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价格合理的平台商业化，该平台用于从混合群体中有效分离活的单细胞或集落，同时细胞/集落保持粘附或封装在固体表面上。该公司的“IsoRaft”技术基于查佩尔山的北卡罗来纳州大学（University of North Carolina）最近开发的一种独特的电池阵列，并代表了通过SBIR计划将学术技术转化为市场的理想机会。细胞微系统公司已获得许可证，将该技术商业化，在学术实验室，以及生物技术和制药行业的广泛市场。该产品包括用于培养细胞的一次性微阵列（IsoRaftTM Array）和用于分离感兴趣的细胞/集落的简单装置。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进行早期采用计划（EPA）测试。在第一阶段SBIR提案中，将对IsoRaft阵列进行改进，以解决我们市场需求分析的反馈，这也将大大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，使商业制造的平面，透明，生物相容性阵列的微成型元件。IsoRaft技术在细胞培养、成像和分离应用中的应用将由我们的学术合作者在麻省理工学院进行。我们的目标是将这项技术在细胞研究中的应用扩展到生命科学市场的大型社区。第一阶段的研究将提供第二代可消耗阵列，该阵列可以大规模制造，以提供灵活、强大且具有成本效益的方法，以显著降低成本和时间的方式进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.