JP2015073449A - incubator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an incubator in which water stored in a water supply vat for humidifying a culture space of an incubator is prevented from spilling when the incubator is moved. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A water supply bat (8) for storing humidification water is installed at the bottom of an incubator (2). Water is supplied from the outside and heated by a heater (10) to humidify a culture space (6). In the water supply bat 8, there is provided a wave-dissipating means made of a lattice-like member in which a vertical partition plate and a horizontal partition plate are combined in a direction orthogonal to each other. Each region partitioned by the vertical and horizontal partition plates is in communication with the adjacent region by a slit, and can be supplied to the entire water supply bat 8 when water is supplied to one region. An incubator that suppresses the spilling of water when moving by wave-dissipating means and prevents water from spilling. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an incubator having a culture space for cultivating an object to be cultured such as cells, and more particularly to an incubator having a water storage unit for adjusting the inside of the culture space to a predetermined humidity.

  In order to maintain the culture space in the incubator at a predetermined humidity, an incubator having a water storage part for storing humidification water has been conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  The incubator is usually installed on a movable carriage provided with casters or the like, and is moved manually or by a handling device and connected to a work room (isolator).

JP 2006-166748 A

  If the incubator provided with the water storage part which stores humidification water as mentioned above is moved, there exists a possibility that the humidification water stored in the water storage part may swell and spill in the incubator. Water spillage may contaminate the internal culture space. In addition, there is a method of reducing the amount of water stored in the water storage unit, but there is a problem that the frequency of water supply increases and it takes time and effort. The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to prevent water stored in the water storage section from spilling even when moved.

  1st invention is equipped with the culture | cultivation space which culture | cultivates a to-be-cultured substance, and the water storage part provided in this culture | cultivation space, Supplying humidification water to this water storage part, and adjusting the inside of the said culture | cultivation space to predetermined humidity In the incubator, wave-dissipating means is disposed in the water reservoir.

  Further, a second invention is the first invention, wherein a housing surrounding the culture space and a moving means for moving the housing are provided, and the culture space is moved by moving the housing. The present invention is characterized in that it can be connected to a working chamber for performing a required treatment on the culture object.

  Further, according to a third invention, in the first invention or the second invention, the wave-dissipating means combines a plurality of partition plates in a lattice shape to partition the water storage section into a plurality of regions. The partition plate is provided with a communication portion to connect each region of the water storage portion, and at least one region is provided with water supply means for supplying humidifying water.

  Further, a fourth invention is characterized in that, in the third invention, the depth of the region divided by the lattice member is set to be shallower than twice the upper opening diameter of each region. To do.

  In the first aspect of the invention, since the water storage section is provided with the wave-absorbing means, the water in the water storage section does not swell when the incubator is moved, and water can be prevented from spilling. Further, in the second invention, water can be prevented from spilling when the incubator is moved and connected to the isolator. Furthermore, in the third aspect of the invention, since the plurality of regions are partitioned by the lattice-like member combined with the partition plates, a high wave-breaking effect can be obtained. Moreover, since the communication part is provided in the partition plate and each area | region is connected, water can be supplied to the whole water storage part by supplying water to one area | region. In the fourth invention, since the depth of the region is shallower than twice the opening diameter of the region, the decontamination effect can be obtained even if a wave-dissipating means is provided. Does not affect culture.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state where an incubator is connected to an isolator. Example 1 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the incubator. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the wave-dissipating means provided in the water supply bat. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of the wave absorbing means. (Example 2) FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another example of the wave-dissipating means. (Example 3)

  The incubator is provided with a water supply bat at the bottom, and is supplied with water by a humidifying water supply device from the outside. In addition to the humidifying water, CO2 gas or N2 gas, which is an environment adjustment medium for adjusting the environment of the internal culture space, is supplied from the environment adjustment medium supply means, and the environment of the culture space is maintained. The water supply bat is provided with a wave-dissipating means composed of a lattice-like member in which a vertical partition plate and a horizontal partition plate are combined. Each region partitioned by the lattice member is provided with a communication portion such as a slit that communicates with an adjacent region. Therefore, when water is supplied to one of the many areas, water can be supplied to all areas.

  This incubator is mounted on a carriage and can be moved. It is connected to the isolator via an aseptic connection device, and the culture space is communicated with the isolator working room to perform decontamination and aeration. A culture object such as a cell that has undergone a required operation in the working chamber is placed in a culture vessel and transferred to a culture space. After the object to be cultured is transferred to the culture space of the incubator, the door of the incubator is closed and moved away from the isolator. After culturing for a predetermined time, it is moved again and connected to an isolator, and a culture object such as cultured cells is accommodated in a sealed container in the working room of the isolator. By providing the water-absorbing means in the water supply bat, the object of preventing the water of the water supply bat from spilling and spilling when the incubator is moved is achieved.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. In the incubator 2 according to this embodiment, a culture space 6 is formed in a metal housing 4 for accommodating and culturing a culture object such as a cell. A water storage part (water supply bat 8) for storing water for humidification is arranged at the bottom of the culture space 6. In addition, illustration is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. A heater 10 is installed below the water supply bat 8, and water supplied to the water supply bat 8 from a humidifying water supply device 12, which will be described later, is heated and evaporated by the heater 10. It is designed to maintain a predetermined humidity. The configuration of the water supply bat 8 will be described later.

  The incubator 2 is connected to the isolator 16 via the aseptic connection device 14. The isolator 16 has a work chamber 20 that can be accessed from the outside by a worker via the globe 18, and is an object to be cultured using a device such as a centrifuge 22 provided in the work chamber 20. Work to separate and extract cells. A transparent window 23 is provided on the front side of the isolator 16 so that an operator can work while visually confirming the inside of the work chamber 20. A door 24 (not shown) is provided on the left end side of the isolator 16 in FIG. 1, and the work chamber 20 can be accessed by opening the door 24. The incubator 2 is connected to the door 24 in an aseptic manner through the aseptic connection device 14.

  The isolator 16 incorporates a decontamination gas generator 25 that generates a decontamination gas (for example, H 2 O 2 gas) for decontaminating the inside of the work chamber 20, and a container of the decontamination gas aqueous solution is inserted from the front door 26. Is done. The decontamination gas generator 25 converts the decontamination gas aqueous solution in the container into a decontamination gas and supplies it to the work chamber 20.

  A pass box 28 is connected to the work chamber 20 via an openable / closable door (not shown). With the door closed, the culture material sealed in a sterile container is placed in the pass box 28, the decontamination gas is supplied into the pass box 28 from the decontamination gas generator 25, and the door is sterilized. Is opened and placed in the work chamber 20 of the isolator 16. Thereafter, the culture material is taken out from the container in the working chamber 20.

  An air supply filter box 30 and an exhaust filter box 32 are provided in the upper portion of the working chamber 20, and HEPA filters 34 and 36 are provided in the filter boxes 30 and 32, respectively. The gas supplied into the filter boxes 30 and 32 passes through the HEPA filters 34 and 36 and is sterilized.

  An air supply line 38 is connected to the air supply filter box 30, and a pump 40 and a valve 42 are provided in the air supply line 38, and the air is sucked from the air supply port 44 by driving the pump 40. The atmospheric air is sent to the supply air filter box 30 through the catalyst 46 and supplied into the working chamber 20 through the HEPA filter 34. The exhaust filter box 32 is connected to an exhaust pipe 48 and is provided with a pump 50 and a valve 52. The gas sucked from the working chamber 20 through the HEPA filter 36 by driving the pump 50. Is exhausted through the catalyst 54 in a detoxified state. The pressure in the work chamber 20 can be adjusted by controlling the air supply system and the exhaust system. In this embodiment, the work chamber 20 is maintained by maintaining the pressure in the work chamber 20 at a positive pressure. Prevent inflow of bacteria into the inside. In this embodiment, the decontamination gas generator 25 is connected to the air supply filter box 30 via a pump 29 and a valve 31.

  The incubator 2 has a gas supply path (not shown) for supplying CO2 gas and N2 gas at a predetermined concentration and humidifying water to the water supply bat 8 in order to make the internal culture space 6 suitable for cell culture. A humidifying water supply device 12 is provided. In this embodiment, an environmental adjustment medium supply device 58 for supplying CO 2 gas, N 2 gas, and humidifying water (hereinafter, these gases and water will be referred to as environmental adjustment medium) is attached to the left side of FIG. . In FIG. 2, the humidification water supply device 12 that supplies humidification water to the water storage unit (water supply bat 8), which is the main configuration of the present invention, of the environment adjustment medium supply device 58 is shown independently.

  This humidifying water supply device 12 is provided with a water supply nozzle 64 at the tip of a water supply path 62 inserted from the water supply tank 60 installed outside the incubator 2 through the side wall of the housing 4 into the culture space 6. The water supply nozzle 64 faces the water supply bat 8. The water supply path 62 is provided with a pump 66 and an electromagnetic valve 68. By opening the electromagnetic valve 68 and operating the pump 66, humidifying water can be supplied to the water supply bat 8. A liquid level sensor 70 for detecting the liquid level of the water supply bat 8 is provided, and a control device 72 to which a signal from the liquid level sensor 70 is input opens the electromagnetic valve 68 in response to this signal to supply water. To do.

  A plurality of racks 74 are installed in the culture space 6 of the incubator 2, and a culture container 76 such as a petri dish is placed on the rack 74.

  The casing 4 of the incubator 2 having the culture space 6 inside and the environment adjusting medium supply device 58 are installed on a carriage 76 with casters 75, and a handle 78 attached to the carriage 76 is manually operated. Can be moved. With the door 80 of the incubator 2 closed, the door 24 of the isolator 2 in the same closed state is connected via the aseptic connection device 14. By opening the door 80 of the incubator 2 and the door 24 of the isolator 16 in this state, the culture space 6 of the incubator 2 and the work chamber 20 of the isolator 16 can be communicated with each other. The incubator 2 may be moved by a handling device such as an automatic warehouse. Although a detailed description of the aseptic connection device 14 is omitted, for example, as in the device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-50289, the door 80 of the incubator 2 and the door 24 of the isolator 16 are surrounded by an external atmosphere. And sealing means for forming a connection space 82 isolated from the substrate.

  The water storage section (water supply bat 8) according to this embodiment is provided with a wave-dissipating means 84 for preventing the stored humidifying water from spilling when the incubator 2 is moved or for reducing the swell. ing. The wave-dissipating means 84 is composed of a lattice-like member that is installed in a water reservoir surrounded by upright wall surfaces 8b, 8c, 8d, and 8e provided around the rectangular bottom surface 8a of the water supply bat 8. . The wave-dissipating means 84 made of a lattice-like member is configured by combining a plurality of vertical partition plates 86 and a plurality of horizontal partition plates 88 at right angles.

  In this embodiment, three vertical partition plates 86 and five horizontal partition plates 88 are combined to provide 24 water storage portions of the water supply bat 8 surrounded by the four wall surfaces 8b, 8c, 8d, and 8e. It is divided into areas. Communication portions (slits 86a, 88a) are formed in the lower part of each partition plate 86, 88 at the center of each region, and each region communicates with an adjacent region via these slits 86a, 88a. doing. The water supply nozzle 64 of the humidifying water supply device 12 supplies water to a region located at the corner, and water can be distributed to all regions by supplying water to this region. The lower ends of the partition plates 86 and 88 do not need to be liquid-tight, but are in contact with the bottom surface 8 a of the water supply bat 8.

  In this embodiment, the inside of the water supply bat 8 is partitioned into a plurality of regions by wave-dissipating means 84 composed of a lattice-like member in which a vertical partition plate 86 and a horizontal partition plate 88 are combined. , 88, there is a possibility that the inside of the water supply bat 8 cannot be completely decontaminated depending on the relationship between the depth H of the water storage portion and the diameter D of the opening in each region. Therefore, it is necessary to set a certain condition for the relationship between the two. In this case, if the depth H is not more than twice the opening diameter D (H ≦ 2D), the decontamination gas can be distributed to the bottom surface 8a of the water supply bat 8 and can be sterilized. Further, if the opening diameter D is increased with respect to the depth H, the decontamination can be reliably performed up to the bottom surface 8a of the water supply bat 8. Therefore, the depth H is set to be equal to or smaller than the size of the opening diameter D (H ≦ D Is preferred. However, it is considered that the decontamination certainty varies depending on the actual numerical value of the opening diameter D. For example, when the opening diameter D is 40 mm or more, the height H is set to twice the opening diameter D (H = 2D), and when the opening diameter D is 40 mm or less, the height H is opened. By setting the same as the diameter D (H = D), when decontaminating the inside of the incubator 2, the decontamination gas can reach the bottom of each region of the water supply bat 8 to ensure sterility. Can do. In this embodiment, the water supply bat 8 is installed at the bottom of the culture space 6. However, the water supply bat 8 does not necessarily have to be movable and may be a fixed type embedded in the bottom of the incubator 2. .

  The incubator 2 is moved and its door 80 side is connected to the door 24 side of the isolator 16 by the aseptic connection device 14. In this state, the door 24 of the isolator 16 and the door 80 of the incubator 2 are opened, and the decontamination gas is supplied into the work chamber 20 from the decontamination gas generator 25. Further, a decontamination gas is introduced from the isolator 16 side into the culture space 6 of the incubator 2 to decontaminate the culture space 6.

  Thereafter, the supply of the decontamination gas is stopped, the air supply pump 40 is driven to introduce the outside air, sterilized by the HEPA filter 34 and supplied into the working chamber 20 to discharge the decontamination gas (aeration). Sterilized air is also introduced into the culture space 6 of the incubator 2 and the decontamination gas is similarly discharged. After decontamination and aeration of the work chamber 20 of the connected isolator 16 and the culture space 6 of the incubator 2, a culture object such as a cell that has undergone a required operation in the work chamber 20 is placed in a container and placed in the incubator 2. In the culture space 6.

  After the container containing the cells is accommodated in the culture space 6 of the incubator 2 from the work chamber 20 of the isolator 16, the environmental adjustment medium is supplied in a state where the door 80 of the incubator 2 is closed from the work chamber 20 side and the culture space 6 is sealed. While supplying water to the water supply bat 8 from the humidifying water supply device 12 of the device 58, the heater 10 is appropriately heated to increase the humidity in the culture space 6 to a predetermined value. In addition, CO2 gas and N2 gas, which are environment adjustment media, are supplied from the environment adjustment medium supply device 58 so as to have a predetermined concentration, and the environment in the culture space 6 is maintained for a preset time to culture cells and the like. Do.

  After closing the door 80, the incubator 2 is separated from the isolator 16 and moved to a predetermined position. After culturing while maintaining the environment in the culture space 6 for a predetermined time, the incubator 2 is moved again and connected to the isolator 16, and the cultured cells and the like are moved from the culture space 6 of the incubator 2 to the working room of the isolator 16. 20 and sealed in a sterile container in the working chamber 20. The incubator 2 is moved to connect to the isolator 16 in a state where water is stored in the water supply bat 8, and is moved to a position where the incubator 2 is installed while being separated from the isolator 16 and culturing. When the incubator 2 is moved in this manner, the liquid level may spill over in the conventional water supply bat. However, in the incubator 2 according to this embodiment, the wave extinguishing formed of a lattice member in the water supply bat 8. Since the means 84 is provided, the wave at the time of movement can be suppressed and the humidification water can be prevented from spilling into the incubator 2. Moreover, since the wave-dissipating means 84 can be removed from the water supply bat 8, cleaning is also easy.

  FIG. 4 shows a water storage section (water supply bat 108) provided in the incubator according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment as well, the water storage section in the water supply bat 108 is divided into a plurality of regions by the lattice members 184. It is divided into. In this embodiment, the vertical partition plate 186 and the horizontal partition plate 188 constituting the lattice member 184 are slightly smaller than the vertical width and horizontal width of the region, and each partition plate Reference numerals 186 and 188 are not in contact with adjacent partition plates 186 and 188 in the same direction and partition plates 188 and 186 in the perpendicular direction, respectively. That is, the four corners of each region surrounded by the partition plates 186 and 188 (or the wall surfaces 108b, 108c, 188d, and 108e of the water supply bat) on all four sides are in a state where there are gaps in the vertical direction. These gaps are water communication portions similar to the slits 86a and 88a of the above-described embodiment. The partition plates 186 and 188 are integrally formed with the bottom surface 108a of the water supply bat 108. In this embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment, even when the incubator 2 is moved on the carriage 76, there is no wave and water can be prevented from spilling into the incubator 2. Further, if water is supplied from the water supply nozzle 164 to one area, the humidifying water can be supplied to all areas.

  FIG. 5 shows the water supply bat 208 provided in the incubator according to the third embodiment. In this embodiment as well, the water storage portion in the water supply bat 208 is partitioned into a plurality of regions by the lattice members 284. Yes. Also in this embodiment, as in each of the embodiments, the lattice-like member 284 is configured by combining the vertical partition plate 286 and the horizontal partition plate 288 at a right angle. Further, in this embodiment, only the both end portions of each partition plate 286, 288 in contact with the wall surface 208b, 208c, 208d, 208e of the water supply bat 208 have a length that reaches the bottom surface 208a of the water supply bat 208. The inside is a large space 284a. Therefore, unlike the first embodiment and the second embodiment, since the communication portion that communicates each region is large, when the inside of the incubator is decontaminated, the decontamination gas is sufficiently distributed to the bottom of each region, so that high sterility is achieved. Secured. Moreover, since the upper end of the grid member 284 divides each region at the same height, the wave-dissipating performance is excellent as in each of the embodiments, and humidification water can be prevented from spilling from the water supply bat 208. Moreover, if water is supplied to one area from the water supply nozzle 264, humidification water can be supplied to all areas.

Upper opening diameter of region D Depth of region 2 Incubator 4 Housing 6 Culture space 8 Reservoir (water supply bat)
12 Water supply means (humidification water supply device)
76 Transportation means (cart)
84 Wave extinguishing means (grid-like member)
86 Partition plate (vertical partition plate)
86a Communication part (slit)
88 Divider (Horizontal divider)
88a Communication part (slit)

Claims (4)

A culture space for culturing the culture object, and a water storage section provided in the culture space;
In an incubator that adjusts the inside of the culture space to a predetermined humidity by supplying humidifying water to the water reservoir,
An incubator characterized in that wave-dissipating means is disposed in the water reservoir. A housing surrounding the culture space, and a moving means for moving the housing;
2. The incubator according to claim 1, wherein the culture space is configured to be connectable to a working chamber for performing a required process on the culture object by moving the casing. The wave-dissipating means is composed of a lattice-shaped member that combines a plurality of partition plates in a lattice shape and partitions the water storage section into a plurality of regions,
3. The water supply device according to claim 1, wherein a communication portion is provided in the partition plate so as to communicate each region of the water storage portion, and water supply means for supplying humidification water to at least one region is provided. Incubator.   The incubator according to claim 3, wherein the depth of the region divided by the lattice member is set to be shallower than twice the upper opening diameter of each region.

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