Culture system and culture method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201023-A1
Application number	US-201414916764-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Sep 12, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A culture system comprises: a preparatory culture vessel and a main culture vessel that accommodate cells and a solution; a main stage that holds the preparatory culture vessel and the main culture vessel; a connecting tube that connects the culture vessels; a valve that opens and closes the connecting tube; and a rotating mechanism that rotates the main stage and imparts a height difference between the culture vessels to transfer the cells and solution by dropping between the culture vessels.

First claim

1 . A culture system comprising: a plurality of housing vessels for accommodating cells and a solution; conduits for connecting the plurality of housing vessels; an opening-closing mechanism for opening and closing the conduits; and a height-difference imparting mechanism for imparting a height difference between the plurality of housing vessels in order to allow dropping of the cells and the solution between the plurality of housing vessels.

2 . The culture system according to claim 1 , comprising a first holding section for holding the plurality of housing vessels.

3 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein the height-difference imparting mechanism imparts a height difference to at least one of the plurality of housing vessels by moving the first holding section.

4 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of housing vessels comprise one or a plurality of culture vessels.

5 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of housing vessels is connected to at least one cylinder or bellows vessel.

6 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein the height-difference imparting mechanism imparts a height difference between the housing vessel and the cylinder or the bellows vessel so as to transfer the cells and the solution between the housing vessel and the cylinder or the bellows vessel by dropping.

7 . The culture system according to claim 6 , wherein the cylinder or the bellows vessel is a waste fluid vessel, and the conduit connecting between the waste fluid vessel and the housing vessel is provided with a cell capturing unit.

8 . The culture system according to claim 7 , wherein the cylinder or the bellows vessel is a feed fluid vessel, which is connected to the cell capturing unit.

9 . The culture system according to claim 8 , comprising a switching mechanism for switching between the connection between the cell capturing unit and the waste fluid vessel and the connection between the cell capturing unit and the feed fluid vessel.

10 . The culture system according to claim 5 , comprising a stretching mechanism for stretching the cylinder or the bellows vessel.

11 . The culture system according to claim 5 , comprising a first holding section for holding at least one of the housing vessels and a second holding section for holding the cylinder or the bellows vessel.

12 . The culture system according to claim 11 , wherein the first holding section and the second holding section are detachable.

13 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing vessels are provided with a temperature regulating unit.

14 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing vessels are provided with a carbon dioxide supply section.

15 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing vessels are provided with a ventilation section.

16 . The culture system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing vessels are disposable.

17 . The culture system according to claim 5 , wherein the bellows vessel is disposable.

18 . The culture system according to claim 1 , comprising a swing mechanism for swinging the housing vessels.

19 . The culture system according to claim 1 , comprising magnetic particles that are attached to the cells in the solution, a magnet provided outside the culture vessel and a magnetic force regulating unit for regulating the magnetic force of the magnet, wherein the magnetic force regulating unit regulates the magnetic force of the magnet to shake or vibrate the magnetic particles and the cells in the culture vessel.

20 . The culture system according to claim 1 , comprising a controller for controlling the opening-closing mechanism and the height-difference imparting mechanism, wherein the controller controls the opening-closing mechanism and the height-difference imparting mechanism according to a predetermined procedure to perform cell culture and transfer the solution in an automatic manner.

21 . A method for performing cell culture by using the culture system according to claim 1 .

22 . The method according to claim 21 , comprising the steps of:
culturing at a position where the height difference between the plurality of housing vessels is made smaller by the height-difference imparting mechanism; transferring the cells and the solution at a dropping position where the height difference between the plurality of housing vessels is made larger by the height-difference imparting mechanism; and treating the solution using at least one cylinder or bellows vessel connected to at least one of the plurality of housing vessels.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the step of treating the solution is a step of discarding the solution or a step of supplying the solution.

Assignees

• Universal Bio Research Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tajima Hideji

Classifications

• C12N5/0602

  Vertebrate cells · CPC title

• C12M29/00

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

• C12M27/16

  Vibrating; Shaking; Tilting · CPC title

• C12M21/08

  for producing artificial tissue or for ex-vivo cultivation of tissue (prostheses A61F2/00, grafts A61L27/00) · CPC title

• C12M41/48

  Automatic or computerized control (automatic analysis G01N35/00) · CPC title