JPH0698755A - Defoamer for culture apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely eliminate bubbles produced by stirring a culture solution. CONSTITUTION:The objective defoamer is obtained by supporting a rotating shaft 23 having a liquid splashing plate 24 fixed to a supporting arm 21 supported by a stirring shaft 14, enabling the free high-speed rotation of the rotating shaft 23 by the rotation of the stirring shaft 14 with an acceleration transmitting means 25 constructed from the first to the fourth gears 26 to 29, delivering a culture solution 16 through a pipeline 31 to the top surface of the liquid splashing plate 24, splashing the culture solution 16 based on the centrifugal force of the liquid splashing plate 24 rotating at a high speed and breaking bubbles.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The defoaming device for a culture device according to the present invention is a foam produced by stirring a culture solution when culturing microorganisms such as yeast and lactic acid bacteria or plant cells. Used to erase.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the field of biotechnology, various microorganisms are often used to carry out experiments such as gene recombination. Microorganisms used for such biotechnology experiments need to be cultured in a laboratory because a large amount of pure microorganisms are required. For this reason, conventionally, for example, a culture device as shown in FIG. 2 has been used to culture microorganisms and the like.

In this culture apparatus, a cylindrical incubator main body 3 is provided on an upper surface of a hollow base 1 containing various control mechanisms via a hollow cylindrical support cylinder 2. This incubator body 3
The upper surface of the outward flange 4 fixed to the upper end of the outer flange 6 is fixed to the lower end of the short cylindrical glass cylinder 5.
, And the glass cylinder 5 is mounted liquid-tightly above the incubator body 3. The incubator body 3 and the glass cylinder 5 form a culture tank 7.

A stirring shaft 14 is rotatably provided inside the culture tank 7 concentrically with the culture tank 7, and a stirring blade is provided on the stirring shaft 14 inside the culture vessel body 3 constituting the culture tank 7. Is fitted and fixed. The stirring shaft 14 is provided to stir the culture solution via stirring blades in order to make good contact between the microorganisms to be cultured and the culture solution during the culturing work.

A sensor 8 is mounted on the side surface of the incubator body 3 for measuring various data necessary for culturing microorganisms such as PH value and dissolved oxygen concentration in the incubator body 3. . In FIG. 2, 9 is an exhaust pipe for discharging gas in the culture space surrounded by the incubator main body 3 and the glass cylinder 5, and a filter 10 and an on-off valve 11 are provided on the way.

Further, the glass cylinder 5 constituting the culture tank 7
The defoaming blade 12 is externally fitted and fixed to the upper end of the stirring shaft 14 on the inside. The defoaming blade 12 is the support tube 2
It is provided in order to eliminate bubbles generated when the culture solution is agitated by an agitating blade externally fitted and fixed to an agitating shaft 14 penetrating the inside. Reference numeral 13 is a baffle plate for efficiently stirring the culture solution when the stirring blade is rotated.

When culturing microorganisms and the like using the culturing apparatus configured as described above, the microorganisms and the like to be cultivated and a culture solution (medium) are placed in the incubator body 3 and Based on the signal from the sensor 8, the culture is performed while maintaining the optimum state for the growth of microorganisms and the like.

While performing the culturing operation, the stirring shaft 14 is rotated and the culture solution is stirred through the stirring blades fitted and fixed to the rotating shaft 14. At this time, the stirring is accompanied by the stirring as described above. Bubbles are generated. In order to carry out the culturing work efficiently, it is necessary to surely remove (eliminate) the bubbles. Therefore, in the culturing apparatus, the defoaming blade 12 is provided as described above, and the foam is removed by the defoaming blade 12. I try to destroy it.

[0009]

However, the above-described defoaming by the defoaming blades 12 is insufficient, which has been a cause of suppressing the efficiency of the culture work. That is, in order that the defoaming blade 12 should be rotatable together with the stirring shaft 14, the tip thereof constitutes the glass cylinder 5 (or the baffle plate 1) that constitutes the culture tank 7.
3) A certain gap is provided between the two so as not to interfere with the inner peripheral surface. As a result, some of the bubbles generated by stirring the culture solution flow in the culture tank 7 through the gap without colliding with the defoaming blade 12, regardless of the existence of the defoaming blade 12. Not destroyed. Therefore, the presence of the bubbles suppresses the efficiency of the culture work.

In order to eliminate bubbles generated by stirring, there is also known a method in which the above-mentioned defoaming blade 12 is not provided, but instead an antifoaming agent is put into the culture tank to chemically defoam. However, defoaming work using such an antifoaming agent may not be adopted because it may adversely affect the microorganisms to be cultured.

The defoaming device for a culture device of the present invention was conceived in view of the above circumstances.

[0012]

In the defoaming device for a culture apparatus of the present invention, a stirring shaft having a stirring blade fitted and fixed to an intermediate portion is rotatably provided in a cylindrical culture tank which can be sealed by a lid. It is attached to a culture device consisting of the above, and is for eliminating bubbles generated by stirring the culture solution in the culture tank. Such a defoaming device for a culture device of the present invention is such that the one end of the stirring shaft is supported at an intermediate position of the stirring shaft while the stirring shaft is allowed to rotate freely, and the supporting arm is rotatably supported at an intermediate portion of the supporting arm. A supported rotating shaft, a ring-shaped liquid dispersion plate fixed at a position above the liquid surface by a part of the rotating shaft, and an increasing speed for increasing the rotating force of the stirring shaft and transmitting it to the rotating shaft. A transmission means, a pipe line positioned at one end in the culture medium and the other end above the liquid dispersion plate, and a liquid feed pump for discharging the culture liquid sucked from one end of the pipe line from the other end. I have it.

[0013]

With the defoaming device for a culture apparatus according to the present invention having the above-described structure, the operation for eliminating the bubbles generated by stirring the culture solution is as follows.

When the stirring shaft is rotated in order to carry out the culturing work, the rotating shaft is rotated via the speed increasing transmission means, and further the sprinkling plate fixed to the lower end of the rotating shaft is rotated. Also, at the same time when the stirring shaft starts rotating, the liquid feeding pump is driven,
The culture solution in the culture tank is sucked from one end of the conduit and discharged from the other end of the conduit toward the upper surface of the liquid dispersion plate.

The culture solution discharged from the other end of the above-mentioned conduit is
It falls on the upper surface of the spray plate that rotates at high speed, and scatters in all directions from the outer peripheral edge of this spray plate due to centrifugal force. Then, the scattered droplets of the culture solution collide with bubbles that grow upward from the liquid surface of the culture solution, and destroy the bubbles.

[0016]

Embodiments Next, the illustrated embodiments will be described. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of the defoaming device for a culture device of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper end opening of the culture tank 7 composed of the incubator body 3 and the glass cylinder 5 is
It can be sealed by the lid 17. A short cylindrical support wall 18 is formed at the center of the inner surface of the lid body 17.
The upper end of the stirring shaft 14 provided at the center of the culture tank 7 is rotatably supported inside the container via a slide bearing 19. A stirring blade 15 is fixed to the middle portion of the stirring shaft 14.

One end of the support arm 21 (the right end in FIG. 1) is supported via a slide bearing 20 at a position above the liquid surface 16a of the culture solution 16 in the middle of the stirring shaft 14. .
Further, in the through hole formed in the intermediate portion of the support arm 21,
The intermediate portion of the rotary shaft 23 is supported via the slide bearing 22. The lower end of the rotary shaft 23 is located above the liquid surface 16a, and the upper end thereof is located below a first gear 26 described later. A circular ring-shaped sprinkling plate 24 is fixed to the lower end of the rotary shaft 23 concentrically with the rotary shaft 23.

The rotating shaft 23 is connected to the stirring shaft 14 via the speed increasing transmission means 25 and rotates at a higher speed than the stirring shaft 14 as the rotating shaft 14 rotates.

That is, the speed-increasing transmission means 25 is connected to the stirring shaft 1
4, a first gear 26 externally fitted and fixed to the upper end of the rotary shaft 2
Third gear 29 externally fitted and fixed to the upper end of 3, and upper and lower ends of the cover 17 and the other end of the support arm 21 (left end of FIG. 1)
The second and third gears 27 and 28 are rotatably supported by the shaft member 30 respectively supported by the shaft members 30.

Explaining in more detail, a pipe line 31 described later is provided.
The upper end of the shaft member 30 forming part of the other end of the
The lid 17 is made to project from the upper surface of the through-hole 32, and the lower end of the lid 17 is inserted into the through-hole 33 formed at the other end of the support arm 21. And the shaft member 3
The holding member 34 is press-fitted or screwed into the upper end portion protruding from the lid member 17 of 0, and the lid member 17 is held between the holding member 34 and the outward flange-shaped portion 30 a formed on the shaft member 30. An O-ring 35 is provided in a portion of the shaft member 30 where the through hole 32 is inserted to maintain airtightness and liquid tightness of the portion. The lower end of the shaft member 30 is fixed to the support arm 21 with a screw 36.

As described above, the first gear 26 is meshed with the intermediate portion of the shaft member 30 supported and fixed between the lid body 17 and the support arm 21. The second gear 27 having a diameter sufficiently smaller than that of the first gear 26 and the third gear 28 having a diameter larger than that of the fourth gear 29 and meshing with the fourth gear 29 are respectively slid. It is fitted and supported via bearings 37 and 38. These second and third gears 27 and 28 are provided with a tubular portion 39.
Are integrated with each other, and as the second gear 27 rotates, the third gear 28 also rotates. Reference numeral 45 is a restraining member that prevents the second and third gears 27 and 28 from shifting in the axial direction.

As described above, of the first to fourth gears 26 to 29 constituting the speed increasing transmission means 25, the second gear 27 has a smaller diameter than the first gear 26 and the third gear 28. Is larger in diameter than the second gear 27 and the fourth gear 29 is smaller in diameter than the third gear 28. Therefore, the rotary shaft 23 having the sprinkler plate 24 fixed to the lower end thereof has a smaller diameter than the stirring shaft 14. High speed (eg 1
Rotate at 0 times speed. In the actual case, since the rotation speed of the stirring shaft 14 is 300 to 500 rpm, the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 23 is 3000 to 5000 rpm under the above conditions.
It will be about m.

The second and third gears 27, 28 are externally fitted and supported, and the upper end of the pipe 40 is connected to the lower end opening of the shaft member 30 forming a part of the pipe line 31, and the lower end of the pipe 40 is connected. The opening faces the upper surface of the end of the liquid dispersion plate 24. In addition, at the upper end portion of the shaft member 30, the portion protruding from the lid body 17 is
One end of a pipe 42 provided with a liquid feed pump 41 is connected on the way. The other end of the tube 42 penetrates another through hole 43 formed in the outer peripheral portion of the lid 17 and is inserted into the culture medium 16. The air-tightness and liquid-tightness of the portion of the tube 42 penetrating the lid 17 is maintained by the O-ring 44. Therefore, when the liquid feed pump 41 is driven, the culture solution 16 sucked from the other end of the tube 42
It is sent out to the upper surface of the spray plate 24.

Using the defoaming device for a culture device of the present invention having the above-described structure, the action of eliminating bubbles generated by stirring the culture solution 16 is as follows.

That is, when the stirring shaft 14 is rotated to perform the culturing work, the rotating shaft 23 is rotated at a high speed via the speed increasing transmission means 25 composed of the first to fourth gears 26 to 29. Further, when the liquid feeding pump 41 is driven, the culture solution 16 in the culture tank 7 is sucked from the pipe 42 forming the pipe line 31, and the sprinkling liquid is passed through the shaft member 30 and the pipe 40 also forming the pipe line 31. It is delivered to the upper surface of the plate 24.

The culture solution 16 delivered from the tube 40 drops on the upper surface of the liquid dispersion plate 24 rotating at a high speed, and scatters in four directions from the outer peripheral edge of the liquid dispersion plate 24 due to centrifugal force. The scattered droplets of the culture medium 16 collide with bubbles that grow upward from the liquid surface 16a of the culture medium 16 and destroy the bubbles.

As described above, in the present invention, since the liquid droplets of the culture medium 16 can be defoamed over the almost entire range of the liquid surface 16a of the culture medium 16, the microorganisms to be cultivated can be reliably and accurately. It is possible to defoam without any adverse effect.

In this embodiment, the speed increasing transmission means 25 is used.
Is constituted by the first to fourth gears 26 to 29, but the defoaming device for a culture device of the present invention is not limited to this, and the speed increasing transmission means 25 is constituted by, for example, a pulley or the like. You can also do things. Further, in the present embodiment, only one sprinkling plate 24 is provided, but a plurality of sprinkling plates 24 may be provided above the liquid surface 16a at equal intervals. By providing a plurality of the liquid-spraying plates 24 in this way, the scattered droplets reach the entire surface of the liquid surface 16a further, and defoaming is ensured.

[0030]

Since the defoaming device for a culture device of the present invention is constructed and operates as described above, the defoaming device can surely defoam without adversely affecting the microorganisms to be cultivated and the culture work can be performed more efficiently. I can do it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a culture device which is a target of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Base 2 Support Cylinder 3 Incubator Main Body 4 Outer Flange 5 Glass Cylinder 6 Outer Flange 7 Culture Tank 8 Sensor 9 Exhaust Pipe 10 Filter 11 Open / Close Valve 12 Defoaming Blade 13 Baffle Plate 14 Stirring Shaft 15 Stirring Blade 16 Culture Solution 16a Liquid Surface 17 Lid 18 Supporting Wall 19, 20 Sliding Bearing 21 Supporting Arm 22 Sliding Bearing 23 Rotating Shaft 24 Dispersion Plate 25 Speed-up Transmission Means 26 First Gear 27 Second Gear 28 28 Third Gear 29 Fourth Gear 30 Shaft member 30a Outward flange-like part 31 Pipe lines 32, 33 Through hole 34 Clamping member 35 O ring 36 Screw 37, 38 Sliding bearing 39 Tube part 40 Tube 41 Liquid feed pump 42 Tube 43 Through hole 44 O ring 45 Holding member

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A culture device which is provided with a stirring shaft rotatably provided in a middle portion of a cylindrical culture tank which can be hermetically closed by a lid and which has a stirring blade fitted externally to the culture medium in the culture tank. A defoaming device for a culture device that eliminates bubbles generated by stirring, wherein a support arm supported at one end thereof at an intermediate position of the agitation shaft while allowing the agitation shaft to rotate freely, and an intermediate part of the support arm. A rotary shaft rotatably supported by a rotating portion, a ring-shaped liquid dispersion plate fixed at a position above the liquid surface by a part of the rotary shaft, and the rotary shaft for increasing the rotational force of the stirring shaft. To the culture solution, one end in the culture solution and the other end above the spray plate, and the culture solution sucked from one end of this conduit is discharged from the other end. A defoaming device for a culture device, which is provided with a liquid feed pump.