A cell culture device for precise quantification of biological effects of magnetic field

Abstract

This invention discloses a cell culture device for precise quantitative research on the biological effects of magnetic fields. The device includes an incubator containing a uniform magnetic field generator and a magnetic shielding unit. The uniform magnetic field generator is housed within the magnetic shielding unit and comprises a frame, two fixed bases, two magnetic poles, and two pole heads. The frame is a rectangular frame made of a high-permeability material and is located within the cavity of the magnetic shielding unit. The two fixed bases are respectively located on the top and bottom surfaces of the frame. The magnetic poles are both permanent magnets and are respectively mounted on the two fixed bases. The two pole heads are made of a high-permeability material and are magnetically adsorbed to the two magnetic poles. The central plane in the space along the H direction between the two pole heads is used to place a cell culture plate. This invention avoids the uncertainty in results caused by inconsistencies in the magnitude, direction, and gradient of the magnetic field strength at different points in space during experiments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of biological cell culture technology, specifically a cell culture device for the precise quantitative study of the biological effects of magnetic fields. Background Technology

[0002] The biological effects of magnetic fields refer to the physical, chemical, or physiological influences of magnetic fields on organisms, including cells, tissues, organs, and even the entire organism. These effects can range from molecular-level reactions to changes in overall physiological function, and their specific manifestations vary depending on the type of magnetic field (e.g., static magnetic field, time-varying magnetic field, magnetic field strength, exposure time), and the type of organism.

[0003] When a magnetic field acts on an organism, it can produce a series of biological effects, influencing the organism's physiological functions. For example, in terms of growth and development, magnetic fields have been shown to affect cell division, proliferation, and differentiation. Furthermore, numerous studies have demonstrated that magnetic fields can have a positive impact on the development and improvement of some diseases.

[0004] However, most of the devices currently used in the study of the biological effects of magnetic fields employ permanent magnets, helical tubes, and coils to provide the external excitation magnetic field required for cell culture. As a vector field, the characteristics of the magnetic field applied to biological samples are difficult to describe completely and accurately using only two quantities: magnetic field strength and magnetic field direction. The magnetic fields applied to biological samples by different magnetic field devices have significant differences. Even if the magnetic field strength and direction are the same, there are often large differences in quantities such as magnetic field gradient and curl, leading to uncertainty in the results of the study of the biological effects of magnetic fields. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cell culture device for the precise quantitative study of the biological effects of magnetic fields, which can avoid the uncertainty of results caused by the inconsistency of the magnitude, direction, gradient, etc. of the magnetic field strength at different points in space during the experiment.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is: A cell culture device for precise quantitative research on the biological effects of magnetic fields includes an incubator. The incubator contains a uniform magnetic field generator and a magnetic shielding unit. The uniform magnetic field generator is housed within the magnetic shielding unit. The uniform magnetic field generator includes a frame, which is a rectangular frame made of a high-permeability material, specifically DT4 electrical pure iron. DT4 electrical pure iron is a type of steel whose main chemical composition is iron, with a content of 99.50%~99.90%, and a carbon content below 0.04%. Pure iron possesses high permeability, high saturation magnetization, and stable magnetic properties without magnetic aging, making it widely applicable in the electromagnetic field. The magnetic saturation of pure iron is 2.15T, and its permeability is 1.2566×10⁻⁶. -6With a magnetic field strength of H / m and a Curie point of 770℃, a closed loop is formed in the magnetic shielding unit to improve magnetic energy utilization and reduce scattering. Two fixed bases are respectively located on the top and bottom surfaces of the frame. The magnetic materials at both poles are N52 neodymium iron boron permanent magnets, serving as the magnetic field source to provide a stable magnetic field, and are respectively mounted on the two fixed bases. Permanent magnets, also known as hard magnetic materials, are functional materials that maintain strong magnetism for a long time after magnetization and are not easily demagnetized. N52 is the grade of neodymium iron boron, where N represents the N-series of neodymium iron boron, with a maximum operating temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. 52 indicates the energy product. The maximum energy product of neodymium iron boron is measured in MGOe, which is a key performance indicator. The energy product of N52 neodymium iron boron material is greater than or equal to 50 MGOe; high energy product is an advantage of N-series neodymium iron boron materials. The larger the number, the stronger the magnetism. The two electrodes are made of pure iron and are the same size as the magnetic material. The two electrodes are magnetically attracted to the two magnetic materials respectively, avoiding the need for drilling for fixation. They are also set concentrically with the corresponding magnetic materials. The space between the two electrodes is used to place the cell culture plate.

[0007] Furthermore, grooves are formed on the end faces of the two electrodes that are close to each other. The cell culture plate is placed between the two grooves, and the distance between the bottoms of the two grooves is an air gap H, forming a cylindrical space with a height of air gap H and a diameter the same as the diameter of the disk between the two electrodes. The air gap H is within the range of 10mm to 100mm, taking into account magnetic field strength, stability, reliability, and cost factors. The diameter of the electrode is D, and the ratio of D to H is 4 to 6. Within the cylindrical space, the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field strength are equal at any point, so that the cell culture plate can be placed at any position in the cylindrical space. This ensures the consistency of the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field in the space where the cells are located and eliminates the influence of other magnetic field parameters.

[0008] Furthermore, the depth of the groove is 1mm to 10mm. Since the magnetic field dissipates more strongly at the edge, the groove can better guide the magnetic field lines, ensuring that the magnetic field strength at the edge is consistent with that at the center; at the same time, the groove can serve as a positioning marker, allowing the cell culture plate to be accurately placed within it, avoiding uneven magnetic field strength caused by differences in the placement of the cell culture plate.

[0009] Furthermore, the shell of the magnetic shielding unit includes a permalloy layer and an aluminum alloy layer. The permalloy layer is the inner layer of the shell, and the aluminum alloy layer is the outer layer. The shell can be composed of various materials to shield electromagnetic waves emitted by the circuitry in the incubator, ensuring that they do not interfere with the permanent magnetic field in the cylindrical space. Permalloy has high magnetic permeability and can effectively shield low-frequency magnetic fields, such as the 50Hz electromagnetic waves from a 220V power supply. The aluminum alloy can generate eddy currents through electromagnetic induction. The eddy current magnetic field cancels out external high-frequency magnetic fields, preventing interference from external high-frequency electromagnetic fields to the permanent magnet's magnetic field.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a fixing component. The pole head, magnetic material, and fixing base are fastened together by the fixing component. Fixing holes are opened on the end face of the fixing base and the circumferential surface of the pole head. The fixing component is a fixing plate with an L-shaped angle plate structure. Through holes are opened on both sections of the fixing plate. The through holes on one section of the plate correspond to the fixing holes on the fixing base, and the through holes on the other section of the plate correspond to the fixing holes on the pole head. The through holes and fixing holes are fixed together by bolts. The plate surface of the fixing plate clamps the circumferential surface of the pole head and the magnetic material so that the circumferential surfaces of the pole head and the magnetic material are aligned.

[0011] Furthermore, both the pole head and the magnetic material are disk-shaped. The symmetry of the disk structure makes it easier to achieve high magnetic field uniformity, reaching 3% to 5%.

[0012] Furthermore, a space exists between the shell of the magnetic shielding unit and the inner wall of the incubator. The shell has a first vent and a second vent. An airflow renewal system is installed at the first vent. A gas sterilization channel is provided on the incubator, and this channel is connected to an external sterilization system, such as an ozone sterilization system or an ethylene oxide sterilization system.

[0013] Furthermore, the airflow renewal system includes an air circulation system and an air flow monitoring device. The air circulation system is connected to the first vent, and the air flow monitoring device is integrated into the airflow renewal system to detect the gas flow rate delivered into the magnetic shielding unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the incubator is equipped with heating units and temperature feedback control units on all six sides of its casing, and the heating units and temperature feedback control units are communicatively connected to each other. This ensures the uniformity of the temperature field within the incubator. The bottom heating unit of the biochemical incubator adopts a strong load-bearing structure design, ensuring that its load-bearing capacity is not less than 150 kg / m² under effective operation. 2 .

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The incubator of this invention is equipped with a uniform magnetic field generator and a magnetic shielding unit. The magnetic materials symmetrically arranged above and below the uniform magnetic field generator serve as a stable magnetic field source. The pure iron frame forms a closed loop in the magnetic field, improving magnetic energy utilization and reducing the escape field. The combination of two poles effectively improves the uniformity of the magnetic field in the working area holding the cell culture plate. Thus, through the combination of the frame, magnetic materials, and poles, a stronger steady-state magnetic field is provided, ensuring the consistency of magnetic field parameters at every point in the culture dish. This provides technical and equipment support for the study of precise magnetic field biological effects. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the uniform magnetic field generating device of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top view of the internal structure of the incubator of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the structural schematic diagram of the uniform magnetic field generating device of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetic field distribution within the cylindrical space of the present invention.

[0020] Among them, 1. Uniform magnetic field generating device, 2. Frame, 3. Fixing base, 4. Magnetic material, 5. Pole head, 6. Fixing component, 7. Magnetic shielding unit, 71. First vent, 72. Second vent, 8. Airflow renewal system, 9. Incubator, 91. Gas sterilization channel. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following is combined Figures 1 to 4 The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0022] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature; in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0023] It should be noted that the circuit connections involved in this invention all adopt conventional circuit connection methods and do not involve any innovation.

[0024] Example like Figure 1 As shown, a cell culture device for precise quantitative research on the biological effects of magnetic fields includes an incubator 9. The incubator 9 contains a uniform magnetic field generator 1 and a magnetic shielding unit 7. The uniform magnetic field generator 1 is housed within the magnetic shielding unit 7 and includes a frame 2, two mounting bases 3, two magnetic materials 4, and two poles 5. The frame 2 is a rectangular frame with high magnetic permeability, located within the cavity of the magnetic shielding unit 7. Specifically, it is made of DT4 electrical pure iron, a type of steel whose main chemical component is iron (99.50%–99.90%) and a carbon content below 0.04%. Pure iron possesses high permeability, high saturation magnetism, and stable magnetic properties without magnetic aging, making it widely used in the electromagnetic field. The magnetic saturation of pure iron is 2.15T, and its permeability is 1.2566 × 10⁻⁶. -6 With a diameter of H / m and a Curie point of 770℃, the magnetic field forms a closed loop, improving magnetic energy utilization and reducing the escape field. Two fixed bases 3 are respectively positioned on the top and bottom surfaces of the frame 2. The magnetic materials 4 at both poles are N52 neodymium iron boron permanent magnets, serving as magnetic field sources to provide a stable magnetic field. They are respectively positioned on the two fixed bases 3, and the magnetic materials 4 at both poles can be a combination of two or more pieces. Permanent magnets, also known as hard magnetic materials, are functional materials that can maintain strong magnetism for a long time after magnetization and are not easily demagnetized. N52 is the grade of neodymium iron boron, where N represents the N-series of neodymium iron boron, with a maximum operating temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. 52 indicates the magnetic energy product. The maximum energy product of neodymium iron boron is measured in MGOe (MegaGauss Oersteds), which is a key performance indicator of neodymium iron boron. The magnetic energy product of N52 neodymium iron boron material is greater than or equal to 50 MGOe; high magnetic energy product is an advantage of N-series neodymium iron boron materials. The larger the number, the stronger the magnetism. The two pole pieces 5 are made of a high-permeability material and are the same size as the magnetic material 4. The two pole pieces 5 are magnetically attracted to the magnetic material 4 at their respective poles and are concentrically positioned with the corresponding magnetic material 4. Figure 2 As shown, the central plane in the space along the H direction between the two pole heads 5 is used to place the cell culture plate.

[0025] like Figure 2As shown, grooves are formed on the end faces of the two electrodes 5 that are close to each other. The cell culture plate is placed between the two grooves, and the distance between the bottoms of the two grooves is the air gap H. The air gap H is 10mm~100mm, taking into account the thickness of the standard cell plate, experimental efficiency, and factors such as magnetic field strength, stability, reliability, and cost. A cylindrical space with a height of air gap H and a diameter the same as the diameter D of the disk is formed between the two electrodes 5. The diameter of the electrode is D, and the ratio of D to H is 4~6. The magnetic field strength in the working area can reach 6000GS. The magnitude and direction of the magnetic field strength at any point in the cylindrical space are equal, so that the cell culture plate can be placed at any position in the cylindrical space. This ensures the consistency of the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field in the space where the cells are located and eliminates the influence of other magnetic field parameters.

[0026] In some embodiments, the depth of the groove can be 1mm to 10mm. Since the magnetic field dissipates more strongly at the edge, the groove can better guide the magnetic field lines, ensuring that the magnetic field strength at the edge is consistent with that at the center; at the same time, the groove can serve as a positioning marker, allowing the cell culture plate to be placed accurately, avoiding uneven magnetic field strength caused by differences in the placement of the cell culture plate.

[0027] In some embodiments, the housing of the magnetic shielding unit 7 includes a permalloy layer and an aluminum alloy layer, with the permalloy layer being the inner layer and the aluminum alloy layer being the outer layer. The housing can be composed of various materials to shield the electromagnetic waves, i.e., electromagnetic fields, emitted by the circuitry in the incubator 9, ensuring that they do not interfere with the permanent magnetic field in the cylindrical space. Permalloy has high permeability and can effectively shield low-frequency magnetic fields, such as the 50Hz electromagnetic waves from a 220V power supply. Aluminum alloy can generate eddy currents through electromagnetic induction; the eddy current magnetic field cancels out external high-frequency magnetic fields, preventing interference from external high-frequency electromagnetic fields on the permanent magnet's magnetic field.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, it also includes a fixing member 6. The pole head 5, magnetic material 4 and fixing base 3 are clamped together by the fixing member 6. Fixing holes are opened on the end face of the fixing base 3 and the circumferential surface of the pole head 5. The fixing member 6 is a fixing plate with an L-shaped angle plate structure. Through holes are opened on both sections of the fixing plate. The through hole on one section corresponds to the fixing hole on the fixing base 3, and the through hole on the other section corresponds to the fixing hole on the pole head 5. The through holes and fixing holes are fixed by bolts. The plate surface of the fixing plate clamps the circumferential surface of the pole head 5 and the magnetic material 4 so that the circumferential surfaces of the pole head 5 and the magnetic material 4 are aligned.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, both the pole head 5 and the magnetic material 4 are disk structures. The symmetry of the disk structure makes it easier to obtain high magnetic field uniformity, which reaches 3% to 5%.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, there is a space between the shell of the magnetic shielding unit 7 and the inner wall of the incubator 9. The shell has a first vent 71 and a second vent 72. The second vent 72 is used to expel air that has circulated internally, preventing internal cell hypoxia or solution pH deviation caused by the sealed magnetic shielding unit 7. An airflow renewal system 8 is installed at the first vent 71. A gas sterilization channel 91 is provided on the incubator 9, which is connected to an external sterilization system, such as an ozone sterilization system or an ethylene oxide sterilization system.

[0031] The airflow renewal system 8 includes an air circulation system and an air flow monitoring device. The air circulation system is connected to the first vent 71. The air flow monitoring device is integrated into the airflow renewal system 8 and is used to detect the gas flow rate delivered into the magnetic shielding unit 7.

[0032] In some embodiments, heating units and temperature feedback control units are configured on all six sides of the incubator 9, and the heating units and temperature feedback control units are communicatively connected to ensure the uniformity of the temperature field inside the incubator; wherein the bottom heating unit of the biochemical incubator adopts a strong load-bearing structure design to ensure that the load-bearing capacity of the bottom heating unit of the biochemical incubator is not less than 150 kg / m² under effective operation. 2 .

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, color coding is used to represent different areas of magnetic field strength. The color bars on the right side of the figure indicate the correspondence between colors and magnetic field strength. The values ​​on the color bars represent the magnitude of the magnetic field strength, in Tesla. In this embodiment, the magnetic field strength range of the working area of ​​the cell culture device is 6.0072e-001 Tesla to 6.0093e-001 Tesla. According to the formula for calculating magnetic field strength uniformity, the uniformity of the magnetic field is within 0.03%, indicating excellent magnetic field uniformity.

[0034] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and any variations that can be conceived by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cell culture device for precise quantitative research on the biological effects of magnetic fields, comprising an incubator (9), characterized in that, The incubator (9) is equipped with a uniform magnetic field generator (1) and a magnetic shielding unit (7). The uniform magnetic field generator (1) is disposed in the magnetic shielding unit (7). The uniform magnetic field generator (1) includes: The frame (2) is a rectangular frame made of high magnetic permeability material, which is set in the inner cavity of the magnetic shielding unit (7); Two fixed seats (3) are respectively set on the top bottom surface and the bottom top surface of the frame (2); The magnetic materials (4) at both poles are permanent magnets, which serve as magnetic field sources to provide a stable magnetic field. They are respectively set on two fixed bases (3). Two pole heads (5) are made of high permeability material and have the same diameter as the magnetic material (4). The two pole heads (5) are magnetically attracted to the magnetic material (4) of the two poles respectively. Grooves are provided on the end faces of the two pole heads (5) that are close to each other, and the distance between the bottom of the two grooves is the air gap H. The air gap H ranges from 10mm to 100mm. The diameter of the pole head (5) is D, and the ratio of D to H is 4 to 6. A cylindrical working area is formed between the bottom of the two grooves, and the magnetic field uniformity in the working area is ≤0.03%. The depth of the groove is 1mm to 10mm; The fixing component (6) is used to clamp the pole head (5), magnetic material (4) and fixing base (3). Fixing holes are opened on the end face of the fixing base (3) and the circumferential surface of the pole head (5). The fixing component (6) is a fixing plate with an L-shaped corner plate structure. Through holes are opened on both sections of the fixing plate. The through hole on one section corresponds to the fixing hole on the fixing base (3), and the through hole on the other section corresponds to the fixing hole on the pole head (5). The through holes and fixing holes are fixed by bolts. The plate surface of the fixing plate clamps the circumferential surface of the pole head (5) and the magnetic material (4) so ​​that the circumferential surfaces of the pole head (5) and the magnetic material (4) are aligned. Both the pole head (5) and the magnetic material (4) are disc structures; The housing of the magnetic shielding unit (7) includes a permalloy layer and an aluminum alloy layer, wherein the permalloy layer is the inner layer of the housing and the aluminum alloy layer is the outer layer of the housing. There is a gap between the shell of the magnetic shielding unit (7) and the inner wall of the incubator (9). The shell is provided with a first vent (71) and a second vent (72). An airflow renewal system (8) is provided at the first vent (71). The second vent (72) is used to discharge the air after internal circulation. A gas sterilization channel (91) is provided on the incubator (9). The gas sterilization channel (91) is connected to an external sterilization system.

2. The cell culture device for precise quantitative research on the biological effects of magnetic fields according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airflow renewal system (8) includes an air circulation system and an air flow monitoring device. The air circulation system is connected to the first vent (71), and the air flow monitoring device is used to detect the gas flow rate delivered into the magnetic shielding unit (7).

3. The cell culture device for precise quantitative research on the biological effects of magnetic fields according to claim 1, characterized in that, The incubator (9) is equipped with heating units and temperature feedback control units on all six sides of its body, and the heating units and temperature feedback control units are connected in communication.

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