1. A holding device for studying cells comprising:
at least one cavity adapted to receive a sample of cells in a medium consisting essentially of water, the cavity having a substrate, wherein the substrate includes a surface for receiving the medium, and wherein the surface includes a multiplicity of pico liter wells and is characterized in that the substrate is substantially translucent and has a refractive index equal to the refractive index of the medium.
2. The holding device of claim 1, wherein the medium comprises water and wherein the substrate has a Refractive Index of 1.33.
3. The holding device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is moldable.
4. The holding device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is inert.
5. The holding device of claim 1, wherein the holding device is a carrier plate, and wherein a first adhesive is disposed between the carrier plate and the substrate.
6. The holding device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the substrate, and the first adhesive are UV-light curable.
7. The holding device of claim 5, wherein the first adhesive is an acrylic.
8. The holding device of claim 6, further including a light source transmitting the UV-light through a bottom surface of the at least one cavity.
9. The holding device of claim 8, wherein the substrate is exposed to the UV-light under vacuum pressure.
10. The holding device of claim 9, wherein the vacuum pressure is in the range of 0.3-0.5 mmHg.
11. The holding device of claim 8, wherein the substrate is exposed to the UV-light under inert gas.
12. The holding device of claim 1 wherein the cavity includes a generally inert wall.
13. The holding device of claim 12 including an adhesive disposed between the generally inert wall and the substrate.
14. The holding device of claim 13 wherein the adhesive is UV-light curable.
15. The holding device of claim 13 wherein the adhesive is an acrylic.
16. A method of making a holding device for studying cells, comprising the steps of:
providing a carrier plate;
forming a multiplicity of pico liter wells in a substrate with a template;
curing the substrate; and
removing the template.
17. The method according to claim 16, in which the step of curing the substrate includes exposing the substrate to UV-light through the carrier plate.
18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising repeating the step of curing the substrate after removing the template, wherein the step of curing the substrate after removing the template includes exposing the substrate to UV-light under a vacuum pressure through the carrier plate.
19. The method according to claim 16, in which the step of forming a multiplicity of pico liter wells in the substrate with a template further comprises embossing a surface of the substrate with a die.
20. The method according to claim 16 further comprising applying an adhesive layer to the carrier plate.
21. The method according to claim 20 comprising depositing the cured substrate on the adhesive layer.
22. The method according to claim 21 comprising applying a second adhesive layer to the substrate.
23. The method according to claim 22 comprising attaching a wall structure to the second adhesive layer.
24. A method of making a holding device, comprising the steps of:
providing a layer of curable substrate;
embossing a multiplicity of pico liter wells in a surface of the curable substrate; and
curing the substrate.
25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of disposing a first adhesive between the curable substrate and a wall structure.
26. The method according to claim 24, in which the step of curing the substrate comprises exposing the substrate to the UV-light through the carrier.
27. The method according to claim 24, further comprising disposing a wall structure on the layer of curable substrate.
28. A method of making a holding device for studying cells comprising the steps of:
providing a carrier plate having a plurality of cavities surrounded by walls;
depositing a curable substrate in each cavity;
embossing a multiplicity of pico liter wells in the curable substrate with a die; and
curing the substrate.
29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of applying a first adhesive layer in each cavity before depositing the curable substrate in each cavity.
30. The method according to claim 28, in which the step of curing the substrate comprises exposing the substrate and the first adhesive to UV-light through the carrier plate when the die is in place.
31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the steps of removing the die and exposing the substrate to UV-light under a vacuum or inert gas through the carrier plate.
32. A holding device for studying cells comprising:
a layer of substantially transparent substrate material having a multiplicity of pico liter wells having a refractive index of 1.33; and,
a wall structure attached to the substrate.
33. The holding device of claim 32, wherein the substrate is UV-light curable.
34. The holding device of claim 32, further comprising a first adhesive disposed between the wall structure and the substrate.
35. The holding device of claim 32, further comprising a substantially transparent carrier plate having a plurality of cavities surrounded by walls formed in a first surface of the carrier plate, wherein the layer of substantially transparent substrate material is disposed on the carrier plate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A fluid control apparatus comprising:
a fluid controller;
extended flow-channel blocks provided at opposite sides of the fluid controller and having a fluid flow channel communicated with a corresponding fluid flow channel of the fluid controller; and
a pair of support flow-channel blocks which have fluid flow channels communicated with the fluid flow channels of the extended flow-channel blocks and are secured to a base member to support the fluid controller, wherein
each of the support flow-channel blocks includes a large block portion which has a fluid flow channel and an opening thereof abutted against an opening of the fluid flow channel in each of the extended flow-channel blocks with seal means interposed therebetween and, also, is in contact with a lower surface of each of the extended flow-channel blocks, and a small block portion which has a lower surface flushed with the large block portion and has a height smaller than a height of the large block portion, and the small block portion is provided with a male-screw-member insertion hole for mounting each of the support flow-channel blocks to the base member.
2. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
each of the extended flow-channel blocks is mounted to the fluid controller main body, such that the lower surface of the extended flow-channel block is at a position higher than a lower surface of the fluid controller main body, and a top-portion side surface of the large block portion is in contact with a side surface of a flow-rate adjustment device main body.
3. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
a single male screw member from above for mounting each of the extended flow-channel blocks to the corresponding support flow-channel block is provided outside the seal means.