Abstract: This invention provides environmental control devices and methods for live cell analysis. The devices of the invention combine a plate space that can hold specimen plates of a variety of sizes, gas flow control, and temperature control of the entire specimen plate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 6, 1999
Date of Patent:
April 2, 2002
Assignee:
Cellomics, Inc.
Inventors:
Alexander L. Friedman, Stephen J. Gongaware, Albert H. Gough
Abstract: The present invention discloses devices and methods of performing high throughput screening of the physiological response of cells to biologically active compounds and methods of combining high-throughput with high-content spatial information at the cellular and subcellular level as well as temporal information about changes in physiological, biochemical and molecular activities. The present invention allows multiple types of cell interactions to be studied simultaneously by combining multicolor luminescence reading, microfluidic delivery, and environmental control of living cells in non-uniform micro-patterned arrays.
Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system for determining the distribution, environment, or activity of fluorescently labeled reporter molecules in cells for the purpose of screening large numbers of compounds for specific biological activity. The invention involves providing cells containing fluorescent reporter molecules in an array of locations and scanning numerous cells in each location with a fluorescent microscope, converting the optical information into digital data, and utilizing the digital data to determine the distribution, environment or activity of the fluorescently labeled reporter molecules in the cells. The array of locations may be an industry standard 96 well or 384 well microtiter plate or a microplate which is a microplate having a cells in a micropaterned array of locations. The invention includes apparatus and computerized method for processing, displaying and storing the data.