Method for performing work on cells of a cell culture and apparatus therefor

US4907158A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Stiftung · DE

Inventors

• Albrecht Kettler · Aalen, DE
• Hubert Nasse · Aalen, DE
• Walter Geis · Aalen, DE
• Volker Wilke · Aalen, DE
• Wilhelm Ansorge · Gaiberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 25, 1988
• Grant date: Mar 6, 1990
• Expiry date: May 25, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B21/365
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method for performing work on cells of a cell culture which includes microinjecting cells in the cell culture or drawing liquid from an individual cell or withdrawing whole cells with the aid of suction from the cell culture. The system is computer-supported and a marker movable in the image on a monitor is superposed on a television image of the cell culture. The marker is positioned in the television image on the cell to be injected by the operator by means of a relative movement of the marker with respect to the image. The coordinates of the cells marked in this way are stored by the computer which thereafter advances the capillary point automatically to the selected cells and penetrates the latter. Pursuant to a feature of an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the computer guides the penetration movement parallel to the longitudinal axis of the capillary by means of a superposed movement (k) of the object stage and through a superposed movement of the drive for the elevation displacement (z) of the capillary on the micromanipulator.