Patent ID: 8283132

Claim:
A method for treating an individual biological cell that has a cell membrane, a cytoskeleton and inner cell components, said cytoskeleton and inner cell components being enclosed by the cell membrane, comprising the steps: providing the biological cell on a solid substrate, mutually orienting the biological cell and a treating tool so that the treating tool touches the biological cell, moving the treating tool and the biological cell relative to one another, said treating tool having a work surface with a characteristic size that is smaller than a size of the biological cell, and said treating tool being moved relative to the substrate at a rate in a range of 0.1 μm/h to 500 μm/h, wherein, during the moving step, the cytoskeleton of the biological cell is in a state of equilibrium, in which the cytoskeleton is substantially free of external mechanical tensions and a structural and functional relationship between the cell membrane and the inner cell components and a functionality of at least of a part of the inner cell components remain preserved, and forming a disruption in a molecular compound of the cell membrane of the biological cell, whereby the biological cell is treated, said disruption being formed by the treating tool and the biological cell remaining closed relative to an environment of the biological cell by the cell membrane or the work surface of the treating tool.