C04812 DEVICE FOR HIGH THROUGHPUT STIMULATION, IMMUNOSTAINING, AND VISUALIZATION OF SINGLE CELLS
Technology
This invention exploits the high efficiency and exquisite control afforded by microfluidic devices by allowing a group of cells to be stimulated in a precise and dynamically regulated fashion and stained in parallel. The device is composed of a series of chambers in which cells are seeded and sustained. Sophisticated multiplex control of multiple inlets and outlets allows a variety of media to be applied to each of the chambers in a time varying fashion. This enables high-throughput immunofluorescent staining following precisely controlled short and long-term live cell incubation. As many as 50,000 can be processed simultaneously in a prototype device.
Commercial Applicability
This device can be used in multiple settings. It can provide an efficient platform for drug screening allowing monitoring, in the same experiment, multiple doses and combinations of various drugs and other substances. It can also serve as a diagnostic tool allowing characterization of potential response of cells from biopsies to various treatments (current tests of tumor biopsies are under way). It can also find wide use in an academic environment, allowing rapid and inexpensive high throughput analysis of cell responses to diverse stimuli. The device is compatible with high content cell screening technologies. The invention saves both time and material compared to the current techniques available.
Background
Immunostaining is a well-established technique used to visualize the location of specific molecules in single cells. Furthermore, this technique is useful in visualizing the effect of a stimulus at various time points. However, the throughput is limited by the difficulty in applying a precise pattern of stimulation (e.g. pulse) due to the precision of the current techniques, speed of the researcher and the material cost.
Field: Microfluidics
Technology: Device for High Throughput Stimulation, Immunostaining, and Visualization of Single Cells
Stage of Development: Prototype
Status : Seeking licensing partner
Patent Status: Patent Pending
Keywords: immunostaining, microfluidics
