Cell collection apparatus, cell collecting system, and cell collecting method

Abstract

In order to pick up a sufficient amount of cells for a genetic test from a section of a biological tissue with a simple structure and a simple operation, provided is a cell collection apparatus comprising: a substrate which is provided to be dividable into a plurality of small pieces along a predetermined dividing line, and which has a flat surface to which a section of a biological tissue can be pasted; a sheet-shaped expandable member to which the substrate can be adhered in a detachable manner, and which is expandable in a direction along the surface; a expansion unit for expanding the expandable member in at least a region adhered with the substrate, in a direction along the surface; and a pickup unit for detaching and picking up the divided small pieces from the expandable member.

1 . A cell collection apparatus comprising:
 a substrate which is provided to be dividable into a plurality of small pieces along a predetermined dividing line, and which has a flat surface to which a section of a biological tissue can be pasted;   a sheet-shaped expandable member to which the substrate can be adhered in a detachable manner, and which is expandable in a direction along the surface;   a expansion unit for expanding the expandable member in at least a region adhered with the substrate, in a direction along the surface; and   a pickup unit for detaching and picking up the divided small pieces from the expandable member.   
     
     
         2 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the expandable member has stickiness on its surface. 
     
     
         3 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of separated small pieces adhered to the expandable member in mutually adjacent and aligned state. 
     
     
         4 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the dividing line is composed of a groove formed in the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the expandable member comprises an optically transparent or semi-transparent material. 
     
     
         6 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the small piece is in a cuboid-shape having a thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 mm and side lengths of 0.05 to 5.0 mm. 
     
     
         7 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the expansion unit comprises:
 a fixing member for fixing a periphery of the region of the expandable member being adhered with the substrate, in a predetermined shape; and   a pressing member for pressing the region of the expandable member being fixed by the fixing member, from a side of the surface opposite side to the surface adhered with the substrate.   
     
     
         8 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pickup unit comprises: a needle member for pushing a position of the expandable member being adhered with the small pieces, from the surface on the opposite side to the surface adhered with the small pieces. 
     
     
         9 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cell collection apparatus further comprises: a holding member for holding the region of the expandable member in a expanded state. 
     
     
         10 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the holding member is capable of holding the surface of the expandable member on the side adhered with the substrate to be faced downward. 
     
     
         11 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pickup unit is a suction member which adheres by suction to and picks up the small pieces from the surface of the expandable member where the substrate is adhered, and the interior of which can be sucked to a negative pressure. 
     
     
         12 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the small piece is a magnetic particle having a diameter of 0.001 to 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         13 . A cell collection apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the pickup unit has a magnet which generates a magnetic force to attract the magnetic particle, in a space of an approximately same size as that of the dimension of the small piece. 
     
     
         14 . A cell collecting system comprising:
 a cell collection apparatus according to  claim 1 ; and   an observation device for observing the section on the substrate being adhered to the expandable member.   
     
     
         15 . A cell collecting method comprising:
 (a) pasting a section of a biological tissue on a surface of a substrate that can be divided into a plurality of small pieces along a predetermined dividing line, while having the section bridged over the dividing line;   (b) dividing the substrate and the section of the biological tissue along the dividing line, by expanding the substrate pasted with the section in a direction along the surface; and   (c) picking up the small pieces of the section that has been divided in the step (b).