0039] The first holding part includes: a first holding part body for holding the suction head container; and a suction head container positioning part for positioning the suction head container on the first holding part body.

[0040]

[12] According to any one of [1] to

[11] , the cell attraction system wherein,

[0041] The cell attraction system has:

[0042] The suction head connects to the work area, such that the suction head connecting shaft connects to the suction head held in the suction head container; and

[0043] A cell aspiration working area that allows the suction tip to aspirate cellular components or whole cells from the cells.

[0044] The ambient temperature in the suction head connection area is lower than the ambient temperature in the cell aspiration area.

[0045]

[13] According to any one of [1] to

[12] , the cell attraction system wherein,

[0046] The cell attraction system has:

[0047] An imaging device that images the cellular components or the entire cell contained in a cell container; and

[0048] A control device, based on the imaging results of the imaging device, controls the suction unit in such a way that the suction head aspirates and holds the cell components or the entire cell from the cell while the suction head is connected to the suction head connecting shaft.

[0049]

[14] According to any one of [1] to

[13] , the cell attraction system wherein,

[0050] The cell aspiration system has a delivery device that delivers the aspiration unit from a position where the aspirator connecting shaft is connected to the aspirator held in the aspirator container to a position where the aspirator aspirates the cell components or the entire cell from the cell contained in the cell container.

[0051]

[15] According to the cell attraction system described in

[14] , wherein,

[0052] The cell attraction system has:

[0053] An imaging device that images the cellular components or the entire cell contained in the cell container; and

[0054] A control device, based on the imaging results of the imaging device, controls the delivery device and the suction unit in such a way that the suction head aspirates and holds the cell components or the entire cell from the cell while the suction head is connected to the suction head connecting shaft.

[0055]

[16] According to any one of [1] to

[15] , the cell attraction system wherein,

[0056] The cell aspiration system has the suction head.

[0057] The suction head has: a cylindrical suction head base with a connection port formed at the base end; and a pointed cylindrical needle extending from the suction head base toward the tip end.

[0058] The suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base by being inserted and fitted from the connecting port.

[0059] The effects of the invention

[0060] According to the present invention, a cell aspiration system is provided that, after the aspiration unit's aspiration tip connecting shaft is connected to the aspiration tip base held in the aspiration tip container, the needle tip of the aspiration tip can be moved with high precision to the position of the cell to be aspirated. Attached Figure Description

[0061] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the cell attraction system according to the comparative example of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 2 It is about Figure 1 The cell aspiration system shown is a schematic diagram illustrating the state before the aspiration unit's tip connecting shaft is connected to the tip base of the tip held in the tip container.

[0063] Figure 3 It means from Figure 2 The diagram shown illustrates the state in which the suction unit's suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base.

[0064] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the suction unit's suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container, according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 5A It is indicated from the upper diagonal. Figure 4 Detailed diagram of the suction tip, suction tip container, and suction tip container holding part shown.

[0066] Figure 5B It is indicated from above. Figure 5A Detailed diagram of the suction tip, suction tip container, and suction tip container holding part shown.

[0067] Figure 5C yes Figure 5B AA cross-section view.

[0068] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the suction unit's suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container, according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 7A It is indicated from the upper diagonal. Figure 6 Detailed diagram of the suction tip, suction tip container, and suction tip container holding part shown.

[0070] Figure 7B It is indicated from above. Figure 7A Detailed diagram of the suction tip, suction tip container, and suction tip container holding part shown.

[0071] Figure 7C yes Figure 7B BB cross-section.

[0072] Figure 7D yes Figure 7C A magnified view of a portion of the image. Detailed Implementation

[0073] The embodiments of the present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings and described in detail.

[0074] This embodiment relates to a cell aspiration system 10 for aspirating cellular components or whole cells from cells, and in particular to a cell aspiration system 10 suitable for aspirating large numbers of cells.

[0075] In studies of living systems, the following operations are frequently performed: identifying characteristic cells from multiple cells within a cell culture trap and attracting those cells or their components. For example, in drug development processes involving the discovery or design of new agents, a drug development screening process is conducted to identify compounds that exhibit pharmacological efficacy / activity from a variety of candidate compounds. In this process, cells showing significant specific changes are selected from the cell groups within the cell culture trap that provided candidate compounds, and those cells or their components are attracted for analysis, such as quality analysis.

[0076] When aspirating cells, a pipette equipped with a tip is used, and the cells are identified under a microscope while the aspiration process is performed. When aspirating cellular components, a micropipette called a nanospray tip is used, and the cellular components are aspirated onto the tip while the cells are identified under a microscope.

[0077] In addition, the following cell analysis system has been put into practical use: unlike the operation of attracting specific cells or cell components in a cell culture trap and analyzing them, microscopic images of a large number of cells in a cell culture trap are captured and image processed to identify individual cells and calculate the size, brightness and other characteristics of each cell in real time.

[0078] Cell analysis systems can detect characteristic cells or observe changes over time based on calculated feature quantities. Furthermore, they can represent the feature quantities of each cell using histograms, scatter plots, or display them in lists. However, these cell analysis systems only address the analysis based on feature quantities obtained from images and do not envision detailed analysis of specific cells that become clear through analysis.

[0079] The process of attracting cells and cellular components involves visually inspecting each cell and selecting those to be analyzed before attraction. This is extremely time-consuming and burdensome for operators when processing large numbers of cells. Therefore, there is a need to develop a system that allows for easy detection of candidate cells for analysis from a large number of cells and immediate attraction. For example, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 above can assist in attraction operations targeting characteristic cells within a large number of cells.

[0080] The cell aspiration system 10 described in this embodiment is suitable for aspiration operations targeting characteristic cells in a large number of cells. After the suction unit 320's suction head connecting shaft 322 is connected to the suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341, the needle tip of the needle portion 332 of the suction head 330 can be moved with high precision to the position of the cell to be aspirated.

[0081] Before describing the cell aspiration system 10 according to this embodiment, as a comparative example, the following cell aspiration system 10 is described, in which, after the suction head connecting shaft 322 of the suction unit 320 is connected to the suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341, it is difficult to move the needle tip of the needle portion 332 of the suction head 330 to the position of the cell to be aspirated with high precision.

[0082] The cell aspiration system 10 described in this comparative example has the same structure as the cell aspiration system 10 described in this embodiment, except that the structure of the suction head container holding part 342 is different.

[0083] like Figures 1-2 As shown, the cell aspiration system 10 involved in this comparative example includes a cell container 100, an imaging device 200, a cell aspiration device 300, and a control device 400.

[0084] The cell container 100 has a plurality of receiving sections 110 arranged in an XY plane (preferably a horizontal plane), each receiving section 110 containing cells. The cell container 100 is a cell culture container having a cell culture trap as a receiving section 110. The cell container 100 is disposed in the cell aspiration working area R2.

[0085] The imaging apparatus 200 includes an optical system 210 and an XY stage 220. The optical system 210 captures images of cellular components or whole cells of cells housed in a cell container 100 mounted on the XY stage 220, and generates images. The images can be based on confocal dual-color fluorescence observation, confocal monochromatic fluorescence observation, epifluorescence monochromatic observation, bright-field observation, etc., and are not particularly limited. The XY stage 220 allows the cell container 100 to be moved in the X and Y directions to a position relative to the optical system 210 required for observing the desired cells.

[0086] The cell aspiration device 300 includes a transport device 310 (XYZ stage), an aspiration unit 320, a suction head 330, a suction head receiving section 340, and a suction-out suction head receiving section 350. The suction head receiving section 340 is located in the suction head connection work area R1. The suction-out suction head receiving section 350 is located in the suction head disengagement work area R3.

[0087] The conveying device 310 conveys the suction unit 320 to the desired positions in the X, Y, and Z directions. The conveying device 310 conveys the suction unit 320 to a position where the suction head connecting shaft 322 is connected to the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341 (suction head connection operation area R1). After the suction head 330 is connected, it is conveyed from this position to a position where cell components or whole cells from the cells contained in the cell container 100 are attracted to the suction head 330 (cell attraction operation area R2). After the attraction operation, the suction head 330 is detached from this position and conveyed to a position held in the suction head container after attraction (suction head detachment operation area R3).

[0088] The suction unit 320 has a suction unit base 321, a suction tip connecting shaft 322, and a suction tip connection release shaft 323. The suction unit base 321 is conveyed by the conveying device 310. The suction tip connecting shaft 322 is formed as an axis (preferably cylindrical) centered on a first central axis O1 extending downward from the suction unit base 321, and is connected to the suction tip base 331 of the suction tip 330. With the suction tip 330 connected to the suction tip connecting shaft 322, the suction unit 320 aspirates cell components or whole cells from the needle tip and holds them in the needle portion 332 of the suction tip 330.

[0089] The suction action can be performed via a hole (not shown) in the suction head connecting shaft 322 and the suction head base 331, by utilizing the pressure change inside the needle 332 caused by the suction unit base 321. The tip of the needle 332 is a thin tubular shape, so the suction action can be performed using the surface tension generated inside. If the surface tension attraction is too strong, and in cases where not only the cell component to be attracted in this state is attracted, or the entire cell attracts surrounding components, the suction unit base 321 can be used to apply positive pressure to the needle tip to suppress the attraction of surrounding components.

[0090] The suction action can be performed by varying the height of the needle tip to create an interaction between the needle tip and the cell, such as piercing the cell. Based on the timing of this interaction, the pressure supplied to the needle tip from the base 321 of the suction unit is switched between negative and positive pressure, thereby aspirating the desired cellular components or the entire cell from the desired site. The pressure (negative or positive) supplied to the needle tip is provided by a pressure source such as a pump (not shown). The pressure supply path from the pressure source to the front end of the suction head connecting shaft 322 can have a pressure control component such as a valve to control the pressure.

[0091] The suction head connection release shaft 323 can be held vertically at the suction unit base 321. When the suction head 330 is connected to the suction head connection shaft 322, it moves downward relative to the suction unit base 321, thereby pressing down on the suction head base 331 and releasing the connection of the suction head 330, so that the suction head 330 is disengaged from the suction head connection shaft 322.

[0092] The suction tip 330 has: a cylindrical (preferably cylindrical) tip base 331 centered on a second central axis O2 on which a connection port 331a is formed; and a pointed cylindrical (preferably pointed cylindrical) needle portion 332 extending from the tip base 331 toward the tip tip front end. A tip connecting shaft 322 is inserted and fitted into the connection port 331a and connected to the tip base 331. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the tip base 331 is larger than that of the needle portion 332. The suction tip 330 can be configured such that the outer diameter of the tip base 331 is less than or equal to the outer diameter of the needle portion 332. In this case, the structure of the suction tip container 341 holding the suction tip 330 can be appropriately set accordingly to the shape of the suction tip 330.

[0093] The suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 is made of an elastic material, resin, or other elastomer. Because the suction head base 331 is made of an elastomer, when the suction head connecting shaft 322 is inserted downward into the connecting port 331a of the suction head base 331, the cylindrical suction head base 331 deforms in a radially expanding manner to generate contact pressure with the suction head connecting shaft 322. The friction generated by the contact pressure allows the suction head base 331 to connect with the suction head connecting shaft 322.

[0094] The method for forming the needle portion 332 of the suction head 330 is not particularly limited. For example, a glass tube can be heated, melted, and stretched to form a narrow section, which is then separated to form a needle tip with a sharp tip. The needle portion 332 of the suction head 330 can also be formed by etching a crystalline material such as silicon with a chemical solution, thereby forming a sharp portion based on the difference in etching rate corresponding to the crystal orientation, and forming the sharp portion into a needle tip with a sharp tip.

[0095] The pipette tip receiving portion 340 includes a pipette tip container 341 and a pipette tip container holding portion 342. The pipette tip container 341 has a plurality of pipette tips 330 for use before cell aspiration. The pipette tip container 341 has a pipette tip base holding portion 341a for holding the pipette tip base 331. The pipette tip base holding portion 341a is formed in the shape of a through hole, such that the needle portion 332 passes downward and supports the pipette tip base 331, and is fitted with the outer peripheral surface of the pipette tip base 331. The pipette tip container 341 is not limited to having a structure with a pipette tip base holding portion 341a, for example, it can be configured to replace the pipette tip base 331 or hold the needle portion 332 based on the pipette tip base 331.

[0096] The post-absorption tip receiving section 350 includes a post-absorption tip container (not shown) and a post-absorption tip container holding section (not shown). The post-absorption tip container holds multiple tips 330 used after cell aspiration operations. The post-absorption tip container is constructed in the same manner as the tip container 341, but is not limited thereto.

[0097] The control device 400 includes a computer that controls the operation of the XY stage 220, optical system device 210, transport device 310, and suction unit 320. Based on the imaging results (images obtained from observing cells) from the imaging device 200, the control device 400 controls the transport device 310 and suction unit 320 to aspirate cells while retaining cell components or whole cells with the suction tip 330 connected to the suction tip connecting shaft 322. The control device 400 displays the imaging results on a monitor or the like, receives instructions from the operator based on the displayed imaging results, and performs actions on the transport device 310 and suction unit 320 based on the received instructions. The cell aspiration system 10 is not limited to a structure with a transport device 310 having a transport suction unit 320; for example, it can be configured to replace the transport device 310 with a transport tip receiving section 340, a suction tip receiving section 350, and an XY stage 220. In this case, the control device 400 can be configured such that, based on the imaging results (images obtained by observing cells) of the imaging device 200, the above-mentioned delivery device and suction unit 320 are controlled so that the suction head 330 aspirates and retains cell components or the whole cell while the suction head 330 is connected to the suction head connecting shaft 322.

[0098] In this comparative example, the suction tip container holding part 342 holds the suction tip container 341 in such a way that the suction tip container 341 does not move relative to the base (not shown) of the cell aspiration system 10 that supports the delivery device 310 in the XY plane. Therefore, in this comparative example, as Figures 2-3 As shown, in the suction unit 320, which is lowered by the delivery device 310 in the suction head connection area R1, and inserted into the connection port 331a of the suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341, sometimes the first central axis O1 of the suction head connection shaft 322 deviates from the second central axis O2 of the suction head base 331. In this case, it is difficult to move the tip of the needle 332 of the suction head 330 to the position of the cells that should be suctioned with high precision.

[0099] That is, such as Figures 2-3 As shown, the suction tip connecting shaft 322 descends at an eccentric position relative to the suction tip base 331 in the X or Y direction. When inserted into the suction tip base 331, the suction tip container 341 is positioned at the base of the cell aspiration system 10 without moving in the XY plane, thus preventing the suction tip base 331 from moving in the XY plane. Consequently, the suction tip base 331 is inserted into the suction tip connecting shaft 322 in a deformed state in the eccentric direction. As a result, residual stress with circumferential deviation is generated in the suction tip base 331.

[0100] Therefore, the delivery device 310 then raises the suction unit 320, and the suction head 330 is raised from the suction head container 341. When the suction head 330 is moved to the cell suction operation area R2 where the suction action is performed, the residual stress of the suction head base 331 is gradually released. At the same time, the needle tip of the needle 332 moves in the XY plane, and the position of the needle tip will deviate.

[0101] Sometimes, the cell aspiration working area R2 is heated to 37°C to prevent cell inactivation. In this case, the ambient temperature of the working area R1 connected to the suction tip is usually lower than that of the cell aspiration working area R2, so the movement towards the cell aspiration working area R2 is prone to residual stress.

[0102] Especially when aspirating components from specific sites within cells, it is necessary to align the needle tip with an accuracy of less than or equal to a few μm (e.g., 2 μm) in the XY plane. However, this presents a problem: through the operation teaching of the delivery device 310, it is difficult to control the position of the tip connecting shaft 322 of the suction unit 320 relative to the tip 330 held in the tip container 341 so that the amount of tip offset caused by residual stress is within the aforementioned accuracy range. Special fixtures are required for teaching, and teaching takes a considerable amount of time.

[0103] In addition, since the suction head container 341 is mostly made by resin molding, the suction head container 341 itself also has shape fluctuations, so the position of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341 also fluctuates.

[0104] To address the issue of needle tip misalignment caused by eccentricity during connection in this comparative example, regarding the cell aspiration system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as follows... Figures 4-5C As shown, the suction head container holding part 342 holds the suction head container 341 in a manner that eliminates eccentricity when connecting the suction head connecting shaft 322 to the suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341, and allows relative movement of the suction head 330 and the suction head container 341 relative to the suction head connecting shaft 322.

[0105] The suction head container holding portion 342 has a mounting portion 342a for mounting the suction head container 341. The suction head container 341 has four corner portions 341b when viewed from above. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 342a of the suction head container holding portion 342 only mounts the four corner portions 341b of the suction head container 341 to reduce sliding resistance. The mounting portion 342a is formed as a plane along the XY plane. Preferably, the mounting portion 342a is as easy to slide as possible. Therefore, it is preferable that the mounting portion 342a is formed with: a substrate 342a1; and a surface layer 342a2, which is coated on the upper surface of the substrate 342a1 and has a coefficient of friction lower than that upper surface. The surface layer 342a2 is formed, for example, by PTFE coating, PTFE composite electroless nickel plating, etc. Alternatively, the entire suction head container holding portion 342 can be made of a material with a low coefficient of friction, such as PTFE.

[0106] In this embodiment, the suction head container holding portion 342 has a suction head container restricting portion 342b that, while allowing the suction head container 341 to slide relative to the mounting portion 342a with the eccentricity eliminated when the suction head connecting shaft 322 is connected to the suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341, restricts the horizontal movement of the suction head container 341. The suction head container restricting portion 342b has four X-direction facing surfaces 342b1 and four Y-direction facing surfaces 342b2 that are spaced apart in the X and Y directions and respectively opposite to the four corner portions 341b of the suction head container 341. The suction head container restricting portion 342b is composed of four upward-facing protrusions having four X-direction facing surfaces 342b1 and four upward-facing protrusions having four Y-direction facing surfaces 342b2, but is not limited thereto. The suction head container restriction part 342b allows movement of the suction head container 341 in the XY plane (movement in the X direction, movement in the Y direction, and rotation accompanying the above movement).

[0107] According to this embodiment, the suction head 330 and suction head container 341 can be held in place by restricting movement in the XY plane using the suction head container limiting part 342b, and the movement that eliminates the above-mentioned eccentricity can be allowed by smooth sliding on the mounting part 342a within its limiting range. Therefore, the problem of needle tip deviation caused by eccentricity during connection can be solved.

[0108] The suction head container holding part 342 can connect the suction head connecting shaft 322 to the suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341, and then perform one or more connection and disconnection, thereby eliminating eccentricity. However, from the viewpoint of work efficiency, it is preferable to form a structure that eliminates eccentricity through a single connection.

[0109] like Figures 6-7DAs shown in the second embodiment, the suction head container holding portion 342 can be configured to include: a first holding portion 342c that holds the suction head container 341; and a second holding portion 342d that allows relative horizontal movement of the first holding portion 342c relative to the second holding portion 342d when the suction head connecting shaft 322 is connected to the suction head base 331 of the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341, thereby eliminating eccentricity.

[0110] The second holding portion 342d includes: a second holding portion body 342d1; and three or more ball-shaped rolling elements 342d2, which are rotatably held in the second holding portion body 342d1 and on which the first holding portion 342c is mounted. Preferably, as shown in the figure, the rolling elements 342d2 are provided one by one near the four corners 341b of the suction head container 341. Preferably, the rolling elements 342d2 are also provided near the center of the suction head container 341 when viewed from below.

[0111] The second retaining part body 342d1 has: a tapered support surface 342d3, which gradually tapers downwards, supporting the rolling element 342d2 for rotation by slidably abutting against the lower surface of the rolling element 342d2; and a rise limiting part 342d4, which limits the upward relative movement of the first retaining part 342c relative to the second retaining part body 342d1 in a manner that prevents the rolling element 342d2 from falling off the tapered support surface 342d3. The rise limiting part 342d4 limits the rise of the first retaining part 342c relative to the second retaining part body 342d1 from the state in which the first retaining part 342c is placed on the rolling element 342d2 by an amount greater than or equal to the rise required to disengage the rolling element 342d2 from the tapered support surface 342d3. Therefore, the rolling element 342d2 is well held within the tapered support surface 342d3.

[0112] The rising restriction part 342d4 is composed of one or more (multiple in this embodiment) fixing screws 342e. Each fixing screw 342e has: a threaded shaft 342e, which is mounted on an internal threaded portion 342f provided in the second retaining part body 342d1; and a screw head 342e2, which is connected to the upper end of the threaded shaft 342e1. The screw head 342e2 has a large-diameter portion 342e3, and a small-diameter portion 342e4 with an outer diameter smaller than the large-diameter portion 342e3 is provided between the large-diameter portion 342e3 and the threaded shaft 342e1. The first retaining part 342c has an opening 342c1 of a size that allows the threaded shaft 342e1 and the small-diameter portion 342e4 to pass through, but prevents the large-diameter portion 342e3 from passing through. Therefore, the rising limiting part 342d4 restricts the rising of the first retaining part 342c relative to the second retaining part body 342d1 by the first retaining part 342c abutting against the lower surface of the large-diameter part 342e3 of the fixing screw 342e at the periphery of the opening 342c1. In this embodiment, the allowable rising range of the threaded shaft 342e1 is determined by the contact between the lower surface of the small-diameter part 342e4 and the upper surface of the second retaining part body 342d1. However, it is not limited to this. For example, it can be configured such that an additional annular retaining ring member with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the threaded shaft 342e1 is disposed between the large-diameter part 342e3 and the upper surface of the second retaining part body 342d1, thereby determining the rising range based on the vertical width of the retaining ring member.

[0113] Furthermore, a gap 342g is provided between the small-diameter portion 342e4 of the fixing screw 342e and the outer peripheral portion of the opening 342c1 to allow for the elimination of the aforementioned eccentricity in the relative movement (X-direction movement, Y-direction movement, and rotation accompanying the aforementioned movement) of the suction tip 330, suction tip container 341, and first holding portion 342c relative to the suction tip connecting shaft 322. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the suction tip 330, suction tip container 341, and first holding portion 342c are held by restricting movement in the XY plane using the small-diameter portion 342e4 of the fixing screw 342e, and the aforementioned eccentric movement can be eliminated within its restricted range, thus addressing the problem of needle tip deviation caused by eccentricity.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the suction head container holding portion 342 has a positioning portion 342h that changes between a state in which the first holding portion 342c is positioned relative to the second holding portion 342d in the XY plane and a positioning release state. Preferably, the positioning portion 342h is positioned at a position that allows for the elimination of the aforementioned eccentric movement in all directions in the XY plane, and more preferably, it is positioned at the center of a limiting range that restricts movement in the XY plane. Based on the positioning portion 342h, by the operation teaching of the conveying device 310, when the position of the suction head connecting shaft 322 of the suction unit 320 relative to the suction head 330 held in the suction head container 341 is set, the suction head container holding portion 342 can be pre-formed into an appropriate positioning state that can well cope with the problem of needle tip deviation caused by eccentricity.

[0115] The positioning part 342h is composed of the following parts: a first through hole 342h1 that is circular in plan view and is provided in the first holding part 342c; a first hole (not shown) that is circular in plan view and is provided in the second holding part 342d; a first pin 342h2 that can be inserted into the first through hole 342h1 and the first hole and can be pulled out; a second through hole 342h3 that is oblong in plan view and is provided in the first holding part 342c; a second hole (not shown) that is circular in plan view and is provided in the second holding part 342d; and a second pin 342h4 that can be inserted into the second through hole 342h3 and the second hole and can be pulled out. According to the above structure, by inserting the first pin 342h2 into the first through hole 342h1 and the first hole, and inserting the second pin 342h4 into the second through hole 342h3 and the second hole, the suction head container holding part 342 can be positioned, and the positioning can be released by pulling out the first pin 342h2 and the second pin 342h4. Furthermore, the second through hole 342h3 is oblong in shape when viewed from above, which can absorb manufacturing errors of the first holding part 342c and the second holding part 342d.

[0116] The first holding part 342c includes: a first holding part body 342c2, which holds the suction head container 341; and a suction head container positioning part 342i, which positions the suction head container 341 on the first holding part body 342c2. The suction head container positioning part 342i is composed of: an X-direction pressing device 342i2, which presses the suction head container 341 toward an X-direction receiving surface 342i1 disposed on the first holding part body 342c2 and receiving the suction head container 341 in the X direction; and a Y-direction pressing device 342i4, which presses the suction head container 341 toward a Y-direction receiving surface 342i3 disposed on the first holding part body 342c2 and receiving the suction head container 341 in the Y direction. According to the suction head container positioning part 342i, the problem of needle tip misalignment caused by eccentricity can be better addressed.

[0117] The X-direction pressing device 342i2 and the Y-direction pressing device 342i4 are each, for example, composed of multiple (three in this embodiment) spherical plungers 342i5. Each spherical plunger 342i5 has: a spherical body 342i6 that contacts the suction head container 341; a spherical body receiving portion 342i7 that can retract and retract to receive the spherical body 342i6; and an elastic body (not shown) such as a compression spring that presses the spherical body 342i6 toward the suction head container 341 and in the forward direction. With the spherical plunger 342i5, smooth placement of the suction head container 341 toward the first holding portion 342c can be achieved. However, the X-direction pressing device 342i2 and the Y-direction pressing device 342i4 can be configured to press using the deformation of an elastic body such as a leaf spring or rubber, instead of the spherical plunger 342i5.

[0118] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. Various modifications can be made to the foregoing embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0119] Explanation of the label

[0120] 10 Cell suction system

[0121] 100 cell containers

[0122] 110 Containment Department

[0123] 200 camera devices

[0124] 210 Optical System Device

[0125] 220 XY platform

[0126] 300 cell aspiration device

[0127] 310 Conveying Device (XYZ Platform)

[0128] 320 attraction units

[0129] 321 Attraction unit base

[0130] 322 suction head connecting shaft

[0131] 323 Nozzle connection release shaft

[0132] 330 suction head

[0133] 331 Suction head base

[0134] 331a connector

[0135] 332 needle part

[0136] 340 Suction Head Reception Section

[0137] 341 Suction Head Container

[0138] 341a Suction head base retaining part

[0139] 341b Corner

[0140] 342 Suction head container holding part

[0141] 342a Mounting section

[0142] 342a1 substrate

[0143] 342a2 surface layer

[0144] 342b suction head container restriction section

[0145] 342b1 X-direction opposite surface

[0146] 342b2 Y-direction opposite surface

[0147] 342c First Holding Section

[0148] 342c1 opening

[0149] 342c2 First Main Body

[0150] 342d Second Holding Section

[0151] 342d1 Second Main Body

[0152] 342d2 rolling body

[0153] 342d3 reduced diameter support surface

[0154] 342d4 rising limit section

[0155] 342e fixing screw

[0156] 342e1 threaded shaft

[0157] 342e2 screw head

[0158] 342e3 large diameter part

[0159] 342e4 minor diameter section

[0160] 342f Internal thread section

[0161] 342g gap

[0162] 342h Positioning Department

[0163] 342h1 First Through Hole

[0164] 342h2 First Selling

[0165] 342h3 Second Through Hole Section

[0166] 342h4 Second Selling

[0167] 342i suction head container positioning section

[0168] 342i1 X-direction bearing surface

[0169] 342i2 X-direction pressing device

[0170] 342i3 Y-direction bearing surface

[0171] 342i4 Y-direction pressing device

[0172] 342i5 spherical plunger

[0173] 342i6 spherical body

[0174] 342i7 Spherical Reception Section

[0175] 350 suction head containment section

[0176] 400 control device

[0177] O1 First Central Axis

[0178] O2 Second Central Axis

[0179] R1 nozzle connects to the work area.

[0180] R2 cell attraction working area

[0181] R3 suction head removed from the work area

Claims

1. A cell attraction system, wherein, The cell attraction system has: A suction unit having a suction head connecting shaft connected to the base of a suction head held in a suction head container, wherein, with the suction head connected to the suction head connecting shaft, the needle portion of the suction head aspirates cellular components or entire cells from the needle tip and holds them; and The suction head container retainer holds the suction head container in a manner that eliminates eccentricity when the suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container, and allows relative movement of the suction head and the suction head container relative to the suction head connecting shaft.

2. The cell aspiration system according to claim 1, wherein, The cell aspiration system has the suction head container. The suction head container holding portion includes: a mounting portion for mounting the suction head container; and a suction head container limiting portion that, while allowing the suction head container to slide relative to the mounting portion to eliminate eccentricity when the suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container, restricts the horizontal movement of the suction head container.

3. The cell attraction system according to claim 2, wherein, The suction head container has four corners when viewed from above. The mounting portion of the suction head container holding part only holds the four corners of the suction head container.

4. The cell aspiration system according to claim 1, wherein, The suction head container holding part has a mounting part for holding the suction head container. The mounting portion has: a substrate; and a surface layer coated on the upper surface of the substrate, having a coefficient of friction lower than that of the upper surface.

5. The cell aspiration system according to claim 1, wherein, The cell attraction system has: A first holding section, which holds the suction head container; and The second retaining part retains the first retaining part while allowing relative movement of the first retaining part relative to the second retaining part to eliminate eccentricity when the suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base of the suction head held in the suction head container.

6. The cell aspiration system according to claim 5, wherein, The second holding portion includes: a second holding portion body; and a rolling element that is rotatably held in the second holding portion body for placement by the first holding portion.

7. The cell aspiration system according to claim 6, wherein, The rolling element is ball-shaped.

8. The cell aspiration system according to claim 6, wherein, The number of rolling elements is three or more.

9. The cell aspiration system according to claim 6, wherein, The second retaining part body has: a reduced-diameter support surface that gradually narrows downward and slidably abuts against the lower surface of the rolling element, thereby supporting the rolling element to rotate; and an upward limiting part that restricts the upward relative movement of the first retaining part relative to the second retaining part body in such a way that the rolling element does not detach from the reduced-diameter support surface.

10. The cell aspiration system according to claim 5, wherein, The suction head container holding part has a positioning part that changes between a positioning state in which the first holding part is positioned in a horizontal direction relative to the second holding part and a positioning release state in which the positioning is released.

11. The cell aspiration system according to claim 5, wherein, The first holding part includes: a first holding part body for holding the suction head container; and a suction head container positioning part for positioning the suction head container on the first holding part body.

12. The cell aspiration system according to claim 1, wherein, The cell attraction system has: The suction head connects to the work area, such that the suction head connecting shaft connects to the suction head held in the suction head container; and A cell aspiration working area that allows the suction tip to aspirate cellular components or whole cells from the cells. The ambient temperature in the suction head connection area is lower than the ambient temperature in the cell aspiration area.

13. The cell aspiration system according to claim 1, wherein, The cell attraction system has: An imaging device that captures images of the cellular components or the entire cell contained in a cell container; as well as A control device, based on the imaging results of the imaging device, controls the suction unit in such a way that the suction head aspirates and holds the cell components or the entire cell from the cell while the suction head is connected to the suction head connecting shaft.

14. The cell aspiration system according to claim 1, wherein, The cell aspiration system has a delivery device that delivers the aspiration unit from a position where the aspirator connecting shaft is connected to the aspirator held in the aspirator container to a position where the aspirator aspirates the cell components or the entire cell from the cell contained in the cell container.

15. The cell aspiration system according to claim 14, wherein, The cell attraction system has: An imaging device that captures images of the cellular components or the entire cell contained in the cell container; as well as A control device, based on the imaging results of the imaging device, controls the delivery device and the suction unit in such a way that the suction head aspirates and holds the cell components or the entire cell from the cell while the suction head is connected to the suction head connecting shaft.

16. The cell aspiration system according to claim 1, wherein, The cell aspiration system has the suction head. The suction head has: a cylindrical suction head base with a connection port formed at the base end; and a pointed cylindrical needle extending from the suction head base toward the tip end. The suction head connecting shaft is connected to the suction head base by being inserted and fitted from the connecting port.

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