A culture device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a culture device, which comprises a plurality of culture boxes, a bracket, a plurality of bearing parts for bearing the culture boxes being formed in the bracket, a gas guide part for filling gas into the culture boxes, and an auxiliary pressing mechanism arranged at the bottom of the gas guide part and corresponding to the culture boxes. The auxiliary pressing mechanism is used for abutting against the culture boxes and positioning the culture boxes when the gas guide part is pressed against the top of the culture boxes. Precise positioning is realized when the culture boxes are pressed by the gas guide part through the auxiliary pressing mechanism, effectively solving the problems of loose pressing and sealing failure of traditional equipment, and having the advantages of improving the gas exchange efficiency and reducing the risk of pollutant invasion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of organ-on-a-chip, and more particularly to a culture device. Background Technology

[0002] Organ-on-a-chip (OAS) is defined as a miniature cell culture device used to simulate the functional units of human organs in vitro. It is based on a microfluidic chip and composed of materials such as transparent plastic, glass, or flexible polymers. It has multiple cell culture zones that simulate the environment of human tissues and organs, and these zones are connected by a circulation system. Currently, organ-on-a-chip culture is mostly carried out in a specific carbon dioxide incubator, which provides the necessary growth conditions for organ-on-a-chip culture, such as carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity.

[0003] Common organ-on-a-chip culture equipment includes a gas delivery device and multiple culture boxes placed on a tray. The gas delivery device has an air outlet, and the culture boxes have air inlets. The gas delivery device is manipulated to press downwards against the culture boxes, connecting the air outlet and air inlet. Gas from the gas delivery device enters the culture boxes, driving the liquid flow within the incubator. However, during the culture process, the tray is prone to shaking. If the gas delivery device and the culture boxes are not tightly pressed together, gaps will appear between the air outlet and air inlet. This will lead to unstable air pressure inside the culture boxes, affecting gas exchange efficiency, and will also allow external microorganisms, dust, and other contaminants to enter the culture environment.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a culture device that can achieve tight sealing between the gas guide and the culture box, ensure the accuracy of gas pressure control and the stability of the culture environment, effectively guarantee the stability of gas pressure inside the culture box, and effectively prevent external microorganisms, dust and other pollutants from entering the culture environment. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a culture device that achieves tight sealing between the gas guide and the culture box interface, ensuring the accuracy of gas pressure regulation and the stability of the culture environment, effectively guaranteeing the stability of gas pressure inside the culture box, and effectively preventing external microorganisms, dust and other pollutants from entering the culture environment.

[0006] This application provides a culture device, including: a plurality of culture boxes; a bracket having a plurality of support portions for supporting the culture boxes; a gas guide for filling the culture boxes with gas; and an auxiliary pressing mechanism disposed at the bottom of the gas guide and corresponding to the culture boxes, the auxiliary pressing mechanism being used to abut against the culture boxes and position the culture boxes when the gas guide is pressed against the top of the culture boxes.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the auxiliary clamping mechanism includes a plurality of clamping and positioning blocks disposed at the bottom of the air guide, and each culture box has at least one of the clamping and positioning blocks.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the auxiliary pressing mechanism further includes an elastic element, the bottom of the air guide is provided with a sliding groove, the pressing positioning block is slidably disposed in the sliding groove, one end of the elastic element is disposed at the bottom of the sliding groove and the other end is disposed at the pressing positioning block.

[0009] In one possible implementation, it further includes: a support frame having a vertically downward track, the air guide being slidably disposed within the track; and a lifting mechanism disposed on the support frame, the lifting mechanism being used to drive the air guide to descend or rise vertically.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the lifting mechanism includes: a transmission rod, which is slidably mounted on the support frame in a vertical direction and contacts the air guide; a cam, which is rotatably mounted on the support frame and rolls in contact with the transmission rod; and a drive, which drives the cam to rotate, causing the transmission rod to slide downward so that the air guide is pressed against the culture box.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the support frame is provided with an elastic reset member for applying an upward preload to the air guide, thereby separating the air guide from the culture box.

[0012] In one possible implementation, a fixing rod is fixedly provided on the top of the air guide, and the transmission rod contacts the fixing rod during downward movement and drives the air guide to move downward.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the culture box has an air inlet, the air guide has an air outlet that communicates with the air inlet, the air guide is provided with an elastic seal, the elastic seal has a through hole that communicates with the air outlet, and when the air guide is pressed against the culture box, the air inlet is located in the through hole to form a sealed channel.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the bottom of the air guide is provided with a positioning groove, the elastic seal is disposed on the inner edge of the positioning groove, the top of the culture box is provided with a positioning head, the air inlet is opened on the top of the positioning head, and the air guide is pressed against the culture box so that the positioning head and the elastic seal are engaged to form the sealing channel.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the gas guide has a gas channel inside, and a gas source for filling the gas channel is connected to the outside of the gas guide. The bottom of the gas guide has a plurality of air outlets communicating with the gas channel, and the gas guide is provided with a solenoid valve for opening or closing the corresponding air outlet.

[0016] The culture device provided in this application provides a sealed channel between the air outlet and the air inlet through the sealed structure design of the culture box and the air guide, which effectively solves the problem of poor sealing of traditional pressing structure. It has the advantages of improving sealing performance, preventing leakage of culture medium and abnormal gas exchange, and ensuring the reliability of long-term culture experiments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the culture device provided in this application;

[0019] Figure 2 Another structural schematic diagram of the culture device provided in this application;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the culture box for the culture device provided in this application;

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the gas guide structure of the culture device provided in this application;

[0022] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of the air guide and culture box of the culture apparatus provided in this application;

[0023] Reference numerals: 100, culture platform; 101, upper support platform; 102, support frame; 103, lower support platform; 104, guide rod; 105, drive frame; 106, fixing rod; 107, support lug; 108, elastic reset component; 200, culture box; 201, air inlet; 202, positioning head; 300, air guide component; 301, air outlet; 302, positioning groove; 400, elastic sealing component; 401, through hole; 500, solenoid valve; 600, bracket; 601, bearing part; 700, lifting mechanism; 701, drive body; 702, output shaft; 703, cam component; 704, transmission rod; 800, sealing channel; 900, clamping positioning block.

[0024] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0026] In related technologies, organ-on-a-chip culture devices typically employ a method of directly pressing the gas delivery component against the culture chamber to deliver gas. However, due to the potential for positional shifts in the multiple culture chambers supported by the support frame over long-term use, misalignment of the gas delivery component during pressing can lead to gaps between the air outlet and inlet. These gaps affect gas exchange efficiency and may introduce external contaminants, resulting in an unstable culture environment. For example, in dynamic culture scenarios requiring continuous ventilation, even minor seal failures can cause pressure fluctuations, thereby interfering with cell growth.

[0027] To address the aforementioned issues, a mechanism is needed to simultaneously position the culture box during the pressing process of the air guide component. Considering that insufficient contact may occur due to bracket wobbling or culture box misalignment during the downward pressing of the air guide component, a positioning structure corresponding to the culture box can be installed at the bottom of the air guide component. This allows for proactive adjustment of the contact position during the pressing action, thereby compensating for positional errors. Furthermore, combining the positioning function with the pressing action through mechanical linkage simplifies the operation process and improves positioning accuracy.

[0028] Therefore, the present application provides a culture device including a plurality of culture boxes; a bracket having a plurality of support parts for supporting the culture boxes; a gas guide for filling the culture boxes with gas; and an auxiliary pressing mechanism disposed at the bottom of the gas guide and corresponding to the culture boxes, the mechanism abutting against the culture boxes and positioning them when the gas guide is pressed against the top of the culture boxes.

[0029] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Combination Figures 1 to 5This application provides a culture device, including a culture platform 100, a culture box 200, a bracket 600, an air guide 300, and an auxiliary pressing mechanism corresponding to the culture box 200.

[0031] The culture platform 100 includes an upper support platform 101 and a lower support platform 103. The upper support platform 101 is used to support the air guide 300, and the lower support platform 103 is used to support the culture box 200. The lower support platform 103 is provided with an installation groove. The bracket 600 is slidably fitted in the installation groove in a lockable manner. Specifically, the bracket 600 is made of metal sheet. The bracket 600 is hollowed out to form a support part 601 for fixing the culture box 200. Multiple culture boxes 200 are placed in the corresponding support parts 601 to prevent the culture boxes 200 from moving horizontally on the bracket 600.

[0032] Specifically, the bracket 600 has four support parts 601 spaced apart along its length, which means that chips in four culture boxes 200 can be cultured at the same time.

[0033] The culture box 200 is a container for holding cell culture medium and organ-on-a-chip. It can be made of polycarbonate or polydimethylsiloxane. The culture box 200 has a physiological simulation chamber inside, which contains culture medium and can simulate the flow environment of blood / tissue fluid.

[0034] The gas guide 300 is a rigid component with a gas channel and a gas outlet 301. It can be made of metal or polymer material and has a hollow cavity. Its function is to deliver gas into the culture box 200 via an external gas source. A gas distribution channel is provided inside the component. The culture box 200 has an air inlet 201, and the gas guide 300 has a gas outlet 301 that communicates with the air inlet 201. When the gas guide 300 is pressed against the culture box 200, the air inlet 201 forms a sealed channel 800 within the through hole 401.

[0035] The auxiliary pressing mechanism is a mechanical component located at the bottom of the air guide 300 and corresponding to the position of the culture box 200. Specifically, it can be a contact block made of rigid or elastic material. Its function is to contact the edge of the culture box 200 in advance during the pressing of the air guide 300, and guide the air guide 300 to align with the culture box 200.

[0036] Specifically, when the air guide 300 moves downward to press against the culture box 200, the auxiliary pressing mechanism contacts the top of the culture box 200 before the main body of the air guide 300. At this time, the auxiliary pressing mechanism adjusts the horizontal position of the air guide 300 through the reaction force generated by the mechanical contact, ensuring that the air outlet 301 of the air guide 300 is precisely aligned with the air inlet 201 of the culture box 200. During the pressing process, the auxiliary pressing mechanism continuously applies pressure to the surface of the culture box 200, which can counteract any vibration or displacement that may occur in the bracket 600. For example, when the culture box 200 has a slight tilt in the support part 601 due to processing errors, the auxiliary pressing mechanism can adapt to the tilt angle of the culture box 200 through local deformation, maintaining the surface contact state between the air guide 300 and the culture box 200.

[0037] Compared with related technologies, the existing solution relies on the direct rigid contact between the air guide 300 and the culture box 200 to achieve sealing. If there is a positional deviation in the culture box 200 when the air guide 300 is pressed down, it is easy to cause insufficient contact pressure on one side. However, this application completes the positioning simultaneously during the pressing process through an auxiliary pressing mechanism and disperses the pressure through multi-point contact.

[0038] Through the above technical solution, this application can automatically correct the positional deviation of the culture box 200 during the compression process of the gas guide 300, avoiding seal failure caused by insufficient contact. In addition, the extra pressure compensation provided by the auxiliary compression mechanism can suppress the impact of the bracket 600 vibration on the sealing interface, maintain the stability of the gas channel, and effectively prevent external contaminants from entering the interior of the culture box 200.

[0039] This application further proposes an auxiliary clamping mechanism including multiple clamping and positioning blocks 900 disposed at the bottom of the air guide 300, and each culture box 200 has at least one clamping and positioning block 900.

[0040] The clamping and positioning block 900 is a rigid support component that contacts the top of the culture box 200. It can be made of metal or high-strength plastic and is installed at the bottom of the air guide 300 by bolts or other fixing structures or snap-fit ​​structures. During the downward pressing of the air guide 300, this component first contacts the edge of the culture box 200, forming local pressure to limit the horizontal displacement of the culture box 200.

[0041] In this design, each culture box 200 is covered by at least one clamping and positioning block 900 when the air guide 300 descends. This can be achieved by matching the number of clamping and positioning blocks 900 with the number of culture boxes 200; for example, each culture box 200 corresponds to two symmetrically distributed clamping and positioning blocks 900. This design ensures that each culture box 200 obtains independent positioning constraints, preventing multiple culture boxes 200 from shifting as a whole due to linkage.

[0042] In this embodiment, each culture box 200 corresponds to four pressing and positioning blocks 900. The four pressing and positioning blocks 900 are arranged in a rectangle and are pressed against the four corners of the culture box 200.

[0043] Specifically, as the air guide 300 moves downward, the clamping and positioning block 900 first contacts the top edge area of ​​the culture box 200, applying vertical downward pressure to stably fit the culture box 200 against the support portion 601 of the bracket 600. As the air guide 300 continues to descend, friction is generated between the contact surface of the clamping and positioning block 900 and the culture box 200, restricting the horizontal movement of the culture box 200. During this process, each culture box 200 is independently constrained by its corresponding clamping and positioning block 900, preventing the culture box 200 from shifting position due to vibration of the bracket 600 or tilting of the air guide 300. When the air guide 300 finally clamps the culture box 200, the clamping and positioning block 900 continuously provides lateral positioning force to ensure that the air guide 300 remains coaxially aligned with the air inlet 201 and air outlet 301 of the culture box 200.

[0044] Compared with related technologies, in traditional culture devices, the air guide 300 only contacts the culture box 200 by pressing down as a whole, without an independent positioning structure. This makes the culture box 200 susceptible to displacement due to the shaking of the bracket 600 during compression. This application uses the independent constraint mechanism of the pressing positioning block 900 to ensure that each culture box 200 is simultaneously positioned in the horizontal direction when vertically compressed, eliminating the chain reaction caused by the displacement of a single culture box 200 and improving the overall compression stability.

[0045] Through the above technical solution, this application achieves precise positioning of the culture box 200 during the pressing process of the air guide 300, preventing the air inlet 201 and the air outlet 301 from being misaligned due to the displacement of the culture box 200, effectively maintaining the stability of the internal air pressure of the culture box 200, and preventing external pollutants from entering the culture environment through the misalignment gap.

[0046] This application further proposes an auxiliary pressing mechanism including an elastic element, a sliding groove at the bottom of the air guide 300, a pressing positioning block 900 slidably fitted in the sliding groove, and one end of the elastic element being located at the bottom of the sliding groove and the other end being located in the pressing positioning block 900.

[0047] Among them, the elastic element refers to the component that can produce elastic deformation, which can be implemented by spring or elastic rubber block. Its function is to provide compressible support force for the pressing positioning block 900 and to buffer rigid impact when the air guide 300 is pressed down.

[0048] The sliding groove refers to the groove structure opened at the bottom of the air guide 300. It can be implemented in the form of a linear slide rail or a dovetail groove. Its function is to constrain the movement direction of the pressing and positioning block 900 so that it can only slide in the vertical direction.

[0049] The sliding fit of the clamping positioning block 900 within the sliding groove means that the clamping positioning block 900 and the sliding groove form a relatively sliding connection. Specifically, this can be achieved by using a slider and a sliding groove. Its function is to adjust the position of the clamping positioning block 900 by sliding, so that it can adapt to the installation deviation of the culture box 200.

[0050] Specifically, when the air guide 300 moves downward to press against the culture box 200, the pressing and positioning block 900 first contacts the top of the culture box 200. At this time, the elastic element is compressed, and the pressing and positioning block 900 retracts upward along the sliding groove, thereby forming an elastic pressing force between the air guide 300 and the culture box 200. The compression amount of the elastic element can be automatically adjusted according to the actual height difference of the culture box 200 to avoid insufficient local pressing force or overload due to inconsistent height of the culture box 200.

[0051] Compared to related technologies, the clamping positioning block 900 in related technologies is usually a rigid fixed structure, which cannot adapt to the height deviation of the culture box 200 or the displacement caused by the shaking of the bracket 600, and is prone to uneven distribution of clamping force. In contrast, this solution uses the cooperation of elastic element and sliding groove to enable the clamping positioning block 900 to have self-adjusting capability, and maintain uniform contact pressure at all times during dynamic clamping.

[0052] Through the above technical solution, this application can eliminate the influence of the installation deviation between the culture box 200 and the gas guide 300 on the sealing performance, ensure that the elastic element continuously provides a stable clamping force during the clamping process, thereby maintaining the sealing performance of the gas channel and preventing external contaminants from entering the interior of the culture box 200.

[0053] This application further discloses a cultivation device, including a support frame 102, an air guide 300, and a lifting mechanism 700. The support frame 102 has a track extending in a vertical direction, and the air guide 300 is slidably disposed within the track; the lifting mechanism 700 is disposed on the support frame 102 and is used to drive the air guide 300 to descend or rise in a vertical direction.

[0054] The support frame 102 is a rigid structure used to support and fix the components. It can be made of metal frame or engineering plastic. The support frame 102 is set between the upper support platform 101 and the lower support platform 103, and provides vertical guidance for the air guide 300 through the track to prevent horizontal deviation. The track is a guide structure set in the vertical direction, which can be in the form of slide rail or guide groove, to restrict the movement of the air guide 300 only along the set path and ensure the linearity of the pressing action.

[0055] Specifically, the longitudinal section of the support frame 102 is cross-shaped. Guide rods 104 are provided at both ends of the support frame 102 and at the two ends of the air guide 300 along the length direction. Support ears 107 are provided on the air guide 300. The support ears 107 are slidably fitted in the guide rods 104 along the vertical direction to form a track, so as to ensure that the air guide 300 remains stable during movement.

[0056] The lifting mechanism 700 refers to the power component used to drive the movement of the air guide 300. Specifically, it can be implemented by electric push rod, cylinder, screw drive or cam mechanism, etc. By controlling its stroke, the air guide 300 can be pressed or separated from the culture box 200.

[0057] Specifically, when the lifting mechanism 700 is activated, the air guide 300 moves vertically downwards along the track until it contacts the top of the culture box 200, connecting the air outlet 301 and the corresponding air inlet 201. The track constrains the movement trajectory of the air guide 300, preventing uneven distribution of clamping force due to deviation. The lifting mechanism 700 continuously applies pressure, ensuring that the air guide 300 stably presses against the culture box 200, guaranteeing that the air outlet 301 and the air inlet 201 are completely aligned and sealed. When separation is required, the lifting mechanism 700 reverses its movement, and the air guide 300 rises vertically along the track, detaching from the culture box 200.

[0058] Compared with related technologies, traditional culture devices lack constraints on the movement trajectory of the air guide 300, which is prone to deviation during the compression process, leading to seal failure. This solution, through the coordinated action of the track and the lifting mechanism 700, ensures that the air guide 300 always moves along the set path, and the compression force acts perpendicularly on the culture box 200, avoiding wear or misalignment of the sealing ring caused by lateral forces, thus significantly improving compression stability and sealing reliability.

[0059] Through the above technical solution, this application solves the problem of the gas guide 300 and the culture box 200 not being tightly pressed together, ensuring the airtightness of the gas channel, maintaining the stable gas pressure inside the culture box 200, effectively preventing the intrusion of external pollutants, and reducing the risk of equipment wear caused by compression offset.

[0060] This application further proposes a lifting mechanism 700 including a transmission rod 704, a cam 703, and a drive member. The transmission rod 704 is slidably mounted on the support frame 102 in the vertical direction and contacts the air guide 300; the cam 703 is rotatably mounted on the support frame 102 and rolls against the transmission rod 704; the drive member is used to drive the cam 703 to rotate, causing the transmission rod 704 to slide downwards, so that the air guide 300 is pressed against the culture box 200.

[0061] Among them, a drive frame 105 is provided on the upper support platform 101. The drive frame 105 is used to support the drive component and the cam component 703. The drive component refers to the power output device. The drive component includes a drive body 701 and an output shaft 702. The drive body 701 can be a stepper motor or a servo motor. The output shaft 702 is used to transmit the power of the drive body 701.

[0062] The cam component 703 refers to a rotating component with a specific contour curve. Specifically, it can be an eccentric wheel or a curved cam structure. By rotating, it changes its contact position with the transmission rod 704, thereby converting the rotational motion into the linear motion of the transmission rod 704. Specifically, the cam component 703 is rotatably mounted on the drive frame 105. A connecting shaft is coaxially fixed to the axis of the cam component 703. The connecting shaft is coaxially connected to the output shaft 702 through a coupling, which is used to transmit the power of the drive body 701 to the cam component 703, thereby controlling its rotation angle and speed.

[0063] Among them, the transmission rod 704 refers to a rigid rod-shaped component that moves in the vertical direction. It can be made of metal or high-strength plastic material and is driven by a cam mechanism. Its function is to convert the external driving force into vertical displacement, thereby precisely controlling the lifting stroke of the air guide 300. Its lower end is in contact with the air guide 300.

[0064] Specifically, after the drive unit is activated, it causes the cam component 703 to rotate around its axis. The contact point between the contour curve of the cam component 703 and the transmission rod 704 gradually changes with rotation, pushing the transmission rod 704 to slide downwards in the vertical direction. The lower end of the transmission rod 704 contacts the air guide component 300 and applies downward pressure, causing the air guide component 300 to be stably pressed against the top of the culture box 200. During this process, the continuous rotation of the cam component 703 ensures that the movement trajectory of the transmission rod 704 is controllable, thereby avoiding displacement of the culture box 200 or seal failure due to sudden pressure changes.

[0065] Simple spring mechanisms or manual operation often fail to achieve uniform and stable clamping force. This solution, however, utilizes the rolling contact between the cam 703 and the transmission rod 704, combined with precise control of the drive components, to adjust the application speed and amplitude of the clamping force according to actual needs. This effectively eliminates sealing problems caused by bracket 600 wobbling or positioning deviations.

[0066] Through the above technical solution, this application solves the problems of air pressure fluctuation and contaminant intrusion caused by the loose pressing between the gas guide 300 and the culture box 200. Through the synergistic effect of mechanical transmission and power control, a stable seal is formed between the gas guide 300 and the culture box 200, thereby improving gas exchange efficiency and maintaining the cleanliness of the culture environment.

[0067] This application further proposes that a fixed rod 106 is fixedly installed on the top of the air guide 300, and the transmission rod 704 contacts the fixed rod 106 during the downward movement and drives the air guide 300 to move downward.

[0068] The fixed rod 106 refers to the rod-shaped structure that is rigidly connected to the air guide 300. It can be made of metal or high-strength plastic rod. Its function is to directly transmit the driving force of the transmission rod 704 to the air guide 300, so as to avoid uneven distribution of clamping force due to deformation of the air guide 300 itself.

[0069] Specifically, when the transmission rod 704 is driven to move downwards, its bottom end contacts the fixed rod 106 and applies pressure, pushing the air guide 300 to move downwards synchronously along the track. During this process, the pressing and positioning block 900 at the bottom of the air guide 300 contacts the culture box 200 and applies a vertically downward pressing force, so that the culture box 200 is stably positioned within the bearing portion 601 of the bracket 600. When the transmission rod 704 rises, the elastic reset member 108 drives the air guide 300 to reset upwards through the pre-tightening force, causing the air guide 300 to separate from the culture box 200. Through the rigid contact between the fixed rod 106 and the transmission rod 704, the movement trajectory of the air guide 300 is strictly limited to the vertical direction, avoiding sealing failure caused by lateral offset.

[0070] In related technologies, the air guide 300 is typically driven directly by the transmission rod 704. However, the contact surface between the transmission rod 704 and the air guide 300 may experience uneven force due to machining errors or assembly gaps, thus affecting the compression and sealing effect. This solution, through the rigid engagement of the fixed rod 106 and the transmission rod 704, ensures that the driving force acts directly on the top center area of ​​the air guide 300, guaranteeing that the air guide 300 maintains vertical movement throughout the compression process and preventing localized sealing failure due to eccentric force.

[0071] Through the above technical solution, this application can achieve precise alignment and uniform compression between the air guide 300 and the culture box 200, effectively eliminating the sealing gap caused by lateral offset or uneven force, thereby ensuring the integrity of the sealing channel 800 between the air inlet 201 and the air outlet 301, preventing external pollutants from entering and maintaining stable internal air pressure in the culture box 200.

[0072] This application further proposes that the support frame 102 is provided with an elastic reset member 108 for applying an upward preload to the air guide 300, so that the air guide 300 is separated from the culture box 200.

[0073] Among them, the elastic reset element 108 refers to a mechanical element that can store elastic potential energy and return to its original state after the external force is removed. Specifically, it can be implemented by a helical spring or a disc spring. Its function is to provide a continuous upward pre-tightening force when the air guide 300 is not driven to press down, so as to ensure that the air guide 300 and the culture box 200 are quickly separated.

[0074] The upward preload refers to the reverse force acting on the air guide 300 in the vertical direction. Specifically, it can be generated by the compression deformation of the elastic reset member 108. Its function is to automatically reset the air guide 300 by the rebound of the elastic reset member 108 after the lifting mechanism 700 stops applying downward pressure, so as to avoid residual contact between the air guide 300 and the culture box 200 due to gravity or inertia.

[0075] Specifically, when the lifting mechanism 700 drives the air guide 300 downward via the transmission rod 704, the elastic reset member 108 is compressed and stores elastic potential energy. When the driving member stops working and the cam member 703 rotates to release the transmission rod 704, the elastic reset member 108 releases the stored elastic potential energy, pushing the air guide 300 upward along the track, so that the air guide 300 is completely separated from the culture box 200. During this process, the preload of the elastic reset member 108 always acts on the air guide 300, ensuring that the air guide 300 maintains a safe distance from the culture box 200 when not in operation.

[0076] In related technologies, the separation of the air guide 300 from the culture box 200 usually relies on gravity or manual operation, which can lead to problems such as untimely reset or unstable reset position, easily causing seal failure or uneven stress on the culture box 200. This solution, however, uses an elastic reset component 108 to provide an active upward pre-tightening force, ensuring that the air guide 300 resets immediately after the drive is released, eliminating delayed separation caused by mechanical clearance or friction, and preventing displacement of the culture box 200 due to residual pressure in the air guide 300.

[0077] Through the above technical solution, this application can ensure that the air guide 300 and the culture box 200 are separated quickly and stably in a non-inflated state, while preventing external pollutants from entering the culture box 200 through the not fully closed air inlet 201, thereby maintaining the cleanliness of the culture environment and the stability of the air pressure.

[0078] This application further proposes a culture device in which an elastic sealing element 400 is provided on the gas guide 300, and the elastic sealing element 400 has a through hole 401 communicating with the gas outlet 301.

[0079] Among them, the elastic sealing element 400 refers to the flexible sealing component that covers the bottom of the gas guide 300 and surrounds the gas outlet 301. Specifically, it can be made of silicone or rubber material. It fills the gap between the gas guide 300 and the culture box 200 through elastic deformation to avoid gas leakage. In this application, a rubber gasket is used.

[0080] Among them, the through hole 401 refers to the channel that passes through the rubber gasket and is coaxially aligned with the air outlet 301. Specifically, it can be formed by die cutting or stamping processes. It is used to guide the gas from the air outlet 301 to the air inlet 201, while constraining the position of the air inlet 201.

[0081] This application further proposes that the bottom of the air guide 300 is provided with a positioning groove 302, a rubber gasket is provided on the inner edge of the positioning groove 302, the top of the culture box 200 is provided with a positioning head 202, the air inlet 201 is provided on the top of the positioning head 202, and the air guide 300 is pressed against the culture box 200, so that the positioning head 202 and the sealing gasket are engaged to form a sealing channel 800.

[0082] The positioning groove 302 refers to the recessed area at the bottom of the air guide 300 for accommodating the rubber gasket. Specifically, it adopts an annular groove structure, which restricts the lateral displacement of the rubber gasket through the groove wall, ensuring that the through hole 401 and the air outlet 301 are aligned, and thus restricting the installation position of the rubber gasket.

[0083] The positioning head 202 refers to a protruding structure set on the top of the culture box 200 and whose shape matches the rubber gasket. Specifically, it can be cylindrical or conical in design. It is inserted into the through hole 401 to achieve axial positioning of the air guide 300 and the culture box 200, and is used to form a nested fit with the through hole 401 of the rubber gasket.

[0084] Specifically, when the gas guide 300 moves downward to press against the culture box 200, the positioning head 202 inserts into the through hole 401 of the rubber gasket. Constrained by the inner edge of the positioning groove 302, the rubber gasket undergoes elastic deformation under the pressure of the positioning head 202, resulting in a tight contact between the inner wall of the through hole 401 and the outer surface of the positioning head 202. The depth and width of the positioning groove 302 can be set slightly larger than the thickness of the rubber gasket, for example, a groove depth of 2-3 mm and a groove width 0.5 mm wider than the gasket width, thus allowing the gasket to expand radially under pressure. The top diameter of the positioning head 202 can be slightly smaller than the diameter of the through hole 401, for example, when the diameter of the through hole 401 is 5 mm, the top diameter of the positioning head 202 is 4.8 mm, ensuring smooth insertion and an interference fit. During this process, the tight contact between the rubber gasket and the positioning head 202 effectively isolates the external environment, preventing gas leakage or contaminant intrusion.

[0085] Existing culture devices typically rely solely on the rigid contact between the gas guide 300 and the culture box 200 to achieve a seal, but even a small gap at the contact surface can easily lead to gas leakage. This application addresses this by adding an elastic rubber gasket to the bottom of the gas guide 300 and utilizing the mating structure between the positioning head 202 and the through hole 401. This allows the rubber gasket to adaptively fill the gap at the contact surface after being compressed, maintaining a stable sealing effect even with processing errors or assembly deviations.

[0086] Through the above technical solution, this application can eliminate the gas leakage path between the gas guide 300 and the culture box 200, ensure the accuracy of internal air pressure regulation in the culture box 200, and at the same time block external microorganisms or dust from entering the culture environment through the air inlet 201, significantly improving the stability and reliability of the culture process.

[0087] In some specific embodiments, the rubber gasket may have a double-layer structure, for example, an inner layer of fluororubber for corrosion resistance and an outer layer of silicone for enhanced elasticity. The top of the positioning head 202 may be chamfered or rounded, for example, with a chamfer angle of 45 degrees and a rounded corner radius of 0.5 mm, to reduce insertion resistance. The inner wall of the positioning groove 302 may be provided with anti-slip textures, such as a grid pattern with a depth of 0.2 mm, to increase the fixing stability of the rubber gasket.

[0088] In related technologies, sealing is achieved solely through the planar pressing of the air guide 300 and the culture box 200, which can easily lead to misalignment of the air inlet 201 and the air outlet 301 due to positioning deviations. This solution, however, utilizes a nested structure between the positioning head 202 and the rubber gasket to automatically correct positional deviations during the pressing process, while simultaneously compensating for processing errors through the deformation of the elastic material. For example, when the culture box 200 experiences a 0.5 mm horizontal offset on the bracket 600, the conical structure of the positioning head 202 can still guide the rubber gasket to complete centering.

[0089] Through the above technical solution, this application ensures precise alignment of the air inlet 201 and the air outlet 301 by means of mechanical positioning and elastic sealing when the gas guide 300 and the culture box 200 are pressed together. The snap-fit ​​structure between the positioning head 202 and the rubber gasket forms a multi-layer sealing interface, effectively preventing gas leakage and contaminant intrusion. The continuous compressive force of the elastic material maintains the stability of the sealing interface, avoiding seal failure caused by equipment vibration or temperature changes.

[0090] This application further proposes that the gas guide 300 has a gas channel inside, and the gas guide 300 is connected to a gas source for filling the gas channel. The bottom of the gas guide 300 is provided with a plurality of air outlets 301 communicating with the gas channel, and the gas guide 300 is provided with a solenoid valve 500 for opening or closing the corresponding air outlets 301.

[0091] Among them, the gas channel is a connecting structure inside the gas component 300 for gas transmission. Specifically, it can be implemented by a hollow pipe or cavity structure. Its function is to evenly distribute the gas input from the gas source to each gas outlet 301.

[0092] Among them, the gas source refers to the external equipment that provides gas to the gas channel, which can be implemented by a compressed gas tank or a gas generator. Its function is to provide a controllable gas supply to the culture box 200.

[0093] Among them, the air outlet 301 is an opening that connects the bottom of the air-guiding component 300 to the gas channel. Specifically, it can be implemented by adopting a circular or rectangular hole structure. Its function is to deliver gas to the air inlet 201 of the culture box 200.

[0094] Among them, the solenoid valve 500 refers to the electronic valve that controls the opening or closing of the air outlet 301. Specifically, it can be implemented by using a normally closed or normally open solenoid valve 500. Its function is to achieve precise adjustment of the gas flow rate of different culture boxes 200 by independently controlling the on / off state of each air outlet 301.

[0095] Specifically, each culture box 200 has five air inlets 201 on its top, and the air guide 300 has five corresponding air outlets 301 for each of the five air inlets 201. The air source enters the culture box 200 through the air outlets 301 and the air inlets 201 after they are connected to provide pressure to drive the liquid flow in the culture box 200.

[0096] Specifically, the gas channel continuously supplies gas through a gas source. When the solenoid valve 500 is open, gas enters the inlet 201 of the culture chamber 200 from the outlet 301; when the solenoid valve 500 is closed, the gas flow is blocked. By independently controlling the solenoid valve 500 corresponding to each outlet 301, the gas flow can be adjusted according to the needs of different culture chambers 200. For example, when gas needs to be replenished to a specific culture chamber 200, only the corresponding solenoid valve 500 is opened, while the other solenoid valves 500 remain closed, thereby avoiding gas waste or pressure fluctuations.

[0097] In related technologies, the vents 301 of the gas guide 300 are typically controlled uniformly, making it impossible to individually adjust the gas flow of each vent 301. This leads to mutual influence of gas pressure between culture chambers 200, and gas leakage is prone to occur when the seal is insufficient. This solution, by configuring an independent solenoid valve 500 for each vent 301, achieves precise control of the gas supply to a single culture chamber 200. At the same time, the rapid response capability of the solenoid valve 500 ensures the seal between the gas channel and the culture chamber 200.

[0098] Through the above technical solution, this application can independently control the gas on / off state of each culture box 200, avoid cross-interference between multiple culture boxes 200 due to gas pressure differences, and further reduce the risk of gas leakage through the sealing effect of the solenoid valve 500, ensuring the stability of gas pressure and the cleanliness of the environment inside the culture box 200.

[0099] Finally, it should be noted that other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This invention is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein, and is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A culture device, characterized in that, include: Multiple incubation boxes; The bracket has multiple support portions for supporting the culture box; A gas guide component, used to fill the culture box with gas; An auxiliary pressing mechanism is provided at the bottom of the air guide and corresponds to the culture box. The auxiliary pressing mechanism is used to abut against the culture box and position the culture box when the air guide is pressed against the top of the culture box.

2. The culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary pressing mechanism includes multiple pressing and positioning blocks disposed at the bottom of the air guide, and each culture box has at least one of the pressing and positioning blocks.

3. The culture device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The auxiliary pressing mechanism also includes an elastic element. The bottom of the air guide is provided with a sliding groove. The pressing and positioning block is slidably disposed in the sliding groove. One end of the elastic element is disposed at the bottom of the sliding groove and the other end is disposed at the pressing and positioning block.

4. The culture device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A support frame having a vertically downward track, wherein the air guide is slidably disposed within the track; A lifting mechanism is provided on the support frame and is used to drive the air guide to descend or rise in the vertical direction.

5. The culture device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism includes: A transmission rod, which is slidably mounted on the support frame in the vertical direction and contacts the air guide component; A cam component, which is rotatably mounted on the support frame and rolls in contact with the transmission rod; A driving component is used to drive the cam component to rotate, causing the transmission rod to slide downwards and press the air guide component against the culture box.

6. The culture device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The support frame is provided with an elastic reset member for applying an upward pre-tightening force to the gas guide, thereby separating the gas guide from the culture box.

7. The culture apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: A fixing rod is fixedly installed on the top of the air guide component. During the downward movement of the transmission rod, it contacts the fixing rod and drives the air guide component to move downward.

8. The culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The culture box has an air inlet, and the air guide has an air outlet that can communicate with the air inlet. The air guide is provided with an elastic seal, and the elastic seal has a through hole that communicates with the air outlet. When the air guide is pressed against the culture box, the air inlet is located in the through hole to form a sealed channel.

9. A culture device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The bottom of the air guide is provided with a positioning groove, the elastic seal is provided on the inner edge of the positioning groove, the top of the culture box is provided with a positioning head, the air inlet is opened on the top of the positioning head, and the air guide is pressed against the culture box so that the positioning head and the elastic seal are engaged to form the sealing channel.

10. A culture apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The gas guide has a gas channel inside, and a gas source for filling the gas channel is connected to the outside of the gas guide. The bottom of the gas guide has a plurality of air outlets communicating with the gas channel, and the gas guide is provided with a solenoid valve for opening or closing the corresponding air outlet.

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