A cell scraper includes a grip, an elongate arm and a scraper blade. The cell scraper includes a substrate molded from a substantially rigid plastic. The substrate includes a blade support remote from the grip. The cell scraper also includes a resilient material over-molded onto the substrate. The resilient material may be molded onto the grip to facilitate gripping. Additionally, the resilient material is molded around the blade support to define a flexible blade for efficiently scraping cells from a tissue culture vessel.
1. An elongate cell scraper having opposite proximal and distal ends, a grip being defined adjacent said proximal end, an arm extending distally from said grip and a scraper blade extending from said arm to said distal end, said cell scraper including a unitary substrate extending from said grip, along said arm and toward said distal end, a distal portion of said substrate defining a blade support, said cell scraper further comprising a resilient material integrally disposed on said substrate, said resilient material surrounding said blade support and extending unitarily from said blade support to said distal end of said cell scraper, portions of said cell scraper formed from said resilient material including a flexible blade projecting distally beyond said support, wherein said blade support is formed from a different material than said resilient material.
2. The cell scraper of claim 1 , wherein said flexible blade tapers from said distal end of said cell scraper towards said substrate.
3. The cell scraper of claim 2 , wherein the flexible blade comprises a linear edge at said distal end of said cell scraper.
4. The cell scraper of claim 3 , wherein portions of said arm adjacent said grip are substantially linearly aligned, said edge of said flexible blade being aligned at an acute angle to portions of said arm adjacent said grip.
5. The cell scraper of claim 1 , wherein the blade support is substantially planar.
6. The cell scraper of claim 5 , wherein portions of said arm adjacent said blade support are substantially cylindrical, said resilient material extending proximally from said blade support and integrally surrounding and engaging portions of said arm adjacent said blade support.
7. The cell scraper of claim 6 , wherein portions of said blade support in proximity to said arm are thinned sufficiently to permit flexion of said blade support in response to forces exerted thereon.
8. The cell scraper of claim 7 , wherein said portion of said blade in proximity to said arm defines a living hinge.
9. The cell scraper of claim 1 , wherein portions of said substrate defining said grip include a plurality of recesses, said resilient material integrally filling said recesses to define gripping regions on said grip.
10. The cell scraper of claim 1 , wherein portions of said substrate defining said arm include an elongate groove extending distally from said grip, said resilient material integrally filling said groove to define visual cue regions to identify longitudinal and rotational orientation of said cell scraper.
11. The cell scraper of claim 1 , wherein the resilient material is a thermoplastic elastomer.
12. The cell scraper of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is formed from polypropylene.
13. A cell scraper having opposite proximal and distal ends, a grip being formed adjacent said proximal end, an elongate arm projecting distally from said grip and a scraper blade extending from said arm to said distal end, said cell scraper including a substrate unitarily molded from a thermoplastic material and extending from said grip, said substrate defining at least one recess in said grip and a blade support at an end of said arm remote from said grip, said cell scraper further including an elastomer integrally molded over at least part of said substrate, said elastomer filling said recess in said grip for defining at least one gripping region, said elastomer further covering said blade support and extending unitarily from said blade support to define a flexible blade which tapers to a substantially linear edge at said distal end, wherein said blade support is formed from a different material than said elastomer.
14. The cell scraper of claim 13 , wherein said substrate is of a first color, and wherein said elastomer is of a second color.
15. The cell scraper of claim 13 , wherein the substrate is molded from polypropylene.
16. The cell scraper of claim 13 , wherein the elastomer is a thermoplastic elastomer.
17. A cell scraper having a handle, an arm extending unitarily from said handle and a blade support extending unitarily from said arm, a blade formed from a material having a lower durometer than the blade support, the arm and the handle, the blade being molded to define a first unitary matrix of resilient material surrounding at least portions of said blade support and extending beyond said blade support to define a flexible blade.
18. The cell scraper of claim 17 , further comprising at least one recess formed in said handle, a second unitary matrix of said resilient material being disposed in said recess of said handle for facilitating gripping of said handle.
19. The cell scraper of claim 18 , wherein said at least one recess in said handle comprises a plurality of interconnected recesses, said second unitary matrix of said resilient material extending into each of said recesses in said handle.
20. The cell scraper of claim 19 , wherein the arm is formed with at least one longitudinal groove, said second unitary matrix of resilient material extending into said groove of said arm for providing an indication of rotational orientation of said cell scraper.
21. The cell scraper of claim 20 , wherein the first and second unitary matrices of resilient material are formed from a thermoplastic elastomer having a color different from colors defined on said handle and said arm.