Abstract: The present invention describes an integrated apparatus that enables identification of migratory cells directly from a specimen. The apparatus only requires a small number of cells to perform an assay and includes novel topographic features which can reliably differentiate between migratory and non-migratory cell populations in a sample. Both the spontaneous and chemotactic migration of cancer cells may be measured to distinguish between subpopulations within a tumor sample. The migratory cells identified using the apparatus and methods of the present invention may be separated and further analyzed to distinguish factors promoting metastasis within the population. Cells in the apparatus can be treated with chemotherapeutic or other agents to determine drug strategies to most strongly inhibit migration. The use of optically transparent materials in some embodiments allows a wide range of imaging techniques to be used for in situ imaging of migratory and non-migratory cells in the apparatus.

Abstract: The present patent application describes a stirrer comprising a combination of at least one axially-conveying element and at least one radially-conveying element relative to the rotary shaft of the stirrer wherein the largest diameter of the at least one axially-conveying element is equal to or less than the inner diameter di of the radially-conveying element. In one embodiment the stirrer according to the invention is a combination of one anchor stirrer with at least one inclined-blade stirrer. Furthermore the use of the stirrer according to the invention for the culture of cells in a dialysis method is described.

Abstract: A measurement device includes a housing to which a biosensor having a reagent is attachable and which is carriable by a user, the reagent selectively responding to a specific analyte in a biological fluid. An analyte measurer measures a concentration of the specific analyte, using the biosensor, a motion measurer measures vibration applied to the housing, as a motion amount, and a living activity calculator calculates a living activity amount based on the measured motion amount. A recorder records the living activity amount output by the living activity calculator and a controller causes the recorder to record the specific analyte concentration measured by the analyte measurer and an event of the living activity, the concentration and the event being associated with each other, the event of the living activity being estimated based on the living activity amount recorded in the recorder.