Micro-patterned Plate with Removable Pallets for Cell Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sorting and analyzing adherent cells are inefficient and detrimental to cell health, as they require enzymatic or mechanical release from growth surfaces, and traditional techniques are not applicable to all cell types, especially adherent cells, which are the most common phenotype.
Innovation Solution
A micro-patterned plate with removable micro-pallets that allows for the precise attachment and isolation of cells or biological samples at specific locations, enabling high-speed addressable analysis and efficient sorting without damaging the cells, using structures and chemical treatments to enhance attachment and analysis, and facilitating coupling with external instruments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional sorting methods are used for adherent cells, then cells can be sorted from mixed population, but cells are damaged through enzymatic or mechanical release from growth surface
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the plate into multiple removable micro-pallets, each capable of holding individual adherent cells or small cell groups. This segmentation allows cells to be sorted and collected on separate pallets without needing to detach them from the growth surface, eliminating the harmful enzymatic or mechanical release process while maintaining accurate cell identification and sorting.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable micro-pallets serve as an intermediary between the growth surface and the collection process. Cells remain adherent to the pallets during sorting, and the pallets themselves can be easily removed and collected with the cells intact, avoiding direct mechanical manipulation of the cells during the sorting process.
2Productivity
If flow cytometry is used for cell analysis, then rapid analysis of cells in suspension is achieved, but the method is not applicable to adherent cells and cannot maintain cell health
Solution Approach 1:
The micro-pallet plate system provides universal applicability across different cell types, particularly adherent cells that cannot be processed by flow cytometry. The plate can accommodate various cell phenotypes while maintaining their natural adherent state, enabling rapid analysis of adherent cells without requiring them to be in suspension, thus achieving both speed and versatility.
3Ease of operation
If micro-pallets are made removable, then cell isolation is simplified and cell health is maintained, but plate manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The micro-pallets are designed to be nested within or attached to the plate structure, with each pallet being a self-contained unit that can be easily removed as a complete assembly. This nesting approach simplifies the removal process while the modular design allows for standardized manufacturing of the pallet components, managing manufacturing complexity through systematic design.
Data Source
AI summary
A plate manufactured to enable samples of cells, micro-organisms, proteins, DNA, biomolecules and other biological media to be positioned at specific locations or sites on the plate for the purpose of performing addressable analyses on the samples. Preferably, some or all of the sites are built from a removable material or as pallets so that a subset of the samples of interest can be readily isolated from the plate for further processing or analysis. The plate can contain structures or chemical treatments that enhance or promote the attachment and/or function of the samples, and that promote or assist in their analyses. Use of the plate advantageously enables the selection and sorting of cells based on dynamic phenomena and the rapid establishment of stable tranfectants.