Patent ID: 8062882

Claim:
A cell capturing apparatus suitably used to capture a cell and inject a substance into captured cell while observing the cell under a microscope, comprising: a cell capturing container having a bottom wall and a side wall, the bottom wall including a first through hole; a second through hole; and a groove to connect ends of the first through hole and the second through hole that open on an outer surface of the bottom wall; a transparent plate member to cover a portion of the outer surface of the bottom wall including at least the first through hole, the second through hole, and the groove; a capturing plate disposed on an inner surface of the bottom wall and above the first through hole; an aspiration tube with one end to be connected to an upper portion of the second through hole and other end to be connected to an aspirating unit, to capture the cell in a micropore of the capturing plate by aspirating; an injected-cell collecting flow-path to connect a first discharge port for discharging liquid and a well to collect an injected cell in which the substance has been injected, and to guide the injected cell being captured in the micropore in a direction towards the well; an empty-cell collecting flow-path to connect a second discharge port for discharging liquid and a collection port for collecting an empty cell in which no substance has been injected, and to guide the empty cell near the capturing plate in a direction towards the collection port, which is different from the direction towards the well; a pair of additional discharge ports that are provided on both sides of the second discharge port to discharge liquid to a direction parallel to the liquid discharged from the second discharge port before the second discharge port discharges liquid; and a collection pump provided at one end of the well, to switch aspiration pressure from positive pressure to negative pressure on the injected cell being guided by the injected-cell collecting flow-path, wherein the first discharge port and the second discharge port alternately discharge liquid.