Systems and methods for analyzing and manipulating biological samples

Abstract

A system for qualifying cells of a cell sample labeled with a magnetic or magnetizable moiety is provided. The system includes a cell sample holder for holding a cell of the cells and a first cell analyzer which includes a magnetic field source for applying a magnetic field to the cell and a sensor for qualifying and/or quantifying an effect of the magnetic field on the cell.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of identifying cells of interest in a cell sample comprising:
 (a) labeling cells with at least one type of a magnetic or magnetizable moiety;   (b) transferring said cells to a device comprising a cell sample holder and a first cell analyzer, said first cell analyzer comprising:   (i) a magnetic field source for applying a magnetic field to said cells; and   (ii) a sensor comprising:   (1) an induction coil, and   (2) a circuit configured for qualifying and/or quantifying an effect of said magnetic field on said cells, said effect being induction of current in said induction coil by said cells labeled with said magnetic or magnetizable moiety,   wherein said cell sample holder is a capillary tube and said magnetic field source and said induction coil of said sensor surround said capillary tube, and   (c) exposing said cells in said cell sample holder to a magnetic field from a magnetic field source;   (d) measuring a response of each cell of said cells to said magnetic field with said sensor; and   (e) identifying the cells of interest according to said response.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising exposing said cells to a second cell analyzer for qualifying and/or quantifying a feature of said cells. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field source and said sensor are electromagnetic coils. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field source and said sensor are incorporated into a single electromagnetic coil. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first cell analyzer produces a transient magnetic field. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an internal diameter of said capillary tube is selected so as to restrict passage therethrough to a single cell. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field source generates a pulsating magnetic field. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field source generates a magnetic field of alternating polarity. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said magnetic field source varies a polarity shift of said magnetic field of alternating polarity. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of analyzing at least one feature of at least a subset of cells of the cell sample prior to, during or following step (c). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of separating cells of interest from the cell sample according to said response following step (e). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cells of interest are stem cells. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coil inductance of said induction coil is approximately 40 μH.