JP3519444B2 - Space culture vessel - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a culture vessel for cells and the like suitable for use in a microgravity environment such as outer space. 2. Description of the Related Art When culturing ordinary cells or the like on the ground, a diameter of 40 to 90 mm and a height of 10 as shown in FIG.
This is performed by a method in which a culture solution 3 containing various nutrients and a culture species such as a cell are put in a Petri dish main body 7 having a size of about 20 mm, and a Petri dish lid 8 is used to culture the Petri dish. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, culture tests of various cells and the like in space using a space shuttle or the like have been frequently performed. In a microgravity environment such as outer space, the contact angle between the container wall and the liquid is close to 90 degrees, and if the distance between the walls is small, a horizontal liquid surface can be maintained, but the contact angle deviates significantly from 90 degrees (For example, about 45 degrees), the liquid level moves only by applying a small external force, and as shown in FIG.
Will be gathered in the central part of. Also, even if the contact angle is close to 90 degrees, if the distance between the wall surfaces is large, the liquid surface moves along the wall surface or undulates, and the liquid surface cannot be kept in a stable state. Therefore, when the petri dish as shown in FIG. 3 is brought into outer space and the culture solution 3 is introduced, the culture solution 3 adheres to the wall surfaces of the petri dish main body 7 and the petri dish lid 8 and passes through the gap between the petri dish main body 7 and the petri dish lid 8. The culture solution 3 leaks out,
Scatter. The culture solution 3 leaked from the petri dish falls on the floor on the ground, but in the spacecraft, it may drift inside the room and cause an electric short circuit, which is extremely dangerous. For this reason, in the universe, a closed culture vessel comprising a sealed container 9 having a rubber stopper 10 as shown in FIG.
A method is used in which a culture solution 3 and cells are injected with a syringe by piercing a syringe needle. As a culture vessel for space, a vessel has been proposed in which a plurality of vertically extending plates 11 are arranged side by side in the vessel as shown in FIG. 5 so as to reduce the distance between the walls. ing.
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the front, and FIG. [0003] When a closed container as shown in FIG. 4 is used, it is necessary to supply and withdraw a culture solution or the like using a syringe. The operation of the syringe is more complicated than the pipetting operation generally performed on the ground, and the use of a sharp-pointed injection needle is dangerous for the operator. On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
Can be performed in the culture vessel in which the same operation as when using a petri dish on the ground is performed. However, when culturing cells and the like, the culture vessel frequently moves between an incubator that is controlled by the growth environment of the cells and the like and a clean bench that injects the culture solution into the vessel in an aseptic environment. Is done. In a container in which plates are arranged inside as shown in FIG. 5, when the culture container is moved in a direction parallel to the plate 11 (in the direction of the arrow in the figure) as shown in FIG. The culture solution 3 spreads over the entire wall surface of the culture vessel body 1, and the culture solution 3 also spills out of the gap between the culture vessel body 1 and the culture vessel lid 6. 7A illustrates a state when the container is started to be moved, FIG. 7B illustrates a state in which the container is being moved, and FIG. 7C illustrates a state immediately after the container is stopped.
The present invention solves such a problem of the conventional technology, and even in a microgravity environment such as outer space, the handling of injection, removal or transportation of culture species such as culture solution and cells, chemicals, etc. can be performed on the ground. The present invention provides a space culture vessel that can be carried out in the same manner as in the above. [0004] The present invention relates to a culture vessel with a top lid, which is inscribed in the vessel and has a plurality of diameters of 3 to 10 m.
A space culture container having an inner lid having a thickness of 1 to 5 times the diameter of the through hole having a through hole of m. [0005] In the present invention, as the material of the inner lid to be inscribed in the culture vessel, resins having a property of repelling water are suitable, and in particular, fluorocarbon resins such as polycarbonate, silicone resin and Teflon are preferable. The inner lid has a diameter of 3
A through hole of 10 mm to 10 mm penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface of the inner lid is provided. If the diameter exceeds 10 mm, the liquid level cannot be maintained, which is not preferable. Also, 3
If it is less than mm, operation with a pipette or the like becomes difficult. 4
~ 7 mm is the most preferred range. The thickness of the inner lid is 1 to 5 times the diameter of the through hole. This is because the contact angle of the culture solution with the resin is close to 90 degrees. If the thickness is less than one time the diameter of the through hole, the liquid overflows, and the effect of the present invention is not exhibited. On the other hand, if the thickness is too large, it becomes difficult to operate with a pipette or the like, and the handleability is deteriorated. 2-3 times is the most preferred range. The shape of the culture vessel is generally a petri dish-shaped cylindrical shape, but is not particularly limited thereto. It is preferable that the shape of the through-hole is a circular cross section or a shape similar thereto. [0006] As a method of mounting the inner lid in the culture vessel,
Attach an appropriate number of legs to the inner lid or place a step on the inner wall of the culture vessel, put the inner lid in the solution, and place an O around the inner lid.
A method in which a ring is provided or a projection is provided on the inside of the lid and the inner lid is pressed down and fixed is preferable.
When the container has a cylindrical shape, the container may be screwed into the inner wall and the outer periphery of the inner lid. It is known that in a cylindrical container, the liquid surface becomes stable if the contact angle between the liquid and the container is close to 90 degrees and the inside diameter of the cylinder is sufficiently small. This can easily be inferred from the phenomenon that water is poured into a glass tube having an inner diameter of 2 to 5 mm on the ground and water does not spill even if it is inverted. The present invention takes advantage of this principle. Although a commonly used petri dish is cylindrical, the liquid surface is not flat because the inside diameter is large, and the culture solution comes into contact with the entire inner wall of the container as shown in FIG. Therefore, a disk inscribed in the container is arranged, a through hole of an appropriate size is opened in the disk, and a culture solution is put so that the liquid level is located in the through hole, similar to a petri dish on the ground In addition, the liquid surface is kept flat, and a culture solution and the like can be taken in and out of the container with the same feeling as on the ground. The culture solution is an aqueous solution, and its contact angle with various materials is close to pure water, and its contact angle with resins is close to 90 degrees. Therefore, when the culture solution is put into a cylindrical container made of resin, the liquid surface is stable if the inner diameter of the container is small. In a microgravity experiment (9.8 × 10 ⁻² mm / s ² ) using an aircraft, pure water having a contact angle of 85 ° with acrylic was placed in an acrylic cylindrical container, which is one of the resins, so that people could use ordinary water. As a result of observing the behavior of the liquid surface by moving the container at an acceleration given to the test device in the test, the liquid surface was stable if the inner diameter was 10 mm or less. In particular, when the inner diameter was 4 mm or less, the liquid level hardly changed. In the present invention, the inner lid provided with a through-hole in the container is inscribed, and when the culture solution is poured so that the liquid surface is located in this through-hole, the liquid surface is adjusted if the contact angle of the culture solution is close to 90 degrees. Stable in the through hole. The present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the following examples. FIG. 1 shows an example of the space culture vessel of the present invention.
An inner lid 2 as shown in the plan view and the side view in FIG. 2 is provided in contact with the cylindrical culture vessel main body 1. The inner lid 2 is installed so as to float from the bottom of the culture vessel main body 1, and the culture solution 3 can move freely in the culture vessel main body 1. Although the details of the method of mounting the inner lid in the culture vessel are not shown in FIG. 1, an appropriate number of legs are attached to the inner lid or a step is provided on the inner wall of the culture vessel, and the inner lid is provided. Into the liquid and provide an O-ring around the inner lid or a projection on the inside of the lid to hold down the inner lid, or fix it by screwing it on the inner wall of the container and the outer periphery of the inner lid. It is good. The inner lid 2 is provided with a plurality of through holes 4 (five in this example).
mm or less, preferably 4 mm or less. The thickness of the inner lid 2 is equal to or larger than the diameter of the through-hole 4 so that the liquid in the through-hole 4 does not overflow from the through-hole 4 even when the culture vessel main body 1 is moved.
Preferably, it is about twice. The culture solution 3 is put so that the liquid level is located at the middle of the depth of the through hole 4. The liquid level is each through hole 4
Is stable in the inside, so that even if the culture vessel main body 1 is moved, it does not spill out from the through hole 4. Further, since the liquid surface is opened in the through hole 4, the through hole 4 is formed by a pipette or the like.
Cells or chemicals can be added to the culture solution 3 inside, or a sample of the culture solution 3 can be collected. According to the culture vessel for space of the present invention, the liquid surface can be maintained in a stable state even in a microgravity environment with the liquid surface opened. By using the culture vessel for space of the present invention, in a microgravity environment such as outer space, without using a sealed vessel, there is no danger of scattering of liquid, similar to liquid culture using a petri dish on the ground Liquid culture of cells and the like can be performed with a sense.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a space culture container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an inner lid inscribed in the culture vessel of FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a petri dish used on the ground. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a conventional closed culture vessel for space. FIG. 5 is a front and side sectional view showing an example of a conventional space liquid container. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a state in space of a container containing a gas and a liquid. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conventional space liquid container similar to FIG. 6 is moved.

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Claims (1)

(57) Claims: 1. A culture vessel with a top lid, wherein the thickness of the culture vessel inscribed in the vessel and having a plurality of through holes having a diameter of 3 to 10 mm is one of the diameters of the through holes. A culture vessel for space, comprising an inner lid of up to 5 times.