Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of detecting rare cells in which, upon spreading a cell suspension in a flow path formed on a microchamber chip, the loss of rare cells is reduced by improving the cell recovery rate. The present invention provides a method of detecting rare cells from a cell suspension by using a cell-spreading device 10 comprising a microchamber chip 1, a flow path-forming frame 2, an inlet port 3, and an outlet port 4; and a method of recovering rare cells comprising: the step (X) of introducing a cell suspension to a flow path 5 via the inlet port 3 so as to spread cells in the flow path 5 on the microchamber chip 1; and the step (Y) of storing the cells spread in the flow path 5 on the microchamber chip 1 in microchamber 6s by intermittent liquid feeding.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is, in the case when a specific substance that has expressed on cells to be detected in a liquid sample is to be specifically stained, to provide a convenient cell staining method by which the damage and loss (flow out) of the cells in the collected sample are prevented, and the time has been shortened in a procedure for staining the cells in the liquid sample. Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a sample collection tube that is suitable for use in the above-mentioned cell staining method. A method for specifically staining a specific substance possessed by cells in a sample, including performing the following steps in one step: (A) a step of performing an immobilization treatment of the cells; and (B) a step of performing a permeabilization treatment of the cells.

Abstract: A cell-spreading device may include a microchamber chip having a microchamber capable of enclosing and retaining a cell, a channel-forming frame united with the microchamber chip to form a channel on the microchamber, an inlet provided in the channel-forming frame to allow a cell suspension to flow into the channel, and an outlet provided in the channel-forming frame to allow the cell suspension, which has been allowed to flow into the channel through the inlet, to flow out from the channel. When an aperture of the microchamber is projected perpendicularly to a longitudinal width of the microchamber chip, the void ratio that is a ratio of the sum total of voids to the longitudinal width is not more than 5%, the void being a length of a portion where the projected aperture of the microchamber is not present against the longitudinal width.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a means that enables improvement of efficiency in recovery of rare cells in a cell suspension by suppressing cell adsorption to laboratory equipment but not suppressing cell adsorption to a cell spreading substrate. A cell spreading method according to the invention includes a step of adding to a cell suspension a protein in such an amount as to give a final concentration of from 0.0001% to 0.1%, and preferably from 0.0005% to 0.01% (a protein addition step) and a step of spreading cells contained in the cell suspension that has been subjected to the protein addition step on a cell spreading substrate having a contact angle with water of 60 degrees or more, and preferably from 70 to 90 degrees, and allowing to stand to cause the cells to adsorb onto the substrate (a cell spreading step).

Abstract: The detection of rare cells can be achieved with high efficiency, without deteriorating the sensitivity of the detection. A detection method which enables the above-mentioned detection comprises: a first step of carrying out a pretreatment for removing erythrocytes from blood to prepare a cell suspension containing leukocytes and rare cells; a second step of providing all of the cells contained in the cell suspension produced in the first step onto an observation area having multiple holes formed thereon; a third step of taking an optical image of the cells that have been provided on the observation area; and a forth step of detecting the rare cells from the image obtained by the image taking in the third step.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is, in the case when a specific substance that has expressed on cells to be detected in a liquid sample is to be specifically stained, to provide a convenient cell staining method by which the damage and loss (flow out) of the cells in the collected sample are prevented, and the time has been shortened in a procedure for staining the cells in the liquid sample. Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a sample collection tube that is suitable for use in the above-mentioned cell staining method. A method for specifically staining a specific substance possessed by cells in a sample, including performing the following steps in one step: (A) a step of performing an immobilization treatment of the cells; and (B) a step of performing a permeabilization treatment of the cells.

Abstract: A cell-spreading device may include a microchamber chip having a microchamber capable of enclosing and retaining a cell, a channel-forming frame united with the microchamber chip to form a channel on the microchamber, an inlet provided in the channel-forming frame to allow a cell suspension to flow into the channel, and an outlet provided in the channel-forming frame to allow the cell suspension, which has been allowed to flow into the channel through the inlet, to flow out from the channel. When an aperture of the microchamber is projected perpendicularly to a longitudinal width of the microchamber chip, the void ratio that is a ratio of the sum total of voids to the longitudinal width is not more than 5%, the void being a length of a portion where the projected aperture of the microchamber is not present against the longitudinal width.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of detecting rare cells in which, upon spreading a cell suspension in a flow path formed on a microchamber chip, the loss of rare cells is reduced by improving the cell recovery rate. The present invention provides a method of detecting rare cells from a cell suspension by using a cell-spreading device 10 comprising a microchamber chip 1, a flow path-forming frame 2, an inlet port 3, and an outlet port 4; and a method of recovering rare cells comprising: the step (X) of introducing a cell suspension to a flow path 5 via the inlet port 3 so as to spread cells in the flow path 5 on the microchamber chip 1; and the step (Y) of storing the cells spread in the flow path 5 on the microchamber chip 1 in microchamber 6s by intermittent liquid feeding.

Abstract: Provided is a micro chamber chip for cell expansion, with which the non-specific adsorption of cells onto a surface other than a micro chamber can be suppressed, and a rare cell from a substance that contains a large quantity of cells, such as a blood, can be stored, held and observed without a leakage of the rare cell. A micro chamber chip for cell expansion is provided with a micro chamber chip in which a micro chamber configured to store and hold one or more cells is formed on an upper surface of a substrate, wherein an upper surface of the micro chamber chip and an inner wall surface of the micro chamber are coated with a blocking agent that can suppress a non-specific adsorption of a cell on the upper surface.

Abstract: The present invention may provide a method of removing red blood cells and a centrifuge tube for blood collection, which method and centrifuge tube can, when cells contained in blood are observed after spreading the cells, improve detection accuracy of rare cells contained in the blood, hardly causing loss of the rare cells. The method of removing red blood cells may include the steps of: (A) fixing cells contained in a blood-derived sample; and (B) subjecting the blood-derived sample obtained in the Step (A) to density gradient centrifugation to separate the sample into at least two layers, one of which contains a large amount of red blood cells and the other of which contains a large amount of cells other than red blood cells.

Abstract: A method for quantifying cells of interest potentially contained in a blood-derived sample in cases of their quantification after separation from the blood-derived sample may enable accurate quantification of the cells without causing underestimation of the cell number. The quantification method is a method for quantifying specific cells of interest, the method may include: (A) separating a blood-derived sample containing a known number (P0) of specific resin particles P into at least two layers including a layer of erythrocytes and a layer of cells other than erythrocytes; (B) extracting the layer of cells other than erythrocytes and counting the number of cells of interest and the number (P1) of the resin particles therein; and (C) correcting the number of cells of interest by multiplying the number of cells of interest by P0/P1.

Abstract: The detection of rare cells can be achieved with high efficiency, without deteriorating the sensitivity of the detection. A detection method which enables the above-mentioned detection comprises: a first step of carrying out a pretreatment for removing erythrocytes from blood to prepare a cell suspension containing leukocytes and rare cells; a second step of providing all of the cells contained in the cell suspension produced in the first step onto an observation area having multiple holes formed thereon; a third step of taking an optical image of the cells that have been provided on the observation area; and a forth step of detecting the rare cells from the image obtained by the image taking in the third step.