Applications

Large hatched blastocyst captured and gently held for easy and harmless puncture; biopsied cells are expressed through the biopsy port (top). Optical image of a glass needle with a 5 µm laser-drilled biopsy port.
Photo credit: GeneSearch Inc. and Workshop of Photonics.

Drilled biopsy probes put through or take a small sample of tissue from/into cells for easy and harmless puncture.

The GeneSearch Embryo Cradle is a new embryo manipulation tool allowing embryo penetration and biopsy at all stages right up to the time for implantation in the uterus. After collecting a few cells for DNA analysis, even as part of the same procedure, the device can easily remove blastocoel fluid to optimize the embryo freezing process.

One of the main components — glass biopsy probe — was drilled by Workshop of Photonics. Probe diameters can vary from 12 µm to more than 20 µm, and the biopsy ports vary in diameter from 5 µm to more than 10 µm. The biopsy port is a clean, sharp-edged, laser-drilled hole through the near sidewall of the probe, located near its tip.