Patent ID: 7550114
Filing Date: 2009-06-23
Classification: B01L,C12M,G02B

Abstract:
1. A cell observation apparatus comprising: a cell observation chamber comprising therein a pair of wells and a flow path for communication between said wells and being arranged in such a manner that cells in cell suspension stored in one of said wells can react with chemotactic factor containing solution stored in the other of said wells to move from one to the other of said wells through said flow path and a window, in a bottom portion of said cell observation chamber, for observing the movement of cells: optical observation means for observing said cells moving through said flow path optically from outside said cell observation chamber, said optical observation means comprising a camera, an objective lens arranged vertically upward on a vertical axis, an optical axis extending horizontally between said camera and said vertical axis of said objective lens and a light source illuminating, through said window, said cells moving through said flow path; a casing housing said optical observation means, said optical observation means being housed in a main body of said casing below said cell observation chamber with said objective lens near and below said window; and an XY stage comprising a first stage mounted within the casing for sliding movement in an X direction and a second stage mounted on the first stage for movement relative to the first stage in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, wherein said optical observation means includes an optical system mounted on said second stage and wherein said camera is slidably mounted on said second stage for sliding horizontal movement relative to said second stage.