Liquid storage and supply device and cell culture equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of life science instruments, and discloses a liquid storage and supply device and cell culture equipment. The liquid storage and supply device comprises a storage box, a plurality of liquid storage bottles, a detection unit and a preheating unit, a refrigeration unit is arranged in the storage box, and the cold end of the refrigeration unit communicates with an inner cavity of the storage box so that the inner cavity can have a preset storage temperature; the liquid storage bottles are arranged in the inner cavity and can be selectively communicated with the main liquid pipe; the detection units are arranged in the inner cavity and are in one-to-one correspondence with the liquid storage bottles so as to detect the residual amount of the liquid in the liquid storage bottles; the preheating unit is arranged outside the storage box and located on the main liquid pipe, and the preheating unit can preheat liquid in the main liquid pipe to the preset use temperature. According to the utility model, a low-temperature storage environment can be provided for a plurality of liquid storage bottles, meanwhile, the influence among the plurality of liquid storage bottles is reduced, and finally, a reagent with a preset use temperature is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of life science instrument technology, and in particular to a liquid storage and supply device and a cell culture equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, cell culture equipment typically requires one or more operators to monitor the machine, checking periodically daily to ensure the cell solution is used up and needing replacement. This is inefficient and incurs high labor costs. Secondly, since cell culture often requires at least two reagent solutions, to achieve unattended operation, the storage chamber needs to hold multiple vials of reagent solutions simultaneously. Alternatively, a fairly large reagent container can be used to achieve unattended operation for a certain period. When multiple containers of the same reagent composition are stored in the storage chamber, adding reagents involves switching between different containers. Furthermore, culture solutions need to be stored in a low-temperature environment, but the operating temperature is usually higher than the storage temperature.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a liquid storage and supply device and cell culture equipment to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on the above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a liquid storage and supply device and a cell culture equipment that can provide a low-temperature storage environment for multiple liquid storage bottles, while reducing the influence between multiple liquid storage bottles, and ultimately providing reagents with a preset operating temperature.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] Liquid storage and supply device, including:

[0007] A storage box, wherein a refrigeration unit is provided inside the storage box, and the cold end of the refrigeration unit is connected to the inner cavity of the storage box so that the inner cavity has a preset storage temperature;

[0008] Multiple liquid storage bottles are disposed in the inner cavity, and the liquid storage bottles can be selectively connected to the main liquid pipe;

[0009] A detection unit is disposed in the inner cavity and is configured to correspond one-to-one with each of the liquid storage bottles to detect the remaining liquid in the liquid storage bottles;

[0010] A preheating unit is located outside the storage tank and in the main liquid pipe. The preheating unit can preheat the liquid in the main liquid pipe to a preset operating temperature.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the liquid storage and supply device, the detection unit includes a weighing platform, and the liquid storage bottle is disposed on the weighing platform; or the detection unit includes a liquid level detection element to detect the liquid level in the liquid storage bottle.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the liquid storage and supply device, a peristaltic pump is installed on the main liquid pipe, and the peristaltic pump is located upstream of the preheating unit.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of a liquid storage and supply device, the preheating unit includes two heating bodies that can be interlocked, and the main liquid pipe can be placed between the two interlocked heating bodies.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the liquid storage and supply device, the liquid storage and supply device further includes a tray, on which the liquid storage bottle can be placed, and the tray is provided with a drain hole.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the liquid storage and supply device, the refrigeration unit further includes a hot end and a cooling fan. The hot end is connected to the cold end and is located outside the storage tank. The cooling fan is used to dissipate heat from the hot end.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the liquid storage and supply device, the liquid storage and supply device further includes a control valve group, which includes multiple switching valves, each of which is configured to correspond one-to-one with a multiple liquid storage bottle, so as to selectively connect one of the liquid storage bottles and the main liquid pipe.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of a liquid storage and supply device, the storage tank is equipped with a temperature equalization fan.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of a liquid storage and supply device, the storage tank is configured as a double-layered structure, with the inner layer being an insulation layer and the outer layer and the inner layer being a heat-insulating layer.

[0019] Cell culture equipment, including the liquid storage and supply device described in any of the above embodiments.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0021] This invention features a storage box with an inner cavity to accommodate multiple liquid storage bottles. These bottles can store one or more reagents, increasing the quantity and variety of reagents that can be stored. The bottles can selectively connect to the main liquid pipe to ensure adequate supply. Furthermore, a detection unit is positioned one-to-one with each storage bottle to monitor the remaining reagent level in real time, reducing the frequency of manual replenishment and increasing the possibility of unattended operation of the liquid storage and supply system. This improves supply efficiency and reduces labor costs. The cold end of the refrigeration unit is connected to the inner cavity to create a low-temperature storage environment. A preheating unit heats the reagents passing through the main liquid pipe to ensure that the reagents supplied by the liquid storage and supply system reach the preset operating temperature. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this utility model will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the embodiments of this utility model and these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid storage and supply device provided in a specific embodiment of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid storage and supply device provided in a specific embodiment of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the liquid storage and supply device provided in a specific embodiment of this utility model.

[0026] In the picture:

[0027] 100. Storage box; 101. Inner cavity; 110. Cooling unit; 111. Cold end; 112. Hot end; 113. Cooling fan; 120. Temperature equalization fan; 131. Inner layer; 132. Outer layer; 133. Insulation layer;

[0028] 200. Storage bottle; 210. Main liquid tubing; 211. Peristaltic pump;

[0029] 300. Detection unit; 310. Weighing platform; 311. Pallet; 312. Weight sensor;

[0030] 400. Preheating unit;

[0031] 500. Control valve assembly; 510. Switch valve. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0033] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "first position" and "second position" refer to two different positions.

[0034] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections or detachable connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and connections within two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0036] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] like Figures 1-3As shown, this embodiment provides a liquid storage and supply device, which includes a storage tank 100, multiple liquid storage bottles 200, a detection unit 300, and a preheating unit 400. A refrigeration unit 110 is provided inside the storage tank 100, and the cold end 111 of the refrigeration unit 110 is connected to the inner cavity 101 of the storage tank 100 so that the inner cavity 101 has a preset storage temperature. Multiple liquid storage bottles 200 are disposed in the inner cavity 101, and the liquid storage bottles 200 can selectively communicate with the main liquid pipe 210. The detection unit 300 is disposed in the inner cavity 101 and is disposed one-to-one with the liquid storage bottles 200 to detect the remaining liquid in the liquid storage bottles 200. The preheating unit 400 is disposed outside the storage tank 100 and located in the main liquid pipe 210. The preheating unit 400 can preheat the liquid in the main liquid pipe 210 to a preset operating temperature.

[0038] By setting up a storage box 100 with an inner cavity 101 to accommodate multiple liquid storage bottles 200, each capable of storing one or more reagents, the quantity and variety of reagents stored can be increased. Simultaneously, the liquid storage bottles 200 can selectively connect to the main liquid pipe 210 to ensure liquid supply. Furthermore, a detection unit 300 is configured one-to-one with each liquid storage bottle 200, enabling real-time detection of the remaining reagent level in each bottle. This allows for selective connection or disconnection of the reagent bottle and injection pipe based on the remaining reagent level, increasing the likelihood of unattended operation of the liquid storage and supply device, thereby reducing the need for periodic manual reagent replenishment, improving supply efficiency, and lowering labor costs. By connecting the cold end 111 of the refrigeration unit 110 to the inner cavity 101, a low-temperature storage environment is provided. Simultaneously, a preheating unit 400 heats the reagent passing through the main liquid pipe 210 to ensure that the reagent supplied by the liquid storage and supply device reaches the preset operating temperature.

[0039] It is worth noting that multiple storage bottles 200 can hold reagents of different properties to increase the variety of reagents stored; at least two storage bottles 200 can also simultaneously store reagents of the same property to increase the quantity of reagents stored. In practical applications, storage bottles 200 storing reagents of different properties will be connected in an independent circuit, which helps to reduce the influence between reagents of different properties during the liquid supply process; when the reagents have the same properties, they can be connected in parallel for sequential supply of the reagents.

[0040] Specifically, the cold end 111 of the cooling unit 110 is disposed on the side wall of the inner cavity 101. The cooling unit 110 also includes a hot end 112 and a cooling fan 113. The hot end 112 is connected to the cold end 111 and is located on the outside of the storage box 100, that is, the cooling unit 110 passes through the side wall of the storage box 100. The cooling unit 110 is installed with screws, which is convenient for installation and easy for replacement. The cooling fan 113 located on the outside of the storage box 100 can be used to dissipate heat from the hot end 112, thereby ensuring the cooling effect of the cold end 111. Optionally, the cooling unit 110 is configured as a semiconductor cooler.

[0041] Furthermore, to prevent the temperature near the cold end 111 of the refrigeration unit 110 from becoming too low, which could cause the reagent in the storage bottle 200 near the cold end 111 to freeze, a temperature equalization fan 120 is provided inside the storage box 100 to accelerate the gas flow inside the inner cavity 101 and equalize the temperature inside the inner cavity 101. Optionally, the temperature equalization fan 120 is an axial flow fan.

[0042] For example, the preset storage temperature is set to 4℃-8℃; the preset operating temperature is set to 30℃-37℃. Optionally, the cold end 111 of the cooling unit 110 is set to a temperature not lower than 1.5℃ to prevent the reagent from freezing due to excessively low temperature inside the cavity 101.

[0043] In this embodiment, the detection unit 300 includes a weighing platform 310, and a liquid storage bottle 200 is disposed on the weighing platform 310. Optionally, the weighing platform 310 includes a tray 311 and a weight sensor 312 disposed below the tray 311, and the liquid storage bottle 200 can be placed inside the tray 311. Preferably, the tray 311 is also provided with a drainage hole for draining condensate water inside the tray 311, so as to reduce the interference of condensate water on weight detection and ensure the accuracy of reagent balance detection.

[0044] In other embodiments, the detection unit 300 includes a liquid level detection element to detect the liquid level in the storage bottle 200, thereby determining the remaining reagent level in the storage bottle 200. The liquid level can be detected by infrared or ultrasonic methods, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0045] To achieve selective connectivity between multiple liquid storage bottles 200 and the main liquid pipe 210, the liquid storage and supply device further includes a control valve assembly 500. The control valve assembly 500 includes multiple switching valves 510, each corresponding to one of the multiple liquid storage bottles 200. When a switching valve 510 is in the open position, it can connect the liquid storage bottle 200 to the main liquid pipe 210. It is understood that the switching valve 510 is communicatively connected to the detection unit 300 of the corresponding liquid storage bottle 200, allowing the switching valve 510 to selectively open or close based on the reagent balance detected by the detection unit 300. In other embodiments, the control valve assembly 500 can also be configured as a multi-way valve, with the valve body positioned in different positions to achieve selective connectivity between the multiple liquid storage bottles 200 and the main liquid pipe 210.

[0046] Furthermore, the main liquid pipe 210 is equipped with a peristaltic pump 211, which is located upstream of the preheating unit 400 and is used to extract the reagent in the storage bottle 200 when the storage bottle 200 is connected to the main liquid pipe 210.

[0047] In this embodiment, the preheating unit 400 includes two heating bodies that can be interlocked, and the main liquid pipe 210 can be placed between the two interlocked heating bodies. This arrangement allows the heating bodies to heat the reagent in the main liquid pipe 210 more quickly and effectively.

[0048] Specifically, to ensure the storage temperature of the inner cavity 101, the storage box 100 is configured with two layers, with the inner layer 131 serving as a heat insulation layer to reduce the outward diffusion of low temperature from the inner cavity 101. Simultaneously, a heat insulation layer 133 is provided between the outer layer 132 and the inner layer 131 to further improve the heat preservation effect on the low-temperature environment of the inner cavity 101. For example, the heat insulation layer 133 is made of heat insulation cotton. Furthermore, the upper storage box is also equipped with a door for easy access to the liquid storage bottle 200; the door is also equipped with a heat insulation structure.

[0049] This embodiment also discloses a cell culture apparatus, including a liquid storage and supply device as described in any of the above embodiments. In a cell culture apparatus equipped with the aforementioned liquid storage and supply device, reagents can be stored in a low-temperature environment, and the influence between multiple storage bottles 200°C is minimal, ultimately providing reagents with a preset operating temperature.

[0050] It is understood that the cell culture equipment is also equipped with a control system, and all detection devices are communicatively connected to the control system. Optionally, the control system can adopt PID closed-loop control. The operation process of the above-mentioned liquid storage and supply device is as follows: When the liquid storage and supply device is working, since the cooling unit 110 is controlled by the PID control algorithm, the minimum temperature of the cooling unit 110 will not be lower than the set threshold temperature (1.5℃); at the same time, since there is a temperature equalization fan 120 in the inner cavity 101, it can be used to realize the air circulation in the inner cavity 101, so the temperature of the inner cavity 101 is relatively uniform. When the detection unit 300 of a certain liquid storage bottle 200 detects that the reagent residue in the corresponding liquid storage bottle 200 is lower than the set threshold, then in the next test liquid addition, the liquid storage bottle 200 is disconnected from the main liquid pipe 210, and the other liquid storage bottle 200 is connected to the main liquid pipe 210.

[0051] For example, cell culture equipment typically requires the presence of at least two types of liquids for cell culture. For instance, culture of adherent cells requires trypsin solution and cell culture medium solution. Considering cell passage and medium replacement, the capacity of a single reagent bottle is usually no less than 1L. Therefore, the liquid storage and supply device can maintain unattended operation for at least 2 days. If unattended culture for a longer period, such as 1 week, is required, the corresponding reagent storage capacity needs to be increased. For example, by placing 5-6 liquid storage bottles 200 in the storage box 100, a detection unit 300 and a control valve group 500 can be set up accordingly.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. The content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A liquid storage and supply device, characterized in that, include: A storage box (100) is provided with a refrigeration unit (110) inside the storage box (100). The cold end (111) of the refrigeration unit (110) is connected to the inner cavity (101) of the storage box (100) so that the inner cavity (101) has a preset storage temperature. Multiple liquid storage bottles (200) are disposed in the inner cavity (101), and the liquid storage bottles (200) can selectively communicate with the main liquid pipe (210); A detection unit (300) is disposed in the inner cavity (101) and is disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the liquid storage bottle (200) to detect the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid storage bottle (200); A preheating unit (400) is disposed outside the storage tank (100) and located in the main liquid pipe (210). The preheating unit (400) can preheat the liquid in the main liquid pipe (210) to a preset operating temperature.

2. The liquid storage and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection unit (300) includes a weighing platform (310), and the liquid storage bottle (200) is disposed on the weighing platform (310); or the detection unit (300) includes a liquid level detection element to detect the liquid level in the liquid storage bottle (200).

3. The liquid storage and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A peristaltic pump (211) is installed on the main liquid pipe (210), and the peristaltic pump (211) is located upstream of the preheating unit (400).

4. The liquid storage and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preheating unit (400) includes two heating bodies that can be interlocked, and the main liquid pipe (210) can be placed between the two interlocked heating bodies.

5. The liquid storage and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid storage and supply device also includes a tray (311), the liquid storage bottle (200) can be placed on the tray (311), and the tray (311) is provided with a drain hole.

6. The liquid storage and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration unit (110) further includes a hot end (112) and a cooling fan (113). The hot end (112) is connected to the cold end (111) and is located outside the storage box (100). The cooling fan (113) is used to dissipate heat from the hot end (112).

7. The liquid storage and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid storage and supply device also includes a control valve group (500), which includes a plurality of switching valves (510). The plurality of switching valves (510) are configured one-to-one with the plurality of liquid storage bottles (200) to selectively connect one of the liquid storage bottles (200) and the main liquid pipe (210).

8. The liquid storage and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage box (100) is equipped with a temperature equalization fan (120).

9. The liquid storage and supply device according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The storage box (100) is configured as a double layer, with the inner layer (131) being a heat insulation layer and the outer layer (132) and the inner layer (131) being a heat insulation layer (133).

10. Cell culture equipment, characterized in that, Includes the liquid storage and supply device as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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