Flow chamber and electro-manipulator incorporating same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a flow chamber and an electro-manipulator incorporating the same which can be operated easily, and which are capable of continuously conducting electro-fusion or electro-transfection on a large amount of cells.
To achieve this object, the present invention provides in one of its aspects a flow chamber for use in electro-maninuplation which comprises: a spacer made of an electrically insulating flat plate, the spacer having an opening formed therein so as to form a chamber; a pair of electrode members interposed by the spacer, the opposing surfaces of the electrode members being made flat; an inlet communicating with the chamber formed by the spacer and the pair of electrode members; and an outlet communicating with the chamber formed by the spacer and the pair of electrode members.
The present invention provides in another of its aspects an electro-manipulator which comprises: a reservoir for storing a sample on which electro-fusion or electro-transfection is to be conducted; the flow chamber provided in the first aspect of the present invention whose inlet is connected to the outlet of the reservoir; sample transferring means for introducing the sample into the chamber of the flow chamber and discharging the electro-manipulated sample from the outlet of the flow chamber; and means for applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes of the flow chamber so as to conduct electro-fusion or electro-transfection.