Innovations in functionality and manufacturability of IsoRaft Arrays

描述(由申请人提供)：细胞微系统公司是一家总部位于北卡罗来纳州的初创生物技术公司，其使命是将一种新颖但负担得起的平台商业化，以便有效地从混合种群中分离出可存活的单个细胞或克隆，同时细胞/克隆保持附着或封装在固体表面上。该公司的“IsoRaft”技术基于北卡罗来纳大学(UNC)教堂山分校最近开发的一种独特的细胞阵列，是通过SBIR计划将一项学术技术转化为市场的理想机会。细胞微系统公司已获得北卡罗来纳大学的许可，将这项技术商业化，以满足学术实验室以及生物技术和制药行业的广泛市场需求。这些产品包括用于培养细胞的一次性微阵列(IsoRaftTM阵列)和用于分离感兴趣的细胞/集落的简单设备。阵列和设备的原型已经完成，并正在附近研究机构的一些学术实验室作为早期采用计划(EPA)进行测试。在这份第一阶段SBIR提案中，将对IsoRaft“阵列进行改进，以满足我们的市场需求分析反馈，这也将极大地提高阵列的可制造性。特别是，我们将研究新的材料和制造方法，使平面、透明、生物兼容的微模塑元件阵列能够进行商业制造。使用IsoRaft技术进行细胞培养、成像和分离应用将由我们在北卡罗来纳大学的学术合作者进行。我们的目标是将这项技术在细胞研究中的使用扩大到生命科学市场的大型社区。第一阶段的研究将提供可批量生产的第二代消耗品阵列，以提供灵活、强大但具有成本效益的手段，以显著减少成本和时间来执行独特的克隆和分选实验。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cell Microsystems is a North Carolina-based start-up biotechnology company whose mission is to commercialize a novel, yet affordable, platform for the efficient isolation of viable, single cells or colonies from a mixed population while the cell/colony remains adherent or encapsulated to a solid surface. The company's "IsoRaft" technology is based on a unique cell array recently developed at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, and represents an ideal opportunity for the translation of an academic technology to the marketplace through the SBIR program. Cell Microsystems has obtained license from UNC to commercialize the technology for a broad market in academic labs, as well as in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The products consist of disposable microarray (the IsoRaftTM Array) for culturing cells and a simple device for isolating the cell/colony of interest. Prototypes of arrays and devices have been completed and are being tested in a number of academic labs as an Early Adoption Program (EPA) at nearby research institutes. In this Phase I SBIR proposal, improvements will be made in the IsoRaft" array that address feedback from our market needs analysis that will also dramatically improve the manufacturability of the array. Particularly we will institute new materials and a method of manufacture that will enable commercial fabrication of a flat, transparent, biocompatible array of micro-molded elements. The use IsoRaft technology for cell culture, imaging and isolation applications will be conducted by our academic collaborator at UNC. Our goal is to expand the use of this technology for cell research to the large community in the life science market. The studies in Phase I will deliver a 2nd generation consumable array that can be mass manufactured to provide a flexible, powerful, yet cost-effective means to perform unique cloning and sorting experiments at significant reductions in cost and time.