Cell incubator and cell observation equipment
By introducing air pressure sensors and charging and deflation port components into the cell observation equipment, the airtightness of the sealed space is monitored and maintained in real time, the problem of short service life of the equipment in high humidity environments is solved, and higher equipment reliability and service life are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421647430.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-07-11
AI Technical Summary
The integrated cell observation equipment in existing cell incubators can easily reduce its service life and is difficult to effectively monitor the airtightness of its sealed space when it is in a high humidity and aerobic environment for a long time.
A cell observation device is designed with a sealed space inside its shell, equipped with a pressure sensor and a charging and deflation port assembly, which ensures the airtightness of the sealed space by monitoring the air pressure value in real time and issuing an alarm.
By monitoring the air pressure value in real time, the airtightness problem of sealed space is discovered and solved in a timely manner, the service life of cell observation equipment is extended and its reliability in high humidity environments is improved.
Smart Images
Figure CN222961428U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of biological experimental devices, in particular to a cell incubator and a cell observation device. Background Art
[0002] The cell culture environment often requires appropriate humidity and temperature. Currently, the culture is mainly carried out in a cell incubator. In order to observe the cell culture process, a cell observation device is integrated in the existing cell incubator for observing cells, and the cell observation device has a movable platform for moving the observation lens. If the observation device is in a high-humidity and aerobic environment for a long time, its service life will be reduced. In order to improve the service life of the cell observation device, a sealed space for isolating water vapor and oxygen needs to be provided.
[0003] In order to ensure the airtightness of the sealed space, it is necessary to monitor the airtightness of the sealed space. Summary of the Utility Model
[0004] The utility model aims to solve the problem of airtightness monitoring of the space where the cell observation device is located. The utility model provides a solution to isolate the space where the cell observation device is located from the cell culture space and to monitor the airtightness of the space where the cell observation device is located in real time through a sensor. To achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides a cell observation device, which includes:
[0005] A housing, the interior of the housing has a sealed space, and a cell observation unit is arranged in the sealed space. A light-transmitting window is arranged on the surface of the housing. The cell observation unit can observe a cell culture container placed on the upper surface of the light-transmitting window through the light-transmitting window. The sealed space is filled with gas and is provided with a pressure sensor for detecting the air pressure in the sealed space;
[0006] The housing is provided with a gas charging and discharging port assembly, and the gas charging and discharging port assembly can be used to discharge the air in the sealed space and charge a protective gas.
[0007] Preferably, the observation device further includes an alarm module, and the alarm module is communicatively connected to the pressure sensor and issues an alarm when the output signal of the pressure sensor is lower than a threshold value.
[0008] Preferably, the alarm module includes: a signal processor and an indicator light arranged on the surface of the housing. The input end of the signal processor is communicatively connected to the pressure sensor, the output end of the signal processor is connected to the indicator light, and the signal processor controls the indicator light according to the output signal of the pressure sensor.
[0009] Preferably, the observation device further includes a control module disposed on the surface of the housing. The control module is electrically connected to the barometric pressure sensor and is used to control the opening and closing of the barometric pressure sensor.
[0010] Preferably, the control module includes: two control switches and a power switch. The two control switches are electrically connected to the barometric pressure sensor and are used to control the opening and closing of the barometric pressure sensor; and the power switch is electrically connected to both the barometric pressure sensor and the cell observation unit and is used to control the power supply.
[0011] Preferably, the observation device further includes a host computer, which is disposed outside the housing and is communicatively connected to both the cell observation unit and the barometric pressure sensor. The host computer is used to receive the output signals of the cell observation unit and the barometric pressure sensor, and is used to control the opening and closing of the barometric pressure sensor; and can judge the airtightness of the sealed space according to the output signal of the barometric pressure sensor, and output a reminder message when the airtightness decreases.
[0012] Preferably, the cell observation unit includes: a movable platform and a macro lens disposed on the movable platform. Both the movable platform and the macro lens are communicatively connected to the host computer. The movable platform is controlled by the host computer and can move according to the instructions of the host computer. The macro lens transmits the observed cell information to the host computer.
[0013] Preferably, the housing is a rectangular box formed by mechanically connecting a plurality of plate-shaped members, and the top of the rectangular box is provided with the light-transmitting window.
[0014] Preferably, the protective gas filled in the sealed space is an inert gas.
[0015] Preferably, the air pressure in the sealed space is greater than the air pressure outside the housing.
[0016] In addition, the present invention also provides a cell incubator, which includes:
[0017] a box body, the box body includes an environment maintaining device to make the environment inside the box suitable for culturing cells, and at least one of the above-mentioned cell observation devices is disposed inside the box body;
[0018] The box body further includes at least one support frame and a plurality of cell culture containers located on the support frame. The cell culture containers can be placed above the cell observation device.
[0019] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0020] 1) The air pressure value of the cell observation device can be collected in real time through an air pressure sensor. When the air pressure value is lower than the preset range, the indicator light will flash to give an alarm, and at the same time, the supporting host computer will also give corresponding information reminders;
[0021] 2) The cell observation device is equipped with an air charging and discharging port assembly, which can be used to discharge the air in the sealed space and fill it with a protective gas. Combining with the monitoring function of the sensor, airtightness problems can be detected in time, and the protective gas can be filled through the air charging and discharging port assembly. Brief Description of the Drawings
[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the cell incubator of the present utility model;
[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the cell observation device of the present utility model. Detailed Embodiment
[0024] The following further details a cell incubator and a cell observation device proposed by the present utility model in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments. According to the following description, the advantages and features of the present utility model will be clearer. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and all use non-precise scales, only for the purpose of facilitating and clearly assisting in explaining the embodiments of the present utility model. In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present utility model more obvious and understandable, please refer to the drawings. It should be known that the structures, scales, sizes, etc. shown in the drawings of this specification are only used to cooperate with the content disclosed in the specification for those who are familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions for the implementation of the present utility model. Therefore, they do not have technical substance significance. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size, without affecting the effects that the present utility model can produce and the purposes that can be achieved, should still fall within the scope covered by the technical content disclosed by the present utility model.
[0025] Such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, the cell incubator provided by the present utility model includes a box body 1. The box body 1 includes an environmental maintenance device, which can make the environment inside the box suitable for culturing cells. At least one cell observation device 10 is arranged inside the box body for observing cells. The box body 1 further includes at least one support frame (not shown in the figure), and a plurality of cell culture containers located on the support frame. The cell culture container 20 can be placed above the cell observation device 10 for observation. The internal space of the box body 1 can also be divided into four observation spaces, and one cell observation device 10 is arranged in each observation space. Therefore, four groups of cell observations can be carried out simultaneously. In other examples, the box body 1 can also be designed to be larger or smaller in size according to requirements. The environment where the observation space is located is usually air and contains a relatively high amount of water vapor. The service life of the cell observation device 10 will be reduced in such an environment. Therefore, it needs to be isolated from the environment of the observation space.
[0026] As Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the cell observation device 10 provided by the present utility model can be used to observe the microscopic structure of cells. It includes a housing 11 for isolating the external environment. The housing 11 has a sealed space inside, and a cell observation unit 12 is arranged in the sealed space. A light-transmitting window 13 is provided on the surface of the housing 11. The cell observation unit 12 can observe the cell culture container 20 placed on the upper surface of the light-transmitting window 13 through the light-transmitting window 13. The cell observation unit 12 is designed to have movable and shooting functions, and can collect microscopic images of cells at different positions of the cell culture container 20. The sealed space is filled with gas and is provided with a pressure sensor (not shown in the figure) for detecting the air pressure in the sealed space. The airtightness of the sealed space can be judged by the value of the pressure sensor. Further, an air charging and discharging port assembly 14 is provided on the housing 11. The air charging and discharging port assembly 14 can be used to discharge the air in the sealed space and fill it with a protective gas. Preferably, the housing 11 is a rectangular box body formed by mechanically connecting a plurality of plate-shaped parts, and the light-transmitting window 13 is provided on the top of the rectangular box body. When observing cells, only need to place the cell culture container 20 on the top of the cell observation unit 12, and then turn on the power of the cell observation unit 12 to obtain the microscopic image of the cells. During the observation process, the cell culture container 20 can also be moved to observe cells at different positions.
[0027] Since cell culture requires air which contains a relatively large amount of oxygen and water vapor, in order to avoid the corrosion of the cell observation unit 12 by oxygen and water vapor, an inert gas under positive pressure can be filled into the sealed space as a protective gas. That is, in the initial state, the sealed space is filled with an inert gas whose pressure is greater than the air pressure of the external environment. If an airtightness leak occurs accidentally, the inert gas in the sealed space will enter the external environment, that is, enter the cell incubator. In this process, the value of the pressure sensor decreases, and finally the air pressure in the sealed space tends to balance with the air pressure of the external environment, and the value of the pressure sensor also tends to be stable. Next, through the diffusion movement of gas molecules, an exchange flow is formed between the inert gas in the sealed space and the air in the external environment. As time goes by, oxygen and water vapor will be filled into the housing 11. When the oxygen and water vapor accumulate to a certain concentration, they will corrode the cell observation unit 12. Therefore, it is necessary to replenish the gas in the sealed space before the air pressure balances after the leak to prevent oxygen and water vapor in the air from entering the sealed space. It can be seen that when the value of the pressure sensor starts to decrease, the airtightness is broken, and this is the best time to replenish the protective gas. As the value of the pressure sensor tends to be stable, it indicates that air has entered the sealed space. At this time, the gas inside needs to be replaced. After removing the air, the protective gas is replenished. For a more serious leak situation, it is also necessary to repair the housing 11 so that its airtightness meets the requirements. Further, the duration and severity of the leak can be roughly judged by observing the value of the pressure sensor, and it is decided whether to repair the airtightness of the housing 11 according to the rate of decrease of the value. When it is found that the rate of decrease of the value of the pressure sensor is relatively slow, the protective gas can be replenished through the gas charging and discharging port assembly 14. When the rate of decrease of the value is relatively fast, the airtightness of the housing 11 needs to be repaired. From the above description, it can be seen that the advantage of filling an inert gas under positive pressure is that it can provide a relatively long preparation time for gas replenishment. Compared with a negative pressure environment, a positive pressure environment can still keep the sealed space in an inert gas environment at the beginning stage of the leak, and this beginning stage is also the best time to replenish the protective gas.
[0028] Since the value of the pressure sensor is not easy to observe and there is no strong warning mark, it is very easy to be ignored by the operator when a leak occurs. Therefore, in other examples, the observation device 10 further includes an alarm module, and the alarm module is communicatively connected to the pressure sensor and issues an alarm when the output signal of the pressure sensor is lower than a threshold value to remind the operator that a seal leak has occurred.
[0029] Specifically, the alarm module includes: a signal processor (not shown in the figure) and an indicator light 17 provided on the surface of the housing 11. The input end of the signal processor is communicatively connected to the air pressure sensor, and the output end of the signal processor is connected to the indicator light 17. The signal processor controls the indicator light 17 according to the output signal of the air pressure sensor. If the value output by the air pressure sensor is lower than the threshold, the indicator light 17 starts to flash, and the operator can quickly judge the airtightness state of the sealed space by observing the state of the indicator light 17.
[0030] To control the operation of the air pressure sensor, in a preferred example, the observation device 10 further includes a control module provided on the surface of the housing 11. The control module is circuit-connected to the air pressure sensor and is used to control the opening and closing of the air pressure sensor. Specifically, the control module includes: two control switches 16 and a power switch 15. The two control switches 16 are circuit-connected to the air pressure sensor and are used to control the opening and closing of the air pressure sensor. Specifically, an opening or closing instruction is sent to the air pressure sensor through a special key sequence of the two control switches 16. The power switch 15 is circuit-connected to the air pressure sensor and is used to control the power supply. When the cell observation device 10 is idle or does not need power, the power supply can be cut off through the power switch 15. In addition, the power switch 15 is also circuit-connected to the cell observation unit 12.
[0031] In addition to using the control module to control the operation of the air pressure sensor, the working state of the air pressure sensor can also be controlled by setting a host computer 18. The host computer 18 can be placed outside the housing 11 and is communicatively connected to the air pressure sensor, such as by using a wireless connection. It can be used to receive the output signal of the air pressure sensor and to control the opening and closing of the air pressure sensor; and can judge the airtightness of the sealed space according to the output signal of the air pressure sensor, and output a reminder message on the display interface of the host computer 18 when the airtightness decreases.
[0032] In some examples, the host computer 18 is also communicatively connected to the cell observation unit 12. The cell observation unit 12 is configured to include: a movable platform and a macro lens disposed on the movable platform. Both the movable platform and the macro lens are communicatively connected to the host computer 18. The movable platform is controlled by the host computer 18 and can move according to the instructions of the host computer 18. The macro lens transmits the observed cell information to the host computer 18. When observing cells, the cell culture container 20 can be first placed on the upper surface of the light-transmitting window 13, and then the operator can operate the host computer 18 to control the movable platform to the shooting position, and then start the macro lens to capture a cell image, and display this image on the display interface connected to the host computer 18. Through the control of the host computer 18, the operator does not have to frequently enter the cell incubator to operate the observation unit or the cell culture container 20, thus realizing remote control.
[0033] In summary, the present utility model can collect the air pressure value of the cell observation device in real time through the air pressure sensor. When the air pressure value is lower than the preset range, the indicator light 17 will flash to give an alarm, and at the same time, the supporting host computer 18 will also have corresponding information reminders; the cell observation device 10 is provided with an air charging and discharging port assembly 14, which can be used to discharge the air in the sealed space and fill it with a protective gas. Combining with the monitoring function of the sensor, airtightness problems can be detected in time, and the protective gas can be filled through the air charging and discharging port assembly 14; the host computer 18 has a remote control function, which is convenient for the operator to realize remote control.
[0034] Although the content of the present utility model has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present utility model. After those skilled in the art have read the above content, various modifications and substitutions of the present utility model will be obvious. Therefore, the protection scope of the present utility model should be defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A cell observation device, characterized in that: The observation equipment comprises: A shell having a sealed space inside and a cell observation unit arranged in the sealed space, a light-transmitting window arranged on the surface of the shell, through which the cell observation unit can observe a cell culture container placed on the upper surface of the light-transmitting window, the sealed space being filled with gas and provided with an air pressure sensor for detecting the air pressure of the sealed space; The shell is provided with a gas charging and discharging port assembly, and the gas charging and discharging port assembly can be used to discharge the air in the sealed space and fill it with protective gas.
2. The cell observation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The observation device also includes an alarm module, which is communicatively connected to the air pressure sensor and issues an alarm when an output signal of the air pressure sensor is lower than a threshold value.
3. The cell observation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The alarm module includes: a signal processor and an indicator light arranged on the surface of the shell, the input end of the signal processor is communicatively connected to the air pressure sensor, the output end of the signal processor is connected to the indicator light, and the signal processor controls the indicator light according to the output signal of the air pressure sensor.
4. The cell observation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The observation device also includes a control module arranged on the surface of the shell, and the control module is connected to the air pressure sensor circuit and is used to control the opening and closing of the air pressure sensor.
5. The cell observation device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control module includes: two control switches and a power switch, the two control switches are connected to the air pressure sensor circuit for controlling the opening and closing of the air pressure sensor; and the power switch is connected to the air pressure sensor and the cell observation unit circuit for controlling the power supply.
6. The cell observation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The observation device also includes a host computer, which is placed outside the shell and is communicatively connected to the cell observation unit and the air pressure sensor, for receiving output signals from the cell observation unit and the air pressure sensor, and for controlling the opening and closing of the air pressure sensor; and can judge the airtightness of the sealed space according to the output signal of the air pressure sensor, and output a reminder message when the airtightness is reduced.
7. The cell observation device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cell observation unit includes: a movable platform and a macro lens arranged on the movable platform, the movable platform and the macro lens are both communicatively connected to the host computer, the movable platform is controlled by the host computer and can move according to the instructions of the host computer, and the macro lens transmits the observed cell information to the host computer.
8. The cell observation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell is a rectangular box body formed by mechanically connecting a plurality of plate-shaped parts, and the light-transmitting window is arranged on the top of the rectangular box body.
9. The cell observation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective gas filled in the sealed space is an inert gas.
10. The cell observation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air pressure in the sealed space is greater than the air pressure outside the shell.
11. A cell culture incubator, characterized in that: include: A box, the box comprising an environment maintaining device so that the environment inside the box is suitable for culturing cells, and at least one cell observation device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is arranged inside the box; It also includes at least one supporting frame and a plurality of cell culture containers on the supporting frame, and the cell culture containers can be placed above the cell observation device.