Cell culture device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016002584-A1
Application number	US-201314768770-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An automatic culture device which employs closed-system culture vessels and in which, when a passage part ( 2 ) and a rotational valve mechanism ( 3 ) are configured, the multiple culture vessels in a culture vessel part ( 1 ) can be rendered equal in liquid-feeding conditions by, for example, regulating the length of each passage. As a result, the evenness in quality of cells incubated in the multiple culture vessels is rendered possible. Furthermore, by providing a mechanism which enables a user to normally set passages in the device, the evenness in quality of the cells is rendered possible likewise.

First claim

1 . A cell culture device that cultures cells comprising:
a liquid solution holding part that holds a liquid solution for use in cultivation; and a plurality of passages that individually connects the liquid solution holding part to a plurality of culture vessels, wherein the plurality of the passages has a length equal from the liquid solution holding part to the plurality of the culture vessels.

2 . The cell culture device according to claim 1 ,
wherein: the plurality of the culture vessels is connected to the liquid solution holding part through a multi-branch part to which the plurality of the passages is individually connected; and the plurality of the passages has a length equal from the multi-branch part to the plurality of the culture vessels.

3 . The cell culture device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a culture vessel base that holds the plurality of the culture vessels, the culture vessel base being detachable and attachable in a cabinet; and an observation part that observes an inside of the plurality of the culture vessels, wherein: a vacant space is formed on the culture vessel base; when the culture vessel base is disposed in the cabinet, the observation part is disposed in the vacant space; and the plurality of the passages is disposed on an outer side of the culture vessel base.

4 . The cell culture device according to claim 3 ,
wherein a notch that passes the observation part to the vacant space side is provided on a part of an outer circumference of the culture vessel base.

5 . The cell culture device according to claim 3 , comprising a supply mechanism that supplies the liquid solution from the liquid solution holding part to the plurality of the culture vessels through the plurality of the passages.

6 . The cell culture device according to claim 5 , further comprising a door part through which the culture vessel base is inserted into the cabinet,
wherein: the culture vessel base is insertable from the notch side into the cell culture vessel; and the supply mechanism is disposed on the door part side and below the culture vessel base.

7 . The cell culture device according to claim 5 ,
wherein: the supply mechanism includes a valve mechanism on which the plurality of the passages is individually disposed; the valve mechanism controls the liquid solution to be supplied to the plurality of the culture vessels; and an adjustment region is included, on which a part of a passage located between the valve mechanism and the plurality of the culture vessels is disposed as an adjustment passage.

8 . The cell culture device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the adjustment region is formed below the culture vessel base and above the supply mechanism.

9 . The cell culture device according to claim 3 , comprising a convergence part that converges the plurality of the passages in a bundle.

10 . The cell culture device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a culture vessel base that holds the plurality of the culture vessels, the culture vessel base being detachable and attachable in the cell culture device; and an observation part that observes an inside of the plurality of the culture vessels, wherein: a vacant space is formed on the culture vessel base; and the plurality of the passages is disposed through the vacant space.

11 . The cell culture device according to claim 3 ,
wherein a holding part is formed on the culture vessel base, the holding part holding the plurality of the passages.

12 . The cell culture device according to claim 3 ,
wherein: the plurality of the culture vessels is disposed around the vacant space portion on circumference; and a drive part that drives the observation part in a rotation direction and in a horizontal direction is included.

13 . The cell culture device according to claim 3 , comprising an actuator connected to the plurality of the culture vessels base, the actuator changing a disposition angle of the culture vessel base.

14 . The cell culture device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the door part includes a flap formed at a position higher than the culture vessel base.

15 . A cell culture device that cultures cells comprising:
a liquid solution holding part that holds a liquid solution for use in cultivation; a plurality of culture vessels that holds the liquid solution supplied from the liquid solution holding part; a multi-branch part connected to the liquid solution holding part, the multi-branch part passing the liquid solution; and a plurality of passages that individually connects the multi-branch part to the plurality of the culture vessels and supplies a liquid solution passed through the multi-branch part to the plurality of the culture vessels, wherein the plurality of the passages has a length equal from the multi-branch part to the plurality of the culture vessels.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Nozaki Takayuki
• Zhou Guangbin
• Kiyama Masaharu
• Nakajima Ryota
• Matsuoka Shizu
• Nakamura Taku
• Sugaya Masakazu
• Terada Koichi

Classifications

• C12M41/36

  of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements (electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404) · CPC title

• C12M23/58

  Reaction vessels connected in series or in parallel (combinations of bioreactors with other apparatus, C12M43/00) · CPC title

• C12M29/00

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

• C12M41/14

  Incubators; Climatic chambers (per se B01L1/00) · CPC title

• C12M23/50 Primary

  Means for positioning or orientating the apparatus (C12M41/08 takes precedence) · CPC title