APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A SPATIAL ELONGATION OF AT LEAST ONE ADHERENT BIOLOGICAL CELL

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting a spatial elongation of at least one adherent biological cell is provided. The apparatus contains at least one biological cell, which is adhered to a substrate, a laser for irradiating the at least one biological cell for a spatial elongation of the cell in a direction parallel to the irradiation direction and a detector for detecting the spatial elongation of the cell in the direction parallel to the radiation direction. Further, a corresponding method for spatial elongation of an adherent biological cell is provided and the uses of the apparatus and of the method proposed. Using the apparatus and method, it is possible to ascertain, from parts of adherent cells to entire groups of adherent cells, the mechanical properties in the natural, adherent state of the cell(s) in spatially selective, temporally selective and contactless fashion.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. An apparatus for detecting a spatial elongation of at least one adherent cell, comprising (a) at least one biological cell on a substrate; (b) a laser for irradiating the at least one biological cell with electromagnetic radiation in a direction of irradiation, wherein the laser is configured to irradiate electromagnetic radiation on the at least one biological cell that effects a spatial elongation of the at least one biological cell in a direction parallel to the direction of irradiation; and (c) a detector for detecting a spatial elongation of the at least one biological cell in a direction parallel to the direction of irradiation; wherein the at least one biological cell is a biological cell adherent on the substrate.

19. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the apparatus does not have a laser that is configured to irradiate electromagnetic radiation onto the at least one biological cell in a further direction that has an angle of 180°, optionally an angle in the range from >90° to 180°, to the direction of irradiation.

20. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the apparatus is configured to move the laser along a surface of the substrate and/or to move the substrate along a surface of the substrate.

21. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the apparatus has a processing unit.

22. The apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive and evaluate data of the detector and/or of a data storage of the apparatus.

23. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the apparatus comprises a temperature control unit for tempering of the substrate.

24. The apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein (i) the temperature control unit is configured to temper the substrate to a temperature in the range from >0° C. to <60° C.; and/or (ii) the substrate comprises a channel system through which a cooling fluid of the temperature control unit can flow; and/ or (iii) the substrate has a specific heat capacity of less than 4 J/g.Math.K.

25. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the apparatus is configured to irradiate the electromagnetic radiation (i) at a wavelength in the range from 400 to 1200 nm; and/or (ii) at an intensity in the range from 10 to 4000 mW; and/or (iii) in a pulsed manner; and/or (iv) for a period in the range from 0.05 to 15 sec; and/or (v) at an angle to a surface of the substrate in the range from >0° to 90°; and/or (vi) with a beam width in the range from 0.1 to 800 μm; and/or (vii) simultaneously or sequentially onto at least one further biological cell, optionally onto a plurality of further biological cells.

26. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the detector for detecting a spatial elongation is selected from the group consisting of microscope, camera, and combinations thereof.

27. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the at least one biological cell is selected from the group consisting of prokaryote cell, archaea cell, and eukaryote cell.

28. A method for detecting a spatial elongation of at least one adherent cell, comprising: (a) irradiating at least one biological cell on a substrate with electromagnetic radiation by a laser in a direction of irradiation, wherein the electromagnetic radiation of the laser is selected such that it effects a spatial elongation of the at least one biological cell in a direction parallel to the direction of irradiation; and (b) detecting a spatial elongation of the at least one biological cell in a direction parallel to the direction of irradiation via a detector; wherein the at least one biological cell is a biological cell adherent on the substrate.

29. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein no laser is used in the method that irradiates electromagnetic radiation onto the at least one biological cell in a direction that has an angle of 180°, optionally an angle in the range from >90° to 180°, to the direction of irradiation.

30. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the laser is moved along a surface of the substrate and/or the substrate is moved along a surface of the substrate, preferably along a plane that is parallel to a surface of the substrate.

31. The method in accordance with claim 28, which utilizes a processing unit that receives and evaluates data of the detector and/or a data storage of the apparatus.

32. The method in accordance with claim 28, which utilizes a temperature control unit for tempering the substrate.

33. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the laser irradiates electromagnetic radiation (i) at a wavelength in the range from 400 to 1200 nm; and/or (ii) at an intensity in the range from 10 to 4000 mW; and/or (iii) in a pulsed manner; and/or (iv) for a period in the range from 0.05 to 15 sec.; and/or (v) at an angle to a surface of the substrate in the range from >0° to 90°; and/or (vi) with a beam width in the range from 0.1 to 800 μm; and/or vii) simultaneously or sequentially onto at least one further biological cell, optionally onto a plurality of further biological cells.

34. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the detector for detecting a spatial elongation is selected from the group consisting of microscope, camera, and combinations thereof.

35. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the at least one biological cell is selected from the group consisting of prokaryote cell, archaea cell, and eukaryote cell.

36. A method of conducting in vivo diagnosis of a disease in a person, said diseases causing a spatial elongation of at least one pathological adherent cell, the method comprising utilizing an apparatus according to claim 18.

Description

[0061] The subject matter in accordance with the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following Figure without intending to restrict it to the specific embodiment shown here.

[0062] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention. In FIG. 1A, it is shown how the spatial elongation of the biological cell 1 adherent on the substrate 2 takes place. Laser light of a laser 3 is here first deflected via a dichroic mirror onto a (simple) mirror 9. The (simple) mirror 9 in turn deflects the laser light of the laser 3 in the direction or irradiation 4, whereby the laser first passes through an objective 8 and then impacts the biological cell 1 through the (transparent) substrate 2. The biological cell 1 experiences a spatial elongation 5 due to the effect of the laser light. In FIG. 1B, it is shown how the spatial elongation 5 of the biological cell 1 can be detected via the detector 6. In this case, the apparatus additionally comprises a light source 7 for illuminating the cell 1 to amplify the light signal received at the detector 6. The cell 1 is illuminated by this light source 7 parallel to the direction of irradiation 4. The light deflected by the cell first passes through the (transparent) substrate 2 and then the objective to then impact the (simple) mirror 9. The (simple) mirror deflects the light of the cell 1 onto the dichroic mirror 10 that allows the light originating from the light source 7 to pass through and to impact the detector 6.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0063] 1: biological cell;

[0064] 2: substrate;

[0065] 3: laser;

[0066] 4: direction of irradiation;

[0067] 5: spatial elongation of the biological cell;

[0068] 6: detector for detecting a spatial elongation of the cell;

[0069] 7: light source to illuminate the cell;

[0070] 8: objective;

[0071] 9: mirror;

[0072] 10 dichroic mirror.