An instant cell recognition system using a microfabricated coordinate standard chip useful for combinable cell observation with multiple microscopic apparatuses.

Disposable coordinate standard (CS) chips were fabricated by the ejection of melted polystyrene into a metal mold. The CS chip surface was divided into four parts different in height and width. The edge lines of these parts could be recognized as straight lines 2 mum in width in the microscope view and used as the X and Y axes for the culture dish. The CS chip was attached on the bottom of a culture dish outside. Then the dish was set on the microscope stage and moved by means of a motorized automatic stage. The X-Y coordinates of many single-cells in a culture dish were registered, respectively. Once registered, any single-cell could instantly be brought to the center of the microscope view even after displacing the dish from the stage for a while and setting it again on the stage. Therefore, experimenters can easily search any single-cell in any culture dish on any microscope at any time. Such a system is remarkably useful for various modes of single-cell experiment and named "Suguwaculture," which means "instantly" ("sugu" in Japanese) + "recognizable" ("wakaru" in Japanese) + "culture" (during culture).