Patent ID: 6210910
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: B01J,B01L,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for detecting the response of individual cells to at least one analyte of interest comprising:providing a biosensor array comprising,a fiber optic array comprising a plurality of individual fiber strands, each strand having a distal end and a proximal end and a core, said core diameter sized to accommodate a predetermined cell type, said core capable of being anisotropically etched, and a microwell formed on an end surface of the distal end of each of said strands, said microwell formed by anisotropic etching said core of each of said strands, said microwell sized to accommodate insertion of a single cell of said cell type;inserting a plurality of cells in said microwells wherein each of said inserted cells in said microwells is optically coupled and in optical communication with one of said fiber strands;optically coupling a detector means to said strands of said array, said detector means optically communicating with said microwells, said detector means capable of optically interrogating and detecting an optical response of said cells inserted in said microwells to at least one analyte of interest;contacting the distal end of the array comprising said cells disposed in said microwells with a sample comprising said analyte of interest; andmeasuring said optical response of said cells, said optical response measurement indicative of the presence or absence of at least one analyte.