Patent Application
20080248563
This invention relates to a container or culture dish that is to be used for the preparation and to allow the user to complete certain procedures on the specimens. The dish allows the user to perform multiple procedures, such as micro manipulations, micro injection and biopsies on the specimens such as oocytes, spermatozoa, embryos and stem cells with greater ease, in less time and allowing more productivity. The dish includes multiple depressions in its bottom surface which create a unique working configuration. The depressions provide ease in locating the specimens as well as the ability to perform such multiple procedures, also resulting in the use of fewer micro manipulation tools and instruments, than are now used to perform similar procedures. The dish can be used for a wide range of specimens of animal and human cells, tissues, stem cells, embryos, oocytes, immature oocytes, sperm precursor cells, embryonic cells, blastocysts, and spermatozoa with all such specimens receiving the same benefits.
Current devices, containers or culture dishes used for procedures such as micro manipulation and are used for Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are not unique and are mostly generic, off-the-shelf, dishes used for these procedures. The micro manipulation of immature oocytes, mature oocytes, gametes, zygotes, embryos, cleavage stage embryos, blastocyst stage embryos, precursor cells, and such, referred to herein as “specimens”, are done in standard 30 mm, 50 mm or 60 mm Petri dishes, with no unique features, that simply have flat bottoms and lids for storage purposes.
One problem with using generic Petri dishes in micro manipulation of specimen procedures is that they do not have unique dish configurations which enhance their utility in such procedures. Another problem with the current dishes is that they require the user to use micro drops of a specimen medium solution on the surface of the dish. Some dishes may create surface tension problems with the specimen medium solution. This can result in the micro drops collapsing and the media solution that the sample is in becomes compromised by an overlain layer of oil. The reverse may happen too and the droplets may not adhere well to the bottom of the dish causing them to move in the dish. Yet another problem with the current dishes is that for a user to perform an ICSI or other micro manipulation procedure such as biopsy, assisted hatching etc., procedure they must use a holding pipette and ICSI pipette or other micro tool. The holding pipette is for holding the specimen in place in the dish and the ICSI pipette is for injection of something into the specimen in the dish, for example, for injecting sperm into an oocyte for IVF fertilization procedure. This requires at least two pipettes to perform the procedure which increases costs and results in extra work required to set up two tools for each procedure. Yet another problem incurred by use of current off the shelf dishes is that the user has difficulty in locating the specimen in the dish. Thus time must be spent locating the specimen and then capturing the specimen with the holding pipette or moving it under a microscope or correcting its position in the dish.
It would be highly desirable to provide a specimen treatment dish that will inherently locate the specimen being treated in a definite predetermined location in the dish and retain the specimen in that definite location.
This invention relates to an improved container or dish and method for using the invention for the micro manipulation, micro injection and/or biopsy of spermatozoa, sperm precursor cells, oocytes, pre-implantation embryos, zygotes, blastocysts, embryonic cells and stem cells, collectively referred to hereinafter as “specimen” or “specimens”. The dish consists of a plurality of wells, each having a precisely configured side walls, base or floor which will hold the specimen in place and allow the user to work on the specimen. The dish will also allow the user to readily locate the specimens within the dish. The wells are configured to allow the user to readily move about the dish, locate samples and be able to perform the micro manipulation procedures more quickly and concisely. The sizes, shapes and heights all work together in harmony to allow the user to more effectively perform certain delicate procedures with more quickly and with more predictable and more accurately controlled results.
The following is a listing of several desirable objects of this invention.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved container or dish for the micro manipulation or micro injection of specimens while improving speed, ease of procedure, efficacy and possibly clinical outcome.
It is another object of this invention is to provide a container or dish of the character described for the biopsy of embryos and obtaining stem cells more quickly and more accurately.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dish of the character described which allows the user to reduce costs by reducing the number of instruments and time needed to perform the procedures.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved dish of the character described which allows the user to learn procedures faster by reducing the number of steps needed to perform micro manipulation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved dish of the character described which allows the user to locate the cells faster and/or use an automated tool aimed at micro manipulating robotically as the object specimen will be locate at predetermined coordinates.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring now to
It will be appreciated that the dish of this invention can be used in micro manipulation procedures involving minute specimens such as single cells, embryos, stem cells, and the like. The specimen in question can be deposited in a well in the dish and will be located in a definite position in the well where it will be relatively immobilized for treatment and/or analysis. The wells can be used for culturing the specimens during the procedures involving the micro manipulation of the specimens.
While the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
