Description
Designed primarily for transgenic mammal workstations, the XenoWorks Digital Microinjector is capable of holding oocytes and early embryos immobile while simultaneously providing a separate pressure channel for pronuclear microinjection of DNA or the gentle control of embryonic stem cells as they are transferred into blastocysts.
The microinjector employs two independent pressure control channels. The self-contained vacuum channel for gentle suspension-cell holding applications can be switched on and off as needed, and a responsive rotary control is used to dial the pressure up or down according to the degree of hold required.
A second channel is available which is capable of delivering both high-pressure for solution injection, and gentle positive/negative pressure for transfer of embryonic stem cells. Two modes of injection are available on this channel; in Constant Flow mode, the inject pressure set is applied to the micropipette tip for as long as the hand- or foot-switch is held down. In Pulse mode, the inject pressure is applied for a precisely timed duration, which can be set in 0.1 second increments. Both injection duration and pressure are easily selectable using rotary controls on the remote interface. Optimal ergonomics are again a prime consideration; the remote control unit provides access to all keys and rotary controls necessary to manipulate the parameters in the two pressure channels, while the separate compressor module can be shelf- or floor-mounted away from the microscope to eliminate vibration interference.
The configuration of any microinjection system will depend upon the application for which it is used. Some common applications and system configurations are:
- Zygote pronuclear DNA microinjection
- Embryonic stem cell transfer into blastocyst
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Piezo-assisted ICSI
- Microinjection of cultured, adherent cells
- Somatic cell nuclear transfer
Features
- Four injection modes: Hold, Transfer, Inject, Clear
- Two independent pressure channels
- Femtoliter resolution injection
- Rotary controls for continuous pressure adjustment
- Integral compressor with remote control pad