Full-automatic cell rack cabin

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic cell culture, in particular to a full-automatic cell rack cabin which comprises a consumable area, an operation area and a culture area which are sequentially arranged in the consumable flowing direction, and two sets of consumable racks and a driving component for controlling the consumable racks to rotate are arranged in the consumable area. A placing door A used for entering the consumable area and an interaction door B communicated with the operation area are arranged on the cabin wall of the consumable area, an interlocking device is arranged between the placing door A and the interaction door B, an efficient filter is assembled on the top of the consumable area, and an ozone generator is assembled in the consumable area. According to the full-automatic cell rack cabin provided by the invention, through multi-module sterile protection, a disc-shaped expandable rack and automatic transfer design, stable maintenance of a hundred-grade clean sterile environment is realized, consumable storage compatibility is high, operation is convenient, pollution risks are greatly reduced, and cell culture efficiency and large-scale suitability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated cell culture technology, specifically to a fully automated cell culture rack. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of automated cell culture technology, whether it's the passage culture of various cell types such as stem cells and immune cells, or the entire cell preparation process, a variety of consumables of different types and specifications are required, including culture flasks, centrifuge tubes, seed cells, culture media, trypsin, physiological saline, boxed tip tips of different specifications, and mineral water. The storage and supply of these consumables directly affect the efficiency, sterility, and large-scale production capacity of cell culture, and are the core technical challenges faced by automated cell culture equipment.

[0003] Existing technologies for the storage and supply of cell culture consumables present several problems. Firstly, existing consumable storage systems suffer from low integration. Limited equipment space makes it difficult to accommodate all consumables required for the entire cell culture process, necessitating frequent opening of the storage compartment to replenish supplies. This not only reduces manual operation efficiency but also easily disrupts the sterile environment within the compartment, increasing the risk of cell contamination. Secondly, the lack of effective aseptic pretreatment procedures during consumable unpacking and placement allows operators and consumables to directly enter the storage area, easily introducing external contaminants and resulting in substandard cleanliness at the consumable input end. Thirdly, existing rack designs are often inefficient, being mostly fixed structures with poor compatibility, making it difficult to accommodate various consumable specifications. Furthermore, the lack of human-machine interaction makes consumable placement and retrieval cumbersome. Finally, the absence of an effective isolation and protection mechanism between the consumable storage area and the cell preparation operation area allows for environmental exchange between the two areas when the door is opened, compromising the sterile state of the operation area.

[0004] Furthermore, as cell culture technology moves towards large-scale commercialization, laboratories are placing higher demands on the adaptability of equipment for mass production, ease of operation, and aseptic assurance capabilities. Existing equipment can only meet basic testing and verification needs and is insufficient to support large-scale production scenarios for product commercialization. Therefore, developing a fully automated cell culture rack with high integration, reliable aseptic assurance, and convenient operation has become key to solving the aforementioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings and problems of existing equipment and consumables storage, such as low integration, insufficient aseptic protection, cumbersome operation, and lack of scalability, this invention provides a fully automated cell material rack chamber. Through multi-module aseptic protection, a disc-shaped expandable material rack, and an automated transfer design, it achieves stable maintenance of a Class 100 clean and sterile environment, strong compatibility in consumables storage, convenient operation, significantly reduces the risk of contamination, and improves cell culture efficiency and scalability.

[0006] The solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: a fully automatic cell material rack compartment, comprising a consumable area, an operation area, and a culture area arranged sequentially along the consumable flow direction. The consumable area contains two sets of consumable racks and a drive component for controlling the rotation of the racks. The compartment wall of the consumable area is equipped with a placement door (A door) for entering the consumable area and an interactive door (B door) connecting to the operation area, with an interlocking device between the placement door (A door) and the interactive door (B door). The top of the consumable area is equipped with a high-efficiency filter, and an ozone generator is installed inside. The operation area integrates a cell storage area, a centrifugation area, a resuscitation area, a cell preparation area, and a refrigeration area. An air shower area is also provided at the entrance of the consumable area. This air shower area is a transitional clean passage. Between the air shower area and the placement door (A door), there is a consumable aseptic unpacking and preparation area, which together are used for cleaning, sterilizing, and unpacking pretreatment of operators and consumables to be placed entering the consumable area.

[0007] Furthermore, both sets of consumable racks are disc-shaped structures and are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the consumable area. Multiple rows of vertically arranged consumable storage positions are evenly distributed around the perimeter of the consumable rack. The driving component includes a stepper motor and a hollow rotating platform. The bottom of the consumable rack is fixedly connected to the hollow rotating platform. The stepper motor drives the hollow rotating platform through the output shaft to rotate the consumable rack at a preset angle, thereby realizing the storage, transportation, and aseptic supply of consumables throughout the cell culture process.

[0008] Furthermore, a material rack button is provided on the outside of the placement door A. The material rack button is electrically connected to a stepper motor. Pressing the corresponding material rack button control key triggers the stepper motor to start, driving the corresponding consumable rack to rotate to the optimal posture for placing or retrieving consumables.

[0009] Furthermore, the interlocking device is electrically connected to the placement door A and the interaction door B respectively, and includes a door status sensor and an electric lock, used to lock the other door when either door is open. When the placement door A is open, the interlocking device controls the interaction door B to remain locked; when the interaction door B is open, the interlocking device controls the placement door A to remain locked, thereby achieving aseptic isolation between the consumables area and the operating area.

[0010] Furthermore, the high-efficiency filter adopts a vertical airflow design with air supply from top to bottom and air outlet from bottom to top. The outlet of the ozone generator faces the interior of the consumables area. The two work together to create a Class 100 cleanliness and sterile environment in the consumables area. An exhaust duct is provided at the bottom of the consumables area, and a ball control valve is installed at the end of the exhaust duct. A differential pressure sensor is provided on the side. The differential pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber and dynamically adjust the pressure inside the chamber in conjunction with the ball control valve.

[0011] Furthermore, the culture area is a closed structure with an internal environmental monitoring module for precisely controlling the carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity within the area to simulate the in vivo growth environment of cells. The operation area is also equipped with a robotic arm for transferring cells and consumables between the cell storage area, centrifugation area, resuscitation area, cell preparation area, and refrigeration area, thereby automating the entire cell culture process in conjunction with the consumables area.

[0012] Furthermore, the consumable rack has an inclined support base in the consumable receiving position to prevent vertically placed consumables from being thrown out during rotation. For the consumable receiving position adapted to centrifuge tubes, a double-layer limiting bracket is provided to limit the insertion depth of centrifuge tubes.

[0013] Furthermore, the consumable rack is an expandable structure, with an expansion interface provided at the axial end of the consumable rack. The expansion interface can add one or more sets of racks to the existing set of racks by locking. The added racks are compatible with the original hollow rotary platform and stepper motor drive to expand the storage capacity of consumables.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are: The fully automated cell feed rack of this invention constructs a pre-containment sterile protection system with an air shower area and a sterile unpacking preparation area for consumables. It is equipped with a vertical airflow from a high-efficiency filter, the sterilization function of an ozone generator, and a dynamic positive pressure regulation system consisting of a differential pressure sensor and a ball valve. Combined with an interlocking device for the A-door and the interactive B-door, this multi-dimensional system strengthens the sterile barrier, eliminating the risk of contamination at the source and stably maintaining a Class 100 cleanroom and sterile environment. Two symmetrically arranged disc-shaped consumable racks maximize space utilization through vertical accommodating positions, are compatible with various types and specifications of consumables, and have axial expansion interfaces for flexible addition of rack groups without replacing the main body. It can adapt to different culture scales; the rotating structure driven by stepper motor and hollow rotating platform, together with the control button placed on the outside of the A door, can achieve precise positioning of the consumable storage position. The robotic arm in the operation area works in conjunction with various functional modules to realize the automated transfer and preparation of the entire cell culture process, which greatly improves the convenience of operation and work efficiency; the overall three-section split layout and standardized modular design take into account the convenience of processing and production, maintenance and batch adaptability, promote the upgrading of equipment from laboratory testing scenarios to commercial large-scale production applications, and solve the technical problems of sterility, compatibility and adaptability of existing consumable storage and supply. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the distribution of the equipment area according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the fully automated cell culture instrument of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a front view schematic diagram of the fully automated cell culture instrument of the present invention; Figure 4This is a top view of the internal structure of the fully automated cell culture instrument of the present invention; Figure 5 A door is placed in the consumables area of ​​this invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 6 A door is placed in the consumables area of ​​this invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 7 This is a front view of the internal structure of the consumable area of ​​the present invention; Figure 8 This is a top view of the internal structure of the consumables area of ​​the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a set of consumable rack structures according to the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the increased capacity consumable rack of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the partitioned structure of the fully automated cell culture instrument of the present invention.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Consumables area; 101. Consumables rack A; 102. Consumables rack B; 103. Placement door A; 104. Interactive door B; 105. Material rack button; 106. Hollow rotating platform; 107. Stepper motor; 108. Expansion interface; 2. Operation area; 201. Cell in / out storage area; 202. Centrifugation area; 203. Resuscitation area; 204. Cell preparation area; 205. Refrigeration area; 3. Culture area; 4. High-efficiency filter; 5. Ozone generator; 6. Interlock device; 7. Robotic arm; 8. Differential pressure sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0018] Please see Figure 1-11 This invention provides a technical solution for a fully automated cell feed rack: Example

[0019] like Figure 1 , 11As shown, the fully automated cell culture chamber is arranged sequentially according to the flow path of consumables during cell culture: consumables area 1, operation area 2, and culture area 3. These three areas form a complete cell culture workflow through a rational spatial layout. An air shower area is located at the entrance of consumables area 1, serving as a transitional clean passage. Between this air shower area and the placement door A103 of consumables area 1, a sterile unpacking and preparation area for consumables is also planned. When consumables need to be replenished to consumables area 1, the operator and the consumables to be placed must first enter the air shower area. High-speed airflow removes dust and impurities from the operator's body and the surface of the consumables, completing the first cleaning and sterilization process and laying a sterile foundation for subsequent unpacking and placement of consumables. Subsequently, the consumables are unpacked in the sterile unpacking and preparation area to prevent contaminants from the outer packaging from entering the chamber, thus reducing the risk of contamination at the source.

[0020] The left and right bulkheads of consumables area 1 are equipped with corresponding placement doors A 103 and interaction doors B 104, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, door A 103 is used by operators to place unpacked consumables, and door B 104 is used to connect consumables transfer areas 1 and 2. A high-efficiency filter 4 is installed at the top of consumables area 1, and an ozone generator 5 is installed on the inner side wall. The high-efficiency filter 4 adopts a vertical airflow design with upward air supply and downward air outlet. This airflow pattern can form a stable clean airflow field, expelling contaminants downwards from the chamber. Simultaneously, the ozone generator 5 releases ozone gas into the chamber. Ozone has strong oxidizing properties and can effectively kill residual bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in the chamber. The synergistic effect of these two components allows consumables area 1 to stably meet the Class 100 cleanroom standard while constructing an ISO 5 level sterile environment, providing reliable sterility assurance for consumable storage. An exhaust duct is installed at the bottom of the consumables area 1, and a ball control valve is installed at the end of the exhaust duct. A differential pressure sensor 8 is also installed on the side of the consumables area 1. The differential pressure sensor 8 detects the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber in real time and feeds back the signal. When the pressure inside the chamber is greater than the preset threshold, the ball control valve opens automatically to release the pressure inside the chamber and prevent the chamber from being damaged due to excessive pressure. When the pressure inside the chamber is less than the preset threshold, the high-efficiency filter 4 increases the air supply pressure to keep the chamber in a positive pressure state. The pressure difference is used to block external pollutants from entering the chamber and ensure the stability of the clean environment.

[0021] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, there are two sets of consumable racks inside the consumable area 1, namely consumable rack A101 and consumable rack B102. Both sets of consumable racks adopt a disc-shaped structure design and are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of consumable area 1. Each set of disc-shaped consumable racks has multiple rows of vertically arranged consumable storage positions evenly distributed around its perimeter. The vertical storage position design can make full use of the longitudinal space, increase the consumable storage capacity per unit space, and meet the storage needs of various consumables in the entire cell culture process. The bottom of the consumable rack is fixedly connected to the hollow rotating platform 106. The driving component is a stepper motor 107. The output shaft of the stepper motor 107 is connected to the hollow rotating platform 106 for transmission. The stepper motor 107 has the characteristics of high control precision and stable speed. It can drive the hollow rotating platform 106 to rotate the consumable rack at a specific angle according to the preset program, so that the column where consumables need to be placed or retrieved is rotated to the best position that matches the operator's operating posture. This not only makes it convenient for the operator to quickly complete the loading of consumables, but also makes it convenient for the robotic arm 7 to accurately grasp the consumables, realizing the efficient connection of consumable storage, transportation and sterile supply.

[0022] like Figure 6 As shown, two rack buttons 105 are provided on the outer wall where door A 103 is placed. The two rack buttons 105 are electrically connected to the stepper motors 107 of the two consumable racks through a circuit. The rack buttons 105 include independent control keys corresponding to consumable racks A101 and B102 respectively. When placing consumables, the operator only needs to press the corresponding control key to trigger the stepper motor 107 to start and drive the corresponding consumable rack to rotate to the target position, thereby improving the efficiency of consumable loading.

[0023] like Figure 9 As shown, each consumable shelf in the consumable rack is equipped with an inclined support base. The inclined design of the support base is based on the principle of centrifugal force. When the consumable rack rotates, the consumables placed vertically in the shelf will be subjected to centrifugal force. The inclined support base can provide lateral support for the consumables, offsetting part of the centrifugal force and effectively preventing the consumables from being thrown out of the shelf during rotation, thus ensuring the stability of consumable storage. For consumables such as centrifuge tubes that are long and require precise positioning, a double-layer limiting bracket is specially set in the corresponding consumable shelf. The double-layer limiting bracket limits the insertion depth of the centrifuge tube through the upper and lower limiting structures, preventing the centrifuge tube from shaking or tipping over during rotation due to incomplete insertion, or affecting the accuracy of subsequent gripping by the robotic arm 7, thus ensuring the reliability of centrifuge tube storage and use.

[0024] like Figure 11As shown, the operation area 2 integrates a cell storage area 201, a centrifugation area 202, a resuscitation area 203, a cell preparation area 204, and a refrigeration area 205. These areas are sequentially arranged along the consumable transport path, forming a continuous cell preparation production line. The operation area 2 is also equipped with a six-axis robotic arm 7. This six-axis robotic arm has multi-degree-of-freedom motion capabilities, allowing it to flexibly move between the functional areas, achieving precise transport of cells and consumables. Combined with the sterile consumable supply in the consumables area 1, this enables fully automated cell culture operations from resuscitation and passage to culture and harvest, significantly reducing the risk of contamination from manual intervention while improving operational efficiency.

[0025] Culture zone 3 adopts a closed structure design and is equipped with an environmental monitoring module (using a mature monitoring and control module with existing technology). The environmental monitoring module can detect environmental parameters such as carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and humidity in culture zone 3 in real time, and make precise adjustments according to the preset cell growth requirements. By simulating the cell growth environment in vivo, it provides stable and suitable growth conditions for cell and tissue culture and research in vitro, effectively ensuring the success rate of cell culture. Example

[0026] Based on Example 1, the similarities between this example and Example 1 will not be repeated here. The differences are as follows: like Figure 5 , 6 As shown, an interlocking device 6 is installed between the placement door A 103 and the interactive door B 104 in the consumables area 1. The interlocking device 6 mainly consists of a door status sensor and an electric lock. The door status sensor is installed at the connection between the door frame and the door leaf of placement door A 103 and interactive door B 104, respectively, to detect the opening and closing status of the two doors in real time. The electric lock is linked with the lock body of each door to realize the locking and unlocking control of the doors. The door status sensor and the electric lock form a closed-loop control link through the control circuit. When the operator opens placement door A 103 to replenish consumables, the door status sensor on placement door A 103 detects the door opening signal and transmits the signal to the control module of the interlocking device 6. The control module then sends a locking signal to the electric lock of interactive door B 104, keeping interactive door B 104 locked and unable to be opened. Conversely, when interactive door B 104 is in the open state, its corresponding door status sensor transmits the opening signal to the control module, and the control module controls the electric lock of placement door A 103 to lock, preventing placement door A 103 from being opened. By using electrical control to ensure that the two doors can only be opened separately, the connection between the consumables area 1 and the operation area 2 can be completely isolated when not in transit. This prevents contaminants that may be brought into the operation area 2 when replenishing consumables in the consumables area 1 due to operator error from opening both doors at the same time, or the sterile environment of the operation area 2 being disrupted by external air. This provides a stable Class 100 clean and sterile environment for the cell preparation process in the operation area 2, further ensuring the quality of cell preparation. Example

[0027] Based on Example 1, such as Figure 9 , 10 As shown, each consumable rack has an expansion interface 108 at its axial end. This expansion interface 108 adopts a standardized locking structure design, and its dimensions are compatible with the main structure of the consumable rack. When a user needs to increase the consumable storage capacity, they can add one or more consumable racks of the same structure to the existing rack using a detachable connection method such as bolt fastening via the expansion interface 108. The newly added consumable rack is mechanically connected to the original consumable rack through the expansion interface 108, and simultaneously forms a transmission connection with the original hollow rotating platform 106 and stepper motor 107, ensuring that the new consumable rack can rotate synchronously and stably with the original consumable rack under the drive of the stepper motor 107. The expanded design allows for adjustments to the consumable storage capacity based on actual user needs, without requiring replacement of the entire material rack structure, thus reducing equipment upgrade costs. Simultaneously, the new consumable rack maintains the same transmission method and operating logic as the original structure, minimizing the learning curve for operators. This balances equipment flexibility and ease of use, enabling the equipment to adapt to cell culture scenarios of varying scales and enhancing its market applicability.

[0028] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated cell feed rack, characterized in that, The consumable area includes a consumable area (1), an operation area (2), and a culture area (3) arranged sequentially along the consumable flow direction. The consumable area (1) contains two sets of consumable racks and a drive unit for controlling the rotation of the consumable racks. The consumable area (1) has a placement door A (103) for entering the consumable area and an interactive door B (104) connecting to the operation area (2). An interlocking device (6) is installed between the placement door A (103) and the interactive door B (104). A high-efficiency filter (4) is installed on the top of the consumable area (1). Equipped with an ozone generator (5); the operation area (2) integrates a cell storage area (201), a centrifugation area (202), a resuscitation area (203), a cell preparation area (204), and a refrigeration area (205); an air shower area is also provided at the entrance of the consumables area (1), which is a transitional clean channel. Between the air shower area and the placement door (103), there is a consumables sterile unpacking and preparation area, which are used together to clean, sterilize and unpack consumables for the operators entering the consumables area (1) and the consumables to be placed.

2. The fully automated cell feed rack according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both sets of consumable racks are disc-shaped structures and are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the consumable area (1). Multiple rows of vertically arranged consumable storage positions are evenly distributed around the perimeter of the consumable rack. The driving component includes a stepper motor (107) and a hollow rotating platform (106). The bottom of the consumable rack is fixedly connected to the hollow rotating platform (106). The stepper motor (107) drives the hollow rotating platform (106) through the output shaft to rotate the consumable rack at a preset angle, thereby realizing the storage, transportation and sterile supply of consumables for the entire cell culture process.

3. The fully automated cell feed rack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer side of the placement door (103) is provided with a material rack button (105). The material rack button (105) is electrically connected to the stepper motor (107). Pressing the corresponding material rack button (105) control key triggers the stepper motor (107) to start, driving the corresponding consumable rack to rotate to the best posture suitable for placing or taking consumables.

4. The fully automated cell feed rack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The interlocking device (6) is electrically connected to the placement door A (103) and the interactive door B (104) respectively. It includes a door status sensor and an electric lock, which is used to lock the other door when either door is open. When the placement door A (103) is in the open state, the interlocking device (6) controls the interactive door B (104) to remain locked. When the interactive door B (104) is in the open state, the interlocking device (6) controls the placement door A (103) to remain locked, thereby achieving sterile isolation between the consumable area (1) and the operation area (2).

5. The fully automated cell feed rack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-efficiency filter (4) adopts a vertical airflow design with air supply from top to bottom. The outlet of the ozone generator (5) faces the inside of the consumable area (1). The two work together to make the consumable area (1) a Class 100 clean and sterile environment. The bottom of the consumable area (1) is provided with an exhaust duct. A ball control valve is installed at the end of the exhaust duct and a differential pressure sensor (8) is provided on the side. The differential pressure sensor (8) is used to detect the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber and dynamically adjust the pressure inside the chamber in conjunction with the ball control valve.

6. The fully automated cell feed rack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The culture area (3) is a closed structure with an internal environmental monitoring module for precise control of carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and humidity within the area to simulate the cell growth environment. The operation area (2) is also equipped with a robotic arm (7) for transferring cells and consumables between the cell storage area (201), centrifugation area (202), recovery area (203), cell preparation area (204) and refrigeration area (205), in conjunction with the consumables area (1) to achieve full automation of the cell culture process.

7. The fully automated cell feed rack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The consumable rack has an inclined support base in the consumable storage position to prevent vertically placed consumables from being thrown out during rotation. For the consumable storage position adapted to centrifuge tubes, there is a double-layer limiting bracket to limit the insertion depth of centrifuge tubes.

8. A fully automated cell feed rack according to claim 2 or 7, characterized in that, The consumable rack is an expandable structure. An expansion interface (108) is provided at the axial end of the consumable rack. The expansion interface (108) can add one or more sets of racks on the basis of the existing set of racks by locking. The added racks are adapted to the original hollow rotating platform (106) and stepper motor (107) to expand the storage capacity of consumables.

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