Figure 1.

The individual-cell-based cryo-chip (i3C). (A) The 2.5 ml cell chamber (1), whose glass bottom contains the picowells (small opaque region inside the chamber), which are engraved into the i3C plastic body (2). The cover slip (3) is moved left to enable access to the cell chamber opening, through which the cell suspension is loaded. The cover slip is then returned to its position in order to secure the content of the cell chamber when the liquids are poured into the entrance of the open conduit (4), formed by the space between the cover slip and the plastic 'step bridge'. Flow to the left is then established via capillary forces developed between the cover slip, the bridge and the poured liquid. (B) SEM micrograph of U937 cells in their picowells, as they appear at the bottom of the cell chamber.