Cell culture apparatus, cell culture method, cell culture program and cell culture system

Abstract

The invention intends to provide a cell culture apparatus which is able to realize an adequate culture according to the culture state of cells while alleviating the labor of an operator. The apparatus includes: a culture bag (18) for causing the cells to proliferate; a cell inoculation cassette (19) (or culture bag (242) as an antibody stimulating and proliferation culture vessel) for stimulating the cells by an inducer for the proliferation; a culture medium cassette (20) for storing a culture medium supplied to the culture bag (18) and the cell inoculation cassette (19); a CCD camera (88) for acquiring images of the cells in the cell inoculation cassette; and an image processing computer and an operation control computer for determining the culture state (proliferation capability and proliferation ability of the cells) of the cells from the images of the cells acquired by the CCD camera, and causing a culture operation to be carried out on the basis of the determination.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a cell culture device, a cell culture method, a cell culture program, and a cell culture system for culturing cells based on evaluation of the culture state of the cells. Background technique [0002] Cell culture, especially cell culture of suspension cells used in immune cell therapy has been basically carried out by manual manipulation. For example, cells collected from a patient are inoculated in a flask to which an antibody (inducing factor) is attached together with a culture medium, and then placed in a thermostat, and the flask is taken out of the thermostat every day, and the culture status is observed using a microscope or the like ( For example, growth status), when growth or the like is observed, or after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from cell inoculation, a medium is added to the above-mentioned flask to culture (for example, proliferate) cells. [0003] In artificial cell culture as describe...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0008] However, for the culture of suspension cells used in immunocytotherapy, there is no objective evaluation of the culture status of the cells, a device for culturing cells based on the evaluation, etc.

[0009] In addition, in the artificial cell culture including the cell culture system described in Patent Document 2, the operator engaged in the culture has to keep the collection of culture environment data in the constant temperature bath or tank, medium replacement, etc. in the records. Training operations, etc., form a very complicated operation

In addition, there is a possibility that cell culture abnormalities cannot be reliably grasped

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