Single cell ultracentrifuge

In the conventional methods of centrifugation the cell sample is placed on the periphery of the rotor. The centrifugal force stratifies the cell into several linearly arranged layers. In contrast to this a single cell placed on the center of rotation will show circular or concentric distribution of layers versus the linear one. Each layer in a concentrically stratified cel l is longer and thinner than the same layer in a linear setup. This results in better separation and higher resolution. The single cell centrifuge is based on a dental drill machine air turbine m ounted on the microscope stage. A round chamber is machined on the tip of t he shaft inserted into a turbine instead of the bur. The chamber is covered by a transparent plastic cap. Its diameter is from several dozens of micro ns to one millimeter, depending on the size of the cell. The cell is examin ed under the microscope before and after centrifugation. The cycle of accel eration-run-deceleration can be as short as half a minute. The centrifugal force at half a million rpm approaches 10(5) g.