Cell flow apparatus and method for real-time measurements of cellular responses

(54) CELL FLOW APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REAL-TIME MEASUREMENTS OF CELLULAR RESPONSES

(75) Inventors: John Ransom, Encinitas; Ilya Okun;

Alex Okun, both of San Diego, all of
CA (US)

(73) Assignee: Axiom Biotechnologies, Inc., San

Diego, CA (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/568,778

(22) Filed: May 10, 2000

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation of application No. 09/370,786, filed on Aug. 5, 1999, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/317,793, filed on May 24,1999, now Pat. No. 6,096,509, which is a continuation of application No. 08/904,904, filed on Aug. 1, 1997, now Pat. No. 5,919,646, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 08/691,356, filed on Aug. 2, 1996, now Pat. No. 5,804,436.

(51) Int. CI.7 C12Q 1/02; C12M 1/00;

C12M 1/36

(52) U.S. CI 435/29; 435/283.1; 435/286.1;

435/286.5

(58) Field of Search 435/29, 283.1,

435/286.1, 286.5

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Primary Examiner—Louise N. Leary

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Knobbe Martens Olson &

Bear LLP

An apparatus and method for real-time measurement of a cellular response of a test compound or series of test compounds (303) on a flowing suspension of cells (349), in which a homogeneous suspension of each member of a series of cell types (349) is combined with a concentration of a test compound (303), directed through a detection zone (355), and a cellular response of the living cells is measured in real time as the cells in the test mixture are flowing through the detection zone (355). The apparatus may be used in automated screening of libraries of compounds, and is capable of real-time variation of concentrations of test and standard compounds and generation of dose/response profiles within a short time span.

17 Claims, 63 Drawing Sheets

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

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