Low-temperature cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells
By designing a temperature-controlled chamber, cell storage rack, and gradient cooling module, the problems of inaccurate temperature control, lack of gradient cooling function, and inconvenient storage management in existing technologies have been solved, achieving efficient cryopreservation and high-quality thawing of iPS cells, and improving cell survival rate and experimental efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MIRROR QIDIAN (SHANGHAI) CELL TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing cell cryopreservation devices suffer from inaccurate temperature control, lack of gradient cooling capabilities, and inconvenient storage management, which affect cell preservation effectiveness and operational efficiency.
The design incorporates a temperature-controlled chamber, cell storage rack, and gradient cooling module, including a multi-layer rotating disk structure, labeling components, multiple cooling units, and a temperature control unit. This enables precise temperature regulation and orderly storage. Combined with cooling components and intelligent labeling, it ensures that the temperature changes of cells during freezing meet physiological requirements.
It improves cell preservation and recovery quality, reduces cell damage, and enhances experimental efficiency and sample management accuracy, making it particularly suitable for large-scale cell preservation.
Smart Images
Figure CN224250547U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of biological laboratory equipment technology, specifically to a cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). Background Technology
[0002] iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) have significant applications in regenerative medicine and drug screening, and their long-term stable preservation is a crucial step in related research and applications. Current cell cryopreservation technologies typically have the following shortcomings:
[0003] 1. Inaccurate temperature control: Traditional cryopreservation devices often struggle to achieve precise temperature control, especially during cell freezing, where the cooling rate is difficult to maintain at a constant rate, leading to unnecessary cell damage and affecting cell activity and survival rate after thawing.
[0004] 2. Lack of effective gradient cooling: Cells need to undergo multiple different temperature stages during freezing, with varying cooling rates at each stage, to adapt to the physiological characteristics of the cells and minimize the damage caused by ice crystal formation. However, most existing devices cannot provide a gradient cooling mode that meets the needs of cells.
[0005] 3. Inconvenient storage and management: The design of cell storage racks is unreasonable, making it difficult to store and manage multiple cell samples in an orderly manner and efficiently. This can easily lead to sample confusion or inconvenience in retrieval, affecting experimental efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0006] This invention addresses the aforementioned shortcomings in the prior art by providing a cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells.
[0007] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution.
[0008] A cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells includes: a temperature-controlled chamber, a cell storage rack, and a gradient cooling module; wherein:
[0009] The temperature control box adopts a sealed structure;
[0010] The cell storage rack has a multi-layer structure and is located inside the temperature control box for placing cell cryopreservation tubes or cryopreservation plates; each layer of the cell storage rack has a rotating disk structure and is equipped with a labeling component.
[0011] The gradient cooling module includes multiple cooling units, each of which is connected to a temperature control unit. Each cooling unit is equipped with a cooling component, a cooling conduction component, and a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is used to acquire temperature data of the space where each layer of the cell storage rack is located and transmit it to the temperature control unit as the basis for the temperature control unit to control the corresponding cooling component. The cooling conduction component is used to transfer the cold energy generated by the cooling component to the corresponding cell storage rack.
[0012] Preferably, the shell of the temperature control box is made entirely of stainless steel, and the inner wall of the shell is covered with an anti-corrosion layer; the door of the temperature control box is tightly connected to the shell by a sealing strip and a locking component.
[0013] Preferably, each layer of the cell storage rack includes a mounting frame and a storage rack disposed above the mounting frame, and the cooling component is disposed between the mounting frame and the storage rack; the bottom of the storage rack is provided with a rotating component, so that a relative rotating part is formed between the storage rack and the mounting frame.
[0014] Preferably, the identification component is a label, QR code, or barcode, used to store relevant information about induced pluripotent stem cells.
[0015] Preferably, the above-mentioned device further includes:
[0016] An alarm device is provided, comprising a comparator and an alarm. The comparator is preset with a temperature threshold and connected to the temperature sensor to determine whether the temperature data of the corresponding space collected by the temperature sensor exceeds the threshold. When the threshold is not met, the comparator triggers the alarm.
[0017] Preferably, the above-mentioned device further includes:
[0018] A display, connected to the temperature sensor, is used to monitor the temperature data of the space where the cell storage rack is located in real time.
[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, this utility model has at least one of the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:
[0020] The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells provided by this invention can achieve precise temperature regulation through multiple cooling units of the gradient cooling module and a temperature control unit with multiple input and output interfaces, ensuring that the temperature change of iPS cells during the freezing process meets their physiological needs, and effectively improving the preservation effect and recovery quality of cells.
[0021] The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells provided by this invention uses a gradient cooling mode to simulate the optimal temperature change path of cells during natural freezing. By acquiring relevant temperature data in real time as the basis for controlling the operation of the refrigeration components, it reduces cell damage caused by excessively rapid or uneven temperature changes, significantly improves cell survival rate and activity, and provides higher quality samples for subsequent cell applications.
[0022] The present invention provides a cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells. The cell storage rack adopts a multi-layer structure design with rotation function and is equipped with identification components, which enables a large number of iPS cell samples to be stored in an orderly manner and facilitates operators to quickly and accurately identify and retrieve the required samples, thereby improving experimental efficiency and management level. It is especially suitable for large-scale cell preservation and research scenarios.
[0023] The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells provided by this utility model adopts a rotary storage and retrieval structure. Each layer of the storage rack is equipped with a rotatable turntable with multiple storage positions distributed on the turntable. When cell samples need to be retrieved or placed, the turntable is rotated to move the target storage position to an easy-to-operate position without moving the entire storage rack or multiple cryopreservation tubes, thus improving operational efficiency.
[0024] The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells provided by this utility model has a cold-conducting component installed between the shelves of the storage rack. The cold-conducting component is made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity, which can uniformly conduct the cold energy generated by the gradient cooling module to the area around each cell sample, reduce temperature gradient differences, ensure uniform cooling of the sample, and improve the cryopreservation effect.
[0025] This invention provides a cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells, which features a smart tag at each storage location to record information about the cell sample, such as cell type, origin, and storage date. This allows administrators to quickly and accurately locate the required samples, improving the efficiency and accuracy of sample management. Attached Figure Description
[0026] Other features, objects, and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:
[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a cryopreservation device for inducing pluripotent stem cells in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] In the diagram, 1 is the temperature control chamber, 2 is the cell storage rack, 20 is the identification component, 21 is the mounting bracket, 22 is the storage rack, 3 is the gradient cooling module, and 31 is the temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0029] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below: These embodiments are implemented based on the technical solution of this utility model, and provide detailed implementation methods and specific operation processes. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.
[0030] Existing cell cryopreservation technologies typically suffer from inaccurate temperature control, lack of effective gradient cooling capabilities, and inconvenient storage management, failing to meet the cryopreservation requirements for iPS cells. To address these issues, one embodiment of this invention provides a cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells. This device, through its rational structural design and functional configuration, solves the problems of inaccurate temperature control, lack of gradient cooling capabilities, and inconvenient storage management inherent in existing technologies, thereby improving the cryopreservation effect and operational convenience of iPS cells.
[0031] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells provided in this embodiment may include: a temperature-controlled chamber 1, a cell storage rack 2, and a gradient cooling module 3; wherein:
[0032] Temperature control box 1 adopts a sealed structure;
[0033] The cell storage rack 2 has a multi-layer structure and is located inside the temperature control box 1 for placing cell cryopreservation tubes or cryopreservation plates; each cell storage rack has a rotating disk structure and is equipped with an identification component 20.
[0034] The gradient cooling module 3 includes multiple cooling units, which are interconnected through a temperature control unit and controlled collaboratively by the temperature control unit. Each cooling unit is equipped with a cooling component, a cooling conduction component, and a temperature sensor 31. The temperature sensor 31 is used to acquire the temperature data of the space where each cell storage rack is located and transmit it to the temperature control unit as the basis for the temperature control unit to control the corresponding cooling component. The cooling conduction component is used to transfer the cold energy generated by the cooling component to the corresponding cell storage rack.
[0035] The technical solutions provided by the above embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments.
[0036] In some preferred embodiments, the shell of the temperature control box 1 is made entirely of stainless steel, and the inner wall of the shell is covered with an anti-corrosion layer; the door of the temperature control box 1 is tightly connected to the shell by a sealing strip and a locking component.
[0037] More preferably, the temperature control chamber 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped structure, and its outer shell is made of heat-insulating material, providing excellent thermal insulation performance to reduce the influence of the external environment on the internal temperature. The interior of the temperature control chamber 1 has space for accommodating cell storage racks. One side of the chamber has a sealable door, which is tightly connected to the chamber via a sealing strip and locking device, ensuring temperature stability and airtightness within the chamber. This structural design of the temperature control chamber 1 provides a sealed, heat-insulated environment for the entire cryopreservation process, maintaining stable internal temperature, preventing heat conduction from the outside and loss of internal cold, and ensuring that iPS cells are cryopreserved in a suitable low-temperature environment.
[0038] In some preferred embodiments, each cell storage rack 2 includes a mounting rack 21 and a storage rack 22 disposed above the mounting rack, and a cooling component is disposed between the mounting rack 21 and the storage rack 22; the bottom of the storage rack 22 is provided with a rotating component, so that a relative rotating part is formed between the storage rack 22 and the mounting rack 21.
[0039] In some preferred embodiments, the rotating assembly includes a rotating shaft and a bracket rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, with the storage rack 22 mounted above the bracket.
[0040] In some preferred embodiments, the storage rack 22 has an overall disc-shaped structure, on which evenly distributed anti-tipping mounting grooves are provided. Furthermore, a spring clamp can be provided at the edge of the anti-tipping mounting groove to secure the cryogenic tube.
[0041] In some preferred embodiments, the storage rack 22 is made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel.
[0042] In some preferred embodiments, the cooling component is a cooling plate or a refrigerant pipe.
[0043] In some preferred embodiments, the identification component 20 is a label, QR code, or barcode, used to store information related to induced pluripotent stem cells.
[0044] More preferably, the cell storage rack is located inside the temperature-controlled chamber, preferably at the bottom or middle, and employs a multi-layer structure design, with each layer having multiple storage slots for placing cell cryovials or cryopreservation plates. The storage rack is made of a material with good thermal conductivity and low-temperature resistance (such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel, etc.), and it is in close contact with the cooling components of the gradient cooling module to ensure efficient transfer of cold energy to the storage rack and cell samples. The storage rack is equipped with identification components (such as labels, QR codes, barcodes, etc.) for marking and identifying different cell samples. This structural design of the cell storage rack provides an orderly storage location for iPS cells, facilitating the storage and management of large numbers of cell samples. The multi-layer structure design makes full use of the space inside the temperature-controlled chamber, increasing storage capacity. At the same time, through good thermal contact with the gradient cooling module, it ensures that the cell samples are cooled uniformly during the freezing process, achieving efficient cryopreservation.
[0045] The cooling components installed between the shelves of the storage rack can be made of metal materials with good thermal conductivity. They can evenly conduct the cold energy generated by the gradient cooling module to the area around each cell sample, reduce temperature gradient differences, ensure uniform cooling of the sample, and improve the cryopreservation effect.
[0046] The storage rack has multiple storage positions, and each layer of the storage rack is set up as a rotating turntable. When it is necessary to put in or take out cell samples, rotating the turntable will move the target storage position to an easily accessible position, without having to move the entire storage rack or multiple cryovials, thus improving operational efficiency.
[0047] Smart identification tags are installed on each storage shelf to record information about the cell samples in that shelf, such as cell type, origin, and storage date. This allows for real-time monitoring of each sample, enabling managers to quickly and accurately locate the required samples and improving the efficiency and accuracy of sample management.
[0048] In some preferred embodiments, the cooling component is a semiconductor cooling chip or a cooling medium device.
[0049] In some preferred embodiments, the temperature control unit employs a PLC controller with multiple input / output interfaces.
[0050] More preferably, the gradient cooling module includes multiple cooling units, each corresponding to a different storage space, and the cooling units are interconnected and coordinated through a temperature control unit. Each cooling unit is equipped with a cooling component and a temperature sensor for precise temperature regulation and monitoring. The gradient cooling module is connected to the cell storage rack via a cooling conduction component, transferring cold energy to the storage rack and the cell samples within. This gradient cooling module is designed to perform staged cooling treatment on iPS cells according to a preset gradient cooling target. By precisely controlling the cooling power and temperature change rate of each cooling unit through the temperature control unit, the temperature of the cell environment gradually decreases according to the set gradient, effectively reducing the formation of intracellular ice crystals, minimizing cell damage during freezing, and improving cell survival rate and activity after thawing.
[0051] A gradient cooling module is a component capable of precisely cooling according to a preset temperature gradient. Temperature sensors within each cooling unit monitor the actual temperature in real time and transmit the data to a controller. The controller adjusts the power input of the cooling components in each cooling unit based on the deviation between the set target temperature value and the actual measured value. For example, for a thermoelectric cooler, the input current or voltage can be adjusted to achieve precise temperature control of each cooling unit; for a refrigerant device, the valve opening angle can be adjusted to control the amount of refrigerant entering. By rationally setting and controlling the temperature of each cooling unit, the desired temperature gradient is created, allowing the sample being cooled to gradually decrease in temperature according to the set gradient.
[0052] In some preferred embodiments, the above-mentioned device may further include: an alarm device, which includes a comparator and an alarm, wherein the comparator presets a temperature threshold and is connected to a temperature sensor to determine whether the temperature data of the corresponding space collected by the temperature sensor exceeds the corresponding threshold; when the corresponding threshold is not met, the comparator triggers the alarm.
[0053] In some preferred embodiments, the above-mentioned device may further include: a display, which is connected to a temperature sensor for real-time monitoring of the temperature data of the space where the cell storage rack is located.
[0054] Those skilled in the art will understand that the temperature control process of the above embodiments of this utility model can be implemented using logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic controllers, and embedded microcontrollers. All of the above control components are hardware components, and the devices that implement the corresponding functions can also be considered as structures within the hardware components.
[0055] The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provided in the above embodiments of this invention achieves precise temperature regulation through multiple cooling units in the gradient cooling module and a temperature control unit with multiple input / output interfaces. This ensures that the temperature changes of iPS cells during freezing meet their physiological needs, effectively improving cell preservation and thawing quality. The gradient cooling mode simulates the optimal temperature change path of cells during natural freezing. By acquiring corresponding temperature data in real time as the basis for controlling the operation of the refrigeration components, cell damage caused by excessively rapid or uneven temperature changes is reduced, significantly improving cell survival rate and activity, and providing higher-quality samples for subsequent cell applications. The cell storage rack adopts a multi-layer structure design with rotation function and is equipped with identification components, enabling the orderly storage of large numbers of iPS cell samples and facilitating quick and accurate identification and retrieval of required samples by operators, improving experimental efficiency and management level, and is particularly suitable for large-scale cell preservation and research scenarios. Employing a rotary storage structure, each shelf of the storage unit features a rotating turntable with multiple storage positions. When cell samples need to be retrieved or placed, rotating the turntable positions the target storage location for easy access, eliminating the need to move the entire storage unit or multiple cryovials, thus improving operational efficiency. Cooling components made of thermally conductive metal are installed between the shelves to evenly conduct the cold generated by the gradient cooling module to each cell sample, reducing temperature gradient differences, ensuring uniform cooling, and improving cryopreservation effectiveness. Each storage position is equipped with a smart tag that records information about the cell sample at that location, such as cell type, origin, and storage date. This allows administrators to quickly and accurately locate the required samples, improving the efficiency and accuracy of sample management.
[0056] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the purpose of simplifying the description of this utility model 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.
[0057] Any matters not covered in the above embodiments of this utility model are known in the art.
[0058] The specific embodiments of this utility model have been described above. It should be understood that this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of this utility model.
Claims
1. A cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells, characterized in that, include: Temperature control chamber (1), cell storage rack (2), and gradient cooling module (3); wherein: The temperature control box (1) adopts a sealed structure; The cell storage rack (2) has a multi-layer structure and is located inside the temperature control box (1) for placing cell cryopreservation tubes or cryopreservation plates; wherein, each layer of the cell storage rack adopts a rotating disk structure and is equipped with an identification component (20). The gradient cooling module (3) includes multiple cooling units, each of which is connected to a temperature control unit. Each cooling unit is equipped with a cooling component, a cooling conductive component, and a temperature sensor (31). The temperature sensor (31) is used to acquire the temperature data of the space where each layer of the cell storage rack is located and transmit it to the temperature control unit as the basis for the temperature control unit to control the corresponding cooling component. The cooling conductive component is used to transfer the cold energy generated by the cooling component to the corresponding cell storage rack.
2. The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell of the temperature control box (1) is made of stainless steel, and the inner wall of the shell is covered with an anti-corrosion layer; the door of the temperature control box (1) is tightly connected to the shell by a sealing strip and a locking component.
3. The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each cell storage rack (2) includes a mounting rack (21) and a storage rack (22) disposed above the mounting rack. The cooling component is disposed between the mounting rack (21) and the storage rack (22). The bottom of the storage rack (22) is provided with a rotating component, so that a relative rotating part is formed between the storage rack (22) and the mounting rack (21).
4. The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rotating assembly includes a rotating shaft and a bracket rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and the storage rack (22) is mounted above the bracket.
5. The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes any one or more of the following: - The storage rack (22) is generally in the shape of a disc, and is provided with uniformly arranged anti-tipping mounting grooves; - The storage rack (22) is made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel; - The cooling component is a cooling plate or a refrigerant pipe.
6. The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identification component (20) is a label, QR code, or barcode, used to store information related to induced pluripotent stem cells.
7. The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling component uses a semiconductor cooling chip or a cooling medium device.
8. The cryopreservation device for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control unit uses a PLC controller with multiple input / output interfaces.
9. The cryopreservation apparatus for induced pluripotent stem cells according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Also includes: An alarm device, comprising a comparator and an alarm, wherein the comparator is preset with a temperature threshold and connected to the temperature sensor, for determining whether the temperature data of the corresponding space collected by the temperature sensor exceeds the corresponding threshold. When the corresponding threshold is not met, the comparator triggers an alarm.
10. The cryopreservation apparatus for induced pluripotent stem cells according to claim 9, characterized in that, Also includes: A display, connected to the temperature sensor, is used to monitor the temperature data of the space where the cell storage rack is located in real time.