Patent ID: 8034612

Claim:
A method for the selecting one or more stem cell colonies using an apparatus comprising machine vision and image processing, the method comprising: a) placing a sample container including a plurality of differentiated stem cells held in a medium onto the apparatus; b) determining the degree of commitment of the stem cells in the sample based upon differences in cell size, shape and/or replication rate using the machine vision and image processing; and c) selecting one or more of the stem cell colonies based on their degree of commitment; wherein the one or more stem cell colonies is selected by: d) providing a picking head comprising at least one hollow pin, the picking head being movable over the apparatus using positioning motors; e) aligning the picking head with the sample container; f) picking one of the selected stem cell colonies by aligning one of the at least one hollow pins therewith, introducing a distal end of said hollow pin into the medium, and aspirating the stem cell colony at that location into said hollow pin; wherein said stem cell colony to be picked has a size smaller than an inside diameter of said hollow pin; g) placing a dispensing container onto the apparatus; and h) dispensing the picked stem cell colony by aligning the picking head with the dispensing container and expelling the picked stem cell colony into the dispensing container.