Microorganism culture apparatus and microorganism culture method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12509656-B2
Application number	US-202117481738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A microorganism culture apparatus includes a three-layer stacked structure having a layered culture unit ( 1 ) that cultures a microorganism, a layered nutrient supply unit ( 2 ) that is arranged on a first surface ( 11 ) of the culture unit ( 1 ) and supplies a nutrient to the culture unit ( 1 ), and a layered environmental component supply unit ( 3 ) that is arranged on a second surface ( 12 ) and supplies an environmental component to the culture unit ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A microorganism culture apparatus comprising a three-layer vertically stacked structure that includes:
a layered culture unit configured to culture a microorganism; and at least one of a layered nutrient supply unit that supplies a nutrient to the culture unit, and a layered environmental component supply unit that supplies an environmental component to the culture unit, wherein a) the layered nutrient supply unit is arranged on a first surface of the culture unit, and the layered environmental component supply unit is arranged on a second surface of the culture unit opposite to the first surface of the culture unit; b) the microorganism culture apparatus includes two layered nutrient supply units, comprising a first layered nutrient supply unit arranged on a first surface of the culture unit, and a second layered nutrient supply unit arranged on a second surface of the culture unit opposite to the first surface of the culture unit; or c) the microorganism culture apparatus includes two layered environmental component supply units, comprising a first layered environmental component supply unit arranged on a first surface of the culture unit, and a second layered environmental component supply unit arranged on a second surface of the culture unit opposite to the first surface of the culture unit.

2 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the three-layer vertically stacked structure, the first surface of the culture unit comprises a top surface of the layered culture unit, and the second surface comprises a bottom surface of the layered culture unit.

3 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the three-layer vertically stacked structure, the first layered nutrient supply unit is arranged on the first surface of the layered culture unit, and the second layered nutrient supply unit is arranged on the second surface of the layered culture unit.

4 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first layered nutrient supply unit arranged on the first surface of the layered culture unit, and the second layered nutrient supply unit arranged on the second surface of the layered culture unit, are different from each other in at least one of a type and a concentration of a nutrient to be supplied.

5 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the three-layer vertically stacked structure, the first layered environmental component supply unit is arranged on the first surface of the culture unit, and the second layered environmental component supply unit is arranged on the second surface of the layered culture unit.

6 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the first layered environmental component supply unit arranged on the first surface of the layered culture unit, and the second layered environmental component supply unit arranged on the second surface of the layered culture unit, are different from each other in at least one of a type and a concentration of an environmental component to be supplied.

7 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the layered culture unit holds a microorganism-containing culture medium,
the layered nutrient supply unit holds a nutrient-containing material or is configured to allow a nutrient-containing gas or a nutrient-containing liquid to flow through the layered nutrient supply unit, and the layered environmental component supply unit holds an environmental component-containing material or is configured to allow an environmental component-containing gas or an environmental component-containing liquid to flow through the layered environmental component supply unit.

8 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the layered culture unit includes a first frame main body surrounding a first internal space, the layered nutrient supply unit includes a second frame main body surrounding a second internal space, the layered environmental component supply unit includes a third frame main body surrounding a third internal space, the first frame main body is capable of holding a microorganism-containing culture medium in the first internal space, the second frame main body is capable of holding a nutrient-containing material in the second internal space or allowing a nutrient-containing gas or a nutrient-containing liquid to flow through the second internal space, the third frame main body is capable of holding an environmental component-containing material in the third internal space or allowing an environmental component-containing gas or an environmental component-containing liquid to flow through the third internal space, and the first frame main body, the second frame main body, and the third frame main body are connectable to each other in a stacked state.

9 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first frame main body, the second frame main body, and the third frame main body are attachable to and detachable from each other.

10 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the second frame main body has an inflow path for allowing a fluid to flow into the second internal space and an outflow path for allowing a fluid to flow out of the second internal space, the third frame main body includes an inflow path for allowing a fluid to flow into the third internal space and an outflow path for allowing a fluid to flow out of the third internal space, the inflow path and the outflow path of the second frame main body and the third frame main body are each configured to be openable and closable, the second frame main body is capable of holding a nutrient-containing material in the second internal space in a state in which both the inflow path and the outflow path are closed, and the third frame main body is capable of holding an environmental component-containing material in the third internal space in a state in which both the inflow path and the outflow path are closed.

11 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the layered culture unit includes a first printed layer comprising a microorganism-containing culture medium being printed, the layered nutrient supply unit includes a second printed layer comprising a nutrient-containing material being printed, the layered environmental component supply unit includes a third printed layer comprising an environmental component-containing material being printed, and the three-layer vertically stacked structure includes the first printed layer and at least one of the second printed layer and the third printed layer arranged on both surfaces of the first printed layer.

12 . The microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the layered culture unit includes a first thin film body comprising a microorganism-containing culture medium being thinned by a doctor blade method, the layered nutrient supply unit includes a second thin film body comprising a nutrient-containing material being thinned by a doctor blade method, the layered environmental component supply unit includes a third thin film body comprising an environmental component-containing material being thinned by a doctor blade method, and the three-layer vertically stacked structure includes the first thin film body and at least one of the second thin film body and the third thin film body arranged on both surfaces of the first thin film body.

13 . A method for culturing a microorganism using the microorganism culture apparatus according to claim 7 , the method comprising:

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Takata Masachika
• Sunahara Hirofumi
• Aoi Yoshiteru

Classifications

• C12M41/34

  of gas · CPC title

• C12M41/26

  of pH · CPC title

• C12M41/12

  of temperature (controlling the temperature of chemical or physical processes B01J19/0013, heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00) · CPC title

• C12M35/00

  Means for application of stress for stimulating the growth of microorganisms or the generation of fermentation or metabolic products; Means for electroporation or cell fusion (machines for extracting juice from animal or plant tissue by electroplasmolysis A23N1/006, processes employing electric or wave energy B01J19/08; treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00; methods for cell fusion C12N15/02; introduction of foreign genetic material C12N15/87) · CPC title

• C12M23/48

  Holding appliances; Racks; Supports (holding devices for laboratory apparatus B01L9/00) · CPC title