US 12,467,031 B2
Laser-assisted repositioning of a micro-object and culturing of an attachment-dependent cell in a microfluidic environment
Eric K. Sackmann, Oakland, CA (US); Nathan J. Ver Heul, Oakland, CA (US); Ryan M. Cooper, Oakland, CA (US); Alexander J. Mastroianni, Alameda, CA (US); Annamaria Mocciaro, San Francisco, CA (US); Vincent Haw Tien Pai, Berkeley, CA (US); Randall D. Lowe, Jr., Emeryville, CA (US); Hector D. Neira-Quintero, Emeryville, CA (US); Patrick N. Ingram, Emeryville, CA (US); and Smriti Sridhar, Emeryville, CA (US)
Assigned to BRUKER CELLULAR ANALYSIS, INC., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed by Bruker Cellular Analysis, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/401,783.
Application 17/401,783 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/018388, filed on Feb. 14, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/806,612, filed on Feb. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0033758 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/34 (2006.01); C12M 3/06 (2006.01); C12N 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC C12M 41/36 (2013.01) [C12M 23/16 (2013.01); C12M 23/20 (2013.01); C12M 23/22 (2013.01); C12N 1/04 (2013.01); C12N 2529/10 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of repositioning a micro-object disposed in a chamber of a microfluidic device, comprising:
directing laser illumination upon a starting position on an inner surface of the chamber to generate an illumination area, wherein:
the microfluidic device comprises the chamber and a flow region containing a first liquid medium, wherein the chamber comprises an opening to the flow region, and
the starting position is disposed within a sub-region of the chamber distal to the opening to the flow region; and
moving the laser illumination relative to the microfluidic device, thereby changing the position of the illumination area such that, upon completion of the change, the laser illumination is at a final position, wherein the change in the position of the illumination area induces the repositioning of the micro-object at least towards the opening of the chamber;
wherein moving the laser illumination relative to the microfluidic device controllably generates a bubble having a trajectory within the chamber, and wherein the generated bubble induces the repositioning of the micro-object.