Cell glass slide fixing device adaptive to cell culture plate

Abstract

The invention provides a cell slide fixing device adaptive to a cell culture plate, and relates to the field of cell experiment auxiliary equipment. The cell climbing slide fixing device matched with the cell culture plate comprises a positioning base, the positioning base is provided with a placement groove, the bottom of the placement groove is provided with a central limiting groove, a plurality of clamping jaws are arranged in the central limiting groove, one end of each clamping jaw is connected with the inner wall of the central limiting groove, and the other end of each clamping jaw serves as a free end; the clamping jaw is provided with an inclined guide surface, the clamping jaw can elastically deform or displace, and the free end of the clamping jaw can abut against the cell climbing slide. Through the integrated structural design, the problems that the interior of a cell slide hole is not centered, the cell slide hole is difficult to take and easy to break, and the adaptability is poor are synchronously solved, and the stability, convenience and experiment success rate of cell slide culture are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cell experiment auxiliary equipment, and in particular to a cell slide fixation device adapted to cell culture plates. Background Technology

[0002] In cell slide experiments, stable fixation of the slides is a crucial prerequisite for experimental success. Currently, researchers often directly place the slides into culture plates, relying on the surface tension of the culture medium or gentle pressure with tweezers to achieve "fixation." However, this method has significant drawbacks:

[0003] 1. Inaccurate positioning of the slide: Traditional methods often involve directly placing the slide into the wells of standard culture dishes such as cell culture plates, lacking a dedicated positioning structure. This leads to the slide easily shifting and becoming off-center. This not only affects the uniform attachment of cells after seeding, but also causes misalignment of the observation area during subsequent staining and microscopic examination due to the deviation in the slide position, reducing the reliability of experimental data.

[0004] 2. Weak functional integration: Traditional devices only realize basic load-bearing functions and lack pre-positioning and elastic clamping structures for the climbing plate, which cannot simultaneously meet the experimental requirements of "precise fixation" and "convenient operation".

[0005] 3. The slides are easily damaged during handling. The slides are usually made of thin glass and are fragile. In current operations, the experimenter needs to use tweezers to directly pick up the slides from the hole. It is difficult to control the gripping force, which can easily cause the edges of the slides to crack and the surface to be scratched.

[0006] Existing slide fixing brackets mostly use metal clamps or slot structures, which can provide a certain fixing effect, but the structure is complex, difficult to clean and sterilize, and difficult to adapt to standard well plates.

[0007] Therefore, developing a cell slide adapter that combines precise positioning, stable fixation, and convenient handling has become a key technological direction for improving the efficiency and reliability of cell culture experiments. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a cell slide immobilization and culture device. Through an integrated structural design, it simultaneously solves the problems of non-centeredness in the wells, difficulty in removal and easy breakage, and poor adaptability of the slides, thereby improving the stability, convenience and experimental success rate of cell slide culture.

[0009] This invention discloses a cell slide fixing device adapted to a cell culture plate, comprising a positioning base, a placement groove on the positioning base, a central limiting groove at the bottom of the placement groove, and a plurality of grippers inside the central limiting groove. One end of each gripper is connected to the inner wall of the central limiting groove, and the other end serves as a free end. Each gripper has an inclined guide surface, and the grippers are elastically deformable or elastically displaceable. The free end of each gripper can hold the cell slide.

[0010] In one feasible embodiment, the outer wall of the positioning base is provided with a plurality of clamping slots, the top of which is open; wherein at least two of the clamping slots are arranged opposite to each other.

[0011] In one feasible embodiment, the top of the positioning base is further provided with an outwardly extending hook portion.

[0012] In one feasible embodiment, the hook portion is provided with a notch, and the notch is connected to the clamping groove.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the free end of the gripper is arc-shaped.

[0014] In one feasible embodiment, the inclined guide surface is inclined downward in the direction toward the free end of the gripper, with a slope of 30 to 60˚.

[0015] In one feasible embodiment, each of the grippers is evenly arranged around the placement groove.

[0016] In one feasible embodiment, the diameter of the inscribed circle formed by the line connecting the free ends of each of the grippers is 0.5 to 2 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the climbing plate.

[0017] In one feasible embodiment, the depth of the central limiting groove is 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the cell culture plate; the height of the gripper is consistent with the depth of the central limiting groove; and the outer diameter of the positioning base is 0.1 to 0.2 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the holes in the cell culture plate.

[0018] In one feasible embodiment, the material of the gripper is selected from any one of liquid silicone, polyetheretherketone, and high-density polyethylene.

[0019] In one feasible embodiment, the material of the gripper is selected from liquid silicone, polyetheretherketone, and high-density polyethylene, and the material of the positioning base is polycarbonate.

[0020] The cell slide fixation device adapted to cell culture plates provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] 1) This invention enables the positioning and guidance of cell slides during placement. Specifically, the central limiting groove provides initial positioning, and the elastic force provided by the inclined guide surface guides the cell slides to center during placement, greatly reducing operational difficulty and simultaneously satisfying both the positioning and guidance of cell slides and convenient operation.

[0022] 2) Furthermore, the grippers provide elastic clamping to protect the sample, and the multi-point clamping effectively avoids stress concentration. The flexible clamping force prevents the slide from moving without compressing or damaging the slide or cells.

[0023] 3) Furthermore, the gripping groove on the positioning base makes it very convenient to pick up and put down the positioning base, which is suitable for high-throughput experiments.

[0024] 4) Furthermore, all materials are highly corrosion resistant and can withstand high-pressure steam sterilization (121℃, 20min) or 75% ethanol wiping disinfection. They can be reused ≥50 times, reducing experimental costs. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the chuck structure in this invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0029] Figure Labels

[0030] Positioning base 1

[0031] Placement slot 1-1

[0032] Center limiting groove 1-2

[0033] Clamping slots 1-3

[0034] Connecting parts 1-4

[0035] Gap 1-4-1

[0036] Gripper 2

[0037] Inclined guide surface 2-1

[0038] Free end 2-2

[0039] Cell Slice 4

[0040] Cell culture plate 5 Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "internal", "inner wall", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0042] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0044] This invention provides a cell slide fixation device adapted to cell culture plates, such as... Figures 1-2 and Figure 4 As shown, it includes a positioning base 1, which has a placement groove 1-1. The bottom of the placement groove 1-1 has a central limiting groove 1-2. The central limiting groove 1-2 has multiple grippers 2 inside. One end of each gripper 2 is connected to the inner wall of the central limiting groove 1-2, and the other end serves as a free end 2-2. Each gripper 2 has an inclined guide surface 2-1. The gripper 2 can elastically deform or elastically displace. The free end 2-2 of the gripper 2 can hold the cell crawling sheet 4.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, the positioning base 1 is directly placed into the holes of the cell culture plate 5, and then the cell crawler 4 is placed inside the positioning base 1. When the cell crawler 4 is not placed inside, the free ends 2-2 of the grippers 2 form a space for placing the cell crawler 4, as shown below. Figure 1As shown, this space, viewed from above, is typically an inscribed circle tangent to the free ends 2-2 of each gripper 2. The radius of the inscribed circle is slightly smaller than that of the cell crawler 4, generally 0.5–2 mm smaller. When the cell crawler 4 is placed downwards, it first contacts the inclined guide surface 2-1 of the gripper 2. This converts a portion of the downward pressure into a radial force on the gripper 2, causing elastic deformation or displacement of the gripper 2. Guided by the inclined guide surface 2-1, the cell crawler 4 slides into the central limiting groove 1-2. Simultaneously, the elasticity of the gripper 2 (which can be provided by a spring or directly by using an elastic material) firmly holds the cell crawler 4 at its free end 2-2, thus fixing it inside the central limiting groove 1-2. Similarly, when removing the crawler 4, gently press down on the inclined guide surface 2-1 of any gripper 2 with tweezers, or gently pry it up from the edge of the crawler 4 to remove it. For illustrative purposes, if the gripper 2 is made of an elastic material, its material can be selected from any of the following: medical-grade liquid silicone (Shore A hardness 30±2), medical-grade polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or medical-grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Medical-grade liquid silicone is preferred, as it possesses excellent elastic recovery (elongation ≥500%, compression set ≤5%), biocompatibility (non-cytotoxic, non-sensitizing), and temperature resistance (stable within the range of -40~121 ℃). Furthermore, it does not chemically react with culture media, fixatives, etc., ensuring a safe cell growth environment. Additionally, the material of the positioning base 1 is preferably medical-grade polycarbonate (PC), which has good biocompatibility (meets GB / T16886.5-2017 biocompatibility standard), corrosion resistance (can withstand commonly used experimental reagents such as 75% ethanol and 4% paraformaldehyde), and mechanical strength (Shore hardness ≥85D), and high transparency (transmittance ≥90%), which facilitates real-time observation of cell growth status.

[0046] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the free end 2-2 of the gripper 2 is arc-shaped, and the curvature is consistent with the curvature of the cell crawling sheet 4, which is beneficial for the gripper 2 to hold the cell crawling sheet 4. The depth of the central limiting groove 1-2 is 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the cell crawling sheet 4, and the height of the gripper 2 is consistent with the depth of the central limiting groove 1-2. The positioning base 1 is made of transparent material. In a preferred embodiment, there are 3 grippers 2, and adjacent grippers 2 are spaced 120˚ apart. The slope of the inclined guide surface 2-1 of each gripper 2 is 45˚.

[0047] As an illustration, the outer diameter of the positioning base 1 provided by the present invention is typically slightly smaller than the holes in the cell culture plate 5 to ensure the stability of the positioning base 1 within the holes of the cell culture plate 5. Generally, the outer diameter of the positioning base 1 is 0.1 to 0.2 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the holes in the cell culture plate 5. Therefore, in this case, how to remove the positioning base 1 from the holes of the cell culture plate 5 becomes a problem. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, as... Figures 1-2 Figure 4 As shown, the outer wall of the positioning base 1 is provided with a plurality of gripping grooves 1-3, the top of which is open; wherein, at least two of the gripping grooves 1-3 are arranged opposite to each other. Thus, when removing the positioning base 1 from the hole in the cell culture plate 5, first use tweezers to insert into two gripping grooves 1-3 to grip the positioning base 1, and then directly lift the positioning base 1 upwards.

[0048] For illustrative purposes, such as Figure 4 As shown, the height of the positioning base 1 provided by this invention is typically slightly higher than the depth of the holes in the cell culture plate 5 to ensure that the positioning base 1 can completely occupy the holes. Generally, the height of the positioning base 1 is 1-2 mm higher than the depth of the holes in the cell culture plate 5. Based on this, as... Figures 1-2 and Figure 4 As shown, the top of the positioning base 1 is also provided with an outwardly extending hook portion 1-4. When the thickness of the hook portion 1-4 is large, it will cause the positioning base 1 to be supported, that is, the bottom of the positioning base 1 will not contact the bottom of the central limiting groove 1-2. Similarly, as Figures 1-2 and Figure 4 As shown, in order to facilitate the operator to remove the positioning base 1 from the hole, the hook part 1-4 is provided with a notch 1-4-1. The notch 1-4-1 is connected to the clamping groove 1-3. When clamping the positioning base 1, the tweezers are inserted into the clamping groove 1-3 along the notch 1-4-1 to clamp the positioning base 1, and then the positioning base 1 can be directly removed upwards.

[0049] Example 1

[0050] This embodiment presents a cell slide fixation device adapted to six-well plates.

[0051] The specific dimensions are as follows: the outer diameter of the positioning base 1 is 34.6~34.7mm, the depth of the placement groove 1-1 is 11~17mm, the depth and inner diameter of the center limiting groove 1-2 are 0.06~0.11mm and 18.5~19mm respectively, the depth of the clamping groove 1-3 is 1mm, the diameter of the inscribed circle formed by the free ends 2-2 of the grippers 2 is 17.5~18mm, and the inclination angle of the inclined guide surface 2-1 is 45˚.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cell slide fixation device adapted to cell culture plates, characterized in that: The device includes a positioning base with a placement groove at the bottom and a central limiting groove at the bottom. The central limiting groove has multiple grippers inside, one end of which is connected to the inner wall of the central limiting groove, and the other end is a free end. The grippers have an inclined guide surface and can elastically deform or elastically displace. The free end of the grippers can hold the cell climbing sheet.

2. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the positioning base is provided with a plurality of clamping slots, the top of which is open; wherein at least two of the clamping slots are arranged opposite each other.

3. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the positioning base is also provided with an outwardly extending hook-on part.

4. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 3, characterized in that: The attachment part has a notch, which is connected to the clamping groove.

5. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The free end of the gripper is arc-shaped.

6. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inclined guide surface is inclined downwards in the direction toward the free end of the gripper, with a slope of 30 to 60°.

7. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the grippers is evenly arranged around the placement slot.

8. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the inscribed circle formed by the line connecting the free ends of each of the grippers is 0.5 to 2 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the climbing plate.

9. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The depth of the central limiting groove is 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the cell culture plate; the height of the gripper is consistent with the depth of the central limiting groove; the outer diameter of the positioning base is 0.1 to 0.2 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the holes in the cell culture plate.

10. The cell slide fixation device for adapting cell culture plates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripper is made of any one of liquid silicone, polyetheretherketone, and high-density polyethylene; and / or the positioning base is made of polycarbonate.

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