Laser Cell Aggregate Cutting for Uniform Clump Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cutting cell aggregates to produce uniform clumps often result in irregular growth conditions due to deformation and contamination from fragments of different shapes or dimensions, particularly at the outer edges of the aggregate.
Innovation Solution
A laser processing method that sets cutting lines along specific shapes for the cell aggregate, ensuring the peripheral area not cut exceeds the area of each clump, and uses laser irradiation to kill cells in the peripheral part to prevent contamination, with a laser processing machine that traces these cutting lines to achieve uniform clump dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If grid-like cutting lines are used to cut cell aggregates, then cutting efficiency is improved, but the uniformity of clump dimensions deteriorates due to deformation at outer edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by designing cutting lines that do not reach the outer edge of the cell aggregate before cutting occurs. This prevents the deformation and contamination issues that would otherwise affect outer edge regions, ensuring uniform clump dimensions while maintaining efficient grid-like cutting patterns.
2Quantity of substance
If cutting lines extend to the outer edge of the cell aggregate, then material utilization is improved, but contamination risk increases due to irregular fragments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by deliberately excluding the outer edge region from the cutting process. By setting cutting lines that do not reach the outer edge, the method extracts or removes the problematic peripheral part that would otherwise cause contamination, while still utilizing the majority of the cell aggregate material.
3Reliability
If peripheral parts are eliminated to prevent contamination, then cell growth reliability is improved, but material loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by eliminating only the necessary peripheral portion that causes contamination, rather than removing excessive material. The cutting lines are positioned to exclude only what is needed to prevent contamination, maintaining an optimal balance between reliability and material utilization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively cuts cell aggregates into uniformly sized clumps, minimizing contamination and ensuring consistent growth conditions by eliminating fragments of different shapes or dimensions, thereby enhancing the efficiency of cell subculturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
irradiates a peripheral part of the cell aggregate with laser light in order to kill cells which exist in the peripheral part
Implementation Method 2
cuts the cell aggregate by irradiating with laser light in such a way as to trace the cutting lines
Data Source
AI summary
In order to cut a plurality of clumps having an approximately uniform shapes and approximately uniform dimensions out of a cell aggregate which has proliferated and appropriately eliminate contamination with fragments of different shapes or dimensions, when cutting the clumps of approximately uniform shape out of the cell aggregate which has proliferated, cutting lines along which the clumps of a specific shape are cut out are set such that the area of a peripheral part of the cell aggregate which is not cut by the cutting line exceeds the surface area of one of the clumps, and the cell aggregate is cut by irradiating with laser light in such a way as to trace the cutting lines.