Multiwell instrument
11325130 · 2022-05-10
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B01L2200/0647
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
C12M25/04
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
B01L3/5085
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B01L3/50855
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B01L2300/0829
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B01L3/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A multiwell instrument includes a vessel having an inside; a plurality of culture plates arranged in the inside of the vessel, each individual one of the plurality of culture plates having an inside in which material to be examined can be stored; and filters disposed inside the respective culture plates to partition the insides of the respective culture plates into at least two wells which are horizontally adjacent.
Claims
1. A multiwell instrument comprising: a vessel having an inside; a plurality of culture plates arranged in the inside of the vessel, each individual one itself of the plurality of culture plates having an inside in which biomaterial to be cultured and examined can be stored; and boundary portions disposed inside the respective culture plates to partition the insides of the respective culture plates into at least two wells which are horizontally adjacent, wherein each of the boundary portions comprises a filter with a hole diameter of 5 μm or less, and a step is formed between a surface of the boundary portion and a surface of the filter, wherein the filter is configured: (i) not to allow the biomaterial to pass through; and (ii) to allow a specific substance secreted from the biomaterial to pass through, and wherein each of the boundary portions and each of the culture plates in which each of the boundary portions is disposed are molded into a single piece.
2. A method for performing screening of a biomaterial by using the multiwell instrument according to claim 1.
3. A method for performing screening of a substance secreted from a biomaterial by using the multiwell instrument according to claim 1.
4. A method comprising: disposing a biomaterial in a first of two adjacent wells in the multiwell instrument according to claim 1; disposing one of the filters that is configured to allow the specific substance secreted from the biomaterial to pass through, between the two adjacent wells, wherein the specific substance is a first substance; and disposing a second substance that is able to chemically bind to the first substance in a second of the two adjacent wells.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein screening is performed by setting the two adjacent wells as a pair, and using the multiwell instrument in which a plurality of the pairs are arranged.
6. A multiwell instrument comprising: a vessel having an inside; a plurality of culture plates arranged in the inside of the vessel, each individual one itself of the plurality of culture plates having an inside in which biomaterial to be cultured and examined can be stored; and boundary portions disposed inside the respective culture plates to partition the insides of the respective culture plates into at least two wells which are horizontally adjacent, wherein each of the boundary portions comprises a filter, wherein the filter is configured: (i) not to allow the biomaterial to pass through; and (ii) to allow a specific substance secreted from the biomaterial to pass through, and wherein the culture plates are spaced apart inside the vessel such that there is an empty space or void between each adjacent pair of the culture plates.
7. A method for performing screening of a biomaterial by using the multiwell instrument according to claim 6.
8. A method for performing screening of a substance secreted from a biomaterial by using the multiwell instrument according to claim 6.
9. A method comprising: disposing a biomaterial in a first of two adjacent wells in the multiwell instrument according to claim 6; disposing one of the filters that is configured to allow the specific substance secreted from the biomaterial to pass through, between the two adjacent wells, wherein the specific substance is a first substance; and disposing a second substance that is able to chemically bind to the first substance in a second of the two adjacent wells.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein screening is performed by setting the two adjacent wells as a pair, and using the multiwell instrument in which a plurality of the pairs are arranged.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
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DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
(11) Hereinafter, respective embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment
(12)
(13) As illustrated in a plan view of
(14) The body 2 may be made of plastics, glass or the like, but is not limited to these materials. Further, the body 2 may be made of a colorless or colored transparent material, but can be made of a nontransparent material. Further, the body 2 can be made by integral molding with all of the boundary portions 4. As a matter of course, the body 2 also can be made by combining several components. Further, it is also possible to make the boundary portions 4 from a colorless or colored transparent material, or a colored nontransparent material.
(15) In an example illustrated in the drawing, the wells 3 are formed in two rows and in eight columns. Here, the well 3 in an i row and in a j column is expressed as W1j (i=1 to 2, j=1 to 8).
(16)
(17) As illustrated in
(18) As illustrated in
(19) When a specimen in the well is observed by using an optical microscope or the like, the bottom surface 10 is preferably made transparent. In this case, by irradiating light from the transparent bottom surface, it becomes easy to observe the specimen in the well. In contrast to this, when fluorescence in the well is observed, it becomes possible to facilitate observation by making the bottom surface 10 a dark color (black).
(20) For example, the bottom surface 10 of the well 3 can be made transparent by forming the bottom surface of the well 3 as an opening portion at first, and joining a transparent plate 11 such as glass over an entire bottom surface of the multiwell instrument 1. When the lower section 8 is in a cylindrical shape, the bottom surface 10 of the well 3 is also circular as illustrated in
(21) When a cell is cultured in the well 3, a sufficient volume of supernatant can be stored in an upper region of the well 3 and allowed to penetrate into the adjacent well through the filter 6, by making the cross-sectional area of the lower section 8 smaller than the cross-sectional area of the upper section 7. On the other hand, the volume is small in a lower region of the well 3, so that it becomes possible to prevent a culture solution from being increased more than necessary as a whole. Further, it becomes possible to form an area of the bottom surface 10 to be smaller than an area of the upper opening portion 5, and there is provided a merit that an inspection substance adhering to the bottom surface 10 can be easily observed, for example, as compared with the case where the bottom surface 10 is formed to have the same area and shape as the upper opening portion 5. That is, when the bottom surface 10 is formed into a circular shape, portions at four corners are cut as compared with the rectangular bottom surface, so that it becomes possible to perform observation without being affected by the substances which are accumulated at the corners.
(22) Other than the shape of the inner wall portion of the well 3 illustrated in
(23) The multiwell instrument of the present invention is suitable for culturing a biomaterial such as a cell. A plurality of wells are included, and in particular, the filters are provided between the respective wells and adjacent wells, so that only a culture medium is shared by the wells connected by the filter without bringing biomaterials in the adjacent wells into direct contact with each other. By using the filter that allows a specific substance, for example, a specific substance secreted from a biomaterial to pass through, it becomes possible to investigate an influence of the specific substance on the biomaterial in the adjacent well, for example.
(24) Next, a use method of the multiwell instrument 1 according to the first embodiment will be described specifically.
(25) According to the multiwell instrument 1 according to the first embodiment, the filter 6 is provided in the boundary portion 4 of the two wells W1j and W2j (j=1, 2, . . . 8) adjacent in the same column. As an example, it is assumed that different cells C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 (not illustrated) are cultured respectively in the two wells W1j and W2j, and as the filter 6, a filter is used, which allows a secretion substance X.sub.1 of the cell C.sub.1 and a secretion substance X.sub.2 of the cell C.sub.2 to pass through, but does not allow the cells C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 to pass through.
(26) When the cells C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 are cultured respectively in the respective wells W1j and W2j, the secretion substances X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are released from the respective cells. The cells C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 cannot pass through the filter 6, and are relatively heavy, so that the cells C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 are distributed in vicinities of the bottom portions of the wells, and parts of the cells accumulate on the bottom surfaces 10. On the other hand, the secretion substances X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 disperse in the respective wells, and parts of the secretion substances reaching upper portions of the wells as supernatants pass through the filter 6 to penetrate into the adjacent well. That is, the secretion substance X.sub.1penetrates into the well W2j, and the secretion substance X.sub.2 penetrates into the well W1j.
(27) The penetrated secretion substances X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 disperse in the respective adjacent wells, and reach the cells C.sub.2 and C.sub.1 in the adjacent wells. The cells C.sub.2 and C.sub.1can be affected by the secretion substances X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 from the different cells under the environment in which they are placed. In this way, it becomes easy to investigate an interaction of the different cells by observing the respective cells accumulated on the bottom surfaces 10 of the wells W1j and W2j which are adjacent in the same column.
(28) Further, by changing the kind of cells, and properly changing the condition such as the kind of culture solution for each column (j=1, 2, . . . 8), it becomes possible to grasp a difference in interaction between the cells for each kind of cell and for each condition, at a time.
(29) As described above, it is possible to use the instrument in screening a biomaterial having a specific property, or a substance having a specific property.
(30) As another use method, it is possible to change a hole diameter of the filter 6, and allow the secretion substance X.sub.1 of the cell C.sub.1 to pass through, but not to allow the secretion substance X.sub.2 of the cell C.sub.2. In this case, the secretion substance X.sub.1 can penetrate into the well W2j and affect the cell C.sub.2, but the secretion substance X.sub.2 cannot penetrate into the well W1j and affect the cell C.sub.1. This makes it possible to identify a causative factor of the interaction between the cells C.sub.1 and C.sub.2.
(31) In the case where it is unknown which secretion substance affects cells, or the like, the hole diameter of the filter 6 is changed at each column j=1, 2, . . . 8), and the kind of the secretion substance that can pass through is changed at each column, whereby which secretion substance affects cells in what manner can be easily identified.
(32) As still another use method, a use method is possible, that puts a cell in only one of the two adjacent wells, and does not put a cell in the other well. In this case, as the filter 6, a filter that allows a specific secretion substance which is an object to be inspected to pass through is used. The substance secreted from the cell passes through the filter 6, moves to the adjacent well, and adheres to the bottom surface 10 of the adjacent well. It becomes possible to quantify the secretion substance adhering to the bottom surface 10.
(33) As a specific example of the still other use method described above, it is possible to use the multiwell instrument of the present invention in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA: Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay). ELISA generally treats a cell extract, a supernatant or the like, thereafter adds the cell extract, the supernatant or the like to what is made by sticking antibody to a plate bottom surface (a so-called ELISA plate), and quantifies the cell extract or the like by using properties of the antibody and a coloring substance. In the present invention, an ELISA function may be put into one of the two wells connected by the filter, for example. The substance secreted from the cell passes through the filter to reach the other well, where a protein or the like can be quantified.
(34) An antibody is generally coated (adheres) onto the bottom surface 10 of plastics easily, and in general, a primary antibody is caused to adhere to an entire surface. In this case, a measured substance bound to the antibody generally glows dimly. As the amount of the measured substance is large, the bound amount is also large, and the measured substance which is bound is not removed even in a cleaning process, and is resultantly measured as a signal with high intensity. In one aspect of the present invention, with an objective of measuring transition in a natural process, the cleaning process may not be performed. In that case, a fine magnet or iron is fixed to only a part of the bottom surface, and the other parts are made less susceptible to adherence of antibodies. It is possible to provide a mechanism that causes magnetic beads to adhere to the antibody side, and thereby antibodies adhere to only a specific part. Note that a method for causing antibodies to adhere to only a part of the bottom surface is not limited to the above described example, but other methods may be used.
Second Embodiment
(35) In the first embodiment, the instrument in which the wells are arranged in two rows and in eight columns, and the filter is provided in each of the boundary portions of the two wells adjacent in the same columns is described. However, the cases are conceivable, in which an interaction among three or more different cells is inspected, in which the number of conditions that are changed for each column is larger than eight, and in which the number of conditions which are changed for each column may be smaller than eight.
(36) Therefore, a second embodiment provides an instrument in which wells are arranged in m rows and n columns (m≥2, n≥2), which is more generalized, as illustrated in
(37) In the second embodiment, an instrument in which wells are arranged in optimal numbers of rows and columns in accordance with an inspection object can be selected.
(38) Further, in the second embodiment, an instrument in which the filter 6 is provided in a certain boundary portion of boundary portions among arbitrary adjacent wells is provided. For example, in the case of the instrument of the well arrangement with two rows and 16 columns, the second embodiment includes not only the case where the filter is provided in the boundary portion between the wells in different rows and in the same column, but also the case where the filter is also provided in the boundary portion between two wells adjacent in the same row, as in the first embodiment.
(39) Accordingly, in the second embodiment, in accordance with disposition of the filter, a group of the wells communicating with each other through the filter can be properly selected in accordance with a use object.
(40)
(41) In the instrument illustrated in
(42) Further, as in group C, the filters 6 may be provided between adjacent wells in all of wells W21, W22, . . . , W28 which are arranged in the second row. In this case, it becomes possible to study an interaction among eight kinds of cells.
(43) Further, not only the wells which continue in the same rows (or columns) are made the objects which are caused to communicate with one another as in groups A to C, but also the filters 6 may be provided in all of boundary portions between wells (W31, W32, W41, W42) which are adjacent in different rows and different columns as in group D.
(44) Furthermore, as an aspect of causing wells across two or more rows and columns to communicate with one another, there is an aspect like group E. That is, in group E, not only a group of wells (W33, W34, W35) which continue in a certain row, and a group of wells (W43, W44, W45) which continue in a different row are caused to communicate with one another in the same rows, but also the filter is provided in the boundary portion between the wells W33 and W43. Thereby, it becomes possible to cause six wells in total to communicate with one other through the filters.
(45) In group F, the filter is provided between two wells (W36, W46) which are adjacent in the same column. As a matter of course, an aspect of causing three or more wells in the same column to communicate with one another is also conceivable.
(46) Further, like wells W37, W38, W47 and W48, independent wells which are not provided with filters between the wells and adjacent wells also can be disposed. Thereby, it becomes possible to use cells which are not affected by secretion substances from the other cells as comparison objects, or it becomes possible to use some of the wells which are formed in the instrument according to the present embodiment like the conventional multititer plate.
Third Embodiment
(47) In the second embodiment, the instrument in which the disposition of the filters 6 is set in advance is provided.
(48) In the third embodiment, in order to make it possible to dispose the filters 6 detachably and attachably, slits in which the filters are insertable are provided in the boundary portions of the wells which are adjacent in the same rows and the same columns, in the multiwell instrument in
(49) The filter frames 12 are capable of being inserted in and detached from the slits 14, 15 and 16, and each includes a filter 6a and a seal portion 13. When the filter frame 12 is inserted in each of the slits 14, 15 and 16, the filter 6a is contained in a through-hole 9 which penetrates through the adjacent wells, and the seal portion 13 hermetically closes a space between the through-hole 9 and the filter frame 12.
(50) When the adjacent wells are shut off, a frame which is not provided with the filter is inserted in the slit between the wells which are desired to be shut off. Further, it is also possible to make filters that are inserted in other slits 15 and 16 filters 6b and 6c (filters with different hole diameters, for example) which are different from the filter 6a.
(51) According to the third embodiment, it becomes possible to dispose an arbitrary filter in the arbitrary well boundary portion 4, so that it becomes possible to provide the multiwell instrument which enables various use methods as illustrated in
(52) In the example of
(53) Further, the third embodiment also includes a mode in which slit are present in some of the boundary portions, instead of all of the boundary portions.
Fourth Embodiment
(54) In the above described embodiment, the example in which the filter 6 is disposed inside the boundary portion 4 is shown, but a mode in which only a filter is disposed in adjacent wells or a mode in which a filter and a frame of the filter are disposed is also within the scope of the present invention. That is, a mode in which at least some of the boundary portions 4 have only the filters 6, or only the filters 6 and the frames of the filters 6 is possible. Further, as the well, a mode except for the well formed in the body 2 as described above is also possible.
(55) An example of the above modes is illustrated in
(56) As illustrated in
(57) There are various modified examples in the fourth embodiment, and a multiwell vessel that uses, for example, the single culture plate 21 independently without using the base vessel 20 is also possible. Further, a size and a shape of the culture plate 21 may be variously changed, and the culture plates 21 which are arranged in the single base vessel 20 may have shapes other than the circular culture plate, or different shapes and size respectively.
(58) Further, the filter frame 22 may be formed so that a filter is disposed at a higher position as in the boundary portion 4 illustrated in
(59) The above is the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiments, and can be changed arbitrarily and properly within the scope intended by the present invention.
(60) For example, in the arrangement of the wells with m rows and n columns illustrated in
(61) Further, the present invention is not limited to the examples disclosed in the specification and the drawings as for the shape of the well 3. For example, the upper opening portion 5 and the upper section 7 of the well are described as in a rectangular shape, but are not limited to this shape, and can take any other form such as a polygonal column and a cylindrical shape. Further, the lower section 8 of the well is described as in a circular column shape, but is not limited to this shape, and can take any other form such as a polygonal column.
(62) Further, in the above described example, the sectional shapes and the sectional areas in the upper section and the lower section of the well are made different, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sectional shapes and the sectional areas of the upper section and the lower section may be made the same. For example, as illustrated in
(63) Further, in the fourth embodiment illustrated in
(64) Further, the filter 6 is described as rectangular, but the filter 6 is not limited to this shape, but can have any shape such as a semicircle, a circle, a triangle, and a polygon. Further, the shape of the bottom surface 10 is not limited to a circular shape, and the bottom surface 10 in a shape such as a polygon is also included in the scope of the present invention.
(65) Further, the body 2 of the multiwell instrument 1 is described as the body in a flat-plate shape, but a body formed into a column shape by increasing the depth of the well 3 is also within the scope of the present invention.
(66) Furthermore, the use method of the multiwell instrument 1 is not limited to the disclosed contents. For example, the use method of the multiwell instrument 1 described in the first embodiment is also applicable in the second and third embodiments.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
(67) 1 Multiwell instrument
(68) 2 Body
(69) 3 Well
(70) 4 Boundary portion
(71) 5 Upper opening portion
(72) 6, 6a, 6b, 6c Filter
(73) 7 Upper section (inner wall portion)
(74) 8 Lower section (inner wall portion)
(75) 9 Through-hole
(76) 10 Bottom surface
(77) 11 Transparent plate
(78) 12 Filter frame
(79) 13 Seal portion
(80) 14, 15, 16 Slit
(81) 20 Base vessel
(82) 21 Culture plate
(83) 22 Filter frame