Automatic water changing device of incubator water tray for organoid culture
By designing an automatic water-changing device and using sensors and controllers to monitor water level and quality, the automatic adjustment of sterile water was achieved, solving the problems of pollution risk and incompatibility of water level and quality in existing technologies, and improving the effect of organoid culture.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
The existing incubator water trays are prone to contamination during water changes, and the existing automatic water changing devices cannot meet the sensitive requirements of organoid culture for water level and water quality, thus affecting the culture results.
An automatic water exchange device was designed, comprising an inlet, a drain, and a control unit. The device uses sensors to monitor water level and quality, and the controller automatically exchanges water according to set conditions to ensure the supply of sterile water and maintain environmental humidity.
This technology enables automatic and aseptic adjustment of water level and quality during organoid culture, reducing the risk of contamination, ensuring stable humidity and water quality within the incubator, and improving the survival rate and consistency of organoids.
Smart Images
Figure CN224243099U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to an incubator, specifically to an automatic water changing device for the water tray of an incubator used for organoid culture. Background Technology
[0002] Organoids are tissue analogs with a certain spatial structure, formed by in vitro three-dimensional (3D) culture of adult stem cells or pluripotent stem cells. While not true human organs, organoids can mimic the structure and function of real organs, thus maximally mimicking the structure and function of in vivo tissues and enabling long-term stable passage.
[0003] Organoid culture has a long cycle; therefore, it is necessary to frequently monitor the water quality and level in the water tray during the culture process. Water should be changed or replenished (with sterile water) promptly when the water quality deteriorates or the water level drops. This is to prevent organoid contamination due to water tray contamination, or to avoid reduced humidity in the incubator due to insufficient water level, which could negatively impact organoid culture. Especially when using an incubator for organoid culture, in addition to ensuring the aforementioned monitoring of sterile water in the water tray, it is also necessary to minimize human intervention to reduce environmental impact and improve organoid survival rate and consistency. This necessitates the use of automated water exchange systems.
[0004] Existing incubators typically use a soft plug to control the water tray's flow, or an external pipette to drain the water. When adding water, the incubator is simply opened and sterilized water is poured into the tray. This process of adding and draining water easily contaminates the tray and the inside of the incubator, necessitating disinfection of the entire unit after each water change, which is very inconvenient.
[0005] For example, CN108990848A discloses an automatic water-changing device and a zooplankton culture system. In this system, a hollow tube is installed on the culture tank, and a filter assembly is installed at the bottom of the hollow tube below the liquid surface. The filter assembly is used to block zooplankton. The inlet and outlet pipes are connected to the two channels of a dual-channel peristaltic pump, which is electrically connected to a control module. The inlet end of the inlet pipe extends into the fresh culture medium, and the outlet end extends into the hollow tube. The inlet end of the outlet pipe extends into the culture medium inside the hollow tube, and the outlet end extends into a waste liquid tank. This solution discloses an automatic water-changing device suitable for zooplankton culture tanks, but it only focuses on water quality to regulate whether to change the culture medium. This makes it insensitive to changes in water level (during organoid culture, sterile water evaporates to provide sufficient environmental humidity). Therefore, this device cannot be used for automatic water changing in the culture tank's water tray (the main function of the water tray is to provide environmental humidity for the culture tank).
[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to propose an automatic water changing device for the culture tank water tray suitable for organoid culture, so as to reduce the pollution of the culture tank water tray during water changing (including adding and draining water), and thus avoid contamination of organoids during organoid culture as much as possible. Utility Model Content
[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic water-changing device for the water tray of an incubator used in organoid culture, thereby addressing at least one of the aforementioned problems. This solves the problem that manual water changing in incubator water trays easily leads to contamination, and that existing automatic water-changing devices are unsuitable for the water changing needs of incubator water trays. This solution uses sensors to measure the level and quality of sterile water in the water tray and, in conjunction with a controller, times the water changing cycle, achieving automatic water changing suitable for incubator water trays.
[0008] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:
[0009] An automatic water changing device for a culture tank water tray used in organoid culture, the device being connected to the culture tank water tray, the device comprising a water inlet, a drain outlet, and a control unit;
[0010] The incubator includes a water inlet, a drain inlet, a water inlet channel, and a drain channel; the water inlet and the drain inlet are respectively located on the side wall of the incubator, the water inlet channel connects the water inlet and the water tray, and the drain channel connects the drain inlet and the water tray.
[0011] The water inlet includes a sterile water storage bottle, a water inlet pump, a water inlet pipe, and a filter membrane; the sterile water storage bottle is connected to the water inlet interface through the water inlet pipe, the water inlet pump is connected to the water inlet pipe, and the filter membrane is assembled inside the water inlet interface.
[0012] The drainage section includes a waste liquid storage bottle, a drainage pump, and a drainage pipe; the waste liquid storage bottle is connected to a drainage interface through the drainage pipe, and the drainage pump is connected to the drainage pipe;
[0013] The control unit includes a controller and a sensor; the controller is electrically connected to the inlet pump, the outlet pump and the sensor respectively, and the controller integrates a timing module; the sensor is set inside the water pan and is used to obtain the liquid level and water quality of the sterile water in the water pan.
[0014] Preferably, the end of the water inlet channel connected to the water pan is positioned higher than the end of the drain channel connected to the water pan.
[0015] Preferably, the inlet pump is located at the outlet of the sterile water storage bottle; the outlet pump is located at the inlet of the waste liquid storage bottle.
[0016] Preferably, the inlet pump is a peristaltic pump; the outlet pump is a negative pressure pump.
[0017] Preferably, the water inlet pipe is further equipped with a water inlet solenoid valve and a check valve, the water inlet solenoid valve being electrically connected to the controller; the drain pipe is further equipped with a drain solenoid valve, the drain solenoid valve being electrically connected to the controller.
[0018] Preferably, a level gauge is provided on the inner wall of the sterile water storage bottle; a level gauge is provided on the inner wall of the waste liquid storage bottle.
[0019] Preferably, a flow meter is installed in the water inlet pipe, and / or a flow meter is installed in the water inlet interface, and / or a flow meter is installed in the water inlet channel; the flow meter is electrically connected to the controller.
[0020] Preferably, the controller is a microcontroller or a PLC controller.
[0021] Preferably, the sensor includes a liquid level sensor, which is disposed inside the water pan and is used to obtain the liquid level of sterile water in the water pan.
[0022] Preferably, the sensor further includes one or more of a pH sensor, conductivity sensor, turbidity sensor, ORP sensor and temperature sensor, for obtaining the water quality of the sterile water in the water pan;
[0023] The pH sensor is located inside the water pan and is used to measure the pH value of the sterile water in the water pan.
[0024] The conductivity sensor is installed inside the water pan and is used to measure the conductivity of the sterile water in the water pan.
[0025] The turbidity sensor is installed inside the water pan and is used to measure the turbidity of the sterile water in the water pan.
[0026] The ORP sensor is installed inside the water pan and is used to measure the potential of the sterile water in the water pan.
[0027] The temperature sensor is located inside the water pan and is used to measure the temperature of the sterile water in the water pan.
[0028] The working principle of this utility model is as follows:
[0029] The controller integrates a timing module, which can control the water change cycle and perform water changes periodically according to the settings; the sensor monitors the level and quality of sterile water in the water pan, and can change the water when the level or quality is insufficient.
[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0031] This automatic water-changing device has multiple water-changing judgment criteria, including: 1) changing water (or simply adding water) when the water level is lower than the set value based on the water level changes measured by the sensor; 2) changing water when the water quality does not meet the culture requirements based on the water quality changes measured by the sensor; 3) also changing water periodically based on the timing module in the controller (the timing is reset after each water change, regardless of the reason for the water change); therefore, this automatic water-changing device can well adapt to the water change requirements (water volume, water quality, time period) of the incubator water tray, ensuring that the environmental humidity in the incubator can be well maintained, and ensuring that the quality of sterile water meets the culture requirements.
[0032] The sensor further employs a level sensor to detect the liquid level in the water pan, and uses one or more of a pH sensor, conductivity sensor, turbidity sensor, ORP sensor, and temperature sensor to detect the water quality in the water pan, ensuring comprehensive monitoring of the water pan's condition to meet the environmental humidity / water quality requirements for organoid culture.
[0033] This automatic water changing device is equipped with a filter membrane in the water inlet section to further filter the sterile water entering the incubator's water tray, ensuring its sterility. A check valve is installed on the water inlet pipe to prevent backflow of sterile water that has already entered the incubator (through the water inlet interface), thus preventing contamination of the sterile water storage bottle. A flow meter is also installed on the water inlet pipe to measure the amount of newly added sterile water. Both the water inlet and drainage sections are equipped with solenoid valves (water inlet solenoid valve and drainage solenoid valve) controlled by a controller, allowing for precise control of water inlet and / or drainage as needed to complete water changing and / or water addition. Attached Figure Description
[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic water changing device connected to the water tray of the incubator from a first-view perspective.
[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic water changing device connected to the water tray of the incubator from a second perspective.
[0036] Figure 3 This is a partially enlarged structural diagram of the water tray section of the incubator;
[0037] Figure 1-3 To avoid obscuring the structural details of the automatic water changing device from the partitions inside the incubator, it is not shown in the drawing. In reality, the incubator should have at least one layer of partitions.
[0038] Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged structural diagram of the side wall of the incubator;
[0039] In the diagram: 1-Incubator; 11-Water tray; 12-Water inlet; 13-Drainage inlet; 14-Water inlet channel; 15-Drainage channel; 21-Sterile water storage bottle; 22-Water inlet pump; 23-Water inlet pipe; 24-Filter membrane; 25-Water inlet solenoid valve; 26-Check valve; 31-Waste liquid storage bottle; 32-Drainage pump; 33-Drainage pipe; 34-Drainage solenoid valve; 41-Controller; 42-Level sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0040] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0041] Example 1
[0042] An automatic water changing device for the water tray 11 of an incubator 1 used for organoid culture, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, the device is connected to the water tray 11 of the incubator 1, and the device includes a water inlet, a drain outlet and a control unit;
[0043] The incubator 1 includes a water inlet 12, a drain inlet 13, a water inlet channel 14, and a drain channel 15; the water inlet 12 and the drain inlet 13 are respectively disposed on the side wall of the incubator 1, the water inlet channel 14 is connected between the water inlet 12 and the water tray 11, and the drain channel 15 is connected between the drain inlet 13 and the water tray 11.
[0044] The water inlet includes a sterile water storage bottle 21, a water inlet pump 22, a water inlet pipe 23, and a filter membrane 24; the sterile water storage bottle 21 is connected to the water inlet interface 12 through the water inlet pipe 23, the water inlet pump 22 is connected to the water inlet pipe 23, and the filter membrane 24 is assembled inside the water inlet interface 12.
[0045] The drainage section includes a waste liquid storage bottle 31, a drainage pump 32, and a drainage pipe 33; the waste liquid storage bottle 31 is connected to the drainage interface 13 through the drainage pipe 33, and the drainage pump 32 is connected to the drainage pipe 33.
[0046] The control unit includes a controller 41 and a sensor; the controller 41 is electrically connected to the inlet pump 22, the outlet pump 32 and the sensor respectively, and the controller 41 integrates a timing module; the sensor is set inside the water pan 11 and is used to obtain the liquid level and water quality of the sterile water in the water pan 11.
[0047] More specifically, in this embodiment:
[0048] The automatic water-changing device of the incubator 1 used for organoid culture, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, it consists of three parts: a water inlet, a drain, and a control unit, all located outside the incubator 1.
[0049] The incubator 1 has a water tray 11 inside for controlling the humidity of the environment inside the incubator 1. The water tray 11 can be designed to be detachable, such as with a snap-fit connection, for easy periodic cleaning. A pair of interfaces are provided on its side wall, serving as a water inlet 12 and a drain 13, for connecting to the water inlet and drain parts of an automatic water changing device. A water inlet channel 14 is provided between the drain 13 and the water tray 11, and a drain 15 is provided between the drain 13 and the water tray 11. The water inlet 12 and the water inlet channel 14, and the drain 13 and the drain 15 cooperate to allow water (sterile water) to enter the water tray 11 and to allow waste liquid (waste liquid) to exit from the water tray 11. The end of the water inlet channel 14 that connects to the water tray 11 should be higher than the end of the drain 15 that connects to the water tray 11. The water inlet channel 14 and the drain 15 can be made of PE water pipes to provide a certain structural strength.
[0050] The water inlet section mainly includes a sterile water storage bottle 21, a water inlet pump 22, a water inlet pipe 23, and a filter membrane 24. The sterile water storage bottle 21 stores sterile water, which is then pumped by the water inlet pump 22 through the water inlet pipe 23, the water inlet interface 12, and the water inlet channel 14 to the water tray 11. If necessary, a level gauge can be installed on the side wall of the sterile water storage bottle 21 for convenient external observation of the internal liquid level. The water inlet pump 22 is directly mounted at the opening of the sterile water storage bottle 21, with its input end extending to the bottom of the bottle and its output end connected to the first end of the water inlet pipe 23. In this embodiment, the water inlet pump 22 is a peristaltic pump, electrically connected to the controller 41 of the control unit. The first end of the water inlet pipe 23 is connected to the output end of the water inlet pump 22, and its second end is connected to the water inlet interface 12. The water inlet pipe 23 is preferably made of silicone tubing or PE water pipe. The filter membrane 24 is a 0.22μm filter membrane, which is installed inside the water inlet 12 to further filter the sterile water input to the water tray 11, ensuring the sterility of the sterile water used for replenishment. In addition, according to the actual functional requirements, a water inlet solenoid valve 25, a one-way check valve 26, and a flow meter can also be provided; wherein, the water inlet solenoid valve 25 is electrically connected to the controller 41 of the control unit to control the opening and closing of the water inlet pipe 23, and is preferably installed on the water inlet pipe 23; the one-way check valve 26 prevents the backflow of sterile water that has passed through from causing contamination of the sterile water in the sterile water storage bottle 21, and can be installed downstream of the water inlet solenoid valve 25, preferably located on the water inlet pipe 23; the flow meter is used to monitor the flow rate in the pipe, and is electrically connected to the controller 41 of the control unit, and preferably the flow meter is installed in the water inlet 12 or water inlet channel 14 with a fixed structure.
[0051] The drainage section mainly includes a waste liquid storage bottle 31, a drainage pump 32, and a drainage pipe 33. The waste liquid storage bottle 31 collects waste liquid discharged from the water pan 11. It is connected to the water pan 11 via the drainage pump 32, drainage pipe 33, drainage interface 13, and drainage channel 15. If needed, a level gauge can be installed on the side wall of the waste liquid storage bottle 31 for convenient external observation of the internal liquid level. The drainage pump 32 is directly mounted at the opening of the waste liquid storage bottle 31. Its input end is connected to the second end of the drainage pipe 33, and its output end extends into the waste liquid storage bottle 31. It is electrically connected to the controller 41 of the control unit. In this embodiment, the drainage pump 32 is a negative pressure pump. The first end of the drainage pipe 33 connects to the drainage interface 13, and the second end extends into the waste liquid storage bottle 31. The drainage pipe 33 is preferably a silicone hose or a PE water pipe. In addition, depending on the actual functional requirements, a drain solenoid valve 34 can be installed on the drain pipe 33. The drain solenoid valve 34 is electrically connected to the controller 41 of the control unit to control the opening and closing of the water inlet pipe 23.
[0052] The control unit consists of a controller 41 and sensors. The controller 41 can be a microcontroller 41 (such as STM32, ESP32) or a PLC controller 41, which integrates a timing module (timer) for timing the water change cycle. This timing module resets the timer after each water change and replenishment. The timer is electrically connected to the inlet pump 22, the inlet solenoid valve 25, the flow meter, the drain pump 32, the drain solenoid valve 34, and the sensors. The sensors include a level sensor 42 for measuring the water volume in the water pan 11 and various sensors (or combinations of sensors) for measuring the water quality in the water pan 11. Specifically, the level sensor 42 can be a capacitive level sensor 42, a float level sensor 42, an ultrasonic level sensor 42, or a pressure level sensor 42. The various sensors (or combinations of sensors) for measuring water quality can be a pH sensor (acidity / alkalinity), a conductivity sensor (ion concentration), a turbidity sensor (particulate matter concentration), an ORP sensor (potential), and a temperature sensor (water temperature). The combination of various sensors can construct a multi-angle evaluation system to more accurately determine whether water replacement or replenishment is needed.
[0053] The sensors, controllers 41, and specific control methods mentioned in the above scheme can all be directly adopted from existing technologies or commercially available products, rather than improvements to this scheme. This scheme only uses them without making any improvements.
[0054] When the automatic water changing device is in use, if the sensor data obtained by the controller 41 indicates that the water volume (liquid level) is lower than the set value, the controller 41 instructs the inlet solenoid valve 25 and the inlet pump 22 to operate to replenish water; if the sensor data obtained by the controller 41 indicates that the water quality is lower than the set value, the controller 41 instructs the inlet solenoid valve 25, the inlet pump 22, the drain solenoid valve 34, and the drain pump 32 to operate to change the water; if the controller 41 obtains that the timing module's timing exceeds the set value, the controller 41 instructs the inlet solenoid valve 25, the inlet pump 22, the drain solenoid valve 34, and the drain pump 32 to operate to change the water.
[0055] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and use the utility model. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be easily made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present utility model without departing from its scope should be within the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. An automatic water changing device for the water tray of an incubator for organoid culture, the device being connected to the water tray (11) of the incubator (1), characterized in that, The device includes a water inlet, a drain, and a control unit; The incubator (1) includes a water inlet (12), a drain inlet (13), a water inlet channel (14), and a drain channel (15); the water inlet (12) and the drain inlet (13) are respectively disposed on the side wall of the incubator (1), the water inlet channel (14) is connected between the water inlet (12) and the water tray (11), and the drain channel (15) is connected between the drain inlet (13) and the water tray (11); The water inlet includes a sterile water storage bottle (21), a water inlet pump (22), a water inlet pipe (23), and a filter membrane (24); the sterile water storage bottle (21) is connected to the water inlet interface (12) through the water inlet pipe (23), the water inlet pump (22) is connected to the water inlet pipe (23), and the filter membrane (24) is assembled inside the water inlet interface (12); The drainage section includes a waste liquid storage bottle (31), a drainage pump (32), and a drainage pipe (33); the waste liquid storage bottle (31) is connected to the drainage interface (13) through the drainage pipe (33), and the drainage pump (32) is connected to the drainage pipe (33); The control unit includes a controller (41) and a sensor; the controller (41) is electrically connected to the inlet pump (22), the outlet pump (32) and the sensor respectively, and the controller (41) integrates a timing module; the sensor is set inside the water pan (11) to obtain the liquid level and water quality of the sterile water in the water pan (11).
2. The automatic water changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the water inlet channel (14) connected to the water pan (11) is set higher than the end of the drain channel (15) connected to the water pan (11).
3. An automatic water-changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water inlet pump (22) is located at the outlet of the sterile water storage bottle (21); the drain pump (32) is located at the inlet of the waste liquid storage bottle (31).
4. An automatic water-changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The inlet pump (22) is a peristaltic pump; the outlet pump (32) is a negative pressure pump.
5. An automatic water-changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet pipe (23) is also equipped with an inlet solenoid valve (25) and a check valve (26), and the inlet solenoid valve (25) is electrically connected to the controller (41); the drain pipe (33) is also equipped with a drain solenoid valve (34), and the drain solenoid valve (34) is electrically connected to the controller (41).
6. An automatic water-changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, A level gauge is provided on the inner wall of the sterile water storage bottle (21); a level gauge is provided on the inner wall of the waste liquid storage bottle (31).
7. An automatic water-changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flow meter is installed in the water inlet pipe (23), and / or a flow meter is installed in the water inlet interface (12), and / or a flow meter is installed in the water inlet channel (14); the flow meter is electrically connected to the controller (41).
8. An automatic water changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller (41) is a microcontroller or a PLC controller.
9. An automatic water changing device for the water tray of an incubator for organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensor includes a liquid level sensor (42), which is disposed inside the water pan (11) and is used to obtain the liquid level of sterile water in the water pan (11).
10. An automatic water-changing device for the culture tank water tray of an organoid culture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensors include one or more of a pH sensor, conductivity sensor, turbidity sensor, ORP sensor and temperature sensor, used to obtain the water quality of sterile water in the water pan (11); The pH sensor is located inside the water pan (11) and is used to measure the pH value of the sterile water in the water pan (11); The conductivity sensor is installed inside the water pan (11) to measure the conductivity of the sterile water in the water pan (11); The turbidity sensor is installed inside the water pan (11) and is used to measure the turbidity of the sterile water in the water pan (11); The ORP sensor is located inside the water pan (11) and is used to measure the potential of the sterile water in the water pan (11); The temperature sensor is located inside the water pan (11) and is used to measure the temperature of the sterile water in the water pan (11).