JP2018057348A - Specimen vessel conveyance device and cell culture system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyance device which is provided in an incubator or cell culture system and is capable of conveying a specimen vessel to be supported on a finger by automatically opening and closing a plurality of door members arranged in predetermined places.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 1 comprises: at least a robot part 1a provided with a rotating stage 4 rotatably secured to a base 2 which can rotate in a horizontal plane, a rotation drive mechanism 5 which rotationally moves the rotating stage 4, a finger 6 secured to the rotating stage 4 so as to be able to advance and retract, a finger drive mechanism 7 which moves the finger 6 so as to advance or retract, and an engaging member drive mechanism 9 which advances and retracts, with respect to a door member, an engaging member 8 which engages with the door member; and a vertical drive mechanism 3 which vertically drives the robot part 1a in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting a sample container between various devices such as an incubator, a dispensing device, and an inspection device used for culturing microorganisms and cells, and a cell culture device configured by combining these devices. It is about.

As apparatuses used for culturing and testing microorganisms and cells, inspection apparatuses such as culture apparatuses, dispensing apparatuses, and microscopes are used. The culture apparatus is also called an incubator, and is an apparatus provided with means for maintaining environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration in a culture chamber that houses a large number of samples to be cultured and tested. Cultivation and testing of microorganisms and cells are performed for a long period of time, and in the process, the state of each sample is periodically grasped and treatments such as medium replacement are performed as necessary. There is a need to. Therefore, in order to periodically take out the sample from the incubator and perform inspection / analysis, the incubator is equipped with a storage means, a calculating means, and a transport mechanism, and can automatically carry in and out the sample container with respect to the incubator. Many have been devised. In addition, existing transport devices, inspection devices, and dispensing devices are placed in the vicinity of such incubators where sample containers can be automatically loaded and unloaded, and samples are cultured and inspected according to a predetermined program. Many automatic culture systems have been devised to date.

Japanese Patent No. 5711965

Patent Literature 1 discloses a culture device (a constant temperature device 80) including a transfer device 83 disposed outside a wall 82 forming a culture chamber (a constant temperature chamber 81). See FIG. 1 and FIG. In this thermostatic device 80, the transfer device 83 arranged outside the thermostatic chamber 81 is engaged with a plurality of shielding plates 85 that shield the opening 84 provided in the wall 82 of the thermostatic chamber 81 that accommodates the sample container A. And the small opening part 87 for carrying in and carrying out the sample container A by moving the shielding board 86 upwards with the raising / lowering mechanism 86 is exposed. The sample container A is exchanged with respect to the rack 90 arranged in the temperature-controlled room 81 by the arm mechanism 89 provided in the transfer device 83 through the small opening 87. With this configuration, the transfer device 83 arranged in the external region of the temperature-controlled room 81 is free from the influence of the high temperature and high humidity inside the temperature-controlled room 81 on the movable part and electric parts of the transfer device 83, and the temperature-controlled device 80. Has been able to operate stably for a long time. Furthermore, since the transfer device 83 is not arranged in the inside of the incubator, maintenance work can be performed without opening the door 96 and opening the temperature-controlled room 81, so it is necessary to interrupt the culture for the maintenance work. Lost.

However, the transport device 83 provided in the constant temperature device 80 disclosed in Patent Document 1 can transport the sample container A accommodated in the constant temperature chamber 81 to the delivery stage 91 provided outside the constant temperature device 80. The sample container A cannot be transported to other devices such as a device or a dispensing device. Therefore, it is necessary to install a known container transport device that transports the sample container A to the inspection device or the dispensing device in the vicinity of the thermostat 80, resulting in an increase in cost and an increase in the occupied area of the entire device. It will end up.

Furthermore, the thermostat 80 described in Patent Document 1 places the sample container A on a delivery stage 91 provided outside the apparatus in order to deliver the sample container A taken out from the thermostatic chamber 81 to a known container transport device. There is a need. The space 88 in which the transfer device 83 is arranged is a sealed space whose periphery is covered with a cover 92 in order to prevent the outside atmosphere from entering the temperature-controlled room 81, and the transfer device 83 is a delivery stage. In order to transport the sample container A to 91, it is necessary to open a shutter 94 that shields the delivery opening 93 provided in the cover 92 in the vicinity of the delivery stage 91. See FIG. However, the engaging mechanism 95 that engages with the shielding plate 85 does not have a mechanism that opens the shutter 94 provided on the cover 92 of the thermostatic device. Therefore, in the constant temperature device 80 of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for opening and closing the shutter 94 separately from the engagement mechanism 95 and the lifting mechanism 86 for opening and closing the shielding plate 85.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an inexpensive conveyance device that can open and close door members such as shielding plates and shutters arranged at predetermined locations. It is. Furthermore, it aims at providing the incubator provided with this conveying apparatus, and a cell culture system.

In order to achieve the above object, a transport apparatus according to the present invention can close an opening for transporting a sample container and engages with a door member guided in the vertical direction by a guide member to move up and down. An elevating drive mechanism including a guide member extending in a vertical direction, a base fixed to the elevating member of the elevating drive mechanism, a turning stage rotatably attached to the base, and the turning stage A revolving drive mechanism for revolving, a finger disposed on the revolving stage in a horizontally movable manner, a finger drive mechanism for reciprocatingly driving the fingers, and a revolving movable in the horizontal direction on the revolving stage. An engagement member that engages with the door member; and an engagement member drive mechanism that drives the engagement member to advance and retreat. The engagement member is spaced from the finger at a predetermined interval. It is characterized by being disposed towards.

With the above configuration, if the transport device of the present invention is a door member arranged within the movable range of the swivel stage, the sample container supported on the finger is moved up and down by engaging with the door member. It becomes possible to convey via. Here, the engaging pin included in the engaging member can be a columnar member having a diameter that can be inserted into an engaging hole formed in the door member. By making the engagement pin cylindrical, parts can be easily procured. It can prevent that the part which contacts the engagement pin of an engagement hole wears. As the driving force transmission mechanism of each driving mechanism, a known mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism, a belt mechanism, or a rack and pinion mechanism can be applied.

In addition, the forward / backward movement direction of the fingers and the forward / backward movement direction of the engagement member provided in the transport device of the present invention are arranged so as to be parallel in the horizontal plane. By setting it as the said structure, the angle at which a door member and an engagement member engage can be made to correspond with the angle at the time of a finger lifting and placing a sample container. Thereby, the operation of the turning stage can be omitted.

The conveying apparatus of the present invention is characterized by including a travel drive mechanism that moves the elevating mechanism in the horizontal direction. With the above configuration, the movable range of the engaging member and the finger provided in the transport device is greatly expanded. A known mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism, a belt mechanism, or a rack and pinion mechanism can be applied to the driving force transmission mechanism of the traveling drive mechanism.

Moreover, the incubator of this invention is provided with the conveyance apparatus and at least 1 incubator provided with a door member, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. By the said structure, the engagement member with which a conveying apparatus is equipped engages with the door member with which an incubator is equipped, raises a door member, and the finger with which the conveying apparatus of this invention is similarly arrange | positioned inside an incubator The container can be moved to a predetermined location. Moreover, the incubator of this invention is equipped with the 1st cover which interrupts | blocks the 1st space which arrange | positions a conveying apparatus from external environment, The air containing a microbe and dust penetrate | invades inside the incubator with which an incubator is provided. Can be prevented.

In the incubator of the present invention, the first cover that forms the first space is provided with a delivery opening for the transport device to carry the sample container out of the first space. Is characterized in that the engaging member is closed by an engageable door member, and the opening is opened by the door member being lifted and moved by the conveying device. With the above-described configuration, the transport device can move the door member disposed on the first cover up and down, and the transport device can be moved through the delivery opening that appears due to the upward movement of the door member. The sample container can be delivered to and from a delivery stage arranged outside the one space. When the door member is raised, air containing germs and dust enters the first space from the open delivery opening, but the incubator door member is closed, No germs or dust can penetrate inside.

In addition, the cell culture system of the present invention is characterized by including a transport device, at least one incubator provided with a door member, and at least one inspection device provided with a door member. With the above configuration, for example, cells in culture can be inspected by an inspection device at a predetermined timing. In addition, the culture system of the present invention includes a second cover that blocks the second space in which the transfer device is arranged from the external environment, so that germs and dust can be introduced into the culture chamber and the inspection device provided in the culture system. It is possible to prevent intrusion of contained air.

In the cell culture system of the present invention, the second cover that forms the second space is formed with an opening through which the transport device carries the sample container out of the second space. The engagement member is closed by an engageable door member, and the opening is opened by the door member being moved upward by the transport device. By setting it as the said structure, the conveying apparatus can raise / lower the door member arrange | positioned at a 2nd cover, and also a conveying apparatus is 2nd via the delivery opening part which appears by the raising / lowering movement of a door member. The sample container can be delivered to and from a delivery stage arranged outside the space. When the door member is raised, air containing germs and dust enters the second space from the open delivery opening, but the door member provided in the incubator and the inspection device is closed. No germs or dust enter the inside of the incubator or the inspection device.

By using the transport device of the present invention, it becomes possible to open and close door members such as shielding plates and shutters arranged at predetermined locations, and it is not necessary to provide a dedicated opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing these door members. Thereby, cost can be reduced. By using the incubator or the culture system of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the air containing external germs and dust from entering the inside of the incubator or the inside of the inspection apparatus. As a result, the sample is not contaminated with various germs and dust, and culture with a high success rate becomes possible.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a culture apparatus provided with a conventional transfer apparatus. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a culture apparatus provided with a conventional transfer apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a robot unit 1a included in the transfer device of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a robot unit 1a included in the transfer device of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the finger drive mechanism 7 provided in the transport device of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the engagement member drive mechanism 9 provided in the conveyance device of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a movable range of the turntable 4 provided in the transport device of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an aspect of the reflected light sensor 51 provided in the transport device of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an incubator 52 including the transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an incubator 52 including the transfer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a sample container transport operation performed by the transport apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a view showing an incubator 72 including two transport apparatuses 1 and two incubators according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a transport apparatus 1 ′ according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an outline of cell culture systems 62 and 62 ′ including a transport apparatus 1 ′ that is the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another embodiment of a finger drive mechanism provided in the transport device of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the robot unit 1a included in the transfer device of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating an input / output system of the control device 100 included in the transport device of the present invention.

The details of the present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the transfer apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a view seen from above. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the robot unit 1 a constituting the transport device 1. The transfer device 1 of the present embodiment is fixed to the base 2 so as to be rotatable, and a turn stage 4 that can turn in a horizontal plane, a turn drive mechanism 5 that turns the turn stage 4, and a turn stage 4 that can be moved back and forth. A robot including a finger 6 to be fixed, a finger drive mechanism 7 for moving the finger 6 forward and backward, and an engagement member drive mechanism 9 for moving the engagement member 8 engaged with the door member 10 forward and backward with respect to the door member 10. It is comprised by the part 1a and the raising / lowering drive mechanism 3 which raises / lowers the robot part 1a to a perpendicular direction.

In the lifting drive mechanism 3 of this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism 12 as a drive transmission member and a linear slide guide 13 as a guide member are attached to a lifting base plate 11 erected in the vertical direction along the vertical direction. The base 2 is fixed to the nut portion 12 a of the ball screw mechanism 12 and the slider 13 a of the linear slide guide 13 via a bracket 14. Further, a lift drive motor 15 is fixed to the tip of the screw shaft of the ball screw mechanism 12 via a coupling, and the lift drive motor 15 rotates to guide the base 2 to the linear slide guide 13. It moves up and down in the vertical plane. Note that it is desirable to use a stepping motor or a servo motor that can easily control the rotation angle of the rotor as the lifting drive motor 15. Furthermore, by providing a detector such as an encoder that detects the rotational position of the rotor and a sensor that detects the position of the nut portion 12a, the operation of the lifting drive motor 15 can be monitored. Further, in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the ball screw mechanism 12 and the linear slide guide 13 are arranged on the surfaces facing each other with the elevation base plate 11 interposed therebetween, but as another embodiment, the same as the elevation base plate 11 is the same. It may be arranged on the surface.

The base 2 is composed of a box-shaped member made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, and a shaft 16 fixed to the bottom surface of the swivel stage 4 extends in the vertical direction on the top surface of the base 2. It is attached via a bearing so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane with a central axis C as a rotation center. In addition, a turning drive motor 18, which is a drive source for turning the turning stage 4, is fixed to the base 2. See FIG. 5 and FIG. The shaft 16 is disposed so as to pass through the internal space of the base 2, and the swivel pulley 17 is fixed concentrically with the shaft 16 in the internal space of the base 2. The swing pulley 17 is connected at a predetermined rotation ratio via a pulley 19 fixed to the rotor shaft of the swing drive motor 18 and a toothed belt 20. The turning drive mechanism 5 includes a turning drive motor 18, a pulley 19 fixed to the rotor shaft of the turning drive motor 18, a turning pulley 17, a toothed belt 20, and a shaft 16. As the turning drive motor 18 rotates, the turning stage 4 rotates about the central axis C as the center of rotation. Note that the turning stage 4 can be moved at a predetermined rotation angle by using a stepping motor or a servo motor that can easily control the rotation angle of the rotor as the turning drive motor 18. Further, by providing a detector such as an encoder for detecting the rotational position of the rotor shaft and a sensor for detecting the position of the turning stage 4, the operation of the lifting drive motor 18 can be monitored.

The turning stage 4 has a two-story structure in which a plurality of spacers 22 are fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 21 with the shaft 16 fixed to the bottom surface, and a disk-shaped turning table 23 is fixed to the upper surface of the spacer 22. Yes. The swivel table 23 is provided with a linear and elongated through hole 25 corresponding to an advancing / retreating movement locus of a support block 24 that supports a finger 6 described later. A linear slide guide 26 is fixed to the bottom surface of the turning table 23 so as to be parallel to the through hole 25. Further, a cam member 27 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is fixed to the slider 26a of the linear slide guide 26 with the opening 27a facing downward. A support block 24 for supporting the finger 6 is fixed to the cam member 27 in the vicinity where the cam member 27 is fixed to the slider 26a. The support block 24 is fixed to the cam member 27, and has an upper portion that can project upward from the upper surface of the turntable 23. With the above-described configuration, the finger 6 disposed above the turning table 23 is integrated with the cam member 27 by the cam member 27 disposed below the turning table 23 moving forward and backward in the direction guided by the linear slide guide 26. It is possible to move forward and backward.

Further, a finger drive motor 28 for moving the cam member 27 forward and backward is provided on the bottom surface of the turning stage 4. The finger drive motor 28 is a geared motor having a reduction gear inside, and is fixed to the lower surface of the turning stage 4 so that the rotor shaft 29 protrudes downward from the motor body. One end of a rod-shaped arm member 30 is fixed to the distal end portion of the rotor shaft 29, and a cam follower 31 is attached to the other end of the arm member 30. The cam follower 31 is a member in which an outer ring 31b is rotatably attached to a shaft 31a serving as a central axis, and the arm member is arranged so that the outer ring 31b is disposed in a space surrounded by a U-shaped wall member of the cam member 27. It is attached to the tip of 30.

With the above configuration, the arm member 30 also rotates in the clockwise direction when the rotor shaft 29 of the finger drive motor 28 rotates in the clockwise direction when viewed from above. As a result, the outer ring 31b of the cam follower 31 moves while drawing a circular arc-shaped locus clockwise around the rotor shaft 29, and the finger 6 moves the linearly sliding slide. It is guided by the guide 26 and linearly moved forward. Further, the finger drive motor 28 operates in the opposite rotational direction, and the arm member 30 rotates counterclockwise, whereby the finger 6 is guided by the linear slide guide 26 and linearly moved backward. Thereby, the finger 6 fixed to the cam member 30 via the support block 24 is also linearly moved together with the cam member 30. See FIG. As the finger drive motor 28, it is desirable to use a stepping motor or a servo motor that can easily control the rotation angle of the rotor. Furthermore, by providing a detector such as an encoder for detecting the rotational position of the rotor shaft 29 and a sensor for detecting the position of the finger 6, the operation of the finger drive motor 28 can be monitored.

A bar code reader 32 for reading a bar code attached to the sample container A supported on the finger 6 is provided on the upper surface of the swivel stage 4. With this barcode reader 32, it becomes possible to read the individual identification mark given to the sample container A taken out from the incubator by the finger 6, and this read individual data is transmitted to the upper computer and cultured. It is used to manage the process. Furthermore, a loading sensor that detects the presence or absence of the sample container A on the finger 6 may be provided on the upper surface of the turning stage 4. As the presence sensor, sensors of various detection methods such as a transmitted light sensor, a reflected light sensor, and a capacitance sensor can be applied.

Further, the turning stage 4 is provided with an engaging member 8 and an engaging member drive mechanism 9 that drives the engaging member 8 forward and backward with respect to the door member 10. The engaging member 8 is a member for engaging with a sliding door member 10 provided in an incubator, a dispensing device, or the like. The engagement member 8 of the present embodiment includes an engagement pin 8a arranged in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval, and a slide block 8b to which the engagement pin 8a is fixed. The shape and arrangement interval of the engaging member 8 correspond to the shape of the engaging portion provided on the door member 10 to be engaged. The engagement pin 8a of the present embodiment has a diameter that can be inserted into each engagement hole 10a in order to correspond to the engagement holes 10a provided at two positions on the door member 10 at a predetermined interval. It has a cylindrical shape. The material of the engaging member 8 needs to be strong enough to support the loads of the plurality of door members 10, and the engaging member 8 of this embodiment is formed of stainless steel. The engagement pin 8a may be, for example, a quadrangular prism or a cube as long as it has a shape corresponding to the engagement hole 10a. Further, the engagement holes 10a are not necessarily provided in two places, and may be provided in one place or three or more places. In this case, it is desirable that the engagement pin 8a also has a shape and number corresponding to the engagement hole 10a. Further, the door member 10 may be provided with a protrusion, and the engaging member 8 may be formed with a hole that can be inserted into the protrusion.

The engagement member 8 is engaged with the door member 10 by moving the engagement member 8 forward and entering the internal space of the engagement hole 10a formed in the door member 10, and then the elevating drive mechanism 3 is moved to the robot portion 1a. This is done by moving up. By engaging with the engaging member 8, the door member 10 moves up and down integrally with the robot unit 1 a in the plane guided by the guide member 53. Further, the engagement member drive mechanism 9 that drives the engagement member 8 to advance and retreat is fixed to the upper surface of the turning table 23 via a spacer 33. A base plate 34 of the engaging member driving mechanism 9 is fixed to the upper surface of the spacer 33 fixed on the turning table 23. The base plate 34 is a substantially L-shaped member as viewed from above, and is disposed so as to be inside the turning area of the turning table 23. The spacer 33 is provided to avoid interference between the finger 6 and the engaging member 8. The finger 6 moves forward and backward through a space surrounded by the turning table 23 disposed below the finger 6, the base plate 34 disposed above, and the spacers 33 disposed on the left and right. The vertical distance between the finger 6 and the engaging member 8 is appropriately adjusted according to the size of the door member 10 engaged with the engaging member 8 and the size of the sample container A.

Two relatively small linear slide guides 35 are fixed on the upper surface of the base plate 34 of the engagement member driving mechanism 9 so as to be parallel to the linear slide guides 26 arranged on the turning table 23. Thereby, the finger 6 and the engaging member 8 can move forward and backward in parallel in the horizontal plane. Each slider of the two linear slide guides 35 is coupled to the slide block 8 b of the engaging member 8. Further, a substantially U-shaped push plate 36 is fixed to one end of the slide block 8b, and an engaging member drive motor 37 is disposed inside the push plate 36. The engagement member drive motor 37 is a motor shaft 37a that is arranged coaxially with the rotor and moves forward or backward in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor when the rotor inside the main body rotates in a predetermined direction. In addition, the engagement member drive motor 37 provided in the present embodiment is fixed to the base plate 34 so that the motor shaft 37a is parallel to the linear slide guide 35. As a result, the engagement member drive motor 37 moves forward and backward in the motor shaft 37a, thereby moving the push plate 36 and the slide block 8b fixed to the push plate 36 in the direction in which the linear slide guide 35 guides. And can be moved backwards.

Further, transmitted light sensors 38 a and 38 b for detecting the position of the push plate 36 are arranged on the base plate 34, and a dog 39 attached to the push plate 36 with the optical axes of the transmitted light sensors 38 a and 38 b being disposed. The control device 100 can detect the position of the push plate 36 by releasing the shielded state or the shielded state. In the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the linear motion step motor 36 capable of controlling the rotation angle of the rotor is used as a drive source for moving the push plate 36 back and forth. A linear actuator that moves the shaft forward and backward by magnetism may be used, and an air cylinder that moves the shaft forward and backward by compressed air may be used.

In order to engage the engagement member 8 with the predetermined door member 10, the elevation drive mechanism 3 is first operated to move the engagement member 8 up and down to a height at which the engagement hole 10 a of the target door member 10 is disposed. . Next, the turning drive mechanism 5 is operated to turn the engaging member 8 arranged on the turning table 23 to a position facing the target door member 10. Refer to FIG. When the movement of the turning table 23 and the engagement member 8 is completed, the engagement member drive mechanism 9 is operated to move the engagement member 8 forward until the engagement pin 8a advances into the engagement hole 10a. Refer to FIG. In addition, since the engaging member 8 and the engaging member drive mechanism 9 which the conveyance apparatus 1 of this invention is equipped are fixed to the upper surface of the turning table 23 of the turning stage 4, the engaging member 8, the engaging member drive mechanism 9, and Can rotate together with the rotation of the turning table 23 by the turning drive mechanism 5. Thereby, the engaging member 8 can engage with the door member 10 disposed within the movable range of the turntable 4. See FIG. Further, the transport device 1 of the present invention is provided with a lifting drive mechanism 3, and when the lifting drive mechanism 3 and the turning drive mechanism 5 operate, the engagement member 8 and the engagement member drive mechanism 9 are It is possible to engage with the door member 10 disposed in a cylindrical movable region having the central axis C as the rotation center. Note that the swivel stage 4 provided in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment can face the door member 10 disposed in a range of about 270 ° excluding the region where the elevating drive mechanism 3 is disposed. Since the area in which the door member 10 can be arranged is affected by the size of the area in which the elevating drive mechanism 3 is arranged, the area in which the door member 10 can be arranged can be reduced by downsizing the elevating drive mechanism 3 as much as possible. growing.

The spacer 33 that supports the base plate 34 is provided with a reflected light sensor 51. The reflected light sensor 51 provided in the transport apparatus 1 of the present embodiment receives the detection light 51c output from a sensor amplifier (not shown) through the light projecting unit 51a, and receives the detection light 51c reflected on the sample container A. It is a sensor that identifies the presence or absence of the sample container A by being recognized by the sensor amplifier via the part 51b. In the transport device 1 according to the present embodiment, the light projecting unit 51a and the light receiving unit 51b are respectively disposed on a pair of spacers 33 that are disposed at both sides of the space where the finger 6 moves forward and backward, at a position facing the door member 10. Has been. See FIG. By providing the reflected light sensor 51, a useless operation of extending the finger 6 with respect to the non-existing sample container A can be omitted. Further, when the sample container A held by the finger 6 is placed at a target location, if another sample container A is placed at the target location, the reflected light sensor 51 determines whether the sample container A is present. By detecting this, it is possible to prevent a trouble that the sample container A stored in the incubator 40 collides with the finger 6 or another sample container A supported by the finger 6.

The operation of each motor constituting the elevation drive mechanism 3, the turning drive mechanism 5, the finger drive mechanism 7, and the engagement member drive mechanism 9 provided in the transport device 1 of the present invention is performed by a command transmitted from the control device 100. FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a control system provided in the transport apparatus 1, 1 ′ of the present invention. The control device 100 includes at least a known computer, a storage unit that stores operation programs and various data taught in advance, and a communication unit that performs communication between the host computer on the host side. Input signals and commands from the host computer are received, and each drive mechanism is operated in accordance with a previously stored operation program. The various data stored in the storage unit of the control device 100 includes speed data when each motor included in each drive mechanism operates, position data of a reaching point for an operation performed by each drive mechanism, and the like.

Next, the operation when the transport apparatus 1 of the present embodiment slides the door member 10 provided in the culture apparatus and carries the sample container A stored inside to the outside will be described. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the transfer apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is disposed on the wall 52a of the incubator 52 as viewed from the side, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the top. The incubator 52 of this embodiment is provided with a known means for maintaining environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity in the incubator 40 that stores a sample container A that stores a sample to be cultured or inspected. The incubator 52 of the present embodiment is an incubator 52 having a mechanism for rotating the sample container A stored in the incubator 40 in a horizontal plane, and the incubator 40 includes a plurality of shelves. A rack 41 on which each of the sample containers A can be placed, and a rack stage 42 on which six racks 41 are radially placed and rotated are arranged.

A rack stage driving mechanism 43 is disposed on the bottom surface of the rack stage 42. The rack stage drive mechanism 43 includes a rack stage drive motor 43a that is a drive source, and a shaft 42a that transmits the drive force of the rack stage drive motor 43a to the rack stage 42. A drive shaft of a rack stage drive motor 43a that rotates the stage 42 in a horizontal plane is fixed via a coupling (not shown). The rack stage drive motor 43a is a stepping motor that can accurately control the rotation angle of the rotor. Furthermore, the operation of the rack stage drive motor 43a can be monitored by providing a detector such as an encoder for detecting the rotational position of the shaft 42a of the rack stage drive motor 43a and a sensor for detecting the position of the rack stage 42. become. Further, the rotation operation of the rack stage drive motor 43a is controlled by a command transmitted from an incubator control device (not shown). The incubator control device includes a known computer and a storage unit. The storage unit has an operation program, the speed data of the rack stage drive motor 43a taught in advance, and the rotational position at which each rack 41 faces the door member 10. Data etc. are stored. As a result, the incubator control device can receive a command from the host computer and turn the predetermined rack 41 to a position facing the door member 10.

Furthermore, in the incubator 52 of the present embodiment, a plurality of door members 10 for shielding the large opening 44 formed for carrying in and carrying out the sample container A are within the plane guided by the guide member 53. Are arranged in a vertically stacked state. The conveying device 1 of the present embodiment includes an engagement hole 10a formed in each door member 10 so that the elevation drive mechanism 3 is parallel to the stacked direction of the door members 10 and the engagement pins 8a. It is being fixed to the wall surface of the incubator 52 via the bracket 45 so that it may become a position which can be engaged. At the four corners of the bottom surface of the incubator 52, adjusters 70 for posture adjustment are arranged, and the inclination of the incubator 52 can be adjusted by adjusting the feed amount of the adjuster 70. Further, the bracket 45 is provided with an adjustment function in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and by adjusting the bracket 45, the position of the transport device 1 with respect to the door member 10 that is stacked and arranged is adjusted. I can do it. By performing the above adjustment, the transport device 1 can insert the engagement pin 8 a into the engagement hole 10 a of the arbitrary door member 10.

The side surface, the rear side, and the upper and lower sides of the transport device 1 fixed to the incubator 52 are covered with a cover 47, and the space in which the transport device 1 is disposed is isolated from the external environment. Further, a delivery opening 48 is provided on the surface of the cover 47 facing the door member 10, and a delivery stage 49 is provided outside the cover 47 near the delivery opening 48. The delivery opening 48 has a dimension through which the finger 6 holding the sample container A can pass, and the transfer device 1 can pass the sample between the finger 6 and the delivery stage 49 via the delivery opening 48. The container A can be exchanged.

Furthermore, the incubator 52 of the present embodiment is provided with a door member 50 that can close the delivery opening 48. Similar to the door member 10, the door member 50 is provided with an engagement hole 10 a into which the engagement pin 8 a can be inserted. The door member 50 engaged with the transport device 1 through the engagement hole 10 a is In conjunction with the up-and-down movement of the transport device 1, the up-and-down movement is performed in a vertical plane guided by the guide member 53. The door member 10 and the door member 50 may be exactly the same, or may be configured differently as necessary. In particular, the door member 10 arranged in the incubator 40 is provided with a heat insulating material inside the door member 10 in order to protect the environment managed at a relatively high temperature inside the incubator 40 from the environment outside the incubator 40. It is desirable to use a material with low thermal conductivity.

In order to transport a predetermined sample container A placed on the rack 41 in the incubator 40 to the delivery stage 49 arranged outside the warehouse, first, the incubator control device that has received a command from the host computer is the rack stage. The drive motor 43a is operated, and the rack stage 42 is swung to a position where the rack 41 on which the sample container A designated by the host computer is placed faces the door member 10. At the same time, the control device 100 that has received a command from the host computer is the position taught in advance, and the engagement hole of the door member 10 ′ corresponding to the shelf on which the sample container A designated by the host computer is placed. In 10a, the robot drive unit 15 is moved up and down by operating the lift drive motor 15 to a predetermined height position where the engagement pin 8a can be inserted. Further, the control device 100 operates the turning drive motor 18 so that the turning stage 4 is moved to a teaching position where the engaging pin 8a can be inserted into the engaging hole 10a 'and the finger 6 can receive the sample container A. Is swiveled. Before performing the up-and-down movement and the turning movement, the control device 100 receives the input signals of the transmitted light sensors 38a and 38b, and the engaging member 8 is in a retracted position where it does not interfere with the door member 10. An input signal of a sensor for detecting the position of the finger 6 (not shown) is received, and it is confirmed that the finger 6 is in a retracted position where it does not interfere with other members.

When the movement is completed, the control device 100 operates the engagement member drive motor 37 to insert the engagement pin 8a into the engagement hole 10a ′. Refer to FIG. When the insertion of the engagement pin 8a is completed, the control device 100 operates the lifting drive motor 15 to move the robot unit 1a upward. By this upward movement, the door member 10 ′ engaged with the engagement pin 8 a and all the door members 10 stacked on the door member 10 ′ move upward, and the small opening 46 appears. To do. The small opening 46 is an opening through which the finger 6 supporting the sample container A passes, and has a height that allows the finger 6 supporting the sample container A to pass through. See FIG. 13 (b). Further, the upward movement performed by the robot unit 1a is a movement for causing the small opening 46 for conveying the sample container A to appear, and from the height at which the engagement pin 8a is inserted into the engagement hole 10a, In order for the finger 6 to scoop up the target sample container A from below, the finger 6 moves to a height position where it can advance below the sample container A. Further, the reflected light sensor 51 detects the presence or absence of the sample container A through the small opening 46 that appears due to the upward movement. See FIG. When the sample container A to be carried out is not detected, the control device 100 transmits a trouble signal that the sample container A does not exist to the upper computer, and moves the door member 10 'downward to make a small opening. Close part 46.

When the presence of the sample container A is detected by the reflected light sensor 51, the control device 100 operates the finger drive motor 28 and moves the finger 6 to the advance position taught in advance of the target sample container A. Then, the lift drive motor 15 is operated to move the robot unit 1a slightly upward. The sample container A supported by the rack 41 by this upward movement is scooped up from below by the finger 6. By the minute upward movement of scooping up the sample container A of the finger 6, the door member 10 'engaged with the engagement pin 8a and the door member 10 disposed above the door member 10' are also moved upward integrally. . Refer to FIG. Thereafter, the control device 100 operates the finger drive motor 28 in the reverse rotation direction to move the finger 6 backward to the original standby position. By this retreating operation, the sample container A is carried out from the incubator 40 to the space covered with the cover 47. Next, the control device 100 operates the elevating drive motor 15 to move the robot unit 1a downward so that the door member 10 'engaged with the engagement pin 8a and all the door members 10 above the door member 10' The small opening 46 is closed by moving it down to the original position. By this operation, the incubator 40 is isolated from the external environment. Thereafter, the control device 100 operates the engagement member drive motor 37 to move the engagement member 8 to the original retracted position, thereby releasing the engagement with the door member 10 ′. Here, the control device 100 receives an input signal of each sensor, and confirms that the finger 6 and the engaging member 8 are retracted to the original standby position.

Next, the control device 100 operates the turning drive motor 18 to turn the turning stage 4 from the position facing the door member 10 to the position facing the door member 50 to open the door member 10 described above. The door member 50 is moved upward from the opening 48 in the same procedure as the procedure. The amount of movement for raising the door member 50 at this time is larger than the amount of movement for raising the door member 10, so that the sample container A held by the finger 6 can be placed on the delivery stage 49 from directly above. . When the placement of the sample container A is completed, the control device 100 moves the finger 6 back to the original standby position, and then operates the lifting drive motor 15 in the reverse rotation direction to close the delivery opening 48. The engagement with the door member 50 is released by lowering the door member 50 and moving the engagement member drive motor 37 backward to retract the engagement pin 8a to the standby position. This completes the operation of transporting the sample container A arranged in the incubator 40 to the delivery stage 49. In order to transport the sample container A placed on the delivery stage 49 to the predetermined rack 41 in the incubator 40, the above procedure can be followed in reverse.

As described above, in the transfer device 1 of the present invention, the finger 6, the finger drive mechanism 7, the engagement member 8, and the engagement member drive mechanism 9 are provided in the turning stage 4 that can turn. Therefore, it is possible to transport the sample container A by opening and closing all the door members 10 arranged in a range in which the turning stage 4 can turn. With this configuration, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for opening and closing the door members 10 and 50, which contributes to cost reduction. Furthermore, since the area occupied by the opening / closing mechanism can be reduced, the incubator 52 can be made compact.

Furthermore, by covering the periphery where the transport apparatus 1 is disposed with the cover 47, it is possible to prevent invasion of germs and dust into the aseptic culture chamber 40. In particular, when the door member 10 that closes the culture chamber 40 is opened, the door member 50 that shuts off the external environment is kept closed, and when the door member 50 is opened, the door member 10 is kept closed. This space 55 becomes a buffer area such as a front room of a clean room or a pass box, and the general atmosphere from the outside does not directly enter the inside of the culture chamber 40, so that various germs contained in the general atmosphere And no dust intrusion. As another embodiment, an FFU (Fun Filter Unit) is disposed on the ceiling portion of the space 55, and clean filtered air maintained in a sterile state is supplied into the space 55 as a downflow. If it is configured to be discharged to the outside from the floor of 55, the germs and dust contained in the atmosphere that has entered from the outside are discharged to the outside of the space 55 by this downflow. And the inside of the incubator 40 can always be kept clean.

The swivel stage 4 provided in the transfer device 1 of the present invention can be rotated by about 270 ° excluding the region where the elevating drive mechanism 3 is arranged, and therefore an incubator in which left and right symmetric culture vessels 40a and 40b are arranged side by side. Even if it is 72, it can respond to each culture | cultivation store | warehouse | chamber 40a, 40b only with one conveyance apparatus 1. FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an incubator 72 provided with incubators 40a and 40b whose internal environments are individually controlled from the top. In the case of this embodiment, the engagement member is provided by arranging the door members 10 included in the respective culture chambers 40a and 40b at equal distances and radially about the rotation center axis C of the turning stage 4 of the transport device 1. 8 can be engaged with the door members 10 of the incubators 40a and 40b. Furthermore, the periphery of the conveying device 1 is covered with a cover 54, a delivery opening 48 and a delivery stage 49 are provided in an area where the turning stage 4 of the cover 54 can reach, and a door member 50 capable of closing the delivery opening 48. By providing the sample container A, it is possible to deliver the sample container A to and from an apparatus disposed outside. By disposing the door member 50 in a range in which the swivel stage 4 can be rotated, the transfer apparatus 1 moves the door member 50 upward to transfer the sample container A to the delivery stage 49 as in the previous embodiment. Can be exchanged.

As described above, if the incubator 72 is provided with a plurality of culture vessels 40a and 40b within the reachable range of the conveyance device 1 of the present embodiment, it is more cost effective than providing individual conveyance devices in the respective culture chambers 40a and 40b. Occupied space can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, by individually controlling the internal environment, it is possible to perform culture under normal conditions in one culture chamber 40a and culture under low oxygen concentration environmental conditions in the other culture chamber 40b. Thus, the cost can be greatly reduced as compared with the case where two incubators 52 having only one incubator 40 are prepared.

Further, among the culture vessels 40a and 40b arranged in the incubator 72, for example, a cell inspection device can be used instead of one of the culture vessels 40b, so that the cell culture system can be used. At a predetermined timing during the culture, the growth state of the cells can be confirmed without exposing the sample container A to the external environment. In addition, when the planned culture is completed, the sample container A can be carried out to the delivery stage 49 through the delivery opening 48.

Next, a conveying apparatus 1 ′ that is a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a transport apparatus 1 ′ according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The transport apparatus 1 ′ of the present embodiment includes the transport apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment and a travel drive mechanism 56 that linearly moves the transport apparatus 1 within a horizontal plane. The travel drive mechanism 56 is fixed to a base plate 60 that is horizontally disposed, a travel table 57 on which the transfer device 1 is placed, and a base plate 59, and a linear slide guide 58 that guides the travel table 57 in a predetermined direction within a horizontal plane. A ball screw mechanism 59 for moving the travel table 57 in a horizontal plane guided by the linear slide guide 58, and a travel drive motor 61 in which a drive shaft is fixed to a screw shaft tip portion of the ball screw mechanism 59 via a coupling. It has. Note that the operation of the travel drive motor 61 is controlled by the control device 100 as in the first embodiment. Further, it is desirable to use a stepping motor or a servo motor that can easily control the rotation angle of the rotor as the travel drive motor 61. Furthermore, by providing a detector such as an encoder for detecting the position of the travel drive motor 61 and a sensor for detecting the position of the travel drive mechanism 56, the operation of the travel drive motor 61 can be monitored. With the above configuration, the transfer device 1 ′ can move the robot unit 1 a in a horizontal plane guided by the traveling mechanism 56 and in a vertical plane guided by the elevating drive mechanism 3. In the transport device 1 ′ of the present embodiment, the driving force of the travel drive motor 61 is transmitted to the travel table 57 by the ball screw mechanism 59, but instead of the ball screw mechanism 59, another known drive transmission The same effect can be obtained by means. For example, a travel drive motor 61 including a rack gear disposed in parallel to the linear slide guide 58 and a pinion gear meshed with the rack gear may be disposed on the travel table 57 to move the travel table 57. Furthermore, a driving force transmission system using a belt may be used.

The transfer apparatus 1 ′ of the present embodiment can open and close each door member 10 of the incubator 52 arranged in a straight line and transfer the sample container A stored in the incubator 40 to a predetermined position. Become. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the culture system 62 can be configured by the transport apparatus 1 ′ configured as described above and three or more incubators 52, or other devices related to cell culture. In the culture system 62, three or more incubators 52 are arranged so as to be parallel to the traveling direction of the traveling drive mechanism 56 of the transport apparatus 1 ′, and the door member 10 provided in each incubator 52 is traveled by the traveling drive mechanism 56. It is arranged so as to be parallel to the direction and to face the traveling drive mechanism 56. Further, the space in which the transfer device 1 ′ is disposed is covered with a cover 68, and a space 69 isolated from the external environment is formed by the cover 68 and the wall surface of each incubator 52, so that the space 69 becomes a buffer region. Thus, it is possible to prevent invasion of germs and dust from the outside. See FIG. 16 (a).

As in the above-described embodiment, the transfer device 1 ′ of the present embodiment has a delivery opening 48 formed at a predetermined location of the cover 68, and a delivery stage 49 is provided near the delivery opening 48 of the cover 68. Furthermore, the door member 50 which can close the delivery opening part 48 is provided. The space 69 is maintained in a clean state by supplying the sample container A from the outside and taking out the sample container A after the planned culture process is completed through the delivery opening 48. The Further, an FFU (Fun Filter Unit) is arranged on the ceiling portion of the space 69, and clean filtered air maintained in a sterile state is supplied as a down flow into the space 69, and the space 69 is exposed from the floor to the outside. If it is configured to be discharged, germs and dust contained in the atmosphere that has entered from the outside, and dust generated by the operation of each drive mechanism of the transport device 1 ′ are moved to the outside of the space 69 by this downflow. Since it is discharged, the inside of the space 69 and the inside of the incubator 40 can always be kept clean. By setting it as the said structure, cost and an occupation space can be reduced significantly rather than providing each incubator 10 with a conveying apparatus, respectively. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated transport device for transporting the sample container A between the incubators as in the conventional culture system, and the cost can be greatly reduced. Also,

In order to transport the sample container A in the incubator 52 to the outside using the transport device 1 ′, first, the traveling drive motor 61 is operated to move the door member 10 of the incubator 52 in which the predetermined sample container A is stored. The robot unit 1a is moved in the horizontal direction to a position facing directly. At the same time, the lift drive mechanism 3 is operated to move the robot unit 1a up and down to a height position that can be engaged with the door member 10 corresponding to the rack 41 on which the predetermined sample container A is placed. The sample container A is lifted from the rack 41 in accordance with the removal procedure of A and carried to a predetermined incubator 52 or delivery stage 49.

By providing the traveling drive mechanism 56, the transport apparatus 1 'can transport the sample container A to three or more incubators 52, and has a further great advantage. For example, when three or more incubators 52 are arranged, the door members 10 may be stacked with being shifted from the vertical direction due to assembly errors of each incubator 10 or manufacturing errors of parts. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the inclination of each incubator 52. However, if the inclination of the main body of the incubator 52 is to be changed, sufficient adjustment may not be possible due to interference with adjacent incubators 52. . In addition, it takes a lot of time for position adjustment, and even if it can be adjusted, there is a gap between adjacent incubators, and there is a problem that germs enter from outside through this gap There is. However, with the transfer device 1 ′ of the present embodiment, the teaching position of the travel drive mechanism 56 with respect to the position of each door member 10 can be adjusted, so the door member 10 shifted in the extending direction of the travel drive mechanism 56. Can be opened and closed. Further, since the transfer device 1 ′ can move in the horizontal direction, for example, when performing maintenance of the incubator 52, if the transfer device 1 ′ is moved away from the incubator 52, it is easy from the side where the door member 10 is arranged. Maintenance can be performed.

In the above embodiment, the plurality of incubators 52 are arranged around the conveyance device 1 ′. However, the conveyance device 1 ′ of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In addition to the incubator 52, for example, a plate supply device for supplying a new sample container A, an inspection device such as a microscope or an analyzer for checking the state of the sample, a liquid handling device such as a dispensing device, and a medium exchange device can be sufficiently arranged. It is. In this case, an opening for transporting the sample container A is provided in the inspection device, the dispensing device, and the medium exchange device, and the door member 10 that closes the opening is disposed, so that the transport device 1 ′ can be used as the door member. 10 can be opened and closed, and the sample container A can be carried into and out of each apparatus. See FIG. 16 (b). By setting it as the said structure, the sample container A supplied from a plate supply apparatus is conveyed to a dispensing apparatus, seed | inoculation of the target cell and culture medium supply are performed, it conveys to the culture | cultivation chamber 40 of the incubator 52, predetermined | prescribed A series of culture steps in which medium replacement and microscopic inspection are performed at the timing can be performed in an environment isolated from the external environment in the cell culture system 62 ′. The transfer apparatus 1 ′ of the present embodiment can also be incorporated into a cell culture system 62 that automatically performs a series of operations related to cell culture.

Although the embodiment of the transfer device 1, 1 'of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made using known techniques. For example, in the finger driving mechanism 7, the arm member 30 and the cam member 27 are used to transmit the driving force of the finger driving motor 28 to the finger 6, but instead of the driving force transmitting mechanism, a belt 63 and a pulley 64, It is also possible to use a transmission mechanism by 65.

FIG. 17 is a view showing a finger driving mechanism 7 ′ which is another embodiment of the finger driving mechanism 7. In addition, the same number is provided to the member with which the finger drive mechanism 7 'is provided, and the same member as the finger drive mechanism 7 is provided. The driving force transmission mechanism provided in the finger driving mechanism 7 ′ transmits the driving force of the finger driving motor 28 disposed on the lower surface of the turning table 23 to the fingers 6 by the driving pulley 64 and the belt 63. The finger drive motor 28 provided in the finger drive mechanism 7 ′ of the present embodiment is disposed on the lower surface of the turning table 23 with the rotor shaft facing upward, and a drive pulley 64 is fixed to the rotor shaft in a concentric shape. ing. A belt 63 that meshes with the driving pulley 64 is disposed below the turning table 23. The belt 63 is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the driving pulley 64 and the turning table 23 via a bearing. It spans three pulleys with one driven pulley 65.

The two driven pulleys 65 are mounted in the vicinity of both end portions of the through hole 25 formed in the turning table 23, and the belt 63 that is spanned is rotatably attached to a position parallel to the linear slide guide 26. Yes. The support block 24 that supports the fingers 6 is fixed to a slider 26 a included in the slide guide 26 via a connecting plate 66. Further, the connecting plate 66 is connected to the belt 63 via a connecting member 67. With the above configuration, the finger drive motor 28 'operates in a predetermined rotation direction, so that the finger 6 is guided by the linear slide guide 26. It becomes possible to move linearly in the direction.

With the above configuration, it is not necessary to use relatively expensive members such as the arm member 30, the cam member 27, and the cam follower 31, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the arm member 30 into the linear motion of the cam member 27 has a drawback that the moving distance of the cam member 27 relative to the rotational motion of the arm member 30 is not constant depending on the position of the cam member 27. That is, even when the arm member 30 performs a certain rotational movement, the cam member 27 is located at a position where the arm member 30 is close to a right angle with respect to the linear movement locus of the cam member 27 and a position where the arm member 30 is at an acute angle with respect to the movement locus. There is a difference in the movement distance. Thereby, when the finger drive motor 28 rotates at a constant speed, the cam member 27 and the finger 6 move linearly while gradually changing the speed. On the other hand, in the finger drive mechanism 7 ′ of this embodiment, the belt 63 that moves parallel to the moving direction of the finger 6 is configured to transmit the driving force, so that the finger drive motor 28 rotates at a constant speed. When operated, the finger 6 can also move linearly at a constant speed.

Further, as another embodiment, the engagement member drive mechanism 9 arranged on the side surface of the engagement member 8 may be arranged behind the engagement member 8. See FIG. By doing so, the engaging member 8 can receive the driving force generated by the engaging member drive motor 37 near the center of the fixed block 8b, so that the fixed block 8b moves smoothly on the linear slide guide 35. I can do it. Furthermore, a protective hood 71 having the same diameter as that of the turning table 23 may be disposed on the upper surface of the turning table 23. See FIG. The protective hood 71 is formed by covering a cylindrical member 71a with a disk-shaped lid 71b having the same diameter from above, and an opening through which the finger 6 supporting the sample container A can pass at a position facing the door member 10. Is formed. By disposing the protective hood 71 on the turntable 23, the sample container A supported by the finger 6 can be protected. Furthermore, when the door member 10 is moved upward, it is possible to prevent the air in the space 55 in which the transport device 1 is arranged from entering the inside of the culture chamber 40 through the small opening 46, The environment maintained in a predetermined atmosphere inside the incubator 40 is not disturbed.

As mentioned above, although the conveying apparatus of this invention has been demonstrated along embodiment, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, The person skilled in the art made the change in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. Is also included in the present invention.

Claims (10)

An opening for transferring a sample container can be closed, and is a transfer device that moves up and down by engaging with a door member guided in a vertical direction by a guide member,
An elevating drive mechanism comprising a guide member extending in the vertical direction;
A base fixed to the elevating member of the elevating drive mechanism;
A swivel stage that is rotatably mounted on the base;
A turning drive mechanism for turning the turning stage;
A finger arranged on the swivel stage so as to be movable forward and backward in a horizontal direction;
A finger drive mechanism for moving the finger forward and backward;
An engaging member that is disposed on the swivel stage so as to be movable back and forth in a horizontal direction and engages with the door member;
An engagement member drive mechanism for driving the engagement member forward and backward,
The conveying device, wherein the engaging member is disposed above the finger at a predetermined interval. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the engaging pin provided in the engaging member is a columnar member having a diameter that can be inserted into an engaging hole formed in the door member. The moving direction of the finger and the moving direction of the engaging member are arranged so as to be parallel to each other in a horizontal plane. Conveying device. It is a conveyance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3, Comprising:
Furthermore, the conveyance apparatus provided with the travel drive mechanism which moves the said raising / lowering mechanism to a horizontal direction. The transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
At least one incubator comprising the door member;
Incubator equipped with. An incubator according to claim 5,
The incubator includes a first cover that blocks a first space in which the transfer device is disposed from an external environment. In the first cover forming the first space,
A delivery opening for carrying the sample container out of the first space is formed by the transfer device,
The opening is closed by the door member engageable with the engagement member;
When the door member is moved up by the transfer device,
The incubator according to claim 7, wherein the opening is opened. The transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
At least one incubator comprising the door member;
At least one inspection device comprising the door member;
A cell culture system comprising: The cell culture system according to claim 7,
The cell culture system includes a second cover that blocks a second space in which the transfer device is disposed from an external environment. In the second cover forming the second space,
An opening for carrying the sample container out of the second space by the transfer device is formed,
The opening is closed by the door member engageable with the engagement member;
When the door member is moved up by the transfer device,
The cell culture system according to claim 8, wherein the opening is opened.

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