incubator

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of experimental instruments, and discloses a culture box, which comprises a box body, a shell and an inner container, an airflow channel is formed between the inner container and the shell, the inner container has a cavity inside, the inner container is provided with oppositely arranged first and second side walls, the first side wall is provided with an airflow outlet, a metal heating piece is arranged on the second side wall and opposite to the airflow outlet and is used for heating the airflow, the metal heating piece has a plurality of pores inside and is communicated with the airflow channel and the cavity, the pore diameters of the plurality of pores gradually decrease along the direction of the airflow passing through the metal heating piece, so that the airflow after passing through the metal heating piece is in a uniform laminar flow state, and an airflow driving piece is arranged in the airflow channel between the inner container and the shell, an air inlet of the airflow driving piece is adjacent to the airflow outlet, and an air outlet of the airflow driving piece is adjacent to the metal heating piece. The culture box can keep the temperature in the cavity uniform through cooperation of the metal heating piece, the airflow outlet, the airflow driving piece and the airflow channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of experimental instrument technology, specifically to an incubator. Background Technology

[0002] In laboratory operations in fields such as biology, medicine, and pharmacy, automated incubators are core equipment for culturing cell, microbial, and tissue samples. Currently, mainstream incubators mainly adopt air-jacketed or water-jacketed heating structures, maintaining the required temperature environment for culture by heating the air inside the incubator or the water bath in the jacket.

[0003] However, in practice, it was found that the above heating method could not maintain a uniform temperature within the incubator. This not only affected the uniformity of sample growth but also caused localized overcooling or overheating of the surface of the culture containers (such as culture flasks, culture plates, and dishes), leading to condensation of water vapor in the air on the container walls, forming condensation droplets or water mist, thus affecting the effective acquisition of sample images. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an incubator to solve the problem that existing heating methods cannot maintain a uniform temperature inside the incubator.

[0005] This invention provides an incubator, comprising: The housing includes an outer shell and an inner liner, the inner liner being disposed inside the outer shell, and an airflow channel being formed between the inner liner and the outer shell; the inner liner has a cavity inside, and the inner liner also has a first side wall and a second side wall disposed opposite to each other, the first side wall being provided with an airflow outlet; A metal heating element is used to heat the airflow. The metal heating element is disposed on the second side wall and is opposite to the airflow outlet. The metal heating element has multiple pores inside that connect the airflow channel and the cavity. Along the direction of airflow through the metal heating element, the diameter of the multiple pores decreases from large to small so that the airflow after passing through the metal heating element is in a uniform laminar flow state. An airflow drive is disposed in the airflow channel between the inner liner and the outer shell, with the air inlet of the airflow drive adjacent to the airflow outlet and the air outlet of the airflow drive adjacent to the metal heating element.

[0006] Beneficial effects: This invention, by setting a porous metal heating element on the second side wall of the inner liner, and using an airflow drive to draw air from the airflow outlet on the first side wall and send it to the metal heating element through the airflow channel, ensures that the air is uniformly heated and forced into a uniform laminar flow state before smoothly returning to the cavity as it flows through the gradually decreasing pore size. This creates a circulating hot airflow without eddies or dead zones throughout the cavity, effectively eliminating localized overcooling or overheating areas. This keeps the temperature inside the cavity uniform and avoids condensation caused by temperature differences, providing a clear imaging window for subsequent sample image acquisition and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the image data.

[0007] In one alternative embodiment, the pore size decreases in a gradient along the direction of the airflow through the metal heating element.

[0008] Beneficial effects: This invention designs the pore size inside the metal heating element to gradually decrease along the airflow direction. As the air flows through, it is initially dispersed and fully heat-exchanged in the larger pore area. Subsequently, it is further forced to split and rectify in the gradually narrowing pore channel, and finally leaves the heating element smoothly in a laminar flow state with uniform flow velocity and consistent direction. This gradient transition method avoids the problems of local turbulence and excessive pressure drop caused by abrupt changes in pore size, and ensures the temperature consistency and flow uniformity of the airflow across the entire heating cross section, thereby effectively improving the stability and uniformity of the temperature field in the culture chamber.

[0009] In one optional embodiment, along the direction of the airflow through the metal heating element, the metal heating element includes a plurality of stacked sintered porous metal layers, each of the sintered porous metal layers having a plurality of pores, and the pores in adjacent sintered porous metal layers are interconnected; along the direction of the airflow through the metal heating element, the pore diameter of the sintered porous metal layer located upstream of the airflow is larger than the pore diameter of the sintered porous metal layer located downstream of the airflow.

[0010] Beneficial effects: The large-aperture layer located upstream can initially capture and disperse the incoming airflow, reduce wind resistance and achieve coarse heat exchange by utilizing its large flow cross-section. The small-aperture layer located downstream further divides the airflow into countless micro-streams for deep heat exchange and fine rectification. The functions of each level are clearly defined and work together efficiently, improving heating efficiency and airflow uniformity compared to a single-aperture structure.

[0011] In one optional embodiment, the cavity is provided with a culture support and a culture vessel disposed on the culture support; on the projection plane perpendicular to the airflow passing through the cavity, the orthographic projection of the airflow outlet and the orthographic projection of the metal heating element have equal length and equal width; the orthographic projections of the culture support and the culture vessel fall within the orthographic projection range of the metal heating element.

[0012] Beneficial effects: By setting the projections of the airflow outlet and the metal heating element to be of equal length and width, and ensuring that the orthographic projections of the culture support and culture vessel fall completely within the orthographic projection range of the metal heating element, the uniform laminar hot air output by the metal heating element can flow through the entire culture area with a complete cross section, avoiding the generation of eddy zones or dead zones due to misalignment between the airflow cross section and the culture area. This ensures that each culture vessel is in a uniform hot air environment, improving the overall consistency of the temperature field within the cavity and the consistency of sample culture.

[0013] In one optional embodiment, a flow guiding structure is provided at the airflow outlet. The flow guiding structure includes multiple air guide plates, which are arranged side by side along the length of the airflow outlet and adapted to the cross-section of the airflow outlet. The air guide plates are rotatably engaged with the side wall of the airflow outlet via a rotating shaft. The air guide plates are used to guide the airflow to the air inlet of the airflow drive component.

[0014] Beneficial effects: This invention, by setting a flow guiding structure composed of multiple air guide plates at the air outlet, and allowing each air guide plate to adjust its guiding angle around a rotation axis, can flexibly guide the return airflow to the air inlet of the airflow drive component according to actual working conditions. This effectively avoids short-circuiting or local eddy phenomena caused by turbulent airflow direction, thereby improving the flow efficiency and stability of the circulating air path. At the same time, the multiple air guide plates are arranged side by side along the length of the air outlet and are adapted to the outlet cross-section, which can guide the airflow of the entire outlet cross-section in zones, ensuring that the return air in each area flows back to the airflow drive component evenly and smoothly. This helps to maintain the balance of airflow velocity and pressure in the entire circulation system, further ensuring the consistency of the temperature field in the cavity and the reliability of long-term operation.

[0015] In one optional embodiment, along the height direction of the incubator, the cavity is provided with a plurality of spaced first partitions, which divide the cavity into a plurality of sub-chambers; the first sidewall is provided with a plurality of airflow outlets, and the second sidewall is provided with a plurality of metal heating elements, and the plurality of sub-chambers are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of airflow outlets and the plurality of metal heating elements.

[0016] Beneficial effects: This invention divides the chamber into multiple independent sub-chambers by setting multiple first partitions along the height direction of the incubator, and equips each sub-chamber with a corresponding airflow outlet and metal heating element. This allows each sub-chamber to independently perform airflow circulation and temperature control, dividing the large-volume culture space into multiple more easily controllable small units. This effectively avoids the temperature stratification problem caused by the inherent temperature difference in the height direction (such as the effect of hot air rising) under a single heating system, and greatly improves the temperature uniformity of the entire chamber in the height direction. At the same time, the physical isolation between the sub-chambers by the partitions can avoid crosstalk between airflows at different height levels, further enhancing the independence and stability of temperature control in each layer. Moreover, this layered structure allows for flexible adjustment of temperature parameters in each layer according to actual culture needs, adapting to diverse culture scenarios.

[0017] In one optional embodiment, along the height direction of the incubator, a plurality of second partitions are provided between the inner liner and the outer shell, the plurality of second partitions dividing the airflow channel into a plurality of sub-channels, the plurality of sub-channels being provided one-to-one with a plurality of sub-chambers, and communicating with the corresponding sub-chambers through the corresponding airflow outlets and the pores in the metal heating element; the number of airflow driving elements is plurality, and at least one airflow driving element is provided in each sub-channel.

[0018] Beneficial effects: This invention divides the airflow channel between the inner liner and the outer shell into independent sub-channels corresponding to each sub-chamber by setting multiple second baffles in the airflow channel. Each sub-channel is equipped with an airflow drive component, making the circulation air path of each sub-chamber completely independent and non-interfering. This avoids temperature coupling and energy loss caused by airflow crosstalk between layers, ensuring that each sub-chamber can independently maintain its set temperature control parameters. At the same time, the independent circulation design of each sub-channel allows the system to flexibly activate or adjust the speed and heating power of the fans in each layer according to different loading volumes or different cultivation needs. This reduces redundant energy consumption and enhances the adaptability and operational stability of the system in complex cultivation scenarios.

[0019] In one optional embodiment, the incubator is further provided with multiple image acquisition devices, and each sub-chamber is provided with at least one image acquisition device. The image acquisition device is disposed on the first partition located above in its corresponding sub-chamber, and the image acquisition device in the uppermost sub-chamber is disposed on the top wall of the inner liner. The sub-chamber is also provided with a culture vessel, and the image acquisition device is used to acquire images of the culture vessel. Alternatively, each of the sub-chambers may also be provided with a culture support and a culture vessel disposed on the culture support; the incubator may also be provided with multiple image acquisition devices, one end of which is fixed to the bottom of the upper culture support and the other end of which passes through the first partition. The image acquisition device is used to acquire images of the culture vessel on the lower culture support adjacent to it; the culture vessel on the culture support is photographed by at least one of the image acquisition devices, and the image acquisition device corresponding to the uppermost sub-chamber is disposed on the top wall of the inner liner.

[0020] Beneficial effects: This invention utilizes the vertical space between layers by independently configuring an image acquisition device in each sub-chamber and setting the image acquisition device at the bottom of the upper first partition or the top wall of the inner liner, so that it can take fixed-point, real-time pictures of the culture vessels below. This ensures that the culture vessels in each layer are within the clear field of view of the corresponding image acquisition device, and that the pictures of each layer do not interfere with each other.

[0021] In one optional embodiment, the box body is provided with an opening communicating with the cavity, and a box cover is provided at the opening for opening or closing the cavity; a guide post extending along the height direction of the incubator is provided on the side of the cavity near the opening, and a conveying mechanism slidably connected to the guide post is provided on the guide post for conveying the culture vessel on the culture support; a sampling window structure is provided on the box cover, the sampling window structure including a sampling window body, the sampling window body having a receiving cavity adapted to the culture vessel, an inner door on the side of the sampling window body located in the cavity, and an outer door on the side of the sampling window body located outside the box body, wherein the inner door and the outer door can be opened selectively.

[0022] Beneficial Effects: This invention, by providing an opening and a closable lid on the chamber, facilitates the placement and removal of culture vessels by staff. Simultaneously, a guide post and a sliding transport mechanism are installed on the side of the chamber near the opening, automatically transporting culture vessels from the culture support between the chamber and the opening without manual insertion, reducing operational difficulty and the risk of contamination. Furthermore, the lid features a sampling window with a receiving cavity, and the design allows for selective opening of the inner and outer doors. After the culture vessel is placed into the receiving cavity by the transport mechanism, the inner door can be closed first, followed by the outer door for transfer. During this process, the chamber remains isolated from the outside environment, preventing temperature fluctuations and contaminant intrusion caused by direct opening of the lid. This ensures the stability and cleanliness of the temperature field within the chamber during sampling or transfer operations, further guaranteeing the continuity of long-term culture processes and sample safety.

[0023] In one alternative embodiment, the distances from the airflow drive to the airflow outlet and the metal heating element are equal.

[0024] Beneficial effects: By setting the distance from the airflow drive component to the airflow outlet and the metal heating component to be equal, the present invention ensures that the path length of the airflow drive component drawing back air from the airflow outlet is consistent with the path length of the airflow supplied to the metal heating component. This ensures that the wind resistance on both sides of the circulating air path is symmetrical and balanced, avoiding uneven flow distribution caused by excessive or insufficient resistance on one side due to different path lengths. This helps to form a stable circulating air pressure and improves the operating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the entire airflow circulation loop. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an incubator according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the incubator when the lid is open. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of an incubator according to an embodiment of the present invention from a top view. Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the inner liner structure; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the inner liner from another perspective; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner liner of the present invention when the arc-shaped drainage plate is not installed; Figure 7 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of the metal heating element in the middle; Figure 8 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial structural schematic of the incubator.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Box body; 101. Outer shell; 102. Inner liner; 1021. Cavity; 10211. First side wall; 10212. Second side wall; 1022. Sub-chamber; 1023. Air outlet; 103. Airflow channel; 1031. Sub-channel; 104. Box opening; 105. Box cover; 2. Metal heating element; 201. Air inlet layer; 202. Intermediate layer; 203. Leeward layer; 3. Airflow driving element; 4. Culture support; 5. Culture vessel; 6. Air guide plate; 7. First partition; 8. Second partition; 9. Image acquisition device; 10. Guide column; 11. Transport mechanism; 12. Sampling window structure; 1201. Receiving cavity; 1202. Inner door; 1203. Outer door; 13. Arc-shaped drainage plate. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 8 The following describes embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] According to embodiments of the present invention, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an incubator is provided, including: a chamber body 1, a metal heating element 2, and an airflow driving element 3.

[0031] Specifically, the housing 1 includes an outer shell 101 and an inner liner 102. The inner liner 102 is disposed inside the outer shell 101, and an airflow channel 103 is formed between the inner liner 102 and the outer shell 101. The inner liner 102 has a cavity 1021 inside, and the inner liner 102 also has a first side wall 10211 and a second side wall 10212 disposed opposite to each other. An airflow outlet 1023 is provided on the first side wall 10211. A metal heating element 2 is used to heat the airflow, and the metal heating element 2 is disposed on the second side wall 10212. The metal heating element 2 is arranged opposite to the air outlet 1023. It has multiple pores that connect the airflow channel 103 and the cavity 1021. Along the direction of airflow through the metal heating element 2, the diameter of the multiple pores decreases from large to small so that the airflow after passing through the metal heating element 2 is in a uniform laminar flow state. The airflow drive 3 is arranged in the airflow channel 103 between the inner liner 102 and the outer shell 101. The air inlet of the airflow drive 3 is adjacent to the air outlet 1023, and the air outlet of the airflow drive 3 is adjacent to the metal heating element 2.

[0032] It is understood that, in this embodiment of the invention, a metal heating element 2 with multiple internal pores is provided on the second side wall 10212 of the inner liner 102, and the airflow drive 3 draws air from the airflow outlet 1023 of the first side wall 10211 and sends it to the metal heating element 2 through the airflow channel 103. When the air flows through the pores with gradually decreasing diameter, it is both uniformly heated and forced into a uniform laminar flow state before smoothly returning to the cavity 1021. This forms a circulating hot air without eddies or dead zones in the entire cavity 1021, effectively eliminating local overcooling or overheating areas. As a result, the temperature in the cavity 1021 remains uniform, avoiding condensation caused by temperature differences. This provides a clear shooting window for subsequent sample image acquisition, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the image data.

[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, the metal heating element 2 can heat the airflow because it is made of conductive metal material and has electrodes connected to both ends. When current flows through the porous substrate of the metal heating element 2, the metal substrate itself generates Joule heat (resistive heating effect), which raises the temperature of the entire porous metal structure. When air flows through the interconnected pores inside, forced convection heat transfer occurs between the air and the high-temperature pore walls. The pore walls transfer heat to the flowing air, thereby achieving rapid heating of the airflow.

[0034] Furthermore, by incorporating pores within the metal heating element 2, not only is the surface area of ​​the metal heating element 2 increased, thus enhancing the contact area between the airflow and the metal heating element 2 and improving convective heat transfer efficiency, but the pore structure itself also forms a flow channel for air passage, integrating heating and airflow regulation functions. As air passes through the tortuous and interconnected pore network, it is repeatedly cut, mixed, and heated, further promoting temperature field homogenization. Simultaneously, the presence of pores reduces the overall weight of the metal heating element 2, lowers thermal inertia, and allows for faster heating and cooling responses, facilitating precise temperature control. Moreover, this porous structure facilitates in-situ sterilization by electrically heating to high temperatures. Specifically, under no-load conditions, the metal heating element 2 can be electrically heated to a temperature sufficient to oxidize and decompose organic matter, using high temperatures to burn off microorganisms and organic residues adhering to the inner walls of the pores, thereby maintaining the cleanliness of the cultivation environment and extending the continuous operation cycle of the equipment.

[0035] It is understandable that, since the metal heating element 2 in this embodiment can make the airflow enter the cavity 1021 in a uniform laminar flow state, this means that the multiple pores inside the metal heating element 2 are not simple parallel straight holes, and the multiple pores are not concentrated, but are statistically uniformly distributed on the entire cross section of the heating element. In this way, when the airflow passes through any cross section position of the heating element, the flow resistance it encounters is similar and the flow path length tends to be the same, thereby ensuring that the flow velocity and airflow direction at each point on the outlet cross section are highly consistent.

[0036] Specifically, in this embodiment, the structure of the airflow outlet 1023 can be any one of, but not limited to, a grid hole, a long strip slit, a honeycomb hole, or an array of circular holes. The grid hole design, by setting multiple parallel grid bars at the outlet, can both provide initial rectification and guidance for the airflow and prevent culture containers or foreign objects from accidentally falling into the airflow channel. The long strip slit design is arranged along the length of the airflow outlet, featuring a simple structure and low wind resistance. The honeycomb hole or array of circular holes disperses the airflow into multiple fine airflows through multiple small holes arranged in a matrix, which helps to reduce the airflow velocity and turbulence intensity, making the return air more gentle and uniform. Furthermore, the above-mentioned various hole structures can be combined according to actual needs, for example, using different opening forms in different areas of the airflow outlet to meet the airflow distribution requirements under specific operating conditions.

[0037] Specifically, in this embodiment, the airflow drive 3 can be any one of a turbine fan, centrifugal fan, axial fan, or cross-flow fan.

[0038] Preferably, a low-speed, high-volume micro-wind circulation fan (such as a turbine fan) is selected and installed in the airflow channel 103 between the metal heating element 2 and the first side wall 10211 of the inner liner 102. This fan is responsible for slowly drawing air from the cavity 1021 to create negative pressure, ensuring that the airflow can flow evenly and smoothly in the airflow channel 103, and avoiding turbulence or disturbance of the temperature field in the cavity 1021 due to excessive wind speed.

[0039] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, the pore size decreases gradually along the direction of airflow through the metal heating element 2. It can be understood that this embodiment of the invention designs the pore size inside the metal heating element 2 to decrease gradually along the airflow direction. This allows the air to be initially dispersed and fully heat-exchanged in the larger pore area during flow, and then further forced to split and rectify in the gradually narrowing pore channel, finally leaving the heating element smoothly in a laminar flow state with uniform velocity and consistent direction. This gradient transition avoids the problems of local turbulence and excessive pressure drop caused by abrupt changes in pore size, while ensuring temperature consistency and flow uniformity across the entire heating cross-section, thereby effectively improving the stability and uniformity of the temperature field within the culture chamber 1021.

[0040] Specifically, the gradient reduction referred to in this embodiment can be a continuous decrease in orifice size along the airflow direction, or a step-like gradual decrease. That is, multiple sections or layers with gradually decreasing pore sizes are set sequentially from upstream to downstream, with the pore size within each section remaining basically consistent, and the pore size decreasing between adjacent sections. It can be understood that, regardless of whether it is a continuous or step-like decrease, as long as the overall pore size tends to decrease along the airflow direction, allowing the airflow to pass through the three stages of dispersion, heat exchange, and rectification in sequence, and forming a uniform laminar flow state at the outlet, it falls within the scope of the orifice gradient reduction described in this embodiment of the invention.

[0041] Preferably, a step-by-step decreasing method is adopted. For example, the metal heating element 2 is set up with three functional layers along the airflow direction: a large-aperture layer, a medium-aperture layer, and a small-aperture layer. Each layer has a clear division of labor: the large-aperture layer provides coarse dispersion, the medium-aperture layer provides sufficient heat exchange, and the small-aperture layer provides fine rectification.

[0042] Specifically, in this embodiment, the metal heating element 2 can be fixed to the second sidewall 10212 by welding, or by bolting, riveting, snap-fitting, or bonding, as long as the connection between the metal heating element 2 and the second sidewall 10212 is stable and the surrounding area is well sealed. Preferably, bolting is used to facilitate the installation, disassembly, replacement, and maintenance of the metal heating element 2. In addition, a high-temperature resistant sealing gasket can be provided at the connection between the metal heating element 2 and the second sidewall 10212 to prevent airflow leakage from the connection gap and ensure the airtightness of the circulating air path.

[0043] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, along the direction of airflow through the metal heating element 2, the metal heating element 2 includes multiple stacked sintered porous metal layers. Each sintered porous metal layer has multiple pores, and the pores in adjacent sintered porous metal layers are interconnected. Along the direction of airflow through the metal heating element 2, the pore diameter of the sintered porous metal layer located upstream of the airflow is larger than the pore diameter of the sintered porous metal layer located downstream of the airflow. It can be understood that the large-aperture layer located upstream can initially capture and disperse the incoming airflow, reduce wind resistance and achieve coarse heat transfer by utilizing its larger flow cross-section. The small-aperture layer located downstream further divides the airflow into countless micro-streams for deep heat transfer and fine rectification. The functions of each level are clearly defined and work together efficiently, improving heating efficiency and airflow uniformity compared to a single-aperture structure.

[0044] In one example, such as Figure 7As shown, along the direction of airflow through the metal heating element 2, the metal heating element 2 includes an air inlet layer 201, an intermediate layer 202, and a leeward layer 203. Among them, the air inlet layer 201 is a large-aperture layer located upstream of the airflow, the intermediate layer 202 is a medium-aperture layer, and the leeward layer 203 is a small-aperture layer located downstream of the airflow.

[0045] Specifically, the inlet layer 201 uses porous metal with relatively large pore sizes (e.g., several hundred micrometers), primarily undertaking coarse heat exchange and initial airflow dispersion, allowing the unevenly pressurized air entering from the duct to initially expand and rapidly preheat. The intermediate layer 202 uses medium pore sizes and has a huge specific surface area, serving as the main heat exchange area. Air meanders through it, making full contact with the heating element and undergoing vigorous thermal mixing, bringing the temperature closer to uniformity. The leeward layer 203 uses small and uniform pore sizes (e.g., tens of micrometers), which is the key layer for ultimately achieving fine rectification and deep heat exchange. It divides the mixed hot air into countless micro-streams, ensuring that the airflow entering the culture chamber 1021 is in a stable and uniform laminar flow state through the uniform outflow of each stream at the outlet section. The functions of the three layers are sequentially connected and work synergistically to jointly realize the complete processing flow of airflow from preheating to temperature homogenization to rectification.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cavity 1021 is equipped with a culture support 4 and a culture vessel 5 mounted on the culture support 4. On the projection plane perpendicular to the airflow through the cavity 1021, the orthographic projection of the airflow outlet 1023 and the orthographic projection of the metal heating element 2 have equal lengths and widths. The orthographic projections of the culture support 4 and the culture vessel 5 fall within the orthographic projection range of the metal heating element 2. It can be understood that by setting the projections of the airflow outlet 1023 and the metal heating element 2 to be of equal length and width, and ensuring that the orthographic projections of the culture support 4 and the culture vessel 5 completely fall within the orthographic projection range of the metal heating element 2, the uniform laminar hot air output by the metal heating element 2 can flow through the entire culture area with a complete cross-section, avoiding the generation of vortex zones or dead zones due to misalignment between the airflow cross-section and the culture area. This ensures that each culture vessel 5 is in a uniformly heated air environment, improving the overall consistency of the temperature field within the cavity 1021 and the consistency of sample culture.

[0047] Furthermore, such as Figures 4 to 6As shown, a flow guiding structure is provided at the airflow outlet 1023. The flow guiding structure includes multiple air guide plates 6. The multiple air guide plates 6 are arranged side by side along the length direction of the airflow outlet 1023 and are adapted to the cross-section of the airflow outlet 1023. The air guide plates 6 are rotatably engaged with the side wall of the airflow outlet 1023 through a rotating shaft. The air guide plates 6 are used to guide the airflow to the air inlet of the airflow driving component 3. It is understood that, by setting a flow guiding structure composed of multiple guide vanes 6 at the airflow outlet 1023, and allowing each guide vane 6 to adjust its guiding angle around the rotation axis, the present invention can flexibly guide the return airflow to the air inlet of the airflow drive component 3 according to the actual working conditions, effectively avoiding short-circuiting or local eddy phenomena caused by turbulent airflow direction, thereby improving the flow efficiency and stability of the circulating air path; at the same time, the multiple guide vanes 6 are arranged side by side along the length of the airflow outlet 1023 and are adapted to the outlet cross-section, which can guide the airflow of the entire outlet cross-section in zones, ensuring that the return air in each area flows back to the airflow drive component 3 evenly and smoothly, which is conducive to maintaining the balance of airflow velocity and pressure in the entire circulation system, and further ensuring the consistency of the temperature field in the cavity 1021 and the reliability of long-term operation.

[0048] Specifically, in this embodiment, the length direction of the airflow outlet 1023 is consistent with the length direction of the culture support 4.

[0049] Specifically, in this embodiment, multiple air guide plates 6 can rotate independently or synchronously. When each air guide plate 6 rotates independently, each air guide plate 6 is equipped with an independent drive mechanism (such as an independent micro motor or a manual adjustment knob), which can adjust the deflection angle of each air guide plate 6 according to the actual wind speed and return air requirements at different positions of the air outlet 1023, thereby achieving differentiated airflow guidance. This is especially suitable for scenarios where the loading in the cultivation area is uneven or there are local wind resistance differences, and can correct the return air path in each area. When each air guide plate 6 rotates synchronously, all air guide plates 6 are linked together through a linkage mechanism or the same drive motor, and each air guide plate 6 always maintains the same deflection angle. The operation is simple and the control logic is concise, making it suitable for conventional scenarios where the loading in the cultivation area is uniform or where differentiated adjustment is not required.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figures 4 to 6As shown, along the height direction of the incubator, the cavity 1021 is provided with multiple spaced first partitions 7, which divide the cavity 1021 into multiple sub-chambers 1022; the first sidewall 10211 is provided with multiple airflow outlets 1023, and the second sidewall 10212 is provided with multiple metal heating elements 2. The multiple sub-chambers 1022 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple airflow outlets 1023 and the multiple metal heating elements 2. It is understood that, in this embodiment of the invention, multiple first partitions 7 are arranged along the height direction of the incubator to divide the cavity 1021 into multiple independent sub-chambers 1022, and each sub-chamber 1022 is equipped with a corresponding airflow outlet 1023 and a metal heating element 2, so that each sub-chamber 1022 can independently perform airflow circulation and temperature control. The large-volume culture space is divided into multiple smaller units that are easier to control, which effectively avoids the temperature stratification problem caused by the inherent temperature difference in the height direction (such as the effect of hot air rising) under a single heating system, and greatly improves the temperature uniformity of the entire cavity 1021 in the height direction. At the same time, the sub-chambers 1022 are physically isolated by partitions, which can avoid crosstalk between airflows between different height layers, further enhancing the independence and stability of temperature control of each layer. Moreover, this layered structure makes it easy to flexibly adjust the temperature parameters of each layer according to actual culture needs, adapting to diverse culture scenarios.

[0051] It should be noted that the two adjacent sub-chambers 1022 are separated by the first partition 7. Therefore, to avoid heat transfer between the upper and lower sub-chambers 1022 due to the heat conduction of the first partition 7, which would affect the independent temperature control accuracy of each sub-chamber 1022, the first partition 7 is preferably made of a material with low thermal conductivity, or a heat-insulating interlayer (such as aerogel, glass fiber, polyurethane foam, etc.) can be added inside the first partition 7 to effectively block heat conduction between the upper and lower layers. In addition, heat-reflective coatings (such as aluminum foil or plating) can be provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the first partition 7 to further reduce radiative heat transfer.

[0052] Furthermore, each sub-chamber 1022 is equipped with a temperature sensor. In this way, the temperature in the corresponding sub-chamber 1022 can be monitored in real time, and the temperature signal can be fed back to the control system. The control system independently adjusts the heating power of the metal heating element 2 and / or the rotation speed of the airflow drive element 3 in the corresponding sub-chamber 1022 according to the deviation between the preset temperature value and the actual feedback value, thereby realizing independent closed-loop temperature control of each sub-chamber 1022.

[0053] Furthermore, such as Figures 4 to 6As shown, along the height direction of the incubator, there are multiple second partitions 8 spaced apart between the inner liner 102 and the outer shell 101. The multiple second partitions 8 divide the airflow channel 103 into multiple sub-channels 1031. The multiple sub-channels 1031 are arranged one-to-one with multiple sub-chambers 1022 and are connected to the corresponding sub-chambers 1022 through the corresponding airflow outlets 1023 and the holes in the metal heating element 2. There are multiple airflow driving elements 3, and each sub-channel 1031 is provided with at least one airflow driving element 3. It is understood that, in this embodiment of the invention, multiple second baffles 8 are provided in the airflow channel 103 between the inner liner 102 and the outer shell 101 to divide the airflow channel 103 into independent sub-channels 1031 corresponding to each sub-chamber 1022. Each sub-channel 1031 is equipped with an airflow drive 3, so that the circulation air path of each sub-chamber 1022 is completely independent and does not interfere with each other. This avoids temperature coupling and energy loss caused by airflow crosstalk between layers, and ensures that each sub-chamber 1022 can independently maintain its set temperature control parameters. At the same time, the independent circulation design of each sub-channel 1031 allows the system to flexibly activate or adjust the speed and heating power of each layer's fan according to different loading volumes or different cultivation needs, which reduces redundant energy consumption and enhances the system's adaptability and operational stability in complex cultivation scenarios.

[0054] It should be noted that, generally, the incubator is rectangular in shape, so the sub-channel 1031 located between the inner liner 102 and the outer shell 101 will have corners. When the airflow passes through these corner areas, it is prone to local eddies, turbulence, or energy loss due to abrupt changes in flow direction, resulting in uneven air pressure and flow velocity fluctuations. This, in turn, affects the uniformity of the airflow distribution entering the metal heating element 2, and may ultimately reduce the laminar flow quality and temperature field consistency at the outlet.

[0055] Based on this, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown, an arc-shaped guide plate 13 can preferably be installed at the corner of the sub-channel 1031. This allows the airflow to transition along a smooth arc rather than turning at a right angle, reducing flow resistance and vortex generation. At the same time, the cross-sectional size at the corner can be appropriately increased to reduce the local flow velocity, mitigate the airflow impact effect, and ensure that the airflow passes smoothly and evenly through the corner area and reaches the leeward side of the metal heating element 2, thereby ensuring that the subsequent heating and rectification effects are not affected. In addition, a flow equalization plate or a flow rectification grid can also be installed at the corner to further eliminate local velocity differences and improve the airflow quality of the entire circulation path.

[0056] It should be further noted that adjacent sub-channels 1031 are separated by a second partition 8. Therefore, to prevent heat transfer between adjacent sub-channels 1031 due to the heat conduction of the second partition 8, which would affect the independent temperature control accuracy and airflow temperature consistency of each sub-chamber 1022, the second partition 8 is preferably made of a material with low thermal conductivity, or an insulating interlayer (such as aerogel, fiberglass, polyurethane foam, etc.) is added inside the second partition 8 to effectively block lateral heat conduction between adjacent sub-channels 1031. At the same time, a sealing structure (such as a sealing strip or sealant) should be provided at the connection between the second partition 8 and the inner liner 102 and the outer shell 101 to prevent airflow from flowing between different sub-channels 1031 and ensure that each sub-channel 1031 and its corresponding sub-chamber 1022 form a complete and independent circulating air path.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the incubator is also equipped with multiple image acquisition devices 9. Each sub-chamber 1022 is equipped with at least one image acquisition device 9. The image acquisition device 9 is located on the first partition 7 located at the top in its corresponding sub-chamber 1022. The image acquisition device 9 in the uppermost sub-chamber 1022 is located on the top wall of the inner liner 102. The sub-chamber 1022 is also equipped with a culture dish 5. The image acquisition device 9 is used to acquire images of the culture dish 5. Alternatively, each sub-chamber 1022 may also be provided with a culture support 4 and a culture dish 5 disposed on the culture support 4; the incubator may also be provided with multiple image acquisition devices 9, one end of the image acquisition device 9 being fixed to the bottom of the upper culture support 4 and the other end passing through the first partition 7, the image acquisition device 9 being used to acquire images of the culture dish 5 on the lower culture support 4 adjacent to it; the culture dish 5 on the culture support 4 may be photographed by at least one image acquisition device 9, and the image acquisition device 9 corresponding to the uppermost sub-chamber 1022 may be disposed on the top wall of the inner liner 102.

[0058] It is understood that, in this embodiment of the invention, by independently configuring an image acquisition device 9 in each sub-chamber 1022 and placing the image acquisition device 9 at the bottom of the upper first partition 7 or on the top wall of the inner liner 102, it can directly and in real-time capture images of the culture vessels 5 below. This fully utilizes the vertical space between layers, ensuring that each layer of culture vessels 5 is within the clear field of view of the corresponding image acquisition device 9, and that the images captured by each layer do not interfere with each other. Furthermore, compared to taking the culture vessels 5 out of the incubator for photography, this embodiment completes image acquisition directly within the chamber 1021. On the one hand, it avoids temperature fluctuations within the culture chamber caused by the external environment, maintaining the long-term stability of the culture environment. On the other hand, it avoids the formation of water vapor on the surface of the culture vessels 5 due to temperature differences after removal, which would affect the imaging effect. It also avoids adverse effects of temperature fluctuations on the sample growth state, thereby ensuring the reliability of the culture effect and the quality of image acquisition.

[0059] Furthermore, because the embodiment of the present invention can maintain a uniform temperature within the cavity 1021 through the cooperation of the metal heating element 2 with the airflow outlet 1023, the airflow drive element 3, and the airflow channel 103, the culture vessel 5 will not generate condensation droplets or water mist within the cavity 1021 due to localized overcooling or overheating. Thus, even if it is necessary to photograph the sample directly inside the incubator, this embodiment does not require opening the lid of the culture vessel 5. If the lid is opened for photography, on the one hand, contaminants inside the culture vessel 5 may leak and spread, causing cross-contamination and affecting other samples; on the other hand, opening the lid inside the incubator requires an additional opening mechanism, which makes the internal structure of the incubator more complex, and these structures may also interfere with airflow circulation, affecting the temperature uniformity within the cavity 1021. In contrast, the embodiment of the present invention can complete clear photography without opening the lid, avoiding the risk of contamination, simplifying the equipment structure, and helping to maintain a stable culture environment.

[0060] Specifically, in this embodiment, the image acquisition device 9 may be, but is not limited to, any one of an industrial camera, a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera, a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera, a microscope camera, or a high-resolution digital camera.

[0061] It should be noted that when the image acquisition device 9 is large, i.e., one end needs to pass through the first partition 7, in order to avoid airflow crosstalk or temperature interference between two adjacent sub-chambers 1022 due to the image acquisition device 9 passing through the first partition 7, a mounting hole for the image acquisition device 9 to pass through can be opened on the first partition 7, and a sealing structure (such as a sealing ring, sealing gasket, or filling sealant) can be set at the gap between the mounting hole and the image acquisition device 9 to ensure airflow isolation on the upper and lower sides of the first partition 7 and maintain independent airflow circulation and temperature control of each sub-chamber 1022; at the same time, a heat insulation sleeve or heat insulation coating can be added to the outside of the image acquisition device 9 to reduce the influence of the heat conduction of the image acquisition device 9 itself on the temperature of the adjacent sub-chambers 1022.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, the box body 1 is provided with a box opening 104 communicating with the cavity 1021, and a box cover 105 is provided at the box opening 104. The box cover 105 is used to open or close the cavity 1021. A guide post 10 extending along the height direction of the incubator is provided on the side of the cavity 1021 near the box opening 104. A transport mechanism 11 is provided on the guide post 10 and slidably connected thereto. The transport mechanism 11 is used to transport the culture vessel 5 on the culture support 4. A sampling window structure 12 is provided on the box cover 105. The sampling window structure 12 includes a sampling window body. The sampling window body has a receiving cavity 1201 adapted to the culture vessel 5. An inner door 1202 is provided on the side of the sampling window body located in the cavity 1021, and an outer door 1203 is provided on the side of the sampling window body located outside the box body 1. The inner door 1202 and the outer door 1203 can be opened selectively.

[0063] It is understood that, by providing a box opening 104 and a box cover 105 that can open and close the box opening 104 on the box body 1, the present invention facilitates the placement or removal of culture vessels 5 into or out of the cavity 1021 by the staff; at the same time, by providing a guide post 10 and a conveying mechanism 11 that can slide along the side of the cavity 1021 near the box opening 104, the culture vessels 5 on the culture support 4 can be automatically moved between the cavity 1021 and the box opening 104 without the need for manual insertion into the cavity 1021 to pick up or put down, thus reducing the difficulty of operation and the risk of contamination. Furthermore, a sampling window structure 12 with a receiving cavity 1201 is provided on the lid 105. Through the design of selectively opening the inner and outer doors 1203, after the culture vessel 5 is sent into the receiving cavity 1201 by the transport mechanism 11, the inner door 1202 can be closed first and the outer door 1203 can be opened to transfer it outward. During this process, the cavity 1021 is always isolated from the outside world, avoiding temperature fluctuations and contaminant intrusion caused by the influx of outside air when the lid 105 is opened directly. This ensures the stability and cleanliness of the temperature field inside the cavity 1021 during sampling or transfer operations, further guaranteeing the continuity of the long-term culture process and the safety of the samples.

[0064] It should be noted that multiple culture dishes 5 are usually placed at intervals on the culture support 4. Therefore, if the handling mechanism 11 wants to handle culture dishes 5 at different positions on the same culture support 4, it can do so in the following way: 1. The conveying mechanism 11 itself has a gripping arm or translation module that moves in a horizontal direction (such as perpendicular to the guide column 10). After reaching the target culture layer, it can move horizontally along the extension direction of the culture support 4 to the location of the target culture vessel 5 for gripping and conveying. 2. The culture support 4 can be configured to move horizontally relative to the cavity 1021 (e.g., via a slide rail or translation table). After the transport mechanism 11 reaches the target layer, the culture support 4 moves horizontally to deliver the target culture vessel 5 to the grasping range of the transport mechanism 11. Third, the culture support 4 can be configured to rotate in a horizontal plane (a plane perpendicular to the guide column 10) relative to the cavity 1021. By rotating, the culture vessels 5 placed at different angles can be rotated in sequence to a fixed gripping position close to the transport mechanism 11, so that the transport mechanism 11 does not need to have a horizontal movement function to complete the positioning and gripping of multiple culture vessels 5 on the same culture support 4.

[0065] The above three methods can be used individually or combined flexibly according to the actual layout, realizing the automated and precise picking and placing of multiple culture vessels 5 on the same culture support 4 by the handling mechanism 11 without manual intervention, further improving the automation level and operational flexibility of the system.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the distances from the airflow drive component 3 to the airflow outlet 1023 and the metal heating component 2 are equal. It can be understood that by setting the distances from the airflow drive component 3 to the airflow outlet 1023 and the metal heating component 2 to be equal, the path length of the airflow drive component 3 drawing back air from the airflow outlet 1023 is consistent with the path length of the airflow supplied to the metal heating component 2. This ensures symmetrical and balanced wind resistance on both sides of the circulating air path, avoiding uneven flow distribution caused by excessive or insufficient resistance on one side due to different path lengths. This helps to form a stable circulating air pressure, improving the operating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the entire airflow circulation loop.

[0067] Although embodiments of the invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications and variations fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An incubator, characterized in that, include: The housing (1) includes an outer shell (101) and an inner liner (102). The inner liner (102) is disposed inside the outer shell (101), and an airflow channel (103) is formed between the inner liner (102) and the outer shell (101). The inner liner (102) has a cavity (1021) inside. The inner liner (102) also has a first side wall (10211) and a second side wall (10212) disposed opposite to each other. An airflow outlet (1023) is provided on the first side wall (10211). A metal heating element (2) is used to heat the airflow. The metal heating element (2) is disposed on the second side wall (10212) and is disposed opposite to the airflow outlet (1023). The metal heating element (2) has a plurality of pores that connect the airflow channel (103) and the cavity (1021). Along the direction of the airflow through the metal heating element (2), the diameter of the plurality of pores decreases from large to small so that the airflow after passing through the metal heating element (2) is in a uniform laminar flow state. An airflow drive (3) is disposed in the airflow channel (103) between the inner liner (102) and the outer shell (101). The air inlet of the airflow drive (3) is adjacent to the airflow outlet (1023), and the air outlet of the airflow drive (3) is adjacent to the metal heating element (2).

2. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the direction of the airflow through the metal heating element (2), the pore size decreases in a gradient.

3. The incubator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Along the direction of the airflow through the metal heating element (2), the metal heating element (2) includes a plurality of stacked sintered porous metal layers, each of the sintered porous metal layers having a plurality of pores, and the pores in adjacent sintered porous metal layers are connected; along the direction of the airflow through the metal heating element (2), the pore diameter of the sintered porous metal layer located upstream of the airflow is larger than the pore diameter of the sintered porous metal layer located downstream of the airflow.

4. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity (1021) is provided with a culture support (4) and a culture vessel (5) placed on the culture support (4); on the projection plane perpendicular to the airflow through the cavity (1021), the orthographic projection of the airflow outlet (1023) and the orthographic projection of the metal heating element (2) have equal length and equal width; the orthographic projections of the culture support (4) and the culture vessel (5) fall within the orthographic projection range of the metal heating element (2).

5. The incubator according to claim 4, characterized in that, A flow guiding structure is provided at the airflow outlet (1023). The flow guiding structure includes multiple air guide plates (6). The multiple air guide plates (6) are arranged side by side along the length direction of the airflow outlet (1023) and are adapted to the cross-section of the airflow outlet (1023). The air guide plates (6) are rotatably engaged with the side wall of the airflow outlet (1023) through a rotating shaft. The air guide plates (6) are used to guide the airflow to the air inlet of the airflow drive component (3).

6. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the height direction of the incubator, the cavity (1021) is provided with a plurality of spaced first partitions (7), which divide the cavity (1021) into a plurality of sub-chambers (1022); the first sidewall (10211) is provided with a plurality of airflow outlets (1023), and the second sidewall (10212) is provided with a plurality of metal heating elements (2), and the plurality of sub-chambers (1022) are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of airflow outlets (1023) and the plurality of metal heating elements (2).

7. The incubator according to claim 6, characterized in that, Along the height direction of the incubator, a plurality of second partitions (8) are provided between the inner liner (102) and the outer shell (101). The plurality of second partitions (8) divide the airflow channel (103) into a plurality of sub-channels (1031). The plurality of sub-channels (1031) are provided one-to-one with the plurality of sub-chambers (1022) and are connected to the corresponding sub-chambers (1022) through the corresponding airflow outlet (1023) and the holes in the metal heating element (2). The number of airflow driving elements (3) is plurality of, and at least one airflow driving element (3) is provided in each sub-channel (1031).

8. The incubator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The incubator is also equipped with multiple image acquisition devices (9), and each sub-chamber (1022) is equipped with at least one image acquisition device (9). The image acquisition device (9) is located on the first partition (7) located above in its corresponding sub-chamber (1022). The image acquisition device (9) in the uppermost sub-chamber (1022) is located on the top wall of the inner liner (102). The sub-chamber (1022) is also equipped with a culture vessel (5), and the image acquisition device (9) is used to acquire images of the culture vessel (5). Alternatively, each of the sub-chambers (1022) is further provided with a culture support (4) and a culture vessel (5) disposed on the culture support (4); the incubator is also provided with a plurality of image acquisition devices (9), one end of the image acquisition device (9) is fixed to the bottom of the upper culture support (4), and the other end passes through the first partition (7). The image acquisition device (9) is used to acquire images of the culture vessel (5) on the lower culture support (4) adjacent to it; the culture vessel (5) on the culture support (4) is photographed by at least one of the image acquisition devices (9), and the image acquisition device (9) corresponding to the uppermost sub-chamber (1022) is disposed on the top wall of the inner liner (102).

9. The incubator according to claim 8, characterized in that, The box body (1) is provided with a box opening (104) communicating with the cavity (1021), and a box cover (105) is provided at the box opening (104). The box cover (105) is used to open or close the cavity (1021). A guide post (10) extending along the height direction of the incubator is provided on the side of the cavity (1021) near the box opening (104). A transport mechanism (11) is provided on the guide post (10) and slidably connected thereto. The transport mechanism (11) is used to transport the culture support (4). The culture vessel (5) is provided on the cover (105); the cover (105) is provided with a sampling window structure (12), the sampling window structure (12) includes a sampling window body, the sampling window body has a receiving cavity (1201) adapted to the culture vessel (5), the sampling window body is provided with an inner door (1202) on one side of the cavity (1021), and the sampling window body is provided with an outer door (1203) on the side outside the box (1), and the inner door (1202) and the outer door (1203) can be opened selectively.

10. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distances from the airflow drive (3) to the airflow outlet (1023) and the metal heating element (2) are equal.

Images