JP3244847B2 - Cell culture vessel - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cell culture vessel used particularly in a microgravity laboratory installed in outer space.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, the handling of various liquids on the ground utilizes gravity almost unconsciously. That is, the liquid collects below the container, and the mixed air is pushed upward by the specific gravity difference. On the other hand, in a microgravity environment, the above two phenomena do not occur, so a special container is required.

Heretofore, a closed container having an elasticity mechanism that does not allow air to enter has been used. FIG. 5 shows a buffer solution tank of a conventional space electrophoresis apparatus, which comprises a tank body, a diaphragm and a spring incorporated in the tank body.

[0004]

However, the conventional container has a problem that the structure is complicated and the dead volume is large, so that once air bubbles are mixed in, it cannot be eliminated easily.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has a simple structure of a cell culture volume capable of effectively utilizing the entire volume.
The purpose is to provide a vessel .

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems Under microgravity, the behavior of a liquid in a container is governed by surface tension and wettability. As a result, the liquid tends to collect in the narrowest part of the container.

Therefore, the present inventors have made the shape of the container to have only one axis of symmetry, one of which becomes narrow along the axis of symmetry, and the other of which has a semicircular cross section or a hemispherical shape, thereby forming an adjacent arbitrary shape. The distance between the two points was made constant. That is, a liquid injection outlet is provided in the narrowest part, and a vent is provided in the center of the widest part. Then, a hollow thin tube was passed through the narrowest portion to provide a ventilation hole, thereby forming a ventilation needle. That is, the present invention provides a porous membrane filter,
A teardrop-shaped opening placed above the porous membrane filter
And a container upper part whose upper surface is closed by an upper plate,
The teardrop-shaped opening is arranged below the filter of the porous membrane.
With a mouth, the lower surface is closed with a bottom plate,
A lower part of the container that sandwiches the filter with the
Parts, filters and fastening bolts to fix the container bottom
The upper part of the container is provided with a culture solution inlet / outlet on the side wall,
The lower part of the container has a cell solution inlet and a vent on the side wall
At the same time, the vent oscillates due to an external magnetic field.
A cell culture container provided with a magnetic stirrer / vent tube .

[0008]

In the present invention, when injecting a liquid into an empty container, the liquid injected from the inlet at the narrowest portion gradually spreads to a wider portion while wetting the vessel wall, but due to surface tension. Never leave the narrowest part. When the tip of the liquid reaches the wall surface of the widest part, the liquid rapidly travels along the wall surface, leaving a bubble in the center. Further, when the injection of the liquid is continued, the liquid is finally filled up to the vent.

On the other hand, in the case of discharge, air flows in from the vent, and bubbles grow in the center. When the bubbles come into contact with the vessel wall, the liquid collects in the narrower part and finally collects in the narrowest part.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) FIGS. 1 and 2 are sectional views of a buffer solution tank (for space) for an electrophoresis apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a tank body comprising a hemispherical end plate 2, a body 3 forming a part of a cone, and a small end plate 4 smaller in diameter than the end plate 2. The end plate 2 is finished to an accurate spherical surface. The small end plate 4 of the tank body 1 is provided with a buffer solution injection outlet 5 and a vent 6. A vent pipe 7 communicating with the vent 6 is arranged in the tank body 1. The tip of the ventilation tube 7 reaches the center of the spherical surface of the end plate 2. The ventilation pipe 7 is made of a material having poor wettability with respect to the content liquid. The vent pipe 7 has a form that opens at the tip and a tubular form that is entirely made of a hydrophobic porous membrane.

Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the buffer tank for the electrophoresis apparatus according to the first embodiment forms a hemispherical mirror plate 2 having a precise spherical surface and a part of a cone. A tank body 1 composed of a body 3 and a small head plate 4 having a smaller diameter than the head plate 2; an injection outlet 5 for a buffer solution attached to the small head plate 4 of the tank body 1; And the ventilation pipe 7 made of a material having poor wettability with respect to the liquid content, so that the entire volume of the buffer solution tank can be effectively used.

FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing a state in which a liquid is injected or discharged into a container having a teardrop-shaped cross section. liquid
11 enters and exits through the inlet 12, and the air 13 is sucked and discharged through the vent 14 due to the change in internal pressure caused by the inlet and outlet. The liquid 11 adheres to the container due to wettability (especially in a zero gravity state such as a space laboratory) and does not block the ventilation port 14. Therefore, the entire volume of the container can be used effectively. (Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a cell culture vessel according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

The cell culture vessel 21 includes a porous membrane filter 22
And a container upper part 23 and a container lower part 24 which sandwich the filter 22 from above and below, and these are fixed by tightening bolts 25. The container upper part 23 has a teardrop-shaped opening, and the upper surface is closed by an upper plate 26. A culture solution inlet / outlet 27 is provided on a side wall of the container upper portion 23. The container lower part 24 also has the same opening, and the lower surface is closed by a bottom plate 28.

The lower part 24 of the container is provided with a cell liquid inlet 29, a vent 30 and an auxiliary inlet 31.
At the end of 30 is attached a stirrer / vent pipe 32. The stirrer / vent pipe 32 is provided with a magnet 33, and the inside is stirred by applying a magnetic field from the outside and swinging. Here, a flexible stirrer extension tube 34 can be attached as needed to increase the stirring efficiency. Incidentally, 35 in the figure indicates an O-ring.

In the cell culture vessel 21 having such a structure, the cells and the culture solution are put into the space between the lower portion 24 of the container and the porous membrane filter 22, and the culture solution is separately added between the container upper portion 23 and the porous membrane filter 22. Circulate from the inlet / outlet 27. In the cell culture container according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the entire volume of the container can be effectively used.

[0017]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cell culture vessel which can effectively utilize the entire volume and has a simple structure.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a buffer solution tank (for space) for an electrophoresis apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cell culture vessel according to Example 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view schematically showing a state when a liquid is injected or discharged into a container having a teardrop-shaped cross section.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a buffer solution tank of a conventional space electrophoresis apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... tank body, 2 ... head plate, 3
... body, 4 ... small end plate, 5, 12 ... injection outlet,
6, 14, 29 ... vent, 7 ... vent pipe,
11 ... liquid, 13 ... air, 21 ... cell culture container, 22 ... porous membrane filter, 23 ... top of container, 24
... Bottom of container, 25 ... Tightening bolt, 26 ...
Top plate, 27… Inlet / outlet of culture solution, 28… Bottom plate,
29… Cell fluid inlet / outlet, 31… Auxiliary inlet / outlet, 32
... stir bar / vent pipe, 33 ... magnet, 34 ... stir bar extension tube.

Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Muneo Takaoki 1-1-1, Wadasaki-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo Prefecture Inside Kobe Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-90458 (JP, A) JP-A-4-256446 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65D 1/00 B65D 85/50 B64G 1/66 C12M 1/06

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A filter having a porous membrane and a filter having the porous membrane.
It is located above the filter and has a teardrop-shaped opening
In addition, the upper part of the container whose upper surface is closed by an upper plate and the porous membrane
When placed on the lower side of the filter and having a teardrop-shaped opening
In both cases, the lower surface is closed with a bottom plate,
A container lower part holding the filter, the container upper part, the filter
And a tightening bolt for fixing the lower part of the container, wherein the upper part of the container is provided with a culture solution inlet / outlet on a side wall,
The lower part has a cell solution inlet and vent on the side wall.
In addition, a magnet that fluctuates due to an external magnetic field is provided in the vent.
It is characterized by having a stirrer / aeration tube with a slot
Cell culture vessels .