WO2019017465A1

WO2019017465A1 - Fragile object preserving device equipped with sliding mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2019017465A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/027218
Authority: WO
Inventors: 昭宏高橋
Original assignee: テルモ株式会社
Priority date: 2017-07-20
Filing date: 2018-07-20
Publication date: 2019-01-24
Also published as: JP7175892B2; JPWO2019017465A1

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a means for releasing the liquid-tight state of a liquid-tight space accommodating a fragile object while suppressing vibrations generated in a liquid, and stably extracting the fragile object in the liquid. An aspect of the present invention pertains to a device including: a container for accommodating a fragile object; a partitioning element which partitions the inside of the container into an accommodating section and a container inner peripheral edge section other than the accommodating section. The partitioning element has a communication section which communicates the accommodating section and the container inner peripheral edge section. The lid member has: a recess section which protrudes toward the accommodating section while attached to the container; and an opening/closing section which opens/closes the communication part of the partitioning element by sliding the lid member with respect to the partitioning element, wherein, after the recess section pushes out the gas and liquid in the container accommodating the fragile object and the liquid to the container inner peripheral edge section from the communication section of the partitioning element, thereby removing the gas in the accommodating section, the opening/closing section can be closed by sliding the lid member to make the accommodating section liquid-tight, and the liquid-tight state can be released by opening the opening/closing section by sliding the lid member without substantially increasing the volume of the liquid-tight accommodating section.

Description

Fragile object holding device having a sliding mechanism

The present invention relates to a fragile object holding device provided with a sliding mechanism.

In recent years, development of new regenerative medicine is advanced as a solution for treatment of severe heart failure. As an example, a method of applying a sheet-like cell culture prepared by using a temperature-responsive culture dish to which tissue engineering is applied in severe myocardial infarction and the like is applied to the surface of the heart. The method using sheet-like cell culture can safely transplant large amounts of cells in a wide range, and for example, myocardial infarction (including chronic heart failure associated with myocardial infarction), dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy It is particularly useful for the treatment of heart diseases (eg, heart failure, particularly chronic heart failure) accompanied with systolic dysfunction (eg, left ventricular systolic dysfunction).

For clinical application of such a sheet-like cell culture, for example, it is necessary to store the prepared sheet-like cell culture in a container together with a storage solution and transfer it to an intensive care unit or the like where transplantation is performed. However, since sheet-like cell cultures have low absolute physical strength and vibrations, which occur when transferring containers, cause wrinkles, breaks, breakages, etc., advanced techniques are required for this transfer operation. , And must pay close attention.

In order to meet such needs, various methods and containers have been developed. For example, in the storage and transport container of a film-like tissue described in Patent Document 1 below, the storage solution is corrugated or flows by filling the storage unit with the storage solution to such an extent that a gas layer is not formed. As a result, no vibration is transmitted to the membranous tissue, and breakage of the membranous tissue can be prevented. However, in the case of using such a container, a strong force is required for removing the inside of the liquid-tight containing portion and opening the through hole, and if the liquid-tightness is forcibly released, the container vibrates and the liquid flows. May lead to deformation or breakage of the membranous tissue.

Patent Document 2 below describes a packaging container for a culture tissue, which includes a container body, a lid, and an inner tray on which the culture tissue can be placed. In the packaging container, the culture tissue is placed on the inner tray and accommodated in the packaging container, and the inner tray operation unit is prepared in advance in the packaging container, so that the inner tray can be taken out of the container main body. It can be facilitated. However, when such a packaging container is used, a strong force is required to remove the container body and the lid, the inside of which is liquid-tight, and if the liquid-tightness is forcibly released, vibration of the container and fluid flow occur. And may lead to deformation or breakage of the cultured tissue. Furthermore, such packaging requires an inner tray and an inner tray operating part, which increases costs and requires extra storage space.

Further, Patent Document 3 below describes a package for transporting a cultured cell sheet. Such a package does not move air bubbles in the liquid medium even if the cultured cell sheet package shakes during transportation by excluding air with some liquid medium when sealing with a lid. It is possible to prevent the displacement or defect of the cultured cell sheet. However, when such a package is used, a strong force is required to remove the tray hollow portion and the lid hollow portion, the inside of which is liquid-tight, and if the liquid-tightness is forcibly released, vibration of the container and flow of liquid occur. As a result, the culture cell sheet may be deformed or broken.

JP 2012-130311 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-269327 JP, 2009-89715, A

Under these circumstances, in the development of means for stably removing fragile substances in liquid, the present inventor requires a strong force to expand the liquid in the liquid-tight space, and the liquid-tightness is forced. Since the vibration of the container and the flow of the liquid occur when releasing the container, the fragile material in the liquid is deformed, or the fragile material contacts the inner surface of the container and is damaged.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to release the liquid tightness without applying a strong force to the liquid tight space containing the fragile substance, thereby suppressing the vibration of the container and the flow of the liquid, and the fragile substance in the liquid. It is providing a means for taking out stably.

While the present inventor has been keenly researching to solve the above-mentioned problems, the liquid-tight space is formed by sliding between members forming the liquid-tight space without substantially increasing the volume of the liquid-tight space. By communicating with an external non-liquid-tight space, it has been found that liquid tightness can be released without requiring strong force, and suppressing container vibration and liquid flow, and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to the following.
[1] A device comprising: a container for containing fragile materials, a partition element for dividing the inside of the container into a container and a peripheral portion in the container outside the container, and a lid member for sealing the container, The element has a communicating portion for communicating the accommodating portion with the inner peripheral portion of the container, and the lid member is a hollow portion projecting toward the accommodating portion when attached to the container, and a lid member for the partition element It has an opening and closing part which opens and closes the communicating part of the partition element by sliding, and the depressed part pushes out the gas and the liquid of the containing part containing the fragile material and the liquid from the communicating part of the partition element to the inner peripheral part of the container. After removing the gas in the storage portion, the storage portion can be made liquid-tight by closing the opening / closing portion by the sliding of the lid member, and further, without substantially increasing the volume of the liquid-tight storage portion. Opening and closing the opening and closing part by sliding of the lid member In it is possible to release the liquid-tight, the device.
[2] The device according to the above [1], wherein the partition element is integrally formed on the container.
[3] The opening and closing portion is constituted by a projecting portion which hangs down from the peripheral edge of the recessed portion, and the communicating portion of the partition element is closed by closely contacting the projecting portion with the partitioning element and covering the communicating portion. ] Or the device as described in [2].
[4] The partition element is a cylindrical projecting portion erected on the bottom surface of the container, and the communicating portion is an opening portion provided in a part of the cylindrical projecting portion. The device according to any one of 3).

[5] The device according to any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the container and the lid member are screwed together.
[6] The device according to any one of the above [1] to [5], including a seal portion between the container and the lid member.
[7] The device according to any one of the above [1] to [6], wherein the fragile substance is a sheet-like cell culture.
[8] The device according to the above [7], wherein the sheet-like cell culture is a laminate.

[9] A device comprising: a container for containing fragile materials, a partition element for dividing the inside of the container into a storage portion and a peripheral portion in the container outside the storage portion, and a lid member for sealing the container, The element has a communicating portion for communicating the storage portion and the inner peripheral portion of the container, and the lid member has an opening and closing portion for opening and closing the communicating portion of the partition element by the sliding of the lid member relative to the partition element After the element removes the gas in the container by pushing out the gas and liquid in the container containing fragile and liquid from the communication part of the partition element to the peripheral edge of the container, the opening and closing part is moved by the sliding of the lid member. The container can be made liquid-tight by closing, and furthermore, the liquid-tightness can be released by opening the opening / closing portion by the sliding of the lid member without substantially increasing the volume of the liquid-tight container. The device that can.
[10] The lid member has a recessed portion that protrudes toward the storage portion in a state of being attached to the container, and the opening / closing portion is a bottom surface of the recessed portion and a portion not in contact with a portion that contacts the partition element The device according to the above [9], comprising
[11] The partitioning element is an inner lid member having a top plate portion, and the communicating portion is a hole provided at a position eccentric to the center of the top plate portion in the top plate portion of the inner lid member, The device according to the above [9] or [10].
[12] The top plate portion of the inner lid member protrudes upward of the lower space in the container in a state of being attached to the container, and the horizontal cross-sectional area of the top plate portion has a convex portion which decreases toward the vertical upper direction The device according to the above [11], wherein the communicating portion is a hole provided at the top of the protrusion.

[13] The device according to any one of the above [9] to [12], in which the container and the partition element are fitted.
[14] The device according to any one of the above [9] to [13], which comprises a seal between the container and the lid member.
[15] The device according to the above [9] to [14], wherein the fragile substance is a sheet-like cell culture.
[16] The device according to the above-mentioned [15], wherein the sheet-like cell culture is a laminate.

According to the device of the present invention, since the liquid-tight space can be efficiently formed with a simple operation and a simple mechanism, there are great advantages in terms of workability, manufacturing cost and space saving. Further, according to the device of the present invention, since the liquid tightness can be released without requiring a strong force to the liquid tight space, the occurrence of the vibration of the container and the flow of the liquid is suppressed when taking out the fragile object. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deformation or breakage of fragile materials in the liquid.

In addition, according to the device of the present invention, since the inside of the container of the container can be completely liquid-tight, bubbles (gas) do not enter the container, and the bubbles move in the container due to the shaking of the container and break fragile materials. There is nothing to do. In particular, when the fragile material is a laminate of a sheet-like cell culture, the air bubbles do not move, and the laminate is not displaced or lost.

Furthermore, the device of the present invention can receive the liquid pushed out by the lid member, so it does not contaminate the surroundings. Thus, it is suitable for use in locations where cleanliness is strictly controlled, such as biocleanrooms used for the production of sheet-like cell cultures.
As a result, the device of the present invention maintains the shape of the fragile in the liquid and improves the reliability as a device for stably removing the fragile.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container and the partition element according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lid member according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view from above of the device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view from below of the device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the container according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the partition element according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the lid member according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view from above of the device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view from below of the device according to the second embodiment.

One aspect of the present invention is a device that includes a container for containing fragile materials, a partition element that divides the inside of the container into a container and a peripheral edge of the container outside the container, and a lid member for sealing the container. The partition element has a communication section for communicating the storage section with the inner peripheral portion of the container, and the lid member is a recess that protrudes toward the storage section in a state of being attached to the container, and a partition element And the opening and closing part which opens and closes the communicating part of the partition element by the sliding of the lid member against the hollow, and the hollow part is the peripheral portion inside the container from the communicating part of the partitioning element After removing the gas in the storage unit by pushing it out, the storage unit can be made liquid-tight by closing the opening / closing unit by the sliding of the cover member, and further, the volume of the storage unit made liquid-tight is substantially Opening by sliding of lid without increasing Department can release the liquid-tight by opening the concerns the device.

The fragile material in the present invention is an object which has low physical strength and may be broken, broken, deformed or the like due to liquid shaking or the like. Examples of the shape of such an object include an object having a thin portion, an object having a band shape, and an object having a sheet shape. An object having such a sheet shape is not particularly limited, but a sheet-like structure, for example, a membrane tissue on a flat membrane made of a bioderived material such as a sheet-like cell culture, plastic, paper, woven fabric, non-woven fabric And films of various materials such as metals, polymers, and lipids. Among these, those which are hard to be decomposed in liquid, those which are not easily disintegrated in liquid and the like are preferable. The sheet-like structure may be polygonal, circular, etc., and the width, thickness, diameter, etc. may or may not be uniform. In the sheet-like structure in the present invention, only one sheet may be used in a single layer state, or two or more sheets may be used in a stacked state. In the latter case, the layers of the stack may or may not be connected to each other, and if they are connected, even if the overlapping portions are all connected or partially connected. Good. Further, in the present invention, the term “fragile” means, for example, evaluation of tensile properties in a conventional tensile tester (for example, one described in JIS K 7161 etc.) in which the object is fixed to the grip outside the liquid. Refers to being difficult or virtually impossible due to vulnerability. Such fragile objects include, for example, objects in which each numerical value of tensile properties is small and it is difficult to accurately measure with a conventional tensile tester. Such fragile materials include, for example, those showing a breaking load of less than 10 N (newton), less than 5 N, less than 2 N, less than 1 N, less than 0.5 N, less than 0.1 N, less than 0.05 N in a tensile test. . In addition, since the measurement limit of the conventional tensile test is generally about 1 N as a breaking load, in one aspect of the present invention, those showing a breaking load (for example, less than 0.5 N) below this are preferable as fragile materials .

In one aspect of the invention, the fragile material is a sheet-like cell culture. The sheet-like cell culture refers to cells in which the cells are linked to form a sheet. The cells may be linked to each other directly (including via cell components such as adhesion molecules) and / or via an intermediary substance. The mediator is not particularly limited as long as it is a substance capable of at least physically (mechanically) connecting cells to each other, and examples include extracellular matrix and the like. The mediator is preferably of cell origin, in particular from cells constituting the sheet cell culture. The cells are at least physically (mechanically) linked, but may be further functionally linked, for example, chemically or electrically. The sheet-like cell culture is composed of one cell layer (monolayer), but is composed of two or more cell layers (laminate (multilayer), for example, two layers, three layers, 4 Layers, five layers, six layers, etc.). In addition, the sheet-like cell culture may have a three-dimensional structure having a thickness exceeding a thickness of one cell without showing a clear layer structure of cells. For example, in the vertical cross section of the sheet-like cell culture, the cells may be present in a non-uniform (for example, mosaic) arrangement without uniformly aligning in the horizontal direction.

The sheet-like cell culture in one aspect of the present invention is composed of any cells capable of forming the above-described structure. Examples of such cells include, but are not limited to, adherent cells (adherent cells). The adherent cells are, for example, adherent somatic cells (eg, cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, hepatocytes, hepatocytes, pancreatic cells, pancreatic cells, renal cells, adrenal cells, periodontal ligament cells, gingival cells, periosteal cells, skin) Cells, synoviocytes, chondrocytes etc. and stem cells (eg myoblasts, tissue stem cells such as cardiac stem cells, embryonic stem cells, pluripotent stem cells such as induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells etc) And so on. Somatic cells may be differentiated from stem cells, in particular iPS cells. Non-limiting examples of cells that can form sheet-like cell cultures include, for example, myoblasts (eg, skeletal myoblasts, etc.), mesenchymal stem cells (eg, bone marrow, adipose tissue, peripheral blood, skin, hair roots) Muscle tissue, endometrium, placenta, umbilical cord blood, etc.), cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, cardiac stem cells, embryonic stem cells, iPS cells, synoviocytes, chondrocytes, epithelial cells (eg, oral mucosal epithelial cells) Cells, retinal pigment epithelial cells, nasal mucosal epithelial cells, etc., endothelial cells (eg, vascular endothelial cells), hepatocytes (eg, hepatic parenchyma cells), pancreatic cells (eg, pancreatic islet cells), renal cells, adrenals Cells, periodontal ligament cells, gingival cells, periosteal cells, skin cells and the like. In the present specification, those which form a monolayer cell culture, such as myoblasts, are preferred, and skeletal myoblasts are particularly preferred.

The cells can be derived from any organism that can be treated by cell culture. Such organisms include, but are not limited to, for example, humans, non-human primates, dogs, cats, pigs, horses, goats, sheep and the like. In addition, although only one type of cells may be used to form a sheet-like cell culture, two or more types of cells can also be used. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when there are two or more types of cells forming a cell culture, the ratio (purity) of the largest number of cells is 65% or more at the end of cell culture production, for example, in the case of skeletal myoblasts Preferably, it is 70% or more, more preferably 75% or more.

The sheet-like cell culture in one embodiment of the present invention may be a sheet-shaped culture tissue obtained by seeding and culturing cells on a scaffold (scaffold in cell culture), preferably a cell culture. It consists only of cell-derived substances that make up the substance and does not contain any other substances.
Sheet cell cultures may be produced by any known technique.

In one aspect of the invention, the sheet-like cell culture is a sheet-like skeletal myoblast culture. This is because the sheet-like skeletal myoblast culture is so fragile that it can be broken by its own weight when grasping a part thereof, so that it can not only be transported by itself conventionally, but it can be returned to its original shape after being folded once. It is very difficult to maintain the shape of the sheet in the liquid.

In the present invention, the container is not particularly limited as long as it can contain fragile substances, liquids, etc. and does not leak liquid, and any container can be used including commercially available containers. Examples of the material of the container include polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon (registered trademark), polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate,

nylon

6,6, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose, silicon, polystyrene, glass, polyacrylamide, polydimethyl acrylamide, metal ( Examples include, but are not limited to, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass) and the like. In addition, the container preferably has at least one flat bottom for maintaining the shape of the fragile material, and examples include, but are not limited to, petri dishes, cell culture dishes, cell culture bottles and the like. Although the area of the flat bottom is not particularly limited, it is typically 1.13 to 78.5 cm ² , preferably 12.6 to 78.5 cm ² , more preferably 9.1 to 60.8 cm ² . .

In the present invention, the liquid in the container is composed of at least one component, and the component is not particularly limited, and is composed of, for example, a liquid such as water, an aqueous solution, a non-aqueous solution, a suspension, or an emulsion.
The liquid or liquid in the present invention may be any fluid having fluidity as a whole, and may contain solid substances such as cell scaffolds and other non-liquid components such as air bubbles.

The components constituting the liquid in the container are not particularly limited as long as they have less influence on fragile materials. When the fragile material is a membrane made of a biological material, the components constituting the liquid in the container are biocompatible, ie, biological tissue or cells, from the viewpoint of biological stability and long-term storability. It is preferable that the agent does not cause an unwanted effect such as an inflammatory response, an immune response, an intoxication response, or at least such an effect is small, for example, water, saline, physiological buffer (eg, HBSS, PBS, EBSS, Hepes) , Sodium bicarbonate etc., medium (eg DMEM, MEM, F12, DMEM / F12, DME, RPMI 1640, MCDB, L15, SkBM, RITC80-7, IMDM etc), sugar solution (sucrose solution, Ficoll-paque (registered) (Trademark) PLUS etc.), seawater, serum-containing solution, Renografin (registered trademark) solution, metrizamide solution, Meg Mince solution, glycerin, ethylene glycol, ammonia, benzene, toluene, acetone, ethyl alcohol, benzol, oil, mineral oil, animal oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, colloid solution, liquid paraffin, turpentine oil, linseed oil, castor oil etc. Be

When the fragile material is a sheet-like cell culture, the components constituting the liquid in the container can stably store the cells, contain the minimum oxygen and nutrients necessary for cell survival, and the like. Those which do not break due to osmotic pressure and the like are preferable, for example, physiological saline, physiological buffer (eg, HBSS, PBS, EBSS, Hepes, sodium bicarbonate etc.), medium (eg, DMEM, MEM, F12, DMEM / F12, DME, RPMI 1640, MCDB, L15, SkBM, RITC80-7, IMDM etc., sugar solutions (sucrose solution, Ficoll-paque PLUS (registered trademark) etc.), etc. may be mentioned, but it is not limited thereto.

In the present invention, the amount of liquid in the container is such that the fragile material can be held with the lid attached to the container, and the liquid volume formed between the bottom of the container and the top of the lid is The height is not particularly limited as long as the fragile object does not swing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the sheet-like cell culture is about 35-55 mm, and the area is 6 cm ² or more. The liquid volume is, for example, 1.0 mm to 70.0 mm regardless of the diameter of the sheet-like cell culture.

In the present invention, the lid member is not particularly limited as long as it seals the container. The material of the lid member is, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon (registered trademark), polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate,

nylon

6,6, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose, silicon, polystyrene, glass, polyacrylamide, polydimethyl acrylamide, metal Examples thereof include, but are not limited to, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass and the like.

In the present invention, the shapes of the lid member and the container are not particularly limited as long as the lid member and the container can be engaged and the sealed space can be formed by the engagement. For example, when the container is a general purpose petri dish, it is preferable to make the shape of the lid member circular. In addition, the lid member and / or the container may be made of a light transmitting material, so that the state of the fragile contained in the container and the presence or absence of air bubbles in the liquid may be confirmed.

In the present invention, the fragile material is held in the liquid in the container containing the liquid. The position of the fragile material in the liquid is not particularly limited, but it is disposed at a position where the lid member or the partition element does not come in contact with the fragile material, with the lid member or the partition element attached to the container to form a sealed space. (Or may touch). Preferably, the fragile material is disposed on the bottom surface of the container, near the bottom surface, etc. in the liquid of the container.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the “attached state to a container” of the lid member, the lid member is attached to the container, the lid member and the container are brought into close contact, and the space in the container is sealed by the lid member and the container. I say the state. Therefore, "a depressed portion which protrudes toward the storage portion in a state of being attached to the container" is a state in which a closed space is formed by the lid member and the container, and protrudes from the lid member toward the storage portion in the container A portion that is not flat, such as a part or a bulging part. In addition, the hollow portion protruding toward the storage portion means that the hollow portion protrudes to such an extent that liquid or gas in the storage portion can be pushed out, and a person skilled in the art can calculate the volume of the container and the amount of liquid used. The size of the recess can be freely set according to the liquid volume.

In the present invention, the phrase “the container seals the container” means that the lid member seals the space in the container. In one aspect of the present invention, the device includes a seal that is interposed between the container and the lid member and seals the container by closely contacting the container and the lid member. The seal may be a member independent of the container and the lid or may be integrally formed with either the container or the lid.

In the present invention, the partition element divides the space in the container into a container that contains fragile materials and liquids, and the inner peripheral edge of the container that is inside the container and outside the container and located on the periphery of the container. Refers to a component. In one aspect of the present invention, the partition element is a cylindrical projecting portion provided upright in the container from the bottom of the container.

In the present invention, the storage portion in the container refers to a storage space of the container having a flat surface capable of storing liquid, gas, fragile material and the like. Further, in the present invention, the inner peripheral portion of the container refers to a space inside the container and outside the storage portion, and the inner peripheral portion of the container is configured to store the gas and liquid pushed out from the storage portion. Ru. Therefore, the height of the inner peripheral edge portion is designed such that the liquid bulk in the inner peripheral edge portion of the container is higher than the liquid bulk in the accommodation portion when the lid member is inserted into the container.

In the present invention, the partition element has a communicating portion which causes the accommodating portion and the inner peripheral portion of the container to communicate with each other. In one aspect of the present invention, the communication portion is an opening portion provided in a part of a cylindrical projecting portion erected upward from the bottom portion of the container.

In the present invention, the lid member has an opening and closing portion that abuts on the partition element to open and close the communicating portion of the partition element. In one aspect of the present invention, the opening and closing part is constituted by a projecting part which hangs down from the peripheral edge of the recess. In one aspect of the present invention, the projecting portion is positioned between the communication portion of the partition element and the inner peripheral edge of the container in close contact with the partition element, covers the entire communication portion, and the housing portion and the inner peripheral edge By interrupting the fluid communication with the part, the communication part of the partition element can be closed. Then, when the communication part of the partition element is closed by the opening and closing part in a state where the gas is discharged from the containing part and only the fragile material and the liquid are contained in the containing part, the containing part becomes liquid tight. Further, when the communication part of the partition element is opened by the opening and closing part after making the containing part liquid-tight, the liquid-tightness of the containing part is released, and the movement of the liquid between the containing part and the inner peripheral part of the container becomes possible.

In the present invention, "sliding of the lid member with respect to the partition element" refers to moving the lid member with respect to the partition element while keeping the lid member in contact with the partition element located in the container. Such sliding includes, for example, relative rotation of the lid member with respect to the partition element while the partition element is fixed to the container. Also, "without substantially increasing the volume of the fluid-tight container" means that the liquid in the fluid-tight container is not expanded. For example, the lid member is rotated in a plane parallel to the upper water surface of the liquid in the storage portion, and the opening / closing portion closing the communication portion of the partition element is shifted by sliding to communicate without expanding the liquid in the storage portion It is possible to open the part, in which case the volume of the liquid-tight container is not substantially increased. And since a strong force is not required for opening the communication part and liquid tightness can be released while suppressing the flow of the liquid in the storage part, the deformation, breakage and the like of the fragile object stored in the storage part can be prevented. can do.

Another aspect of the present invention is a device that includes a container for containing fragile materials, a partition element that divides the inside of the container into a container and a peripheral edge of the container outside the container, and a lid member for sealing the container. The partition element has a communication portion for communicating the storage portion with the inner peripheral portion of the container, and the lid member opens and closes the communication portion of the partition element by sliding of the lid member with respect to the partition element. After the gas in the container is removed by pushing out the gas and the liquid in the container containing the fragile material and the liquid from the communicating part of the partition element to the inner peripheral edge of the container, The container can be made liquid-tight by closing the opening and closing part by movement, and further, the opening and closing part is opened by the sliding of the lid member without substantially increasing the volume of the liquid-tight accommodation part. The debye can be released It is.
Hereinafter, differences from the above-described one aspect of the present invention will be described in detail, and the description of the same matters will be omitted.

In the present invention, the partition element is configured as a member independent of the container and the lid member. In this case, by inserting the partition element into the container and placing it on the bottom of the container, the space in the container is partitioned into the housing portion and the peripheral portion in the container. In the present invention, the height of the inner peripheral portion of the container is designed such that the liquid volume in the inner peripheral portion of the container is higher than the liquid volume of the liquid in the containing portion when the partition element is inserted into the container. .

In one aspect of the present invention, the partition element is an inner cover member having a top plate portion, and the communication portion is provided in the top plate portion of the inner cover member at a position eccentric to the center of the top plate portion. It is a hole. Further, in one aspect of the present invention, the opening and closing portion is formed of a bottom surface of the recess and a portion in contact with the partition element and a portion not in contact with the partition element. Furthermore, in one aspect of the present invention, the top plate portion of the inner lid member protrudes upward of the lower space in the container in a state of being attached to the container, and the horizontal cross-sectional area of the top plate portion becomes vertically upward. The communicating portion is a hole provided at the top of the projecting portion of the top plate. Here, when the horizontal cross-sectional area of the top plate portion is smaller toward the vertical upper side, the contact area between the convex portion and the liquid is gradually lowered when the top plate portion is dipped in the liquid while being lowered vertically from above the liquid. It says to be small. In this case, it is easy to apply buoyancy to air bubbles or the like in the liquid, and the air bubbles can be reliably pushed upward. Furthermore, in one aspect of the invention, the container and the dividing element are fitted. In this case, there is an advantage in that the fragile object can be held more stably by fitting the container and the partition element.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the part which is not shown in the figure of each component shown by sectional drawing is comprised similarly to the part shown in the figure, unless there is particular description in this specification. Further, in the drawings in the present application, the sizes of the respective members are appropriately emphasized in order to facilitate the description, and the respective members shown in the drawings do not indicate actual sizes.
First Embodiment
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container 2 and the cylindrical projecting portion 3 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is the first embodiment. 4 is an exploded sectional perspective view from above of the device 1 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an exploded sectional perspective view from below of the device 1 according to the first embodiment. It is.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a container 2, a cylindrical projecting portion 3 that divides a space in the container 2 into a storage portion A and an inner peripheral edge R, and the container 2. A lid member 4 for sealing the inner space, and a sealing member 5 interposed between the container 2 and the lid member 4 for making the inside of the container 2 airtight.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container 2 is a petri dish having an opening surrounded by the edge 22, and accommodates fragile materials, liquids, and the like in a space constituted by the bottom 21 and the lower side wall 25. be able to. Further, the container 2 has a step portion 23 on which the seal member 5 can be placed at the upper end of the lower side wall portion 25. The step portion 23 has an upper side wall portion 24 extending upward from the outer peripheral edge, and the upper end thereof is an edge portion 22, and the lid member 4 is placed on the edge portion 22 to seal the space in the container 2 can do.

The container 2 has a cylindrical projecting portion 3 projecting upward at the bottom portion 21. The cylindrical projecting portion 3 is a space formed by the bottom portion 21 and the lower side wall portion 25 of the container 2 inside the cylindrical projecting portion 3 and capable of accommodating fragile materials, liquids and the like. It divides into A and the container inner-periphery edge part R which is an outer side of the cylindrical protrusion part 3 and can accommodate a liquid etc. FIG. Further, the cylindrical projecting portion 3 has an opening 31 for communicating the housing portion A with the inner peripheral edge portion R of the container. In the present embodiment, the opening 31 is illustrated as a notch provided in a part of the cylindrical projecting portion 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lid member 4 is suspended from the outer peripheral edge of the annular upper end 41 and the annular upper end 41 placed on the edge 22 of the container 2, and the upper side wall 24 of the container 2 is It has a cylindrical skirt wall 42 which covers. The cylindrical skirt wall portion 42 can be used as a handle portion for facilitating the rotation of the lid member 4 with respect to the container 2. Further, the lid member 4 is placed on both the edge portion 32 which is the upper end of the cylindrical projecting portion 3 and the seal member 5 placed on the step portion 23 of the container 2 and the inner peripheral portion R of the container It has the level | step-difference part 43 which can be sealed.

The lid member 4 has a recessed portion 44 which protrudes toward the housing portion A along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical projecting portion 3 in a state of being attached to the container 2. In the present embodiment, the recess 44 is illustrated in a cylindrical shape having an opening at the top. The recessed portion 44 is configured to be disposed at a position lower than the edge portion 32 of the cylindrical projecting portion 3 in a state where the lid member 4 is attached to the container 2. Further, the side wall portion of the recessed portion 44 is configured to be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical protruding portion 3, and when the lid member 4 is attached to the container 2, the recessed portion 44 and the cylindrical protruding portion 3 Can form a sealed space sealed with the

When the lid member 4 is attached to the container 2, the recess 44 pushes out the gas and the liquid contained in the container A from the opening 31 of the cylindrical projection 3 to the inner peripheral edge R of the container. Gas can be removed from the Further, the recessed portion 44 is a protrusion which hangs down from the peripheral portion of the bottom of the recessed portion 44 toward the housing portion A along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical protruding portion 3 in a state where the lid member 4 is attached to the container 2 It has an installation part 45. When the lid member 4 is attached to the container 2, the lower end of the protrusion 45 abuts on the bottom 21 of the container 2 and is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical protrusion 3. The projecting portion 45 can close the entire opening 31 by rotating the lid member 4 so as to cover the opening 31. When the container A is filled with the liquid, the container A can be made liquid-tight by closing the opening 31. Further, the protrusion portion 45 covering the opening portion 31 is shifted by the rotation of the lid member 4 to make the opening portion 31 communicate with the inner peripheral portion R of the container, whereby the liquid tightness of the housing portion A can be released.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the device 1 places the seal member 5 on the step portion 23 of the container 2 and places the lid member 4 on the container 2, the cylindrical projecting portion 3 and the seal member 5. It is assembled by doing. The sealing member 5 placed on the step portion 23 of the container 2 can be in close contact with the back surface of the step portion 43 of the lid member 4 to make the inside of the container 2 airtight.

When using the device 1, the fragile material and the liquid are contained in the housing portion A of the container 2, and the lid member 4 is attached in the container 2. When attaching the lid member 4, the tubular skirt wall portion 42 of the lid member 4 is gripped and the recess 44 is pushed into the housing portion A, and the lid member 4 is inserted into the container 2. At this time, the gas and liquid in the container A are pushed out to the inner peripheral edge R of the container 2 through the opening 31 by pushing the recess 44 into the housing so that the protrusion 45 does not close the opening 31. Be The container 2 and the lid member 4 are airtightly sealed by the sealing member 5 in advance before the container inner peripheral portion R is filled with the liquid after all the gas is pushed out from the container A. Adjust the amount of liquid contained. That is, by adjusting the amount of liquid in advance so that the volume of the liquid extruded from the opening 31 does not become larger than the volume of the peripheral portion R of the container, the liquid does not leak out of the container 2 It is preferable to do. Then, by closing the opening 31 with the projecting portion 45 in a state where all the gas is pushed out from the housing portion A, the housing portion A can be made liquid-tight.

When using a fragile material contained in the liquid-tight containing portion A, the lid member 4 is held by the cylindrical skirt wall portion 42 and the lid member 4 is not lifted relative to the containing portion A. By rotating 4 with respect to the container 2 and displacing the projecting portion 45 closing the opening 31, the liquid tightness can be released without expanding the liquid in the storage portion A. Then, the lid member 4 is removed from the container 2 and the fragile substance immersed in the liquid is taken out and used. Since a strong force is not required for the rotation of the lid member 4 and the liquid tightness can be released while suppressing the flow of the liquid in the storage portion A, the deformation of the fragile material stored in the storage portion A And damage can be prevented.

As described above, according to the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the liquid-tight space can be efficiently formed with a simple operation and a simple mechanism, and therefore, in terms of workability, manufacturing cost, and space saving. There is a big merit. Further, according to the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the liquid tightness can be released without requiring a strong force to the liquid tight space, the vibration of the container or the container when taking out the fragile matter The occurrence of fluid flow can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deformation or breakage of fragile materials in the liquid.

Moreover, according to the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the inside of the container portion of the container can be completely liquid-tight, so that bubbles (gas) do not enter the container and bubbles are generated in the container by shaking of the container. It does not damage the fragile object by In particular, when the fragile material is a laminate of a sheet-like cell culture, the air bubbles do not move, and the laminate is not displaced or lost.

Furthermore, since the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can receive the liquid pushed out by the lid member, it does not contaminate the surroundings. Thus, it is suitable for use in locations where cleanliness is strictly controlled, such as biocleanrooms used for the production of sheet-like cell cultures.

As a result, the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention maintains the shape of the fragile material in the liquid, and improves the reliability as a device for stably removing the fragile material. Further, the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is more advantageous in terms of workability and manufacturing cost because the container 2 and the cylindrical projecting portion 3 are integrally formed.

The present embodiment is not limited to the above, and those skilled in the art can design devices having different configurations and shapes by suitably combining the configurations and shapes of the devices. For example, the opening 31 may be a hole provided in a part of the cylindrical protrusion 3 or may have another shape. Further, the hollow section 44 may be smaller as its horizontal cross-sectional area goes vertically downward, and in particular, it may be dome-shaped with a circular horizontal cross-sectional area and a top. In this case, when the hollow portion 44 is immersed in the liquid, the small top portion of the area first contacts the liquid surface, and then the contact area gradually increases, so the corrugation of the liquid in the storage portion A of the container 2 is minimized. Can be limited. Furthermore, the sealing member 5 may be integrally formed with the container 2 or the lid member 3. Furthermore, the device 1 may be configured such that the edge 22 of the container 2 and the annular upper end 41 of the lid member 4 are screwed together. In this case, the hollow portion 44 of the lid member 4 can gently push the gas and the liquid to the inner peripheral portion R of the container from the opening 31 provided in the cylindrical projecting portion 3 and the flow of the liquid in the container 2 Can be suppressed more reliably.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail, and the description of the same matters will be omitted. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the container 7 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 8 is an inner lid member 8 according to the second embodiment. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the lid member 9 according to the second embodiment, FIG. 10 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view from above of the device 6 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a second embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view from the lower part of the device 6 which concerns.

As shown in FIG. 6, the device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a container 7, an inner cover member 8 for dividing a space in the container 2 into a housing portion A and an inner peripheral portion R, and the container 7. A lid member 9 for sealing the inner space, and a sealing member 5 'interposed between the container 7 and the lid member 9 for making the inside of the container 7 airtight.

As shown in FIG. 7, the container 7 is a petri dish having an opening surrounded by an edge 72, and contains fragile materials, liquid and the like in a space constituted by a bottom 71 and a side wall 73. Can. The seal member 5 ′ can be placed on the edge 72, and the space in the container 7 can be sealed by placing the lid member 9 thereon.

As shown in FIG. 8, the middle lid member 8 has a top plate portion 81 and a cylindrical skirt wall portion 82 hanging from the peripheral edge portion of the top plate portion 81. The inner cover member 8 is a space defined by the bottom plate 71 and the side wall 73 of the container 7 and surrounded by the top plate 81 and the cylindrical skirt wall 82 of the inner cover member 8 (the inner cover member 8 Inside) and outside the space enclosed by the top plate 81 and the cylindrical skirt wall 82 (outside of the middle lid member 8) that is capable of storing fragile materials, liquids, etc. Partition into a container inner peripheral portion R capable of containing liquid and the like. The inner lid member 8 also has a fitting portion 83 for fitting and fixing the container 7.

The inner cover member 8 is provided on a part of the top plate portion 81, a hole 84 for communicating the storage portion A with the inner peripheral portion R of the container, and provided around the hole 84, a packing ring (not shown) ) Can be inserted. When inserted into the container 7, the inner lid member 8 can push the gas and liquid contained in the space in the container 7 out of the hole 84 to the outside of the inner lid member 8 and remove the gas from the container A .

As shown in FIG. 9, the lid member 9 is suspended from the top plate portion 91 placed on the seal member 5 ′ placed on the edge portion 72 of the container 7 and the peripheral edge portion of the top plate portion 91 It has a cylindrical skirt wall 92 covering the top of the side wall 73 of the container 7. The cylindrical skirt wall portion 92 can be used as a handle portion for facilitating the rotation of the lid member 9 with respect to the container 7.

The lid member 9 has a recess 93 projecting toward a space in the container 7 in a state of being attached to the container 7. The hollow portion 93 is configured such that the bottom of the hollow portion 93 is in close contact with the top plate portion 81 of the inner lid member 8 in a state where the lid member 9 is attached to the container 7 after the inner lid member 8 is inserted. The bottom of the recess 93 can seal the container A by closing the hole 84 of the inner lid member 8, and when the container A is filled with liquid, the container 84 can be closed by closing the hole 84. Can be made liquid tight. Further, the recess 93 has a groove 94 provided as a gap in a part of the bottom. The groove portion 94 can communicate the hole 84 with the inner peripheral edge portion R in a state where the lid member 9 is attached to the container 7 after the inner lid member 8 is inserted. The shape of the groove portion 94 is not particularly limited as long as the hole 84 and the inner peripheral portion R of the container communicate with each other.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the device 6 fits the recess 51 of the seal member 5 'at the edge 72 of the container 7 and places the lid member 9 on the inner lid member 8 and the seal member 5'. It is assembled by. By closely contacting the sealing member 5 ′ fitted to the edge portion 72 of the container 7 with the back surface of the peripheral portion of the top plate portion 91 of the lid member 9, the inside of the container 7 can be made airtight. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 10, the container 7 has the fitting part 74 for making the inner cover member 8 fit and fix. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the hole 84 is provided eccentrically with respect to the center of the top plate portion 81. Thereby, the lid member 9 is rotated without being separated from the inner lid member 8 and the groove 94 provided at the bottom of the recess 93 is applied to the hole 84 to make the hole 84 communicate with the inner peripheral portion R of the container The communication can be interrupted by placing the bottom of the recess 93 which is not the groove 94 in the hole 84.

When the device 6 is used, the inner lid member 8 is inserted into the container 7 after the fragile material and the liquid are contained in the space in the container 7. At this time, the gas and liquid inside the inside lid member 8 are pushed out of the inside lid member 8 through the holes 84, but the lower end of the cylindrical skirt wall 82 of the inside lid member 8 abuts on the bottom 71 of the container 7 At this time, the amount of liquid is adjusted in advance so that the liquid outside the inner lid member 8 does not become larger than the volume of the inner peripheral portion R, so that the liquid does not leak out of the container 7 Is preferred. Then, by closing the hole 84 at the bottom of the hollow portion 93 in a state where all the gas is pushed out from the housing portion A, the housing portion A can be made liquid-tight. When attaching the lid member 9 to the container 7, the tubular skirt wall 92 of the lid member 9 is gripped, the recess 93 is inserted into the space in the container 7, and the bottom of the recess 93 is Close contact with the top plate 81.

When using a fragile material contained in the liquid-tight containing portion A, the tubular skirt wall 92 of the lid member 9 is gripped, and the lid member 9 is rotated without being separated from the middle lid member 8. As a result, the bottom of the recess 93 closing the hole 84 is displaced, and the groove 94 communicates the hole 84 with the inner peripheral edge R of the container, whereby the fluid tightness of the container A can be released. Then, the lid member 9 and the middle lid member 8 are removed from the container 7, and the fragile substance immersed in the liquid is taken out and used. Since the rotation of the lid member 9 with respect to the inner lid member 8 does not expand the liquid in the storage portion A, a strong force is not required, and liquid tightness can be released while suppressing the flow of the liquid in the storage portion A. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the deformation, breakage, etc. of the fragile material accommodated in the accommodation portion A.

As described above, according to the device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the liquid-tight space can be efficiently formed with a simple operation and a simple mechanism, and therefore, in terms of workability, manufacturing cost, and space saving. There is a big merit. Moreover, according to the device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, since the liquid tightness can be released without requiring a strong force to the liquid tight space, the vibration of the container or the container when taking out the fragile matter The occurrence of fluid flow can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deformation or breakage of fragile materials in the liquid.

Moreover, according to the device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, since the inside of the container of the container can be completely liquid-tight, the foam (gas) does not enter the container, and the bubble shakes in the container due to the shaking of the container. It does not damage the fragile object by In particular, when the fragile material is a laminate of a sheet-like cell culture, the air bubbles do not move, and the laminate is not displaced or lost.

Furthermore, since the device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention can receive the liquid pushed out by the lid member, it does not contaminate the surroundings. Thus, it is suitable for use in locations where cleanliness is strictly controlled, such as biocleanrooms used for the production of sheet-like cell cultures.

As a result, the device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention maintains the shape of the fragile in the liquid, and improves the reliability as a device for stably removing the fragile. The device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is advantageous in that the fragile object can be held more stably by the container 7 and the inner lid member 8 being fitted.

The present embodiment is not limited to the above, and those skilled in the art can design devices having different configurations and shapes by suitably combining the configurations and shapes of the devices. For example, the hole 84 may be provided at the center of the top plate 81 as long as it is opened and closed by the bottom of the recess 93 and the groove 94 by the rotation of the lid member 9. Further, the top plate portion 81 may protrude upward from the lower space of the container 7, and the shape thereof may be a conical dome shape having a top portion intersecting the center line of the inner lid member 8. That is, the horizontal cross-sectional area of the top plate portion 81 may have a convex portion that becomes smaller toward the vertical upper side, and the top of the convex portion of the container 7 with the inner lid member 8 attached to the container 7. It is configured to be located lower than the edge 72. In this case, since the convex portion of the inner lid member 8 is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface of the container 7, the air bubbles in the liquid and the like are easily buoyant, and the air bubbles can be reliably pushed upward. Further, since the tubular skirt wall portion 82 of the top plate portion 81 forms a funnel-like push-up structure together with the top plate portion 81, air bubbles in the liquid can be reliably guided to the holes 84. Furthermore, the cylindrical skirt wall 82 of the inner cover member 8 may have substantially the same diameter as the side wall 73 of the container 7 and may be configured to be inserted in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 73 . As a result, since the inner cover member 8 is positioned in the container 7, the inner cover member 8 is attached to the container 7 without the fitting mechanism by the fitting portion 74 of the container 7 and the fitting portion 83 of the inner cover member 8. The container 7 can be fixed and a general purpose petri dish commercially available as the container 7 can be used. In addition, the recessed portion 93 of the lid member 9 and the top plate portion 81 of the middle lid member 8 may be provided with a locking mechanism adapted to the opening and closing of the hole 84. This makes it possible to easily distinguish between the state in which the hole 84 is in communication with the inner peripheral portion R of the container and the state in which the hole 84 is closed by the recess 93.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, each configuration may be replaced with any one capable of performing the same function, or any configuration may be added.

A accommodation part R container inner peripheral part 1 device 2 container 21 bottom part 22 edge part 23 step part 24 upper side wall part 25 lower side wall part 3 cylindrical projection part 31 opening 32 edge part

Reference Signs List 4 lid member 41 annular upper end portion 42 cylindrical skirt wall portion 43 step portion 44 recessed portion 45 protruding

portion

5, 5 ′ sealing member 51 recessed portion

6 device 7 container 71 bottom portion 72 edge portion 73 side wall portion 74 fitting portion

Reference Signs List 8 middle lid member 81 top plate portion 82 tubular skirt wall portion 83 fitting portion 84 hole 85 annular recessed portion

9 lid member 91 top plate portion 92 cylindrical skirt wall portion 93 recessed portion 94 grooved portion

Claims

A device comprising: a container for containing fragile materials; a partition element for dividing the inside of the container into a container and a peripheral edge of the container outside the container; and a lid member for sealing the container,
The partition element has a communicating portion for communicating the accommodating portion with the inner peripheral portion of the container, and
The lid member has a hollow portion projecting toward the storage portion in a state of being attached to the container, and an opening / closing portion for opening and closing a communicating portion of the partition element by sliding of the lid member against the partition element. After removing the gas in the storage unit by pushing out the gas and liquid in the storage unit that stores the object and the liquid from the communicating portion of the partition element to the inner peripheral edge of the container, the opening and closing portion is closed by sliding of the lid member The part can be made liquid-tight, and further, the liquid-tightness can be released by opening the opening and closing part by the sliding of the lid member without substantially increasing the volume of the liquid-tight containing part device.
The device according to claim 1, wherein the dividing element is integrally formed on the container.
The opening / closing portion is constituted by a projecting portion which hangs down from the peripheral edge of the recessed portion, and the communicating portion of the partition element is closed by bringing the projecting portion into close contact with the partitioning element and covering the communicating portion. Device described.
The partition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the partition element is a cylindrical projecting portion provided upright on the bottom surface of the container, and the communicating portion is an opening provided in a part of the cylindrical projecting portion. Device described in Section.
The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container and the lid member are screwed together.
The device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a seal between the container and the lid member.
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fragile substance is a sheet-like cell culture.
The device according to claim 8, wherein the sheet-like cell culture is a laminate.