RARE CELL DETECTION APPARATUS, RARE CELL DETECTION METHOD, RARE CELL OBSERVATION SYSTEM, AND CELL MASS EXPANSION DEVICE

摘要

A rare cell detection apparatus for detecting a rare cell (24), on the basis of a fluorescent label, among from multiple cells housed in each of multiple chambers (6) formed in a cell mass expansion device (10). The rare cell detection apparatus is equipped with: a light source (26) for irradiating the device with excitation light (25); a rare cell detection section (27) for optically detecting fluorescent light (54), which is emitted from a phosphor that labels the rare cell (24), with the excitation light (25); a chamber detection section (28) for optically detecting detection light coming from the excitation light (25) with which the cell mass expansion device (10) has been irradiated; and a rare cell position determination/acquisition section (56a) for acquiring information on the position of the rare cell (24) and the positions of the chambers (6) respectively from the detection section (27) and the detection section (28) to thereby determine as to which chamber (6) in the cell mass expansion device (10) the rare cell (24) is housed in. Thus, by acquiring the information on the position of the rare cell, the observation of the rare cell, the confirmation on the shape of the rare cell and the like can be achieved readily even when the device is transported into other apparatus.