Microfabricated instrument for tissue biopsy and analysis

Patent · 01 January 1999

OSTI ID:872664

Krulevitch, Peter A ^[1]; Lee, Abraham P ^[2]; Northrup, M Allen ^[3]; Benett, William J ^[4]

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1. Pleasanton, CA
2. Walnut Creek, CA
3. Berkeley, CA
4. Livermore, CA

A microfabricated biopsy/histology instrument which has several advantages over the conventional procedures, including minimal specimen handling, smooth cutting edges with atomic sharpness capable of slicing very thin specimens (approximately 2 .mu.m or greater), micro-liter volumes of chemicals for treating the specimens, low cost, disposable, fabrication process which renders sterile parts, and ease of use. The cutter is a "cheese-grater" style design comprising a block or substrate of silicon and which uses anisotropic etching of the silicon to form extremely sharp and precise cutting edges. As a specimen is cut, it passes through the silicon cutter and lies flat on a piece of glass which is bonded to the cutter. Microchannels are etched into the glass or silicon substrates for delivering small volumes of chemicals for treating the specimen. After treatment, the specimens can be examined through the glass substrate. For automation purposes, microvalves and micropumps may be incorporated. Also, specimens in parallel may be cut and treated with identical or varied chemicals. The instrument is disposable due to its low cost and thus could replace current expensive microtome and histology equipment.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5985217
• OSTI ID: 872664
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/422/83/
advantages
analysis
anisotropic
anisotropic etching
approximately
atomic
automation
biopsy
block
bonded
capable
cheese-grater
chemicals
comprising
conventional
cost
current
cut
cutter
cutting
cutting edge
cutting edges
delivering
design
disposable
due
ease
edges
equipment
etched
etching
examined
expensive
extremely
fabrication
fabrication process
flat
form
glass
glass substrate
handling
histology
identical
including
incorporated
instrument
lies
micro-liter
microchannels
microfabricated
micropumps
microtome
microvalves
minimal
parallel
passes
piece
precise
procedures
process
purposes
renders
replace
sharp
sharpness
silicon
silicon substrate
silicon substrates
slicing
smooth
specimen
specimens
sterile
style
substrate
substrates
tissue
tissue biopsy
treated
treating
treatment
varied
volumes