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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a substrate;   four or more microcompartments arranged on the substrate for forming a network of four or more pulsating myocardial cells which adjoin one another, wherein each of the microcompartments is capable of confining a single pulsating myocardial cell;   a groove or a tunnel connecting between the adjoining microcompartments;   an electrode provided in the groove or the tunnel for measuring a change in electrical potential of the cell; and   a means for supplying a culture medium for the pulsating myocardial cell to the microcompartment.   
     
     
         2 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip comprising:
 a substrate;   four or more microcompartments arranged to adjoin one another on the substrate to form a network, wherein each of the microcompartments is capable of confining a single pulsating myocardial cell;   a groove or a tunnel connecting between the adjoining microcompartments of the four or more microcompartments;   an electrode provided in the inside of the microcompartment and the groove or the tunnel for measuring a change in electrical potential of the cell; and   a means for supplying a culture medium for the pulsating myocardial cell to the microcompartment,   wherein the four or more pulsating myocardial cells are confined in each of the microcompartments one by one so that the four or more pulsating myocardial cells adjoin one another and form a network.   
     
     
         3 . A cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip, comprising:
 a substrate;   four or more microcompartments for confining pulsating myocardial cells one by one, which are arranged to adjoin one another to form a network on the substrate;   a groove or a tunnel connecting between the adjoining microcompartments;   an electrode provided in the inside of the microcompartment and the groove or the tunnel for measuring a change in electrical potential of the cell; and   a means for supplying a culture medium for the pulsating myocardial cell to the microcompartment;   wherein the four or more pulsating myocardial cells are confined in the four or more microcompartments respectively to adjoin one another and form a network.   
     
     
         4 . The cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip according to  claim 1 , wherein the material constructing the microcompartment is agarose. 
     
     
         5 . The cardiac muscle cell bioassay chip according to  claim 1 , wherein said bioassay chip comprises eight or more said microcompartments for confining eight or more said pulsating myocardial cells respectively. 
     
     
         6 . A microarray chip for measuring a change in electrical potential or shape of a pulsating myocardial cell in a network of adjoining pulsating myocardial cells, comprising:
 a substrate;   four our more microcompartments arranged on the substrate, wherein four or more pulsating myocardial cells are confined respectively in the microcompartments to adjoin one another and form a network;   a groove or a tunnel connecting between the adjoining microcompartments;   an electrode pattern arranged in the inside of the microcompartment and in the groove or the tunnel for providing an electric stimulus to the cell, and for measuring the change in the electrical potential of the cell when the electric stimulus was provided to the cell; and   an optically transparent semipermeable membrane and a culture medium bath provided on and over the microcompartments.   
     
     
         7 . A bioassay method comprising:
 accommodating a pulsating myocardial cell in each of four or more microcompartments formed on a substrate and connected by a groove or a tunnel to one another;   adding a test sample to the four or more microcompartments adjoined one another;   applying an electrical stimulus to the cell using an electrode arranged in the inside of the microcompartment and the groove or the tunnel;   measuring a change in electrical potential or shape of the cell in the network of the four or more of the adjoining pulsating myocardial cells, each of which is accommodated in each of the microcompartments.   
     
     
         8 . The bioassay method according to  claim 7 , wherein the testing sample is a biological substance such as a peptide and an amino acid or a chemical substance suspected of being an endocrine disruptors or having toxicity. 
     
     
         9 . A bioassay method comprising:
 preparing an aggregated-cell microarray which comprises on a substrate
 four or more microcompartments which adjoin one another and confine four or more pulsating myocardial cells respectively in a specific spatial area; 
 a groove or a tunnel connecting between the adjoining microcompartments; 
 a plurality of electrode patterns arranged in the groove or the tunnel for measuring an electrical potential of the cell; and 
 an optically transparent semipermeable membrane and a culture medium bath provided on and over the microcompartments, 
   accommodating a single pulsating myocardial cell in each of the adjoining four or more microcompartments;   applying an electrical stimulus to the cells using the electrode arranged in the groove or the tunnel; and   measuring a change in the electrical potential or the shape of the pulsating myocardial cell in the network of the four or more pulsating myocardial cells accommodated in the microcompartments.   
     
     
         10 . The bioassay method according to  claim 7 , wherein eight or more microcompartments are formed on the substrate, and an eight or more pulsating myocardial cells are used. 
     
     
         11 . The bioassay method according to  claim 9 , wherein eight or more microcompartments are formed on the substrate, and an eight or more pulsating myocardial cells are used. 
     
     
         12 . The bioassay method according to  claim 7 , wherein the material for constructing the microcompartment is agarose. 
     
     
         13 . The bioassay method according to  claim 9 , wherein the material for constructing the microcompartment is agarose.