Cell culturing system for cultivating adherent cells and liquid supply interface comprising a cell culture container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093893-B2
Application number	US-201414762653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2014
Priority date	Jan 23, 2013
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquid supply interface ( 62, 62′, 62″, 62 ′″) for a cell culture system for supplying cell cultures found in different cell culture containers ( 10, 10′, 10 ″) with a nutrient medium, wherein the liquid supply interface ( 62, 62′, 62″, 62 ′″) comprises: a housing ( 68 ) defining a flow area ( 72 ); a first connection formation ( 76 ) for the liquid-transferring connection of a first fluid line ( 84 ) to the housing ( 68 ); a second connection formation ( 78 ) formed separately from the first for the liquid-transferring connection of a second fluid line ( 88 ) to the housing ( 68 ); a third connection formation ( 80 ) formed separately from the first two for the liquid-transferring connection of the housing ( 68 ) to a third fluid line; a coupling formation ( 64, 66 ) formed separately from the connection formations ( 76, 78, 80 ), which is formed for the producible and detachable liquid-transferring coupling contact according to the operation, with a corresponding counter-coupling formation ( 38, 40 ) of a cell culture container ( 10, 10′, 10 ″).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid supply interface for a cell culture system for supplying cell cultures found in different cell culture containers with a nutrient medium, wherein the liquid supply interface comprises:
a housing defining a flow area;
a first connection formation for the liquid-transferring connection of a first fluid line to the housing;
a second connection formation formed separately from the first for the liquid-transferring connection of a second fluid line with the housing;
a third connection formation formed separately from the first two for the liquid-transferring connection of the housing with a third fluid line;
a coupling formation formed separately from the connection formations, which is formed for the producible and detachable liquid-transferring coupling contact according to the operation, with a corresponding counter-coupling formation of a cell culture container;
a first liquid flow path, which extends between the flow area and the first connection formation for introducing a first liquid from the outside into the flow area;
a second liquid flow path, which extends between the flow area and the second connection formation for introducing a second liquid different from the first from the outside into the flow area;
a third liquid flow path, which extends between the flow area and the third connection formation for removing a liquid from the flow area; and
a coupling flow path, which extends between the flow area and the coupling formation in order to remove a liquid from the flow area and/or to introduce it to said flow area via the coupling formation,
wherein the first, the second, and the third liquid flow paths each have a valve configuration, which is completely surrounded with the exception of the respective liquid flow path by the housing, incorporated in it, without a continuous signal and/or power-transferring physical connection surrounded by the valve configuration up to the outside of the housing;
wherein a control configuration with a signaling means generating an electric and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic field is assigned to each valve configuration, the field of which acts upon a valve body of the valve configuration without contact, wherein each valve configuration can be switched off via the field, acting upon its valve body, between a blocked position, in which the valve configuration interrupts a liquid flow in the liquid flow path in which it is arranged, and an outlet position in which the valve configuration enables a liquid flow;
wherein the coupling formation is located in a flow path between the valve configuration of the second connection formation and the valve configuration of the third connection formation;
wherein at least a part of the valve configurations, in a passage flow direction along the liquid flow path, in which it is arranged, but not in the opposite flow direction, is adjustable from the blocked position to the outlet position by a predetermined liquid pressure difference;
wherein the passage flow directions of the first and second liquid flow paths are each directed into the flow area.

2. The liquid supply interface according to claim 1 , wherein the following applies to at least one valve configuration:
the signaling means and the valve body each comprise an electrode for establishing an electrical field between each other, wherein the valve body interacts with a Piezo electrical actuator of the valve configuration such that the electric field brings about a structural change to the Piezo electrical actuator, which, in turn, brings about an adjustment in the valve configuration between the blocked position and the outlet position; and/or
the signaling means and the valve body comprise a magnet, on one hand, and a ferromagnetic and/or magnetized component attracting its magnetic field, on the other hand, wherein the magnetic field in effect between the signaling means and the valve body causes a shift in the valve body, which, in turn, causes an adjustment in the valve configuration between the blocked position and the outlet position; and/or
the signaling means comprises a magnet and the valve body comprises an electrically conducting component inductively attracting the magnetic field of the magnet of the signaling means, wherein the magnetic field effective between the signaling means and the valve body effects an induction in the valve body, which, in turn, causes an adjustment in the valve configuration between the blocked position and the outlet position; and/or
the signaling means comprises a transmitter of electromagnetic waves, such as optical signals or radio signals, and the valve body comprises a corresponding receiver, wherein the valve configuration has a power storage unit and an actuator, which are coupled to one another and to the valve body such that the valve body controls the actuator fed from the power storage unit for switching the valve configuration between the blocked position and the outlet position, depending on the electromagnetic waves received.

3. The liquid supply interface according to claim 2 ,
wherein the signaling means and the valve body comprise a magnet, on one hand, and a ferromagnetic and/or magnetized component attracting its magnetic field, on the other hand, wherein the valve body is a valve body of the valve configuration, which can be shifted away from its valve seat and/or toward said seat for forming a sealing contact under the effect of the magnetic field between the signaling means and the valve body.

4. The liquid supply interface according to claim 3 ,
wherein the valve configuration is pretensioned magnetically in the blocked position and is adjustable into the outlet position by the magnetic field starting from the signaling means.

5. The liquid supply interface according to claim 4 ,
wherein a valve seat of the valve configuration has a permanent magnetic or ferromagnetic tension component, such that a magnetic tension force is in effect between the tension component and the valve body, which tensions the valve body at the valve seat for sealing contact.

6. The liquid supply interface according to claim 5 ,
wherein the valve seat has an elastomer contact component, at which the valve body is directly positioned in the blocked position of the valve configuration, wherein then the magnetic tensioning force in effect between the valve body and the tension component is an attracting force.

7. The liquid supply interface according to claim 1 ,
wherein the signaling means comprises a locally shiftable permanent magnet or an electric magnet.

Assignees

• Hamilton Bonaduz Ag

Inventors

• JäGER THOMAS
• Schlenker Dirk
• Othman Nabih
• Kühne Oliver

Classifications

• C12M33/07

  Dosage or metering devices therefore · CPC title

• C12M37/04

  Seals · CPC title

• C12M29/00

  Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B) · CPC title

• C12M41/00

  Means for regulation, monitoring, measurement or control, e.g. flow regulation (controlling or regulating chemical, physical or physicochemical processes B01J19/0006; heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00; electro optical investigation of individual particles, flow cytometers G01N15/14; automatic analysis G01N35/00; controlling or regulating in general G06N) · CPC title

• C12M23/40 Primary

  Manifolds; Distribution pieces (fluid transfer means B01L3/563) · CPC title