JPH01235580A - Culture vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a culture vessel so designed that outside an inner case with its interior as the culture chamber, an outer case is arranged so as to form a space between the two cases, and the make the temperature regulation and circulation of the air in the space, thereby ensuring easy temperature control in the culture chamber to be made and removing occurrence of the drying, malgrowth of the sample during its culture. CONSTITUTION:The objective culture vessel 1 is such that outside an inner case 4 with its interior as the culture chamber 10, an outer case 6 is arranged so as to form a space 9 between the two cases 4 and 6. And a temperature regulator 18 is installed so as to regulate the temperature of the air in the space 9 to control the culture chamber 10 to a state of constant temperature. Preferably, the outer case 6 of thermal insulating nature, while the inner case 4 of heat transfer nature. Said temperature regulator 18 is comprised of (A) an electrical resistance-type heater 12 and a circulating fan 14 installed in the space 9, (B) thermosensors 15, 16 installed in the space 9 and the culture chamber 10, respectively, and (C) an electronic controller 17 to control the actuation of the heater 12 and the fan 14 according to the signals from these thermosensors 15, 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a culture system used for culturing bacteria, cells, etc., while maintaining the temperature at around 37°C and furthermore, the carbon dioxide concentration at around 5%. It is related to vessels.

[Prior Art] Incubators are used to cultivate bacteria, cells, etc. in an atmosphere where the temperature and carbon dioxide concentration are controlled to be constant.

There are so-called dry types that control the temperature by installing a heat source and fan in the culture chamber to directly heat and forcefully circulate the air in the room, and those that heat and circulate water sealed in a jacket surrounding the culture chamber. It is well known that there is a so-called wet type that controls the temperature inside the culture chamber.

The dry type uses a fan installed in the culture chamber to forcefully create convection in the air in the culture chamber to even out the temperature distribution, which not only tends to dry out the sample during culture and cause poor growth. If there is a large temperature difference between the outside and outside of the culture chamber, it is difficult to accurately control the temperature and there are problems such as dew condensation inside the culture chamber, so currently wet types are mainly used.

In other words, the wet type circulates hot water around the culture chamber to indirectly heat the air in the room and use natural convection to equalize the temperature distribution, which may result in drying of the sample during culture and poor growth. Not only is it difficult to use, but it is said to have the advantage of being able to control temperature without being affected by outside temperature and preventing the formation of condensation.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, wet type culture vessels are heavy and large because a large amount of water is sealed in a waterproof jacket, and installation locations are limited. Furthermore, since water has a large specific heat, it takes an extremely long time to heat the culture chamber to the specified temperature at low temperatures.Furthermore, the water must be of high purity to prevent corrosion of the jacket, and the jacket must be completely waterproof. Since it needs to be structured, the manufacturing cost is high and it is not economical. Furthermore, if it is necessary to maintain the pH of the culture solution at a constant level, the wiring and piping of the concentration adjustment device, which includes a carbon dioxide sensor and circulation pump, must pass through the jacket, and the structure must be designed to make them waterproof. In addition to becoming more complex, equipment such as circulation pumps are installed externally, resulting in problems such as a bulky exterior.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily and reliably control the temperature inside the culture chamber, to ensure a uniform temperature distribution, and to prevent samples from drying out or having poor growth during culture. Furthermore, the present invention provides an incubator that is small, lightweight, and easy to handle.

[Means for solving problems].

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the incubator of the present invention is provided with an outer box surrounding an inner box whose inside is a culture chamber and forming a space between the inner box and the inner box, The structure is equipped with a temperature control device that adjusts the air temperature in the laboratory to maintain a constant temperature in the culture chamber, and further includes a concentration control device in the empty space that maintains a constant carbon dioxide concentration in the culture chamber. It has a structure. In the above configuration, it is preferable that the outer box has heat insulating properties and the inner box has heat conducting properties.

The temperature control device also includes an electric resistance heater and a circulation fan installed in the cavity, temperature sensors installed in the cavity and the culture chamber, and controls the heater and fan based on signals from these temperature sensors. It consists of an electronic controller that controls the operation. Furthermore, the concentration adjustment device includes a concentration detection means having a carbon dioxide gas sensor and a circulation pump installed in the cavity, a carbon dioxide supply means having an on-off valve and a carbon dioxide gas cylinder outside the outer case, and a carbon dioxide gas supply means for calibrating the carbon dioxide gas sensor. The structure consists of a standard carbon dioxide gas introduction pipe connected to a carbon dioxide gas sensor and an indoor air sampling pipe that extracts the air inside the culture chamber to the outside of the outer box.

[Operation: The temperature inside the cavity is adjusted by a temperature control device, and the temperature inside the culture chamber, which is surrounded by a heat-conducting inner box, is kept constant.

In this case, the air in the chamber is heated and circulated by an electric resistance heater installed in the chamber and a circulation fan to maintain a constant and uniform temperature without forcibly stirring the air in the culture chamber.

[Example] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which an incubator designated by reference numeral 1 has a planar incubator main body 3 placed on a trapezoidal base 2. The incubator body 3 includes an inner box 4 formed by bending or pressing a metal plate material with excellent heat conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as aluminum or stainless steel, into a planar shape with an opening on the front, and a metal plate material such as steel material. An outer box 6, which is formed by bending or pressing a plate material into a planar shape with a front opening, and a heat insulating material 5 is disposed in the inner box, is formed at each opening edge facing outward and inward. The inner case 4 and the outer case 6 covered on the outside are joined together by abutting and fixing the flanges 7.8, and a space 9 of a predetermined width is formed between the inner case 4 and the outer case 6 covered on the outside. The inside of the inner box 4 forms a culture chamber 10, in which a sample mounting shelf 24 and a humidifying vat 25 containing water to prevent drying are installed.

An electric resistance type heater 12 using PTC is installed behind the bottom wall of the outer box 6 in the space 9, and a downward fan 14 driven by an electric motor 13 is installed above the heater 12.
are installed, and temperature sensors 15 and 16 are placed inside the cavity 9 and the culture chamber 10, respectively.
The electronic controller 17 installed inside the base 2 constitutes a temperature control device 18.

Further, on the front side of the incubator main body 3, a lid body 19 that covers the open part of the culture chamber 10 is attached to a hinge 2 attached to the lower part of the outer case 6.
0, it can be opened and closed freely. This lid body 19 is made of the same material as the outer case 6, and is made of an insulating outer lid 21 with a handle 27 and a transparent heat-resistant synthetic resin placed inside the outer lid 21, with a gap in the middle. 2
2, and the outer cover 21 is opened to maintain the culture chamber 10 in an insulated state, and the state of the sample stored therein can be easily observed from the outside. There is. A gasket 26 is interposed between the flange 8 and the inner lid 23, and permanent magnets 28 and 29 are attached to the flange 8 and the outer lid 21 so as to be airtight.

Further, an operation panel 32 on the front side of the base 2 is provided with display sections 30, 31 for displaying the temperature inside the culture chamber 10, a set temperature, etc., a power switch 33, and a setting switch 34 for setting the room temperature.

To use the incubator 1 having the above configuration.

Turn on the power switch 33 and set the temperature setting switch 34.
When the set temperature in the culture chamber 10 is displayed on the display section, the temperature control device 18 is activated and the temperature sensor 15.1 is activated.
The electronic controller 17 controls the heater 1 based on the electrical signal from the heater 6.
2 and the fan 14 are operated to warm and circulate the air in the cavity 9, and heat the air in the culture chamber 10 through the inner box 4 to a set temperature. Therefore, prior to the start of operation or when it is confirmed on the display unit 31 that the temperature in the culture chamber 10 has reached the set temperature or its vicinity, the lid 19
By opening the chamber and placing the sample on the mounting shelf 24, the heater 12 and fan 14, whose operation is controlled based on electrical signals from the temperature sensor 15, 16, maintain the culture chamber at a predetermined constant temperature. Culture.

Next, a carbon dioxide concentration adjusting device 35 for keeping the carbon dioxide concentration in the culture chamber 10 constant and the pH of the culture solution constant will be explained based on the embodiment shown in FIG. An electromagnetically driven on-off valve 36, a check valve 37a, an infrared carbon dioxide gas sensor 38, and a circulation pump 39, which constitute the concentration adjusting device 35, are installed inside the space 9. The on-off valve 36 has an inlet connected to a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 40 placed outside the incubator 1 by a supply pipe 41 having a sterilization filter 41a, and an outlet branched to form an injection pipe 42. These constitute carbon dioxide gas supply means by opening into the culture chamber 10. The other branched check valve 37a opens toward the introduction pipe 42.
The return pipe 37 is connected to the outlet of the carbon dioxide sensor 38.

In addition, the suction port of the circulation pump 39 is provided with a sterilization filter 43a.
A standard for calibrating the carbon dioxide gas sensor has a suction pipe 43 connected thereto which is open to the culture chamber 10, and a discharge pipe 44 which is connected to the inlet of the carbon dioxide sensor 38, and the other end is opened to the outside of the outer case 6. This serves as a carbon dioxide gas introduction pipe 45. Furthermore, an indoor air sampling pipe 46 that opens from the inside of the culture chamber 10 to the outside of the outer box 6 is provided.

According to this configuration, the circulation pump 39 is operated continuously or intermittently at appropriate times to detect the air in the culture chamber 10 by the suction pipe 43, the discharge pipe 44, and the carbon dioxide sensor 38, so that the carbon dioxide concentration reaches the set value. Open/close valve 3 when the temperature drops
6 is opened to introduce the necessary amount of carbon dioxide gas from the cylinder 40 into the culture chamber 10.

This keeps the carbon dioxide concentration in the culture chamber 10 at a constant value, and in particular, since the space 9 where each device except the cylinder 40 is placed has almost the same temperature as the culture chamber 10, the temperature between these is kept at a constant value. There is no need to worry about corrosion caused by condensation due to differences, and stable functionality can be achieved. In addition, by opening the cock 45a of the standard carbon dioxide gas introduction pipe 45 and introducing standard carbon dioxide gas, the standard carbon dioxide gas is applied to the carbon dioxide sensor 38 to check whether it is functioning normally.

Alternatively, the air from the indoor air sampling pipe 46 is sampled and the temperature and carbon dioxide concentration are tested.

[Effects of the Invention] The incubator of the present invention has a double structure in which an outer box is placed on the outside of an inner box whose inside is used as a culture chamber, and a space is formed between the inner box and the inner box. Since the temperature inside the culture chamber is kept constant by adjusting and circulating the temperature of the air inside the laboratory, the temperature inside the culture chamber is not affected by outside air due to the insulation effect of the empty space, and the specified temperature can be easily and reliably maintained. Not only is it possible to heat and circulate the air within the space, the temperature distribution within the culture chamber is uniform, and the temperature distribution within the culture chamber is uniform even without forcibly stirring the air. It does not cause sample drying or poor growth.

In addition, since air is used as a heat medium, there is no need to worry about corrosion compared to when water is used, and there is no need for waterproofing, which not only has the advantage of simplifying the structure, but also allows the culture chamber to maintain a constant temperature. The amount of time it takes to produce a product is significantly shortened, and it is also lightweight, making it convenient to transport and move.

Furthermore, the present invention has a configuration in which main parts of a temperature control device such as a heater and fan, and main parts of a carbon dioxide concentration control device such as an on-off valve, a carbon dioxide gas sensor, and a circulation pump are arranged in a space, so that the entire structure can be It can be made small without being bulky, so it can be installed in a small sterile space such as a clean bench or clean tent, or on a researcher's personal table, without being restricted in its installation location, and in addition, many units can be installed in one room. This allows researchers to freely perform operations such as culturing, sterilization, and disinfection without having to share it with other researchers. In addition, it is possible to culture in a so-called sterile environment by storing only the same type of culture sample in a single incubator, and it is not possible to simultaneously store and culture multiple types of samples in a large incubator, unlike conventional methods. This eliminates the possibility of cross-contamination between samples.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 mainly showing the arrangement of the temperature control device, and FIG.
The figure is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 mainly showing the arrangement of the concentration adjusting device. 1... Incubator, 4... Inner box, 6... Outer box,
9...Vacancy, 10...Cultivation room, 12...Heater, 14...Fan, 15.16...
Temperature sensor, 17... Electronic controller, 18...
Temperature adjustment device, 35...Concentration adjustment device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An outer box surrounds and covers an inner box whose interior is a culture chamber, and forms a space between the inner box and the inner box, and adjusts the air temperature within the space. A culture vessel characterized in that it is equipped with a temperature control device that controls the inside of the culture chamber to a constant temperature. 2. The culture vessel according to claim 1, wherein the space is provided with a concentration adjusting device for maintaining a constant carbon dioxide concentration in the culture chamber. 3. The incubator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer box has heat insulating properties and the inner box has heat conducting properties. 4. The temperature control device includes an electric resistance heater and a circulation fan installed in the cavity, temperature sensors installed in the cavity and the culture chamber, and controls the heater and fan by signals from these temperature sensors. 2. The incubator according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic controller for controlling the operation of the incubator. 5. The concentration adjustment device includes a concentration detection means having a carbon dioxide gas sensor and a circulation pump installed in a space, a carbon dioxide supply means having an on-off valve and a carbon dioxide gas cylinder outside the outer case, and a carbon dioxide gas supply means for calibrating the carbon dioxide gas sensor. 3. The culture vessel according to claim 2, comprising a standard carbon dioxide gas introduction pipe connected to a carbon dioxide gas sensor, and an indoor air sampling pipe for extracting air inside the culture chamber to the outside of the outer box.