JP6801856B2 - Grip - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gripper that grips the end of a sample having a three-dimensional structure.

In recent years, attempts have been made to use a tissue obtained by reconstructing cells cultured in vitro (hereinafter referred to as "regenerated tissue") for regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and the like. In particular, when regenerated tissue is used for regenerative medicine, it is necessary to evaluate the mechanical properties of the regenerated tissue because the mechanical properties of the regenerated tissue may affect the transplant site in the living body.

The mechanical properties of the regenerated tissue are measured by performing a tensile test on the regenerated tissue. In order to perform the tensile test, it is necessary to grip the regenerated tissue, and gripping means such as clamping, bonding, sewing, and hooking are taken. However, when the regenerated tissue is gripped by a clamp or a hook, there is a problem that stress concentration occurs in the gripped portion and the regenerated tissue is damaged. Further, when the regenerated tissue is gripped by using an adhesive, there is a problem that a chemical load is generated on the regenerated tissue. Further, when the regenerated tissue is gripped by sewing, a technique for sewing the regenerated sample and the gripping means is required for the tester, and there is a problem that no one can easily perform the tensile test.

Therefore, a jig has been developed that can grip a regenerated structure in a state where stress concentration is unlikely to occur in a means for gripping a regenerated structure using a hook that does not require a chemical change or a special technique as shown in Patent Document 1. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-74867

However, the jig of Patent Document 1 is suitable for gripping a sheet-shaped regenerated structure having a two-dimensional structure, but a regenerated structure having a thick three-dimensional structure has a large elastic modulus. , Stress is concentrated on the grip, and the regenerated structure is damaged, causing a problem that an accurate tensile test and, by extension, an accurate measurement of mechanical properties cannot be performed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a gripping tool capable of gripping a sample having a three-dimensional structure (regenerated structure or the like) without causing stress concentration.

The present invention is a gripper that grips the end of a sample having a three-dimensional structure, and has a pair of gripper bodies having a three-dimensional shape, at least two openings provided on the surface of each gripper body, and each grip. It is provided inside the tool body and extends from the opening to the surface separated from the opening of each gripper body, and is provided on the surface separated from the opening of each gripper body to allow fluid to flow in and out of the flow path. Provided with at least one fluid inlet / outlet for.

In the gripping tool of the present invention, an opening and a fluid inlet / outlet are communicated with each other in a gripper main body, and a fluid enters / exits the fluid inlet / outlet port. By sucking out the fluid (air in the flow path) from the fluid inlet / outlet, a force (suction force) for sucking the fluid (air) can be generated in the opening through the flow path. Further, by flowing the fluid (air) into the fluid inlet / outlet, it is possible to generate a force (discharge force) to discharge the fluid (air) into the opening through the flow path. In this way, the sample is sandwiched between the gripper bodies that can generate suction force in the openings, and both ends of the sample are attracted to and held by the openings of the pair of gripper bodies, so that the surfaces of the ends on both sides of the sample are held. Can be uniformly sucked and gripped. As a result, even a sample having a thick three-dimensional structure can be gripped without stress being concentrated locally. Further, the sample gripped in this way can be easily separated from the gripping tool by allowing the fluid to flow into the flow path and generating a discharge force at the opening.

In the present invention, the shape of the sample having the three-dimensional structure is not particularly limited as long as it can be held by the gripping tool of the present invention, and may be, for example, a flat shape or a sheet shape.
In the present invention, examples of samples having the three-dimensional structure include samples composed of cells.
In the present invention, a preferred example of the sample having the three-dimensional structure is composed of two or more layers (preferably, for example, 2 to 50 layers, 5 to 40 layers, 10 to 30 layers). Includes sample.
In the present invention, the sample having the three-dimensional structure composed of cells may be a sample having a shape that can be held by the gripper of the present invention, and the cell layer may not be observed.
In the present invention, the sample having the three-dimensional structure composed of cells may contain substances other than cells (eg, extracellular matrix, cell-derived fibers, basement membrane).
The substance other than the cells can be, for example, a substance having a function of retaining the three-dimensional structure of the sample having the three-dimensional structure.
As can be understood from this, in the present invention, a sample composed of cells includes a sample containing cells, a sample substantially composed of cells, and a sample composed of cells.
In the present invention, examples of the sample having the three-dimensional structure composed of cells include a living tissue (or a section thereof) and a cultured cell aggregate (or a section thereof).
Examples of such cultured cell aggregates include cultured cell aggregates prepared by known methods such as cell accumulation technology.
The cultured cell aggregate can be, for example, a three-dimensional biological tissue model.
Examples of the cells include myocardial cells, fibroblasts, myoblasts (eg, skeletal myoblasts), brain cells, synovial cells, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, hepatocytes, pancreatic cells, root membrane cells, skin cells. , Cells that are not completely differentiated into these, stem cells (eg embryonic stem cells [ES cells], induced pluripotent stem cells [iPS cells]), cultured cells derived from living cells, said stem cells (eg artificial pluripotent) It includes cells obtained by differentiating sex stem cells [iPS cells]) (eg, iPS-derived myocardial cells) and combinations of two or more of these.

The retainer of the present invention can firmly hold a physically fragile sample such as a sample composed of cells without physically damaging it, and further, a sample composed of cells. Even a particularly physically fragile sample can be held firmly without being physically damaged. Also, very soft and native tissues, such as brain tissue, which are not reconstructed from cells, can be retained firmly without physically damaging them.

In the gripper of the preferred embodiment, the sample is a sample composed of cardiomyocytes, each opening being larger than a square frame with a side length of 0.7 μm and more than a frame with a side length of 5000 μm. small.

Further, the measuring device according to the present invention includes the gripping tool, a driving unit that moves the pair of gripping tool bodies in a direction away from each other, and a measuring unit that measures the tensile force applied to the sample gripped by the gripping tool. To be equipped.

By using a gripping tool that can grip the sample without causing stress concentration as described above, the measuring device can perform an accurate tensile test and eventually mechanically without stress concentration locally on the sample. The characteristics can be measured.

In the measuring device of the preferred embodiment, a tube for allowing the fluid to enter and exit is attached to the fluid inlet / outlet, and the tube extends orthogonal to the moving direction of the gripper body.

With such a configuration, when the measuring device pulls the sample, the tube does not get entangled with the drive unit, and the tensile test of the sample can be smoothly and accurately performed, and the mechanical properties can be measured.

According to the gripping tool of the present invention, a sample having a three-dimensional structure can be gripped without causing stress concentration.

It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the measuring apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the gripping tool which concerns on this invention. It is a front view which shows the process of manufacturing the gripping tool main body of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state in which a sample is cultivated. It is a top view which shows the state which the sample is molding. It is a perspective view which shows the molding jig. It is a top view of the sample of the measuring apparatus of FIG. 1 and a gripper. It is an enlarged view of the right side part of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the other embodiment of the gripping tool which concerns on this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the gripping tool 10 and the measuring device 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The surface on which the gripping tool 10 and the measuring device 1 are installed is defined as a horizontal plane, the direction parallel to the horizontal plane is defined as the horizontal direction, and the direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction is defined as the vertical direction.

The measuring device 1 of the present embodiment grips a sample S having a three-dimensional structure such as a sample composed of cardiomyocytes with a gripping tool 10 and pulls it in the uniaxial direction (horizontal direction) to measure the tension at this time. The mechanical properties of the sample S are measured in. The sample S is not limited to a sample composed of cardiomyocytes, and any of the above-mentioned samples S can be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the measuring device 1 includes a gripping tool 10 having a pair of gripping tool main bodies 11, a measuring unit 20 attached to one gripping tool main body 11, and a driving unit attached to the other gripping tool main body 11. It has 30 and.

The measuring unit 20 is provided with a support 21 attached to a support column (not shown) erected from the installation surface of the measuring device 1, a tension transducer 22 attached to the support 21, and hanging from the tension transducer 22. It is equipped with an arm 23. The arm 23 is formed by bending both ends of a metal plate vertically in opposite directions, one end side of which is attached to the lower surface of the tension transducer 22, and the other end side of which one gripper main body 11 is attached. As the tension transducer 22, any known tension transducer can be used.

The drive unit 30 includes a support 31 attached to a support (not shown) erected from the installation surface of the measuring device 1 apart from the support to which the support 21 is attached, and a drive mechanism 32 attached to the support 31. And an arm 33 extending from the drive mechanism 32. The drive mechanism 32 transmits the rotational force of the motor 321 to the movable piece 323 via the ball screw 322, and moves the movable piece 323 in the uniaxial direction. The arm 33 includes an L-shaped plate-shaped member 331 and an I-shaped plate-shaped member 332 joined to a side side of the L-shaped plate-shaped member 331 on one end side. The other gripping tool main body 11 is attached to the other end of the L-shaped plate-shaped member 331, and the other end side of the I-shaped plate-shaped member 332 is attached to the movable piece 323.

The gripper 10 grips the end of sample S having a three-dimensional structure. As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of gripping tool main bodies 11 have a three-dimensional shape, and in the present embodiment, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The surface 11a of each gripper main body 11, in this embodiment, the side surface is provided with seven openings 12 in a row in the horizontal direction. The opening 12 is preferably larger than a square frame having a side length of 0.7 μm and smaller than a square frame having a side length of 5000 μm. The opening 12 is more preferably larger than a square frame having a side length of 35 μm and smaller than a square frame having a side length of 1000 μm, and more preferably larger than a square frame having a side length of 50 μm and having a side length. It is more preferably smaller than a square frame having a size of 500 μm, and most preferably smaller than a square frame having a side length of 100 μm and smaller than a square frame having a side length of 200 μm. In the present embodiment, the opening 12 has a square shape with a side length of 100 μm to 200 μm. As will be described later, a suction force is generated in the opening 12, but if the size of the opening 12 is too small, the force for pulling in the sample S becomes weak, and the sample S cannot be sucked and gripped. On the other hand, if the size of the opening 12 is too large, the sample S is drawn in too much, stress concentration occurs in the sample S, or the length of the sample S changes, making accurate measurement impossible.

Inside the gripper main body 11, a surface 11b separated from the opening 12 of the gripper main body 11 and a flow path 13 extending to the upper surface are provided from the opening 12. In the present embodiment, the flow path 13 extends linearly from the opening 12 to the vicinity of the center of the gripper main body 11, and forms one flow path 13 at the center of the gripper main body 11. A fluid inlet / outlet 14 for allowing fluid to enter / exit the flow path 13 is formed on the upper surface of the gripper main body 11, and the unified flow path 13 extends to the fluid inlet / outlet 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gripper main body 11 described above is manufactured by using a photolithography technique. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the photoresist 112 is applied onto the silicon wafer 111. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, a mask 113 depicting the shape of the flow path 13 is placed on the photoresist 112, exposed, and developed to form the photoresist 112 into the shape of the flow path 13. (Fig. 3 (c)). Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, biocompatible silicon rubber 114 is applied onto the silicon wafer 111 and baked at 120 ° C. for curing. After that, the silicon wafer 111 and the photoresist 112 are removed (FIG. 3 (e)), and the cover glass 115 is adhered to the silicon rubber 114 to form a gripper main body 11 having a finely sized flow path 13 inside. It is made.

Since the gripper main body 11 is manufactured as described above, it is preferable that the gaps between the openings 12 adjacent to each other are 50 μm or more. The distance between the openings 12 adjacent to each other is more preferably 50 μm to 2000 μm, and even more preferably 100 μm to 200 μm. If the distance between the openings 12 adjacent to each other is 50 μm or less, sufficient bonding cannot be performed when the silicon rubber 114 and the cover glass 115 are bonded to each other.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a tube 40 connected to a pump (not shown) for allowing fluid to enter and exit is attached to the fluid inlet / outlet 14. The tube 40 extends in the direction of movement of the gripper main body 11, that is, in the direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, that is, in the vertical direction. The tube 40 on the measuring unit 20 side is fixed by a tube fixing tool (not shown) provided on the support 21 so as to be orthogonal to the gripping tool main body 11. As a result, the connecting portion of the tube 40 with the tube fixing tool becomes a fixed end, and the connecting portion with the gripping tool main body 11 becomes a free end that can be moved with the movement of the gripping tool main body 11. With such a structure, the tube 40 has a beam structure with one fixed end and the other free end, so that the force (horizontal force) orthogonal to the extension direction (vertical direction) of the tube 40 is obtained. That is, even if the tensile force with respect to the sample S) is small, the tube 40 can obtain a large displacement. That is, the tube 40 can be connected to the tension transducer 22 without lowering the sensitivity of the tension transducer 22 more than necessary. A pressure sensor 41 is attached to the tube 40, and the pressure sensor 41 measures the pressure of the fluid in the tube 40.

Next, preparation of the sample S will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Sample S is prepared by using a cell accumulation method in which cells C coated with an extracellular matrix thin film on the order of nanometers are laminated using an alternating lamination method to construct laminated cells having a three-dimensional structure. Specifically, myocardial-derived fibroblasts or cardiomyocytes C are used as sample S. 10 layers of cells are seeded in the culture vessel 50 and cultured for 2 days. The cultured laminated structure is taken out from the culture container 50 and cut to a predetermined width by a molding jig 60 described later. The cut laminated structure becomes sample S. Alternatively, cells C are spread in a culture vessel 50 for one layer, and the spread surface is coated with an extracellular matrix. By repeating this 9 times, a laminated structure for 10 layers is prepared. Sample S can also be obtained by culturing the laminated structure for 2 days, collecting it, and cutting it with a molding jig 60.

As shown in FIG. 6, the molding jig 60 includes two shaving blades 61 and a spacer 62 that determines the distance between the shaving blades 61. The shaving blade 61 and the spacer 62 have holes for pointing the bolts 63, and the bolts 63 are pointed through the holes and fixed with nuts to be integrated. Spacers 62 having a plurality of thicknesses are prepared, and the interval between the shaving blades 61 can be changed by changing the thickness of the spacer 62. By using such a molding jig 60, the laminated structure which is a collection of cells C can be cut at a time with a desired width (thickness of the spacer 62), and a sample S having the same width can be accurately produced. it can. At the time of cutting, by using a sheet having a certain degree of elasticity such as rubber as an underlay, the entire surface of the blade of the shaving blade 61 fits the laminated structure, and cutting can be performed reliably.

Next, a method of gripping the sample S using the gripping tool 10 and a method of a tensile test of the sample S using the measuring device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 7 and 8. Note that FIGS. 7 and 8 show a state in which the flow path 13 provided inside the gripper main body 11 appears on the surface in order to make the figure easy to understand.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sample S produced as described above is placed in the dish 2, and a pair of gripper main bodies 11 are positioned on both ends of the sample S with the sample S sandwiched between them. At this time, the pair of gripper main bodies 11 are arranged at a distance of 1 mm or more, preferably 1 mm to 30 mm, more preferably 2 mm to 10 mm, and further preferably 3 mm to 6 mm. To. The pump is driven to suck out the fluid in the tube 40 and the flow path 13. As a result, both ends of the sample S are sucked into the gripper main body 11, and the sample S is gripped by the gripper 10. At this time, the suction force of the fluid by the pump is adjusted so that the suction pressure applied to the opening 12 is 0.1 kPa to 40 kPa, preferably 1 kPa to 20 kPa, more preferably 3 kPa to 4 kPa.

In the sample S gripped by the gripping tool 10, the movable piece 323 moves horizontally in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1 in the driving unit 30, so that the gripping tool main body 11 attached to the driving unit 30 grips the other. It moves in a direction away from the tool body 11 and is pulled. When the sample S is pulled, the arm 23 is bent, and the tension transducer 22 converts the strain generated in the arm 23 into an electric resistance and measures it, so that the tensile force applied to the sample S gripped by the gripping tool 10 is applied. Be measured. By obtaining this electrical resistance, the mechanical properties of the sample S are measured.

Further, a mirror 3 is provided below the dish 2, and a video camera 4 is provided at a position where an image reflected by the mirror 3 can be recorded. Therefore, by photographing the state of the tensile test with the video camera 4 through the mirror 3, it is possible to record the image at the time of measurement together with the numerical data obtained as the electrical resistance from the tension transducer 22. Thereby, for example, the measurement result can be verified by comparing the numerical value with the image.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the gripping tool 10 is provided with the gripping tool main body 11 having an opening 12 and a fluid inlet / outlet 14 communicating with each other through a flow path 13, and fluid enters / exits the fluid inlet / outlet port 14. It has become like. By sucking the fluid (air in the flow path 13) from the fluid inlet / outlet 14 by a pump, a force (suction force) for sucking the fluid (air) can be generated in the opening 12 through the flow path 13. Further, by inflowing the fluid (air) into the fluid inlet / outlet 14 by a pump, a force (discharge force) for discharging the fluid (air) can be generated in the opening 12 through the flow path 13. In this way, the sample S is sandwiched between the gripper main body 11 capable of generating a suction force in the opening 12, and both ends of the sample S are attracted to and held by the opening 12 of the pair of gripper main bodies 11 to hold the sample S. The surfaces of the ends on both sides of the can be uniformly sucked and gripped. As a result, even if the sample S has a thick three-dimensional structure, the sample S can be gripped without local stress concentration. Further, since the sample S is only sucked, there is no chemical load as in the case of using an adhesive for gripping, and no advanced technique as in the case of using sewing for gripping is required, and cells (eg, examples). A sample S having a soft three-dimensional structure such as a sample composed of cardiomyocytes) can be grasped. Further, the sample S gripped in this way can be easily separated from the gripping tool 10 by allowing the fluid to flow into the flow path 13 and generating a discharge force in the opening 12.

Further, in the present embodiment, each gripper main body 11 is provided with a plurality of openings 12. In this way, by providing a plurality of openings 12 in each gripper main body 11, when a suction pressure that does not suck the sample S is applied as compared with the gripper main body having one opening, the opening 12 is opened. Since the total area is large, a large suction force can be exerted on the sample S. Therefore, in the tensile test, the sample S can be gripped with a force sufficient to withstand the test. Further, by providing the plurality of openings 12, the area where the openings 12 are provided can be expanded, and the corner portion of the sample S is not sucked by the central opening as in the case of one opening. Deformation of the sample S is suppressed, and stress concentration is less likely to occur in the sample S.

Further, in a gripper body having one opening, in order to obtain a suction force sufficient to withstand a tensile test, the area of the opening must be increased or the suction pressure must be further increased to increase the suction force. .. However, if the area of the opening or the attractive force is increased, the sample S is drawn into the opening, and the sample S is drawn into the opening, which causes a large stress concentration at the end of the deformed sample S. There has been a problem that the length of the sample S changes due to the excessive drawing of S into the opening. However, by providing the gripper main body 11 with a plurality of openings 12 as in the present embodiment, as shown by the arrow B in FIG. 8, the sample S is drawn from one point to two openings 12. .. Therefore, the sample S is not excessively drawn into the opening 12, and the stress concentration and the deformation of the sample S due to the sample S being drawn into the opening 12 can be suppressed.

Further, by manufacturing the gripping tool 10 as in the present embodiment, transparent silicone rubber and cover glass can be used, and the gripping tool 10 can be made transparent. As a result, the state of the sample S sucked by the gripping tool 10 can be observed. As a result, when there is excessive suction of the sample S, the suction pressure can be adjusted, and the sample S can be gripped without causing more stress concentration.

Further, by using the gripping tool 10 capable of gripping the sample S without causing stress concentration as in the present embodiment, the measuring device 1 is accurate without stress concentration locally on the sample S. Tensile tests and thus measurement of mechanical properties can be performed. Further, since the tube 40 for allowing the fluid to enter and exit the fluid inlet / outlet 14 extends orthogonally to the moving direction of the gripper main body 11, the tube 40 is entangled with the drive unit 30 when the measuring device 1 pulls the sample S. Instead, the tensile test of the sample S and the measurement of the mechanical properties can be performed smoothly and accurately.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, each gripper main body 11 is provided with seven openings 12, but the number of openings 12 can be any number as long as it is at least two, preferably three or more. Further, the openings 12 do not have to be provided in a row in the horizontal direction, and may be provided in a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. Further, for example, in the gripping tool 10 for gripping the sample S having a luminal structure, a plurality of openings 12 may be arranged in a tubular shape. In addition, the plurality of openings 12 can be appropriately arranged according to the shape of the sample S.

Further, in the above embodiment, the opening 12 has a square shape, but the shape of the opening 12 is not limited to a square, and may be any polygon such as a rectangle or a hexagon, a circle, or an ellipse. In this case as well, the size of the opening 12 is larger than a square frame having a side length of 0.7 μm, preferably 35 μm, more preferably 50 μm, and even more preferably 100 μm, and the side length is 5000 μm. It is preferably smaller than a square frame of 1000 μm, more preferably 500 μm, and even more preferably 200 μm. Further, the gripper main body 11 having the circular opening 12 can be manufactured by connecting a plurality of tubes 16 (two in FIG. 9) as shown in FIG. 9, for example.

Further, in the above embodiment, the plurality of flow paths 13 extending from the plurality of openings 12 are one flow path 13 in the middle, but the flow path 13 does not necessarily have to be one. For example, the plurality of flow paths 13 may extend as they are to the surface 11b separated from the opening 12 of the gripper main body 11, or the plurality of flow paths 13 may be merged and combined at an arbitrary number such as two or three. An arbitrary number of flow paths 13 such as two or three formed may extend to the surface 11b separated from the opening 12 of the gripper main body 11. In this case, a plurality of fluid inlets / outlets 14 will be provided. Further, the place where the fluid inlet / outlet 14 is provided is not limited to the upper surface 11b of the gripper main body 11, and can be provided on any surface other than the side surface 11a provided with the opening 12.

Further, in the above embodiment, the tension transducer 22 is used for the measuring unit 20, but any means can be taken as long as the tension applied to the sample S when the sample S is pulled can be measured. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the drive unit 30 uses a ball screw 322 to reciprocate the rotation of the motor 321 to the movable piece 323 in the uniaxial direction. However, if the sample S can be pulled, any embodiment can be used. It can be taken.

Further, in the above embodiment, the gripping tool 10 is used in the measuring device 1 for performing a tensile test, but the use of the gripping tool 10 is not limited to the tensile test. For example, the gripping tool 10 can be used as a gripping device for gripping the sample S, such as gripping the sample S in order to move the sample S when the sample S is transplanted into a living body.

Example 1
Sample S: iPS-derived myocardial fibroblast laminated tissue (cell layer: 10 layers, size: 3.5 mm × 6 mm × 100 to 300 μm, gripping 3.5 mm side)
Grip main body 11: The grip main body of the form shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the opening 12 is square, the length of one side of the opening 12 is 100 μm, and the number of openings 12 is 7. Suction pressure: 3 to 4 kPa.

Example 2
Sample S: Fibroblast sheet (cell layer: 1 layer, size: 20 mm x 10 mm, grasping sides of 10 mm)
Grip main body 11: The grip main body of the form shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the opening 12 is square, the length of one side of the opening 12 is 200 μm, and the number of openings 12 is 7. Suction pressure: 0.4 to 1 kPa

Example 3
Sample S: iPS-derived cardiomyocyte laminated tissue (aggregation) (cardiomyocyte: fibroblast = 3: 1) (cell layer: 10 layers, size (circular): diameter around 2 mm x 100 to 300 μm)
Grip main body 11: The grip main body in the form of FIG. 9, the shape of the opening 12 is circular, the diameter of the opening 12 is 200 μm, and the number of openings 12 is two. Suction pressure: 13 to 14 kPa.

When each sample S was gripped by the gripping tool 10 under the conditions described in Examples 1 to 3, the sample S could be firmly gripped without being damaged.
Further, in the first embodiment, when the tensile test was performed by the measuring device 1 in the state of being gripped by the gripping tool 10, the measuring device 1 did not damage the sample S, and the suction pressure was 3 to 4 [kPa]. A tensile test could be realized.

1 Measuring device 10 Gripping tool 11 Gripping tool body 12 Opening 13 Flow path 14 Fluid inlet / outlet 20 Measuring unit 30 Drive unit 40 Tube S Sample

Claims (4)

A gripper that grips the end of a sample composed of living tissue or cultured cell aggregates .
A pair of gripper bodies having a three-dimensional shape including a surface facing the end of the sample ,
Wherein at least two openings provided on the surface of the gripper body,
A flow path provided inside each gripper body and extending from the opening to a surface of the gripper body separated from the opening.
Wherein provided on the front surface spaced from the opening of the gripper body, at least one fluid port for and out the fluid to the flow path,
Equipped with a,
The at least two openings are formed so that each opening is smaller than a square frame having a side length of 5000 μm and the distance between adjacent openings is 2000 μm or less.
Grip. The at least two openings are formed so that the distance between adjacent openings is 50 μm or more.
The gripping tool according to claim 1. The gripping tool according to claim 1 or 2,
A drive unit that moves the pair of gripper bodies in directions that are separated from each other,
A measuring device including a measuring unit for measuring a tensile force applied to the sample gripped by the gripper. A tube for allowing fluid to enter and exit is attached to the fluid inlet / outlet.
The measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the tube extends orthogonally to a moving direction of the gripping tool main body.

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