# US 11,906,410 B2 · Cell inspection device and cell inspection method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,410 B2 - Document ID: US11906410B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/135,369 - Filed: 2020-12-28 - Published: 2021-04-22 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-04 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Kazutaka Nishikawa; Jun Funazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906410B2 ## CPC - G01N 1/4077: {by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids} - C12Q 1/04: Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} - C12Q 1/24: Methods of sampling, or inoculating or spreading a sample; Methods of physically isolating an intact microorganisms - G01N 1/2813: {Producing thin layers of samples on a substrate, e.g. smearing, spinning-on (G01N1/30 takes precedence)} - G01N 1/30: Staining; Impregnating {; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis} - G01N 1/312: {for samples mounted on planar substrates} - G02B 21/24: Base structure - G01N 15/01: specially adapted for biological cells, e.g. blood cells (investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions in blood G01N15/05) - G01N 15/0625: {Optical scan of the deposits} - G01N 2001/4088: {filtration} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A cell inspection method includes a concentrate production step, a staining step, a cell precipitation step, and an observation step. In the concentrate production step, the cell concentrate is produced by causing an inner cylinder which has a filter provided on a bottom surface to enter from the bottom surface side into the through hole of the outer cylinder and bringing the inner cylinder closer to the slide, the inner cylinder having an internal space, and in the observation step, observation is performed in a state where the inner cylinder is entered into the outer cylinder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cell inspection method for inspecting cells contained in a cell suspension by using a light source and an observation unit, the cell inspection method comprising: a concentrate production step of injecting the cell suspension into a chamber formed of an outer cylinder and a slide, and producing a cell concentrate, the outer cylinder having a through hole; a staining step of staining the cells on the slide; a cell precipitation step of precipitating the cells on the slide; and an observation step of observing the cells on the slide by the observation unit while illuminating the cells with the light source, wherein in the concentrate production step, the cell concentrate is produced by causing an inner cylinder which has a filter provided on a bottom surface to enter from the bottom surface side into the through hole of the outer cylinder and bringing the inner cylinder closer to the slide, the inner cylinder having an internal space, and in the observation step, observation is performed in a state where the inner cylinder is entered into the outer cylinder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cell inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the staining step, the cells in the cell concentrate are stained by injecting a staining solution into a space surrounded by the inner cylinder and the through hole of the outer cylinder. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cell inspection method according to claim 2, further comprising: a suction step of suctioning the staining solution in the internal space of the inner cylinder. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cell inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the observation step, the filter of the inner cylinder is placed at a distance from the slide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cell inspection method according to claim 4, wherein in at least one of the concentrate production step and the staining step, the inner cylinder is advanced and retracted in a longitudinal direction of the outer cylinder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cell inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the observation step, the filter of the inner cylinder is brought into contact with the slide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cell inspection method according to claim 6, wherein in at least one of the concentrate production step and the staining step, the inner cylinder is advanced and retracted in a longitudinal direction of the outer cylinder. ### Claim 8 A cell inspection device that inspects cells contained in a cell suspension, comprising: an outer cylinder which has a through hole and is arranged on the slide, the through hole of the outer cylinder and a slide forming a chamber; an inner cylinder that has an internal space, and is capable of being inserted into the through hole of the outer cylinder, a filter being provided on a bottom surface of the inner cylinder; a staining solution injector which injects a staining solution into the chamber in a state where the cells is concentrated; and an observation unit that is provided on a side opposite to a side in which the outer cylinder is provided with respect to the slide, wherein in a state where the cell suspension is accommodated in the chamber, a concentration of the cells is executed in a state where the inner cylinder is entered from the bottom surface side into the through hole of the outer cylinder and approaches the slide and in a state where the cells are stained by the staining solution and precipitated on the slide, observation of the cells by the observation unit is capable of being executed in a state where the inner cylinder is kept as entering into the outer cylinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cell inspection device according to claim 8, wherein a communication hole is provided in a side wall of the outer cylinder, and the through hole of the outer cylinder and an outside communicate with each other through the communication hole. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The cell inspection device according to claim 8, further comprising: a light source which is capable of being inserted into the internal space of the inner cylinder. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The cell inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the filter is made of a material having a refractive index higher than that of the cell suspension. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The cell inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the filter has a pore size smaller than that of the cells. ### Claim 13 A cell inspection device that inspects cells contained in cell suspension, comprising: a base plate; an outer cylinder that has a through hole and is arranged on a slide; an inner cylinder that has an internal space, and is capable of being inserted into the through hole of the outer cylinder, a filter being provided on a bottom surface of the inner cylinder; and a light source; and an observation unit that is provided opposite to a side in which the outer cylinder is provided with respect to the slide, wherein a chamber for injecting the cell suspension is formed by the slide and the through hole of the outer cylinder, the base plate has an observation hole formed therein and has a depression on which the slide is mounted, and the filter of the inner cylinder is made of a light-transmitting material, and the light source illuminates cells in the chamber in a state where the inner cylinder is entered into the outer cylinder. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cell inspection device according to claim 13, wherein a communication hole is provided in a side wall of the outer cylinder, and the through hole of the outer cylinder and an outside communicate with each other through the communication hole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The cell inspection device according to claim 13, wherein the observation unit is capable of being inserted into the observation hole. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The cell inspection device according to claim 13, wherein the filter is made of a material having a refractive index higher than that of the cell suspension. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The cell inspection device according to claim 13, wherein the filter has a pore size smaller than that of the cells.