Method and apparatus for measuring liquid level of cell culture solution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470572-B2
Application number	US-201313848278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2012
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A method of measuring a liquid level of a cell culture solution stored in a cell vessel, includes: irradiating the cell culture solution with at least two kinds of light beams including a first light beam having a first wavelength and a second light beam having a second wavelength; measuring a first absorbance of the cell culture solution with respect to the first light beam, and a second absorbance of the cell culture solution with respect to the second light beam; and determining a liquid level of the cell culture solution based on the first absorbance and the second absorbance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of measuring a liquid level of a cell culture solution stored in a cell vessel, the method comprising:
irradiating the cell culture solution with at least two kinds of light beams including a first light beam having a first wavelength and a second light beam having a second wavelength;
measuring a first absorbance of the cell culture solution with respect to the first light beam, and a second absorbance of the cell culture solution with respect to the second light beam; and
determining a liquid level of the cell culture solution based on the first absorbance and the second absorbance,
wherein the at least two kinds of light beams are selected from four kinds of light beams having different wavelengths, in accordance with a kind of the cell culture solution, and
wherein the cell culture solution contains:
a first material having a first absorption peak within a wavelength region of 300 to 800 nm; and
a second material having a second absorption peak or a first convergence point where an absorbance converges to a constant value irrespective of a pH, and a third absorption peak or a second convergence point where an absorbance converges to a constant value irrespective of a pH, within the wavelength region,

wherein the four kinds of light beams include:
a light beam having a wavelength corresponding to the first absorption peak;
a light beam having a wavelength corresponding to the second absorption peak or the first convergence point;
a light beam having a wavelength corresponding to the third absorption peak or the second convergence point; and
a light beam having a wavelength at which an absorbance of at least one of the first material and the second material converges to a constant value irrespective of a pH, and

wherein a pH of the cell culture solution is determined by measuring absorbances of the cell culture solution with respect to the four kinds of light beams.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first material is fetal bovine serum or bovine calf serum, and the second material is phenol red.

3. An apparatus for measuring a liquid level of a cell culture solution stored in a cell vessel, the apparatus comprising:
a light emitter which is configured to emit at least two kinds of light beams including a first light beam having a first wavelength and a second light beam having a second wavelength;
a light receiver which is configured to receive the least two kinds of light beams that have been passed through the cell culture solution;
a measurer which is configured to measure a first absorbance of the cell culture solution with respect to the first light beam, and a second absorbance of the cell culture solution with respect to the second light beam, based on intensities of the at least two kinds of light beams which are received by the light receiver; and
a calculator which is configured to determine a liquid level of the cell culture solution based on the first absorbance and the second absorbance,
wherein the at least two kinds of light beams are selected from four kinds of light beams having different wavelengths, in accordance with a kind of the cell culture solution, and
wherein the cell culture solution contains:
a first material having a first absorption peak within a wavelength region of 300 to 800 nm; and
a second material having a second absorption peak or a first convergence point where an absorbance converges to a constant value irrespective of a pH, and
a third absorption peak or a second convergence point where an absorbance converges to a constant value irrespective of a pH, within the wavelength region,

wherein the four kinds of light beams include:
a light beam having a wavelength corresponding to the first absorption peak;
a light beam having a wavelength corresponding to the second absorption peak or the first convergence point;
a light beam having a wavelength corresponding to the third absorption peak or the second convergence point; and
a light beam having a wavelength at which an absorbance of at least one of the first material and the second material converges to a constant value irrespective of a pH, and

wherein a pH of the cell culture solution is determined by measuring absorbances of the cell culture solution with respect to the four kinds of light beams.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the light emitter is placed on a first side of the cell culture solution, and the light receiver is placed on a second side of the cell culture solution, which is opposite to the first side.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising: a reflector which is configured to reflect the light beams which are emitted from the light emitter, wherein the light emitter and the light receiver are placed on a first side of the cell culture solution, and the reflector is placed on a second side of the cell culture solution, which is opposite to the first side.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the light emitter emits four kinds of light beams having different wavelengths, the measurer measures absorbances of the cell culture solution with respect to the four kinds of light beams, and the calculator determines a pH of the cell culture solution based on the absorbances of the cell culture solution with respect to the four kinds of light beams.

Assignees

• Nihon Kohden Corp
• Tokyo Women'S Medical Univ

Inventors

• Oura Mitsuhiro
• Kubo Hirotsugu
• Okano Teruo
• Shimizu Tatsuya

Classifications

• G01F23/292 Primary

  Light {, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet} · CPC title

• C12M41/44

  of volume or liquid level · CPC title