# US 2022/0276271 A1 · Cell picking device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0276271 A1 - Document ID: US20220276271A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/626,841 - Filed: 2019-07-26 - Published: 2022-09-01 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-26 - Assignees: Shimadzu Corporation - Applicants: Shimadzu Corporation - Inventors: Mika OKADA; Akari TAKEDA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220276271A1 ## CPC - G01N 35/0099: {comprising robots or similar manipulators (robots per se B25J)} - G01N 35/1011: {Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device} - B01L 3/021: {Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids} - B01L 9/54: {Supports specially adapted for pipettes and burettes} - B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum} - C12M 23/12: {Well or multiwell plates (C12M25/04 takes precedence)} - C12M 33/04: {by injection or suction, e.g. using pipettes, syringes, needles (pipettes in general B01L3/02)} - C12M 41/48: {Automatic or computerized control (automatic analysis G01N35/00)} - C12Q 1/02: involving viable microorganisms - C12Q 1/24: Methods of sampling, or inoculating or spreading a sample; Methods of physically isolating an intact microorganisms - G01N 2035/103: {using disposable tips} - G01N 2035/1053: {for separating part of the liquid, e.g. filters, extraction phase} - 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) - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS} - 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 ## Abstract A suction arm advances in an axial direction of a pipette tip such that an end of the pipette tip comes into contact with a bottom surface of a sample container while the pipette tip attached to a suction arm is tilted with respect to a vertical direction. Next, the suction arm is moved such that the end of the pipette tip scans the bottom surface of the sample container in a horizontal direction toward a predetermined position. Subsequently, at the predetermined position, the suction arm is further tilted by a predetermined angle such that the end of the pipette tip is lifted and a base of the pipette tip is lowered. Thereafter, the suction arm performs a sucking operation such that a sample is sucked through the end of the pipette tip. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cell picking device for sucking cells from a liquid sample in a sample container, comprising: a suction arm to which a pipette tip is attachable; a first driver that drives the suction arm and causes the suction arm to perform a sucking operation; and a controller that controls an operation of the first driver, wherein the controller includes an advancer that advances the suction arm in an axial direction of the pipette tip such that an end of the pipette tip comes into contact with a bottom surface of the sample container while tilting the pipette tip attached to the suction arm with respect to a vertical direction, a scanner that moves the suction arm such that an end of the pipette tip scans a bottom surface of the sample container in a horizontal direction toward a predetermined position, a tilter that further tilts the suction arm by a predetermined angle such that an end of the pipette tip is lifted and a base of the pipette tip is lowered at the predetermined position, and a sucker that causes the suction arm to perform a sucking operation such that a sample is sucked through an end of the pipette tip. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cell picking device according to claim 1, wherein the sucker causes the suction arm to start performing a sucking operation in a period before tilt control with respect to the suction arm is stopped, after the tilt control with respect to the suction arm by the tilter is started. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cell picking device according to claim 1, wherein the controller further includes a tilt undoer that undoes a tilt of the suction arm by the tilter after control for a sucking operation performed by the sucker is stopped. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cell picking device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is larger than 0 degree. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cell picking device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is equal to or smaller than 2 degrees. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cell picking device according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a first retractor that retracts the suction arm at a first speed in the axial direction until an end of the pipette tip reaches a predetermined height after control for a sucking operation performed by the sucker is stopped, and a second retractor that retracts the suction arm at a second speed larger than the first speed in the axial direction after an end of the pipette tip reaches the predetermined height. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cell picking device according to claim 6, wherein the second speed is equal to or larger than 10 times of the first speed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The cell picking device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined height is a height of a liquid surface of a sample in the sample container. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cell picking device according to claim 1, further comprising: a platform on which a culture plate in which a plurality of wells are arranged is placeable, and a second driver that drives the platform, wherein the controller further includes a first position adjuster that controls the first or second driver such that a position of a well accessible by the suction arm changes sequentially in the culture plate, and a discharger that causes the suction arm to perform a discharging operation such that a sample is discharged through an end of the pipette tip, and a sucking operation performed by the sucker and a discharging operation performed by the discharger are controlled alternately. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cell picking device according to claim 9, wherein a pipette tip rack that holds a plurality of replacement pipette tips is further placed on the platform, the first driver is configured to be capable of detaching the pipette tip from the suction arm, and the controller further includes a detacher that controls the first driver so as to detach the pipette tip from the suction arm, a second position adjuster that controls the first or second driver such that a position of a replacement pipette tip accessible by the suction arm changes sequentially in the pipette tip rack, and an attacher that controls the first or second driver such that any replacement pipette tip in the pipette tip rack is attached to the suction arm as the pipette tip, and a sucking operation performed by the sucker, a discharging operation performed by the discharger, detachment of the pipette tip by the detacher and attachment of the pipette tip by the attacher are controlled alternately. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cell picking device according to claim 10, wherein the second driver includes a rotator that rotates the platform in a horizontal plane, the first position adjuster rotates the rotator such that the culture plate is located closer to the suction arm than the pipette tip rack when a discharging operation performed by the discharger is controlled, and the second position adjuster rotates the rotator such that the pipette tip rack is located closer to the suction arm than the culture plate when attachment of the pipette tip by the attacher is controlled.