JP7424698B1 - Sensor devices and sensing systems - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to acquire environmental information at each position of a culture container inside an incubator. A sensor device used in an incubator includes a sensor that detects surrounding environmental information, a substrate provided with the sensor, and a communication module that transmits the environmental information detected by the sensor. Be prepared. [Selection diagram] Figure 4A

Description

The present invention relates to a sensor device and a sensing system.

Conventionally, environmental information (for example, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.) inside an incubator has been acquired and monitored. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the environmental information acquisition unit acquires information regarding at least one of the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration inside the incubator as environmental information.

Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-11 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-8667

A sensor device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a sensor device used in an incubator, and includes a sensor that detects surrounding environment information, a substrate provided with the sensor, and an environment detected by the sensor. A communication module that transmits information.

A sensor device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to the first aspect, wherein the sensor is at least partially covered by a housing, and a panel on at least one side of the housing includes: At least one vane member is provided so that a plurality of apertures are formed.

A sensor device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the sensor is installed on the substrate so that the detection surface of the sensor faces sideways or downward. .

A sensor device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a sensor device according to any one of the first to third aspects, which includes a photoelectric sensor provided so as to be able to image an observation target in a culture container from below. The communication module further includes a conversion element, and the communication module transmits an image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element in addition to the environmental information.

The sensor device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to the fourth aspect, further comprising a housing that accommodates the substrate and the sensor, and the housing is located below the photoelectric conversion element. It is set in.

A sensor device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to the fourth or fifth aspect, and includes a logic circuit section that performs signal processing on an image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element, The logic circuit section is provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to a surface on the inner top surface side of the casing.

A sensor device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and includes a housing, and the substrate is fixed to an inner top surface of the housing. The sensor is provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to a surface on the inner top surface side of the casing.

A sensor device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to the seventh aspect, wherein the communication module is provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to a surface on the inner top surface side of the casing. It is being

A sensor device according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, and includes a mounting member for removably attaching to an object.

A sensor device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the sensor device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the environmental information is at least one of temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration.

A sensing system according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention includes, in an incubator, a plurality of sensor devices according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and an information processing device that acquires environmental information detected by the plurality of sensor devices. , is provided.

The sensing system according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention is the sensing system according to the eleventh aspect, in which each of the plurality of sensors is installed such that the detection surface of the sensor faces sideways or downward.

According to one aspect of the present invention, environmental information at each position within an incubator can be acquired.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a sensor system according to each embodiment. It is an example of arrangement of the sensor device concerning each embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a sensor device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a sensor device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram of the sensor device according to the first embodiment viewed from an upper diagonal position. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sensor device according to a first embodiment viewed from the side; FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a sensor device according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a sensor according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a sensor device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a sensor device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is an example of a cross-sectional view of a device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 1 is an electrical block diagram schematically showing an observation system using a device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a state in which an observation target is placed above a mounting portion of a device. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing acquired microscopic images and time-series changes in temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. FIG. 7 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a sensor device according to a modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a sensor device according to a third embodiment.

Each embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

Inside the incubator, environmental information (eg, temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide concentration) may vary depending on the location within the incubator. If environmental information differs depending on the position inside the incubator, there will be positions where cells are easy to grow and positions where cells are difficult to grow, resulting in differences in the degree of cell growth depending on the position inside the incubator. Another problem is that it is not possible to predict the growth rate at each position or the difference in growth rate between each position. On the other hand, there is a problem in that it is difficult to obtain environmental information for each position of a culture container (for example, a dish or petri dish) inside an incubator.

One aspect of the present embodiment is to provide a sensor device and a sensing system that are made in view of the above-mentioned problems and that make it possible to acquire environmental information at each position of a culture container inside an incubator. purpose.

It is also possible that the state of cells changes depending on environmental information at each location (e.g., temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide concentration), but it is difficult to understand the causal relationship between the environmental state and cell state at each location. There is also the problem.

Another aspect of the present embodiment aims to provide a sensor device and a sensing system that make it possible to grasp the causal relationship between the environmental state and the cell state at each location.

First, the configuration common to each embodiment will be explained. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a sensor system according to each embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the sensor system S includes sensor devices 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, an information processing device 6 that can communicate with the sensor devices 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3, and an information processing device 6 that can communicate with the sensor devices 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3. A display device 7 connected to the device 6 is provided. Communication between the sensor devices 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 and the information processing device 6 may be wired or wireless. The information processing device 6 is, for example, a personal computer, a notebook computer, a mobile terminal, a tablet, or the like.

FIG. 2 is an example of the arrangement of sensor devices according to each embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, sensor devices 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are provided inside the incubator 100. Inside the incubator 100, a shelf 101 and a shelf 102 are provided. For example, the sensor device 1-1 is removably attached to a shelf 101, which is an object. A petri dish 2, which is an example of a culture container, is provided on top of the sensor device 1-1. The sensor device 1-2 is, for example, removably attached to the inner surface of the incubator. For example, the sensor device 1-3 is removably attached to the inner top surface of the incubator. Hereinafter, the sensor devices 1-1 to 1-3 will also be collectively referred to as the sensor device 1.

Although the sensor device 1-1 has been described as being provided below the petri dish 2, it may be provided above.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the petri dish 2 has a cylindrical mounting member 21 with an open upper side and a petri dish cover 22 that covers the upper side of the mounting member 21. The sensor device 1 is provided below the mounting member 21.

FIG. 4A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4B is a diagram of the sensor device according to the first embodiment viewed from an upper diagonal position. As shown in FIG. 4A, the sensor device 1 includes a housing 10, and the housing 10 has a bottom plate 11. The sensor device 1 includes a mounting member 20 on the back side of the bottom plate 11 for removably attaching it to an object. Here, the attachment member 20 is, for example, a magnet, a suction cup, or an adhesive layer such as double-sided tape.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the sensor device 1 includes column members 12a to 12f provided on the bottom plate 11 and a top plate 14 provided on the column members 12a to 12f. A substrate 15 is fixed to the back surface of the top plate 14. A sensor 16 that detects surrounding environmental information (for example, temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide concentration) is provided on the lower surface (also referred to as the back surface) of the substrate 15, and a communication device that transmits the environmental information detected by the sensor 16. A module 17 is fixedly provided.

In this way, the substrate 15 is fixed to the inner top surface of the casing 10, and the sensor 16 is provided on the surface of the substrate 15 opposite to the surface on the inner top surface side of the casing. The communication module 17 is provided on the surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on the inner top surface side of the casing.

FIG. 5A is a schematic side view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A, spaces are provided between the pillar members 12a to 12f. This allows air to pass between the pillar members 12a to 12f.

Note that the appearance of the sensor device is not limited to this. FIG. 5B is a schematic side view of a sensor device according to a modification of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5B, a through hole 19 may be provided in the ring-shaped side plate 18 to allow air to pass therethrough.

FIG. 6 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the sensor according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the sensor 16 includes a bottom plate 161 forming part of a housing, a top plate 162 forming part of the housing, and a sensor body 163 fixed to the bottom plate 161. Furthermore, blade members 164a, 164b, and 164c are provided on one side of the housing 10, and blade members 165a, 165b, and 165c are provided on the other side of the housing 10.
In this way, the sensor 16 is at least partially covered by the housing 10, and at least one blade member 164a is provided on at least one panel of the housing 10 so as to form a plurality of openings. It is being

The sensor main body 163 is provided with a detection surface 1631 of the sensor 16, and the sensor is installed on the substrate so that the detection surface 1631 of the sensor faces downward. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the detection surface 1631 of the sensor may be provided horizontally.
In this way, the sensor 16 is installed on the substrate 15 so that the detection surface 1631 of the sensor 16 faces sideways or downward. As a result, water droplets attached to the detection surface 1631 of the sensor 16 automatically flow down inside the incubator, so that the accuracy in detecting environmental information by the sensor can be maintained.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the information processing device 6 includes an input interface 61, a communication module 62, a storage 63, a memory 64, an output interface 65, and a processor 66.
The input interface 61 accepts input from the user. Communication module 62 communicates with sensor devices 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3. This communication may be wired or wireless. The storage 63 stores programs for the processor 66 to read and execute. The memory 64 temporarily stores data. The output interface 65 is connected to the display device 7, and a video signal is output by the processor 66. The processor 66 stores the environmental information received by the communication module 62 in the storage 63.

As described above, the sensor device 1 according to the first embodiment is a sensor device used in an incubator, and includes a sensor 16 that detects surrounding environment information, a substrate 15 on which the sensor 16 is provided, and a sensor device that is attached to a target object. It includes a mounting member 20 for removably attaching to the sensor 16, and a communication module 17 for transmitting environmental information detected by the sensor 16. Thereby, environmental information at each position within the incubator can be acquired.

Further, in the sensing system S according to the first embodiment, a plurality of sensor devices 1 are provided in an incubator, and this sensing system S includes an information processing device 6 that acquires environmental information detected by the plurality of sensor devices 1. Be prepared. Thereby, environmental information at each position within the incubator can be acquired.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it further includes a photoelectric conversion element that is provided to be able to image the observation target in the culture container from below, and the communication module includes: In addition to the environmental information, an image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element is also transmitted.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a sensor device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the sensor device according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, a mounting member 21 is provided on the sensor device 1b. Further, a lighting device 3 is provided to be placed on the petri dish cover 22. The lighting device 3 includes a disk-shaped substrate 31 and a light source 32 provided on the substrate 31. The light source 32 is, for example, an LED. As shown in FIG. 9, the light source 32 may be embedded and fixed in a recess provided in the substrate 31 on the surface of the substrate 31 on the Petri dish cover 22 side. Thereby, when the substrate 31 is placed on the petri dish cover 22, it is possible to prevent the substrate 31 from floating off the surface of the petri dish cover 22 due to the light source 32.

As shown in FIG. 9, the sensor device 1b according to the second embodiment has a cutout on the top plate 14 constituting the housing 10b, compared to the sensor device according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. A device 5 including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided in a notch formed in the substrate 4 is provided. With such a configuration, the light source 32 can irradiate light toward the device 5. Here, the device 5 is also referred to as a micro imaging device (MID).

Furthermore, a logic circuit section 200 that performs signal processing on the image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element is fixedly provided on the lower surface (back surface) of the substrate 15. That is, the logic circuit section 200 is provided on the surface of the substrate 15 opposite to the surface on the inner top surface side of the casing.
In this way, the casing that houses the substrate 15 and the sensor 16 is provided below the photoelectric conversion element, and includes the logic circuit section 200 that performs signal processing on the image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element.

FIG. 10 is an example of a cross-sectional view of the device according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the device 5 includes a solid-state imaging device 51 and a mounting section 52 on which an object to be photographed can be placed. The solid-state imaging device 51 includes a plurality of pixels 54 arranged at predetermined intervals, each including a microlens 53 that collects light and a light receiving section that receives the light collected by the microlens 53. This sensor has a sensor section. This solid-state imaging device 51 will be specifically explained below.

In a solid-state imaging device 51 shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of photodiode layers 56, which are a plurality of impurity layers, are arranged in a semiconductor substrate 55 made of, for example, silicon. In this embodiment, for example, the photodiode layer 56 serves as the light receiving section, but the light receiving section may be any photoelectric conversion element that can receive incident light and photoelectrically convert it, and is not necessarily the photodiode layer 56. It doesn't have to be.

Further, an intermediate layer 57 is provided on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 55 on which the plurality of photodiode layers 56 are provided, and a plurality of microlenses 53 are arranged on the surface of the intermediate layer 57. The photodiode layers 56 are arranged in an array corresponding to the positions of the photodiode layers 56 . The microlens 53 is an example of a viewing angle control layer that controls the traveling angle of incident light so that it falls within a predetermined viewing angle based on the photodiode layer 56.

Note that the intermediate layer 57 is, for example, a wavelength selection layer such as a color filter layer, a flattening layer for flattening the surface of the intermediate layer, or the like.

Such a solid-state imaging device 51 has a plurality of pixels 54 including a photodiode layer 56 and a microlens 53 for focusing light on the photodiode layer 56. In the solid-state imaging device 51, a sensor section is configured by arranging a plurality of pixels 54 at predetermined intervals.

Such a device 5 places an object to be observed on the placing part 52 while being placed under the light source 32. Specifically, the device 5 places an object to be observed on the placing part 52 while being placed under the light source 32. The observation object can be observed by placing the observation object in the solid-state imaging device 51 and photographing the observation object thus arranged. Note that, as an example, the light source 32 will be described here as a light source dedicated to photography provided to photograph the observation target in more detail, but it may also be a light source in an incubator in which the device 5 is placed, for example. good.

FIG. 11 is an electrical block diagram schematically showing an observation system using the device according to this embodiment. The observation system shown in FIG. 11 includes a photodiode layer 56 of the device 5, a logic circuit section 200 that is a signal processing circuit, an information processing device 6, and a display device 7.

The logic circuit section 200 performs color correction (white balance, color matrix), noise correction (noise reduction, scratch correction), and image quality correction (edge emphasis, gamma correction) on the voltage signal (raw data) obtained by the device 5. The voltage signal subjected to the signal processing is output as an image signal. In this embodiment, since the device 5 does not include an optical lens system such as a lens for forming an image or a lens for enlarging/reducing the image, the logic circuit section 200 does not include correction of such lens aberrations. It does not include a correction circuit for shading correction.

As an example, the logic circuit unit 200 has been described here as being a separate component from the solid-state imaging device 51, which is provided on a separate board from the solid-state imaging device 51, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be built into the solid-state imaging device 51 by providing it on the semiconductor substrate 55 around the sensor section, which is the area where the pixels 54 are arranged.

Next, the information processing device 6 receives an image signal from the logic circuit unit 200 via the communication module 17. The display device 7 is, for example, a display device, and forms and displays an image of the observation target based on this image signal. The display device 7 can display the entire observation target placed on the inner bottom of the mounting member 21 at once.

FIG. 12 is a top view showing the observation target placed above the device placement section. In FIG. 12, it is assumed that an observation object 81 (for example, a cell) is placed on the inner bottom of the mounting member 21. In this embodiment, for example, the device 50 has a 10M sensor in which the interval P between the pixels 54 is 1 μm, the viewing angle θ of the microlens 53 is 10 degrees, and 1000×1000 pixels 54 are formed in the solid-state imaging device 51. It is assumed that an observation object 81 with a diameter of 1000 μm is placed above the mounting portion 52, that is, on the inner bottom of the mounting member. Note that in FIG. 12, the number of pixels 54 arranged in the solid-state imaging device 51 is omitted. Further, the sensor section 52 shown in FIG. 12 is electrically connected to a substrate 84 on which a logic circuit section 200 is provided, for example, by a wire 83 provided around the sensor section 52 .

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing acquired microscopic images and time-series changes in temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. In FIG. 13, the horizontal axis shows time, and the vertical axis shows values of temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide concentration. In this way, not only environmental information such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration, but also microscopic images can be obtained in time series.

Note that the sensor device may be configured to include the configuration of the fluorescence detector of Patent Document 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a sensor device according to a modification of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the mounting member 21 is provided with a substantially circular cavity, for example. The transparent member 23 is fixed to the back surface of the mounting member 21 so as to cover the cavity of the mounting member 21, and allows light to pass therethrough, and is made of glass, for example. For example, the observation target T is placed on the transparent member 23. The observation target T is, for example, a cell.

In FIG. 14, the sensor device 1c may detect the scattered light L2 scattered by the excitation light from the light source (so-called transmitted light observation), or the sensor device 1c may detect the scattered light L2 scattered by the excitation light from the light source, or the sensor device 1c may detect the scattered light L2 scattered by the excitation light from the light source. In this case, the fluorescence L2 excited and emitted by the excitation light L1 may be detected (so-called fluorescence observation). When performing transmitted light observation, the filter 25 described later may not be provided. The configuration for fluorescence observation will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 14, the sensor device 1c includes a device 5c. This device 5c includes a first optical system 24, a filter 25, a second optical system 26, a semiconductor substrate 55, and a plurality of photodiode layers 56 provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate 55. An intermediate layer 57 is provided on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 55 on which a plurality of photodiode layers 56 are provided, and a plurality of microlenses 53 are arranged on the surface of the intermediate layer 57. An array is formed corresponding to the position of the diode layer 56. In this embodiment, for example, the photodiode layer 56 serves as the light receiving section, but the light receiving section may be any photoelectric conversion element that can receive incident light and photoelectrically convert it, and is not necessarily the photodiode layer 56. It doesn't have to be.

In the case of transmitted light observation, the observation target T emits scattered light L2 that is scattered by the transmitted light from the light source. The first optical system 24 optically controls a plurality of lights including scattered light L2 and some transmitted light L3.
On the other hand, in the case of fluorescence observation, the fluorescent substance contained in the observation target T is excited by the excitation light from the light source and emits fluorescence L2. The first optical system 24 optically controls a plurality of lights including the fluorescence L2 and a part of the excitation light L3. Here, light control includes control of the traveling angle of light (including condensation), light guide, or a combination thereof. In this embodiment, an example of light guiding will be described. A part of the excitation light L3 is light that has passed around the observation target.

The first optical system 24 in one aspect includes a plurality of SELFOC lenses 241, and the plurality of SELFOC lenses 241 guide a plurality of lights. According to this configuration, by guiding light with the SELFOC lens 241, unlike a spherical lens, multi-layering of lenses is unnecessary.
It is possible to make it more compact and cost-effective, and it is possible to obtain a uniform image and light amount over the entire width.

In one embodiment, the first optical system 24 is configured such that the distance between the end of the first optical system 24 on the observation target side and the observation target T is a set distance (for example, 1 mm) or more. The focal length of the optical system 24 on the observation object side is set. Here, specifically, the Selfoc lens 241 is attached to the observation target such that the distance between the end of the Selfoc lens 241 on the observation target side and the observation target T is at least a set distance (for example, 1 mm). The side focal length is set.

According to this configuration, even if the observation target T has a thickness in the vertical direction, the entire device 5c is manually or mechanically moved relative to the incident surface of the photoelectric conversion element 9 within a set distance (for example, 1 mm). Since it can be moved approximately vertically (the z direction in FIG. 14), the observation target T can be observed in the thickness direction.

The filter 25 reduces the intensity of light in the wavelength band of the excitation light among the plurality of lights optically controlled by the first optical system 24 . The filter 25 according to this embodiment has, for example, an incident angle dependence in its optical characteristics, and is, for example, a dielectric multilayer filter. Here, the incident angle dependence of the optical property is, for example, a property in which the transmission band shifts to the shorter wavelength side as the incident angle of the incident light increases. Here, the incident angle of the incident light is the angle between the incident light and the normal line of the filter 25. A dielectric multilayer filter is a type in which a dielectric multilayer film that functions as a filter is deposited on the surface of a substrate. A dielectric multilayer filter can selectively extract wavelengths due to the interference effect of light. A dielectric multilayer filter is characterized by a sharp rise (or fall) of pass/cut in a graph of spectral transmission characteristics.

Note that the filter 25 may be electrically or mechanically controllable in at least one wavelength characteristic among transmission, absorption, and reflection. For example, the filter 25 is a liquid crystal tunable or a Fabry-Perot filter. Liquid crystal tunables can change the transmission wavelength electrically, while Fabry-Perot can change the transmission wavelength mechanically.

The second optical system 26 optically controls the plurality of lights after passing through the filter 25. Note that the second optical system 26 may be realized by combining control of the traveling angle of light (including focusing) or light guiding. In this embodiment, an example of light guiding will be described. The photodiode layer 56 converts the plurality of lights controlled by the second optical system 26 into electricity.

The drive unit 58 moves the entire device 5c in the vertical direction (z direction in FIG. 1). In other words, the drive unit 58 moves the first optical system 24, filter 25, second optical system 26, and photodiode layer 56 substantially relative to the incident surface of the photodiode layer 56 while maintaining their respective relative positions. Move vertically. The drive unit 58 may be, for example, an actuator used for camera focusing, a voice coil type, a piezo type, or an artificial muscle type.

<Third embodiment>
The third embodiment is different in that it is aimed at a multi-well plate, a plurality of light sources are provided, and a sensor device includes a plurality of devices 5. Here, a multiwell dish having six wells will be described as an example of a multiwell plate. FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of a sensor device according to a third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, a sensor device 1d is provided below the multiwell plate 121.

The sensor device 1d includes a substrate 71 in which a notch is formed, and a device 5 including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided in the notch formed in the substrate 71. Each device 5 is provided at a horizontal position corresponding to each well provided in the multi-well plate.

The substrate 71 is provided with support members 72 and 73 for sandwiching and supporting both ends of the multiwell plate 121. One or both of the support members 72 and 73 may be made of, for example, an elastic body (such as rubber, specifically silicone rubber, etc.). Further, the entire support members 72 and 73 may be made of an elastic body, or the support members 72 and 73 on the substrate 71 side may be made of an elastic body.

A housing 10d is provided below the board 71. A board 15 is fixed to the back surface of the housing 10d. A sensor 16 that detects surrounding environmental information (for example, temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide concentration) is provided on the lower surface (also referred to as the back surface) of the substrate 15, and a communication device that transmits the environmental information detected by the sensor 16. A module 17 is fixedly provided. Furthermore, a logic circuit section 200 that performs signal processing on the image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element is fixedly provided on the lower surface (back surface) of the substrate 15.

The housing 10d may be provided with a base switch 75 that turns on and off the device 5 and/or the sensor 16.
Further, for example, the housing 10d may be provided with a power source 76 (for example, a battery or a battery) that supplies power to the sensor 16, the communication module 17, and the logic circuit section 200. Further, the sensor device 1d may be connected to a commercial power source instead of the power source 76.

Each of the devices 5 observes the object to be observed in the corresponding well. This has the advantage that objects to be observed (for example, cells) in different wells can be compared simultaneously using a plurality of devices 5. For example, in an experiment testing the effect of a target drug, one well may not be administered the target drug for comparison (control), and the other well may be administered with the target drug for comparison.

The lighting device 3b is provided on the plate cover 122. The lighting device 3b includes a substrate 31b and six light sources 32. The light source 32 is, for example, an LED. As shown in FIG. 15, the light source 32 may be embedded and fixed in a recess provided in the substrate 31b on the side of the plate cover 122 side of the substrate 31b. Thereby, when the substrate 31b is placed on the plate cover 122, it is possible to prevent the substrate 31b from floating off the surface of the plate cover 122 due to the light source 32.

The lighting device 3b includes, for example, a cover communication module 33, a processor 34, and a cover side switch 35. The lighting device 3b may, for example, be provided with a power source 36 (for example a cell or a battery), which supplies power to the light source 32, the cover communication module 33 and the processor 34. When the power source 36 is a battery, it may be a button battery. Note that the lighting device 3b may be connected to a commercial power source instead of the power source 36.

In order to extend the life of the power source 76 (for example, a battery or battery), an LED lighting command signal is transmitted from the communication module 17 to the cover communication module 33 by wire or wirelessly at the timing of photographing at regular intervals, and the light source 32 (LED ) may be turned on by the processor 34 to turn on the cover side switch 35.

Note that the base side switch 75 may be turned on only while the light is on to supply power to the device 5 and the environmental sensor to obtain images and environmental information (for example, humidity, temperature, etc.). Thereby, power is supplied to the light source 32 (for example, an LED), the device 5, and the sensor 16 only when photographing, so power consumption can be suppressed.

Further, the communication module 17 may wirelessly transmit the acquired image and environmental information to the information processing device 6. This makes it possible to observe (monitor) cells in real time while leaving the multiwell plate in the incubator. It is possible to monitor the state of cells even in a far away location (for example, your room or home). Note that the sensor device 1d may include a memory, and the image and environmental information may be stored in this memory (not shown).

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and in the implementation stage, the constituent elements can be modified and embodied without departing from the scope of the invention. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

1, 1b, 1c, 1d Sensor devices 10, 10b, 10d Housing 100 Incubator 11 Bottom plate 121 Multi-well plate 122 Plate covers 12a to 12f Pillar member 14 Top plate 15 Substrate 16 Sensor 161 Bottom plate 162 Top plate 163 Sensor body 1631 Detection surface 164a Wing member 165a Wing member 17 Communication module 18 Side plate 19 Through hole 2 Petri dish 20 Mounting member 200 Logic circuit section 21 Mounting member 22 Petri dish cover 23 Transparent member 24 First optical system 241 Selfoc lens 25 Filter 26 Second optical Systems 3, 3b Lighting devices 31, 31b Substrate 32 Light source 33 Cover communication module 34 Processor 35 Cover side switch 36 Power supply 4 Substrate 5, 5c Device 51 Solid-state imaging device 52 Mounting section 53 Microlens 54 Pixel 55 Semiconductor substrate 56 Photodiode layer 57 Intermediate layer 58 Drive section

Claims (11)

A sensor device used in an incubator, the sensor device comprising:
A sensor that detects surrounding environmental information,
A substrate provided with a sensor,
a photoelectric conversion element provided to be able to image an observation target in a culture container;
a housing that covers at least a portion of the sensor;
Equipped with
A plurality of blade members are provided at intervals to form an opening in the casing, and the plurality of blade members are arranged such that an end on the outside of the casing is lower than an end on the inside of the casing. The sensor device is provided with a slope. The sensor is installed on the substrate so that the detection surface of the sensor faces sideways or downward.
The sensor device according to claim 1. the housing accommodates the substrate and the sensor;
The housing is provided below the photoelectric conversion element.
The sensor device according to claim 1. comprising a logic circuit section that performs signal processing on the image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element,
The logic circuit section is provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to a surface on the inner top surface side of the casing.
The sensor device according to claim 1. The board is fixed to an inner top surface of the housing,
The sensor is provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to a surface on the inner top surface side of the casing.
The sensor device according to claim 1. The device further includes a module that transmits environmental information detected by the sensor and an image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion element.
The sensor device according to claim 1. The board is fixed to an inner top surface of the housing,
The module is provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to a surface on the inner top surface side of the casing.
The sensor device according to claim 6. Equipped with a mounting member for removably attaching to the object
The sensor device according to claim 1. The environmental information is at least one of temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration.
The sensor device according to claim 1. a plurality of sensor devices according to claim 1 for use within an incubator;
an information processing device that acquires environmental information detected by the plurality of sensor devices;
A sensing system equipped with Each of the plurality of sensors is installed such that the detection surface of the sensor faces sideways or downward.
The sensing system according to claim 10.