Device for measuring activity of cultured cells, microchamber and method of measuring activity of cultured cells

Abstract

A device for measuring activity of cultured cells includes a position detecting unit specifying a position of a cell to be measured, a microchamber controlling unit disposing in the culture container a microchamber which surrounds the cell and forms a measurement space, the measurement space being minute with respect to a volume of the culture container, and a measuring unit measuring environmental factors contained in the measurement space.

1 . A device for measuring activity of cultured cells, the device comprising:
 a position detecting unit specifying a position of a cell to be measured existing in a culture container;   a microchamber controlling unit disposing in the culture container a microchamber which surrounds the cell to be measured and forms a measurement space, the measurement space being minute with respect to a volume of the culture container; and   a measuring unit measuring environmental factors contained in the measurement space.   
     
     
         2 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an imaging device imaging the cell to be measured in the culture container, wherein   the position detecting unit specifies the position of the cell based on an observation image of the cell in the culture container imaged by the imaging device.   
     
     
         3 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the microchamber controlling unit positions the microchamber to the position of the cell to be measured specified by the position detecting unit.   
     
     
         4 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the measuring unit performs measurement on the cell to be measured specified by the position detecting unit.   
     
     
         5 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 1 , wherein
 information of the environmental factors measured by the measuring unit is correlated with each of identification information of the cell to be measured and measurement date and time information of the measuring unit, and is stored in a memory unit.   
     
     
         6 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a display unit displaying the observation image of the cell in the culture container imaged by the imaging device; and   an operation unit designating the cell to be measured based on the observation image displayed on the display unit.   
     
     
         7 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the measuring unit includes an environmental factor sensor disposed on an inside wall of the microchamber, and performs measurement of the environmental factors with the environmental factor sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the measuring unit performs optical measurement of the environmental factors with a microscope.   
     
     
         9 . The device for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the microchamber has a cup shape having an open bottom side to be in contact with a culture plane of the culture container and a closed upper side, the cup shape having a diameter of 50 mm to 100 mm and forming a measurement space; and   an environmental factor sensor measuring environmental factors is disposed on an inside of the cup shape.   
     
     
         10 . A microchamber having a cup shape which has an open bottom side to be in contact with a culture plane of the culture container and a closed upper side and forms a measurement space, comprising
 an environmental factor sensor measuring environmental factors is disposed on an inside of the cup shape.   
     
     
         11 . The microchamber according to  claim 10 , wherein
 a diameter of the cup shape is 50 mm to 100 mm.   
     
     
         12 . The microchamber according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the microchamber is formed of a material of amorphous fluororesin.   
     
     
         13 . A method for measuring activity of cultured cells, the method comprising:
 specifying a position of a cell to be measured existing in a culture container;   disposing in the culture container a microchamber which surrounds the cell to be measured and forms a measurement space, the measurement space being minute with respect to a volume of the culture container; and   measuring environmental factors contained in the measurement space.   
     
     
         14 . The method for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 imaging the cell to be measured in the culture container, wherein   in the specifying of the position, the position of the cell is specified based on an observation image of the cell in the culture container imaged by the imaging.   
     
     
         15 . The method for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 13 , wherein
 information of the environmental factors measured in the measuring is correlated with each of identification information of the cell to be measured and measurement date and time information of the measuring, and is stored in a memory unit.   
     
     
         16 . The method for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 displaying the observation image of the cell in the culture container imaged in the imaging; and   designating the cell to be measured based on the observation image displayed in the displaying.   
     
     
         17 . The method for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 13 , wherein
 in the disposing of the microchamber, the microchamber is positioned to the position of the cell to be measured specified in the specifying of the position.   
     
     
         18 . The method for measuring activity of cultured cells according to  claim 13 , wherein
 in the measuring, measurement is performed on the cell to be measured specified in the specifying of the position.