Incubator

Abstract

The utility model discloses a culture box which comprises a box body and an upper cover, a turntable which is divided into a plurality of chambers is arranged in the box body, a liquid collecting tank is arranged on a bottom plate of the box body, and through holes are formed in the chambers; a bin opening is formed in the upper cover, the position of the liquid collecting groove corresponds to the position of the bin opening, and when the bin chamber rotates to the position corresponding to the bin opening, the through hole is communicated with the liquid collecting groove; the upper cover is further provided with a bin cover which is detachably connected with the box body and connected with the bin cover in a sealed mode. According to the incubator disclosed by the utility model, the liquid collecting tanks are arranged on the incubator body and below the turntable, and the turntable is provided with the through holes communicated with the liquid collecting tanks, so that waste liquid in the chambers can flow into the liquid collecting tanks, on one hand, the waste liquid can be effectively prevented from polluting other parts of the incubator; therefore, the waste liquid collected in the liquid collecting tank can be effectively cleaned by opening the bin cover without taking out the turntable and the culture dish, the cleaning is rapid and efficient, and the practicability is extremely high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of embryo / cell culture, in particular to an incubator. Background Art

[0002] The embryo / cell culture process requires the use of an incubator. The specific culture steps involve placing the embryo / cells in a culture dish and adding culture medium. The dish is then placed in the incubator for culture. After the culture is complete, the incubator is opened, the dish is removed, and observed under a microscope before proceeding with any further procedures. Because multiple embryos / cells can be cultured in a single incubator, each opening significantly affects the temperature and humidity within, negatively impacting other embryos / cells currently being cultured. Furthermore, spilled culture medium can be difficult to clean up.

[0003] The incubator of the prior art usually has a turntable provided inside thereof, with a plurality of compartments for placing culture dishes divided on the turntable, and an opening for placing the culture dishes is exposed. The opening is isolated from other compartments in the incubator by a sliding bracket, and a liquid collecting trough is designed on the bracket to collect the overturned culture liquid. However, this structure collects the overturned culture liquid by a sliding bracket. After the sliding bracket collects the culture liquid, it is taken out for cleaning. Since the fixing method cannot be directly locked, it is usually fixed in a position by a snap buckle or the like. There will be a pre-tightening force when taking out the bracket. If the finger gripping force is too weak, it cannot be taken out. If the force is too strong, the liquid inside will spill out due to inertia, which is not very practical. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the utility model discloses an incubator.

[0005] An incubator comprises a box body and an upper cover, wherein a turntable is provided in the box body and is divided into a plurality of chambers, a liquid collecting trough is provided on the bottom plate of the box body for collecting liquid, and the chambers are provided with through holes;

[0006] The upper cover is provided with a port adapted to the size of the chamber, the position of the liquid collecting tank corresponds to the position of the port, and when the chamber rotates to the position corresponding to the port, the through hole is connected to the liquid collecting tank;

[0007] The upper cover is further provided with a bin cover, which is detachably connected to the box body and sealed to the bin opening.

[0008] Specifically, the liquid collecting tank on the box body is connected to the chamber through the through hole, so the waste liquid in each chamber will flow into the liquid collecting tank through the corresponding through hole. Therefore, when processing the waste liquid, only the waste liquid in the liquid collecting tank needs to be processed. Since the liquid collecting tank is arranged at a position corresponding to the chamber opening, it is very convenient to clean the waste liquid in the liquid collecting tank.

[0009] Furthermore, when cells / embryos are cultured in an incubator, imaging is often required to observe their status. The provision of through-holes is essential for imaging the cells / embryos. In other words, when cells / embryos are cultured using the incubator of the present invention, it is not necessary to remove the cells / embryos from the incubator when imaging and observation are required. Preferably, the liquid collection trough includes a guide plate and a collection portion, wherein the distance between the guide plate and the chamber bottom increases as it moves away from the center of the turntable. When the chamber lid is opened, the collection portion communicates with the external environment.

[0010] Specifically, the waste liquid in the chamber flows into the guide plate through the through hole and then flows into the collecting part along the guide plate. This structure can concentrate all the waste liquid in the collecting part, and the collecting part is set away from the center of the turntable and when the chamber cover is opened, the collecting part is connected to the external environment, that is, when the chamber cover is opened, the waste liquid can be cleaned directly, usually by using materials with good adsorption properties to directly absorb the waste liquid in the collecting part.

[0011] Preferably, the liquid collecting tank is further provided with a flow stop portion, which is provided at one end of the collecting portion away from the center of the turntable, and is used to allow the liquid to accumulate in the collecting portion.

[0012] Specifically, the structure of providing the flow-stop portion can effectively increase the volume of the liquid collecting tank and prevent the waste liquid in the liquid collecting tank from leaking out and contaminating the incubator.

[0013] Preferably, a side wall of the box body is provided with a notch, the position of the notch corresponds to the position of the warehouse opening, and the collecting part is connected to the notch.

[0014] Specifically, the structure with the notch makes it easier for the operator to insert the material with good adsorption properties into the collection part to clean the waste liquid.

[0015] Preferably, a gradually thickening section is provided at a portion of the side wall of the box body close to the notch, the thickness of the gradually thickening section increases towards the notch, and there is always a gap between the gradually thickening section and the turntable.

[0016] Specifically, the structure of the gradually thickening section can effectively reduce the amount of gas exchange between the port and other chambers (compartments not located below the port) when the lid is opened, which is more conducive to maintaining the stability of the culture environment in other chambers;

[0017] At the same time, since there is always a gap between the gradually thickening section and the turntable, the rotation of the turntable will not be interfered with.

[0018] Preferably, the bin cover is an arc-shaped plate, and when the bin cover is closed, the external environment and the environment inside the box are not communicated with each other.

[0019] Specifically, since there are notches on the side walls corresponding to the box body and the hatch, in order to ensure that the internal environment of the box body is isolated from the external environment when the hatch cover is closed, the hatch cover is provided with an arc-shaped plate structure that can simultaneously buckle the hatch and the notch, thereby ensuring that the internal environment is isolated from the external environment when the hatch cover is buckled.

[0020] Preferably, it also includes an adapter plate fixed on the upper cover, the shape of the adapter plate is adapted to the bin cover and is detachably connected to the bin cover, the adapter plate is provided with an avoidance hole for avoiding the bin opening and the gap, the adapter plate and the bin cover are sealed by a sealing connector; the sealing connector is a sealing connecting strip.

[0021] Preferably, the upper cover is also provided with an observation window for observing the conditions inside the incubator.

[0022] Specifically, the structure of the observation window can facilitate the operator to quickly and intuitively observe the conditions in the warehouse. Usually, the size of the observation window is adapted to the size of a warehouse, so that the operator can observe the conditions in the warehouse in an all-round way.

[0023] Preferably, the observation window is glass with heating function.

[0024] Specifically, during the cell / embryo culture process, the incubator needs to heat the culture dish in an all-round and stable manner, so it is necessary to set the observation window to glass with heating function.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention is beneficial in that:

[0026] A liquid collecting trough is provided on the box body and below the turntable, and a through-hole structure connected to the liquid collecting trough is provided on the turntable, so that the waste liquid in the chamber can flow into the liquid collecting trough and be collected. On the one hand, it can effectively prevent the waste liquid from contaminating other parts of the incubator. On the other hand, since the liquid collecting trough is provided at the position corresponding to the warehouse opening, there is no need to remove the turntable or the culture dish. The waste liquid collected in the liquid collecting trough can be effectively cleaned by opening the warehouse cover. The cleaning is fast and efficient, and the system is highly practical. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the incubator disclosed in the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a top view of the incubator disclosed in the present invention (without the lid);

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 2Cross-sectional view of AA;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the incubator disclosed in the present utility model without the upper cover (with the adapter plate);

[0032] Figure 6 This is a partial schematic diagram of the notch of the incubator disclosed in the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] like Figure 1-5 As shown, an incubator comprises a box body 10 and an upper cover 20. A turntable 30 is provided in the box body 10 and is divided into a plurality of chambers 31. A liquid collecting tank 40 for collecting liquid is provided on the bottom plate of the box body 10. The chambers 31 are provided with through holes 32.

[0035] The upper cover 20 is provided with a port 21 that is adapted to the size of the chamber 31. The position of the liquid collecting tank 40 corresponds to the position of the port 21. When the chamber 31 rotates to the position corresponding to the port 21, the through hole 32 is connected to the liquid collecting tank 40.

[0036] The upper cover 20 is further provided with a compartment cover 22 , which is detachably connected to the box body 10 and sealed to the compartment opening 21 .

[0037] The sump 40 on the housing 10 is connected to the chamber 31 through the through hole 32, so the waste liquid in each chamber 31 will flow into the sump 40 through the corresponding through hole 32. Therefore, when processing the waste liquid, only the waste liquid in the sump 40 needs to be processed. Since the sump 40 is arranged at a position corresponding to the chamber opening 21, it is very convenient to clean the waste liquid in the sump 40.

[0038] In addition, when cells / embryos are cultured in an incubator, they usually need to be imaged to observe their status. The provision of the through-hole 32 is necessary for imaging of the cells / embryos. That is, when cells / embryos are cultured using the incubator of the present invention, there is no need to remove the cells / embryos from the incubator when imaging for observation is required.

[0039] The liquid collecting tank 40 includes a guide plate 41 and a collecting portion 42. The distance between the guide plate 41 and the bottom plate of the chamber 31 increases in the direction away from the center of the turntable 30. When the chamber cover 22 is opened, the collecting portion 42 is connected to the external environment.

[0040] The waste liquid in the chamber 31 flows into the guide plate 41 through the through hole 32 and then flows into the collecting portion 42 along the guide plate 41. This structure can concentrate all the waste liquid in the collecting portion 42. The collecting portion 42 is arranged away from the center of the turntable 30 and when the chamber cover 22 is opened, the collecting portion 42 is connected to the external environment. That is, when the chamber cover 22 is opened, the waste liquid can be directly cleaned. Usually, a material with good adsorption properties is used to directly absorb the waste liquid in the collecting portion 42.

[0041] The liquid collecting tank 40 is further provided with a flow stopper 43 . The flow stopper 43 is provided at one end of the collecting portion 42 away from the center of the turntable 30 . The flow stopper 43 is used to allow the liquid to accumulate in the collecting portion 42 .

[0042] The structure of providing the flow-stop portion 43 can effectively increase the volume of the liquid collecting tank 40 and prevent the waste liquid in the liquid collecting tank 40 from leaking out and contaminating the incubator.

[0043] A notch 11 is provided on the side wall of the box body 10 . The position of the notch 11 corresponds to the position of the compartment opening 21 , and the collecting portion 42 is in communication with the notch 11 .

[0044] The structure of the notch 11 makes it easier for the operator to insert materials with good adsorption properties into the collecting portion 42 to clean the waste liquid.

[0045] like Figure 6 As shown, a gradually thickening section 12 is provided on the side wall of the box body 10 near the notch 11 . The thickness of the gradually thickening section 12 increases towards the notch 11 , and there is always a gap between the gradually thickening section 12 and the turntable 30 .

[0046] The structure of the gradually thickening section 12 can effectively reduce the amount of gas exchange between the port 21 and other chambers 31 (compartments not located below the port) when the cover is opened, which is more conducive to maintaining the stability of the culture environment in other chambers 31;

[0047] At the same time, since there is always a gap between the gradually thickening section 12 and the turntable 30 , the rotation of the turntable 30 will not be interfered with.

[0048] The bin cover 22 is an arc-shaped plate. When the bin cover 22 is closed, the external environment and the environment inside the box body 10 are not communicated with each other.

[0049] Since a notch 11 is provided on the side wall of the box body 10 corresponding to the hatch 21, in order to ensure that the internal environment of the box body 10 is isolated from the external environment when the hatch cover 22 is closed, the hatch cover 22 is provided with a curved plate structure. The curved plate can simultaneously buckle the hatch 21 and the notch 11, thereby ensuring that the internal environment is isolated from the external environment when the hatch cover 22 is buckled.

[0050] It also includes an adapter plate 23 fixed on the upper cover 20. The shape of the adapter plate 23 is adapted to the bin cover 22 and is detachably connected to the bin cover 22. The adapter plate 23 is provided with an avoidance hole for avoiding the bin opening 21 and the notch 11. The adapter plate 23 is sealed to the bin cover 22 through a sealing connector 24; the sealing connector 24 is a sealing connecting strip.

[0051] The upper cover 20 is also provided with an observation window 50 for observing the conditions inside the incubator.

[0052] The structure of the observation window 50 can facilitate the operator to quickly and intuitively observe the conditions in the chamber 31. Usually, the size of the observation window 50 is adapted to the size of a chamber 31, so that the operator can observe the conditions in the chamber 31 in all directions.

[0053] The observation window 50 is glass with a heating function.

[0054] During the process of culturing cells / embryos, the incubator needs to heat the culture dish in an all-round and stable manner, so it is necessary to set the observation window 50 as glass with heating function.

[0055] During specific use, the operator can observe the culture progress of cells / embryos and whether there is waste liquid in the chamber 31 through the observation window 50. If there is waste liquid in the chamber 31, the corresponding chamber 31 can be rotated to the top of the liquid collecting tank 40 to allow the waste liquid to flow into the liquid collecting tank 40. The chamber cover 22 can be opened at an appropriate time based on other relevant information. After opening the chamber cover 22, relevant operations can be performed on the culture dish in the chamber 31. At the same time, materials with good adsorption properties can be used to directly absorb the waste liquid in the liquid collecting tank 40. Due to the structure of the notch 11, this operation process is convenient and quick. At the same time, due to the presence of the gradually thickening section 12, during the process of opening the cover, the gas entering other chambers 31 will be significantly reduced, which further reduces the impact of external gas on other chambers 31 during the opening process.

Claims

1. An incubator, comprising a box body and an upper cover, wherein a turntable is provided in the box body and is divided into a plurality of compartments, characterized in that: A liquid collecting trough for collecting liquid is provided on the bottom plate of the box body, and the chamber is provided with a through hole; The upper cover is provided with a port adapted to the size of the chamber, the position of the liquid collecting tank corresponds to the position of the port, and when the chamber rotates to the position corresponding to the port, the through hole is connected to the liquid collecting tank; The upper cover is further provided with a bin cover, which is detachably connected to the box body and sealed to the bin opening.

2. The incubator according to claim 1, wherein The liquid collecting trough includes a guide plate and a collecting portion. The distance between the guide plate and the chamber bottom plate increases in a direction away from the center of the turntable. When the chamber cover is opened, the collecting portion is connected to the external environment.

3. The incubator according to claim 2, characterized in that The liquid collecting tank is further provided with a flow stop portion, which is arranged at one end of the collecting portion away from the center of the turntable, and is used to allow the liquid to accumulate in the collecting portion.

4. The incubator according to claim 2, characterized in that A notch is provided on the side wall of the box body, the position of the notch corresponds to the position of the warehouse opening, and the collecting part is communicated with the notch.

5. The incubator according to claim 4, characterized in that A gradually thickening section is provided on the side wall of the box body near the notch. The thickness of the gradually thickening section increases towards the notch, and there is always a gap between the gradually thickening section and the turntable.

6. The incubator according to claim 4, characterized in that The bin cover is an arc-shaped plate. When the bin cover is closed, the external environment and the environment inside the box are not communicated with each other.

7. The incubator according to claim 6, characterized in that It also includes an adapter plate fixed on the upper cover, the shape of the adapter plate is adapted to the bin cover and is detachably connected to the bin cover, the adapter plate is provided with an avoidance hole for avoiding the bin opening and the gap, and the adapter plate is sealed to the bin cover through a sealing connector.

8. The incubator according to claim 7, characterized in that The sealing connection piece is a sealing connection strip.

9. The incubator according to claim 1, wherein: The upper cover is also provided with an observation window for observing the conditions inside the incubator.

10. The incubator according to claim 9, characterized in that The observation window is glass with heating function.

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