Cellomics system

Abstract

In labeling a cell, and separating and collecting the cell according to a degree of the labeling using a cell separator, effects on the cell is minimized and the use of the collected cell is facilitated, thereby, when labeling a cell, the cell is labeled in the state where interaction of each cell is retained. In the labeling, a specific labeling material present on a surface of a target cell is taken in the cell via a transporter, and the cell is dispersed one by one to separate the same with a cell separator. Immediately after the separation, the cell is put in a solution not containing the specific labeling substance to remove the specific labeling substance taken in the cell. This series of steps is continuously conducted with a cell separation chip.

1 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a means for arranging a network constituting four or more pulsating myocardial cells in the state where each cell is observable;   a means for controlling and measuring electrical stimulation or response of each cell one by one; and   a means for preventing conditions during incubation from changing by means of spatial configuration of each cell.   
     
     
         2 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a means for arranging a network constituting not fewer than 4 nor more than 32 pulsating myocardial cells in the state where each cell is observable;   a means for controlling and measuring electrical stimulation or response of each cell one by one; and   a means for preventing conditions during incubation from changing by means of spatial configuration of each cell.   
     
     
         3 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a plurality of microcompartments each capable of retaining a single pulsating myocardial cell one by one;   a groove or a tunnel for connecting between the plurality of microcompartments and those adjacent thereto;   not fewer than 4 adjoining microcompartments each with a single cell having been inserted therein in advance; and   a means for supplying each of the microcompartments with a culture solution for pulsating myocardial cells.   
     
     
         4 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a substrate;   a plurality of microcompartments provided with four or more pulsating myocardial cells arranged to adjoin one another on the substrate;   a groove or a tunnel for connecting each of the microcompartments; and   a means for supplying each of the microcompartments with a culture solution for pulsating myocardial cells.   
     
     
         5 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a plurality of microcompartments each capable of retaining a single pulsating myocardial cell one by one;   a groove or a tunnel for connecting between the plurality of microcompartments and those adjacent thereto;   not fewer than 4 nor more than 32 adjoining microcompartments each with a single cell having been inserted therein in advance; and   a means for supplying each of the microcompartments with a culture solution for pulsating myocardial cells.   
     
     
         6 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a substrate;   a plurality of microcompartments provided with not fewer than 4 nor more than 32 pulsating myocardial cells arranged to adjoin one another on the substrate;   a groove or a tunnel for connecting each of the plurality of microcompartments; and   a means for supplying each of the microcompartments with a culture solution for pulsating myocardial cells.   
     
     
         7 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip according to  claim 1 , wherein the material forming the plurality of microcompartments is agarose. 
     
     
         8 . An aggregated cell microarray having on a substrate a groove or a tunnel for connecting between a plurality of microcompartment walls in order to adjoin four or more pulsating myocardial cells one another and to keep the cells in a specific spatial configuration, and a plurality of electrical patterns for measuring an electrical change of a cell in each groove or tunnel, and an optically transparent semipermeable membrane and a culture solution bath being provided on the microcompartment walls. 
     
     
         9 . A bioassay accommodating a single pulsating myocardial cell in each of a plurality of microcompartments formed on a substrate and connected with a groove or a tunnel to one another, adding a testing sample to each of eight or more microcompartments adjacent to the plurality of microcompartments, and observing a change in electrical potential or shape of the cell each accommodated in the microcompartments. 
     
     
         10 . The bioassay according to  claim 9 , wherein the testing sample is a biological material such as peptide and amino acid or a chemical material suspected of being a endocrine disrupting chemical or having toxicity. 
     
     
         11 . A bioassay: employing an aggregated cell microarray having on a substrate a groove or a tunnel for connecting between a plurality of microcompartment walls in order to adjoin four or more pulsating myocardial cells one another and to keep the cells in a specific spatial configuration, and a plurality of electrical patterns for measuring an electrical change of a cell in each groove or tunnel, and an optically transparent semipermeable membrane and a culture solution bath being provided on the microcompartment walls; giving electric stimulation to intercellular space using an electrode provided in each groove or tunnel; and measuring a change in electrical potential or shape caused by a response from a cell.