Array of needle manipulators for biological cell injection

{
  "publication_number": "US11680277B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Array of needle manipulators for biological cell injection",
  "abstract": "A device is provided, comprising a cell trap comprising a plurality of micro-chambers, each micro-chamber configured to hold a cell. The device can further comprise a manipulator array comprising a plurality of manipulators, each manipulator in spatial communication with a respective micro-chamber, wherein each manipulator comprises a needle, a stage, and an actuator, wherein the needle is mounted to the stage, and the actuator is operable to apply force to the stage in a direction to move the needle to penetrate a cell in the respective micro-chamber.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A manipulator array comprising: a substrate; a plurality of manipulators arranged on the substrate, each manipulator comprising a needle, a stage, a tether, and an actuator, wherein the needle is mounted to the stage, the stage is connected to the actuator by the tether, and the actuator is operable to apply tension in at least one axis to actuate the stage in a direction to manipulate the needle; and a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array comprising a portion of the plurality of manipulators, and interconnects formed on each side of each sub-array, wherein the plurality of sub-arrays are arranged together on the substrate with at least a portion of the interconnects located at a periphery of the manipulator array.",
    "2. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein each manipulator comprises a plurality of actuators operable to apply tension in more than one axis to actuate the stage in a direction to manipulate the needle.",
    "3. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein at least one sub-array of the plurality of manipulators is three-sided.",
    "4. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein the interconnects comprise connections to the actuator, and wherein each interconnect is associated with a manipulator.",
    "5. The manipulator array of claim 1, the interconnects comprising a local interconnect, a transitional interconnect and a universal interconnect, wherein the universal interconnect is connected to the transitional interconnect, and the transitional interconnect is connected to the local interconnect.",
    "6. The manipulator array of claim 2, wherein the plurality of actuators are operable to apply tension in three directions.",
    "7. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuators are operable to provide tensile forces.",
    "8. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein the manipulator array is operable to receive applied voltages at the interconnect, the voltages generating electrostatic forces to cause the actuator to apply tension so as to actuate the stage parallel to a plane parallel with the manipulator array to manipulate the needle.",
    "9. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein the manipulator array is operable to receive applied voltages at the interconnect, the voltages generating electrostatic forces to cause the actuator to apply tension so as to actuate the stage transverse to a plane parallel with the manipulator array to manipulate the needle.",
    "10. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein the manipulator array is operable to receive applied voltages at the interconnect at a periphery of the device, the voltages generating electrostatic forces to cause the actuator to apply forces so as to actuate the stage parallel to a plane parallel with the manipulator to move the needle with respect to the associated micro-chamber of the cell trap.",
    "11. The manipulator array of claim 1, wherein the manipulator array is operable to receive applied voltages at the interconnect at a periphery of the device, the voltages generating electrostatic forces to cause the actuator to apply forces so as to actuate the stage transverse to a plane parallel with the manipulator to move the needle with respect to the associated micro-chamber of the cell trap.",
    "12. A device comprising: the manipulator array of claim 1; and a cell trap comprising a plurality of micro-chambers, each micro-chamber configured to hold a cell.",
    "13. The device of claim 12, wherein each manipulator of the manipulator array is in spatial communication with a respective micro-chamber and wherein the actuator of each manipulator is operable to apply force to the respective stage in a direction to move the respective needle to penetrate a cell in the respective micro-chamber."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This disclosure relates to improvements in respect of manipulation via needles for injecting biological cells.\n\nInjecting biological cells can be achieved by using a microneedle or nanoneedle to penetrate the cell to deliver an agent to be injected. Conventional approaches involve using a device to move the needle in 3-D. Conventional devices use micro-engineered machine (MEMS) technologies involving devices formed from silicon wafer.\n\nThere is an accepted need to make biological cell injection operation as cost-effective as possible, and to provide an array of needle manipulators which results in improved throughput of biological cell injection operations and is readily controllable.\n\nThe applicant has observed potential advantage in a number of devices in parallel on a single silicon wafer.\n\nThe applicant has observed a potential advantage in controlling a number of devices in parallel on a single silicon wafer.\n\nIn an embodiment, a device is provided, comprising a cell trap comprising a plurality of micro-chambers, each micro-chamber configured to hold a cell. The device can further comprise a manipulator array comprising a plurality of manipulators, each manipulator in spatial communication with a respective micro-chamber, wherein each manipulator comprises a needle, a stage, and an actuator, wherein the needle is mounted to the stage, and the actuator is operable to apply force to the stage in a direction to move the needle to penetrate a cell in the respective micro-chamber.",
  "cpc": [
    "C12N 15/89",
    "B01L 3/502761",
    "B25J 7/00",
    "C12M 23/12",
    "C12M 23/50",
    "C12M 3/00",
    "C12M 33/06",
    "C12M 35/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B01L 3/00",
    "B25J 7/00",
    "C12M 1/00",
    "C12M 1/32",
    "C12M 3/00",
    "C12N 15/89"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Mekonos Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Arunava Steven BANERJEE"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-10-31",
  "publication_date": "2023-06-20",
  "grant_date": "2023-06-20",
  "priority_date": "2016-10-31",
  "application_number": "US-201716346525-A",
  "family_id": "62025227",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "US5114854A",
    "US5262128A",
    "US6264815B1",
    "US6475760B1",
    "US7501276B2",
    "US20010008961A1",
    "TW425294B",
    "WO2001077001A2",
    "US6645757B1",
    "US20040185592A1",
    "US20030015807A1",
    "US7872394B1",
    "US20070087436A1",
    "US20060072187A1",
    "US20070220882A1",
    "WO2007007058A1",
    "US20070019422A1",
    "US20070194225A1",
    "EP1999465A2",
    "US20090198189A1",
    "WO2008034249A1",
    "US20090291502A1",
    "US20090166896A1",
    "US20110262891A1",
    "EP2494332A1",
    "WO2011103143A1",
    "US20130045530A1",
    "US20130023052A1",
    "US20120225435A1",
    "US20140323837A1",
    "US20130077945A1",
    "WO2013126556A1",
    "WO2014090415A1",
    "US20160066789A1",
    "US9987427B1",
    "WO2016019250A1",
    "US20160252546A1",
    "CN105967138A",
    "CN105441325A",
    "WO2018080324A1",
    "US20190300907A1",
    "CN110418844A",
    "US20200150141A1"
  ]
}