INCUBATOR

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an incubator comprising an incubation chamber that is pressure- and gas-tight from the environment and adaptable to the composition of the gases and humidity of its atmosphere, for receiving at least one microtiter plate, in which a lifting and gripping unit for transporting the at least one microtiter plate within the incubation chamber is movably mounted, wherein the incubation chamber is accessible via an airlock chamber which can be closed to the environment by means of an outer door and to the incubation chamber by means of an inner door, wherein the lifting and gripping unit is movable between a first position above the airlock chamber and at least a second position above a storage location for the at least one microtiter plate. Such an incubator is already known from DE 10 2020 102758 A1.This document discloses an isolator / incubator and a method for automated microbial monitoring within the incubator, which features a transfer airlock. A robot equipped with a gripper for picking up culture medium carriers is positioned within the incubator. The robot can transfer a culture medium carrier to an available carrier holder. The incubation chamber is well-suited for accommodating at least one microtiter plate.

[0002] Such an incubator is already known from DE 10 2006 003 117 A1. This document relates to a device for energy transfer between a drive area and a spatially separate working area in an incubator. The energy from at least one drive device is transferred to at least one transmission element in the working area by means of at least one transmission element and a force field that varies over time and / or space, and is converted there into motion.

[0003] Generally, numerous problems arise when constructing an incubator. First, the most conducive environmental conditions possible for breeding and cultivation must be provided, which can mean elevated temperature and humidity, as well as a gas composition that differs from the ambient air. It is therefore important to provide an enclosed space where these conditions are met. This is the aforementioned incubation chamber.

[0004] To prevent insufficient gas exchange in static cell cultures, it is common practice to use shakers to keep the microtiter plates and their cell cultures moving. This stimulates gas exchange. However, it also increases the risk of dehydration due to evaporation. Humidity can be increased by using open water surfaces and, if necessary, ultrasonic humidifiers. Any open water surfaces and droplets resulting from condensation promote fungal growth. Fungi are the greatest enemies of eukaryotic cell cultures.

[0005] Standard sterilization at 1.2 bar and 180°C for 20 minutes is not possible in the incubator because it is not sufficiently pressure-resistant. Sterilization with hydrogen peroxide is also not an option, as it reacts to form water, which would then provide a breeding ground for fungi. Ozone sterilization is possible and effective, but highly corrosive due to the released oxygen radicals. Therefore, this method requires the extensive use of non-corrosive materials such as stainless steel. However, this makes the installation of automated sterilization devices in the incubator very expensive.

[0006] The aforementioned DE 10 2006 003 117 A1 therefore already proposes providing a pipetting device that can be operated by an external robot through a non-magnetic plate. Only the most essential components are thus located in the incubation chamber and exposed to ozone sterilization, while the complex control systems can be located outside the incubation chamber.

[0007] Furthermore, a manipulator device connected to a positioning device is known from WO 2014 / 161656 A1. This device consists of a manipulator head comprising a first component in the form of a holding unit for mechanical connection with the positioning device and a second component in the form of an end effector held by the holding unit. Both components can have permanent magnetic properties; the coupling unit outside the incubation chamber can carry controlled magnets. The end effector is held contactlessly by the holding unit through the interaction of the two coupling units, while maintaining a defined air gap.

[0008] Shaking incubators for microtiter plates are currently only manually loadable and not suitable for automation. However, such automated removal offers a significant advantage, as it allows individual microtiter plates to be removed independently of others and the cell cultures they contain to be analyzed.

[0009] EP 2 232 175 B1 is prior art in this respect. This document relates to an automated storage and retrieval system for storing biological or chemical samples at extremely low temperatures. The system consists of a deep-freeze unit with an insulated freezer compartment, a storage rack inside the freezer compartment, and a robot responsible for transporting the sample containers within the freezer compartment. The robot motors are mounted outside the freezer compartment on an insulated door. Power is transferred from the robot drive motor to the robot via magnetic couplings. The system can also include a compartment for a tube selection machine on the door. Additionally, the environment inside the tube selection chamber can be controlled by introducing dry gas to reduce humidity.

[0010] Finally, the subject matter of WO 2022 / 263651 A1 is also previously known. This document relates to a device for moving or positioning an object, specifically in industries such as the food or pharmaceutical sectors. The object is moved without contact on a drive surface, which is implemented by at least one mover magnetically coupled to a stator assembly. The drive surface is designed as a tight boundary or limiting wall of a protected interior space. The stator assembly may be located outside the protected interior space. The device may also have several chambers separated by an intermediate wall. This allows for the manipulation of objects within the chambers and / or through a small access opening in the intermediate wall. The arrangement is designed to optimize flexibility, efficiency, and cleanliness in production environments.

[0011] Patent EP 4 036 212 A1 discloses an incubator for live cell cultures with an image acquisition system and a method for working with an incubator. The incubator's atmosphere can be regulated, and it can be equipped with at least one lighting system, a camera system, at least one image acquisition system, and a data processing unit with data storage. The chamber of this incubator can be closed by a locking element movably connected to the incubator chamber, in particular by means of a hinge on the incubator door and one or more thermally insulated chamber doors. Furthermore, the incubator can have one or more thermally insulated inner doors. A storage plate, implemented as a shelf insert and / or as a movable platform, serves for storage within the incubator.

[0012] However, the environmental conditions for taking samples from a cold and dry environment must be considered incomparable to the requirements in an incubator. While the environment specified in WO 2022 / 263651 A1 is also intended as a decontamination area, it again does not address the specific case of the incubator in question.

[0013] Against this background, the present invention aims to provide an incubator that is suitable for effective sterilization and can be fully automated for the removal of microtiter plates.

[0014] This problem is solved by an incubator according to the features of independent claim 1. Useful embodiments of such an incubator can be found in the subsequent dependent claims.

[0015] The incubator comprises an incubation chamber that is pressure- and gas-tight from the environment and adaptable to the composition of the gases and humidity of its atmosphere, for holding at least one microtiter plate, in which a lifting and gripping unit for transporting the at least one microtiter plate within the incubation chamber is movably mounted. According to the invention, this incubation chamber is characterized in that the incubation chamber is accessible via an airlock, which can be closed off from the environment by means of an outer door and from the incubation chamber by means of an inner door, wherein the lifting and gripping unit is movable between a first position above the airlock and at least a second position above a storage location for the at least one microtiter plate.

[0016] In other words, the incubator can be loaded via an airlock, which is directly accessible from the lifting gripper located in the incubation chamber. Because the lifting gripper can first be positioned above the airlock chamber, it is possible to grasp and lift an inserted microtiter plate. In this raised position, the lifting gripper can be moved to a storage location for the microtiter plate, where it can be placed. The microtiter plate remains there during a cultivation period, during which the environmental conditions within the incubation chamber are adjusted to be as favorable as possible for cell growth. If a microtiter plate needs to be removed for analysis, it can again be picked up from its storage location using the lifting gripper and placed in the corresponding receptacle in the airlock chamber.This makes the process fully automatable within the incubator.

[0017] In a specific design, the inner door can be positioned on, in, or above the floor of the incubation chamber and sealed. It can either be horizontally slid or pivoted around a horizontal axis into the incubation chamber. An inner door in the floor ensures that the lifting and gripping unit can easily position the microtiter plate in the airlock chamber without having to lift it over a wall. If the unit is positioned on or above the floor, the microtiter plate's support point can be raised to achieve the same effect. The airlock chamber can be sealed by the inner door to minimize the impact of the airlock process on the climate in the incubation chamber. Ideally, the inner door is only opened once the climate in the airlock chamber is essentially the same as in the incubation chamber.A swing door represents a simple structural solution, but a horizontally running sliding door is also a viable option.

[0018] Furthermore, the outer door may be located on an outer wall of the incubation room and sealed, and be either vertically movable or pivotable around a horizontal axis. The outer door is only opened during the evacuation process once the inner door is already closed, thus preventing any adverse effects on the climate within the incubation room caused by the open airlock.

[0019] A particular advantage is that the inner and outer doors can open and close automatically, preferably by an electric or pneumatic drive. This allows for the automation of not only the microtiter plate provisioning process but also the removal process, and conversely, the insertion process.

[0020] However, particularly if manual loading is to be possible, a motor-decoupled safety door can be provided for the outer door. The closed position of this safety door is detected by a sensor, and the outer door can only be closed if the safety door is closed. This ensures that no body parts or objects are present in the area of ​​the outer door before it can be closed. This is guaranteed when the additional safety door is closed, which can be ensured by a sensor such as a switching actuator, a reed contact, or similar device. After the safety door is closed, the outer door can also be closed. When opening, both the outer door and the safety door can be operated simultaneously.

[0021] In the case of automated outer doors, particularly when a safety door is unnecessary, a conveyor system can be installed as part of an automated loading process to automatically feed the microtiter plates into the airlock chamber. Such an automated conveyor system can be installed, in particular, between the incubator and an analysis unit, allowing microtiter plates to be automatically removed from the incubator and sent for analysis. After analysis, the plates can be returned to the incubator in the reverse direction.

[0022] To move the microtiter plate out of the lock chamber, the lock chamber can be equipped with an ejector that provides a bearing for at least one microtiter plate and can be moved out of the lock chamber through the outer door, preferably by means of an electric or pneumatic drive, into an access position. The electric or pneumatic drive can be located in the floor of the lock chamber, i.e., under the ejector, or behind the ejector in the extension direction.

[0023] It is advantageous to design the ceiling of the incubation chamber as a non-magnetic partition. An actuating robot with a control unit for the movement of the lifting and gripping unit is positioned above this partition. The lifting and gripping unit is slidably mounted on the inner surface of the partition within the incubation chamber by means of a magnetic or electromagnetic mount that passes through the partition and includes a height-adjustable gripper. This arrangement allows for a lifting and gripping unit that is only minimally contained within the incubation chamber.While the separating plate is completely continuous and uninterrupted, the magnetic holder can be held through the separating plate on the guide unit, so that movement of the guide unit due to magnetic coupling causes the magnetic holder to retract.

[0024] To counteract the so-called stick-slip effect, which can cause the magnetic holder to adhere to the partition plate due to static friction and thus lose magnetic contact with the guide unit, the guide unit and / or the magnetic holder, preferably both parts, can be provided with air outlet nozzles on a surface facing the partition plate to create an air cushion between the surface and the partition plate. This air cushion then pushes each part slightly away from the partition plate, reducing or eliminating friction, but not so much as to overcome the area of ​​mutual magnetic attraction. Rather, an equilibrium between the magnetic attraction and gravity is sought, so that a distance between each part and the partition plate is maintained as constant as possible.Since the force of gravity on the guide unit acts towards the separating plate and the force of gravity on the magnetic holder acts away from the separating plate, the air cushion of the guide unit must be stronger than that of the magnetic holder. This can be adjusted, for example, via a distance control by setting the magnet strength on the upper coupling unit, especially since the weight of the magnetic holder can vary depending on the weight of a lifted microtiter plate.

[0025] Another possible solution is the use of Festo's SupraMotion principle, which is very expensive and heavy. However, this is a planned option in the high-end version of the described system.

[0026] The acting vertical force can also be reduced. The vertical force is determined by the strength of the magnets. Careful calculation of the magnetic force and avoiding oversizing can also solve the problem, which is also possible, for example, by using an electronically controlled electromagnet. This would be positioned on the outer side of the incubation chamber to prevent corrosion.

[0027] It can be particularly advantageous if the air used to create the air cushion on the side of the magnetic holder is drawn from the incubation chamber and preferably passed through a HEPA filter and / or cooled by a Peltier cooling system. In addition to creating the desired air cushion, this method allows for air circulation and purification without the risk of introducing germs or spores from outside into the incubation chamber. Another advantage is that no fan or similar device is required for air circulation within the incubator. Finally, it should be noted that a Peltier cooling system can be integrated into the circulating airflow, which can contribute to lowering the temperature in the incubation chamber if necessary.

[0028] In an initial embodiment, the lifting and gripping unit can feature an electrically driven gripper, which is inductively supplied with operating voltage via the magnetic holder. This allows the energy and control signals to pass through the partition plate without requiring it to be penetrated. A separate connection for the lifting and gripping unit is eliminated, and it can be built very compactly. However, this necessitates the use of corrosion-resistant electronics and actuators, which is comparatively complex.

[0029] Therefore, an alternative second embodiment provides that the lifting and gripping unit has a pneumatically operated gripper, which is supplied with compressed air by means of pneumatic hoses that open into the incubation chamber at at least one outer wall, the floor, or the partition plate and are supplied from outside the incubation chamber. In this case, the compressed air supplied from the outside does not mix with the air inside the incubation chamber, but is supplied and discharged separately.

[0030] It is particularly advantageous for the partition plate to be designed as a glass plate, preferably made of borosilicate glass. In addition to its typical main component, silicon dioxide, borosilicate glass contains large amounts of boron trioxide, which makes the glass corrosion-resistant. The glass provides a smooth and durable surface for the movement of the guide unit and magnetic holder, and also allows the incubator's load status to be monitored from the outside.

[0031] However, this also offers the particular advantage of allowing the incubation chamber to be illuminated through the glass plate by a lighting unit located outside the chamber. This can be especially useful for the cultivation of phototrophic organisms, as they use light as an energy source, and the lighting unit does not need to be located inside the incubation chamber. Furthermore, with side lighting, there is the problem of shading in the cavities of the microtiter plates, making top lighting optimal. An LED panel with high-performance warm white LEDs is particularly suitable as a lighting unit. Positioning the lighting above the glass plate and outside the incubation chamber allows for easy heat dissipation without affecting the temperature inside the incubation chamber.

[0032] To ensure sufficient durability of the lifting gripping unit, it is particularly advantageous to design it, at least substantially, to be made of a non-corrosive material, preferably stainless steel. While stainless steel is comparatively expensive, it is both durable and low-maintenance, as well as corrosion-resistant. Manufacturing complex devices from stainless steel is straightforward for skilled professionals.

[0033] With regard to the handling of the microtiter plates, the invention can preferably be further developed. For example, it can be provided that the airlock chamber is equipped with means for the automatic identification of individual microtiter plates, in particular a barcode reader or a near-field communication reader. An incoming microtiter plate, which is received in the incubator, for example, after an analysis of the condition of cell cultures grown therein, can thus be identified at the airlock chamber, so that the information about the location of each sample is maintained within a control system.

[0034] The integration of the essentim sensor system (www.essentim.com) is also a possibility for identification and motion detection inside and outside the incubator.

[0035] It can also be provided that at least one microplate shaker, preferably a plurality of microplate shakers arranged in a grid, is assigned to the floor of the incubation chamber, wherein the at least one microplate shaker is preferably operable in a circular and / or longitudinal direction. A surface film can form on stationary samples over time. It is therefore known to keep the samples moving using a microplate shaker. This is usually a plate on which containers are placed and which is moved.The invention can provide that the at least one microtiter plate shaker is mounted on a base plate which, along with all microtiter plate shakers, can be removed as a whole from the incubation chamber for cleaning and / or disinfection, and that the at least one microtiter plate shaker has a bearing for the centered and preferably force-fit or friction-fit reception of the at least one microtiter plate, wherein preferably the bearing height of a microtiter plate in the bearing of the at least one microtiter plate shaker corresponds at least approximately to the bearing height of the microtiter plate in the airlock chamber. This allows each microtiter plate to be shaken individually at a suitable frequency and direction and is centered and fixed in a defined receptacle for automated operation, in particular automated loading.

[0036] Furthermore, the incubation chamber may be equipped with at least one analyzer for evaluating samples, such as optical density, placed on a microtiter plate supported by a window in the floor. If such an analysis is sufficient for the application, it is unnecessary to remove the microtiter plate for analysis, potentially eliminating the need for the airlock altogether. Otherwise, the window and analyzer can advantageously be positioned next to the airlock. In this case, it suffices for the lifting and gripping unit to move the microtiter plate back and forth between its support point and the analyzer window. The window itself can advantageously be made of borosilicate glass, like the separating plate, to maximize its resistance to the atmosphere in the incubation chamber.

[0037] The invention described above will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment.

[0038] They show Figure 1 shows an incubator according to the invention in a schematic top view of a cross-section through the incubation space, Figure 2 shows the incubator according to Figure 1 Figure 3 shows a lateral sectional view through the airlock, Figure 3 shows the lifting gripping unit of the incubation chamber in a perspective view, and Figure 4 shows a detail of the magnetic holder of the lifting gripping unit according to Figure 3 and the associated control unit in a lateral cross-sectional view.

[0039] Figure 1 and Figure 2We show an incubator 1 for the cultivation of eukaryotic cells and other cell types with controlled CO2 gassing and humidification, which comprises an airtight sealed incubation chamber 2 in which samples of eukaryotic cell and / or bacterial cultures are taken up under specified conditions in the cavities of microtiter plates 23. Figure 1 a top view of a cross-section through incubation room 2, includes Figure 2This also includes the robot chamber 8 and the control chamber 9 located above and below it. A robot is arranged in robot chamber 8, which guides the lifting and gripping unit 11, as will be described below. The exact arrangement of the robot is not important here, so robot chamber 8 is shown empty in this respect. The same applies to control chamber 9, in which a control unit can be arranged, as well as other necessary equipment, such as an analyzer 25. Access to the incubation chamber 2, which is enclosed by insulated walls, is provided by a housing door 27, which has a double pane of borosilicate glass.

[0040] During culture, the microtiter plates 23 are placed at a storage location 5, which is designed as an induction shaker 22. Four microtiter plate shakers 22 are housed together in a docking station 24 and can each hold and keep one microtiter plate 23 in motion. For this purpose, a mechanism (not shown in detail) is provided below the storage location 5, which moves the microtiter plate shaker 22 in a circular or longitudinal motion. This keeps the samples in motion to allow mixing with ambient gas and prevent the formation of a surface film. To prevent dehydration due to the increased air contact, the humidity within the incubation chamber 2 is elevated.Temperature and humidity are controlled via the aforementioned control unit, which also controls a lifting and gripping unit 11 via the aforementioned robot, which in turn can automatically grasp the microtiter plates 23 at a first storage location 5 on request and transport them to a storage location 21 in a lock 28.

[0041] Incubation chamber 2, as part of the overall incubator 1, is enclosed by a partition 6 made of borosilicate glass. Lighting devices 7 are arranged above the partition, providing light, and thus energy, to phototrophic cell and / or bacterial cultures. An actuating robot, comprising a guide unit 10, is located in the robot chamber 8 on the outside of incubation chamber 2. This guide unit 10 is magnetically coupled to a magnetic holder 12 of the lifting and gripping unit 11, allowing the lifting and gripping unit 11 to hang from the partition 6 into incubation chamber 2 without falling into it. If the guide unit 10 moves in two dimensions on the partition plate 6, the magnetic holder 12 follows the movement of the guide unit 10 due to the magnetic force, so that the lifting gripping unit inside the incubation chamber 2 can ultimately be controlled from outside the incubation chamber 2.This has the advantage that the actuating robot 8 is not exposed to the aggressive climate within incubation chamber 2 and can therefore be constructed in a conventional manner. The actuating robot, together with the guide unit 10, is thus ultimately decoupled from the climate of incubation chamber 2. Only the part located within incubation chamber 2, i.e., the lifting and gripping unit 11 itself, is made of stainless steel to prevent corrosion. Actuation of a gripper of the lifting and gripping unit is achieved by moving it vertically and opening and closing two opposing gripper plates 15, as shown in [reference]. Figure 3The gripper is opened by moving the gripper plates 15 apart, then lowered by a lifting cylinder to the height of a microtiter plate 23, closed again by moving the gripper plates 15 together, and lifted together with the gripped microtiter plate 23. The gripper plates 15 are bent at one lower end, forming gripping hooks that are inserted under the microtiter plates 23 to support them. The design of the magnetic force that holds the lifting gripping unit 11 to the guide unit 10 must take into account the weight of the heaviest possible microtiter plate 23.

[0042] Figure 4Figure 1 shows a detail of the magnetic holder 12, which is magnetically coupled to the guide unit 10 through the separating plate 6. To prevent the guide unit 10 or the magnetic holder 12 from becoming stuck and potentially lost during movement due to the stick-slip effect, and to prevent the lifting gripper unit from falling off the separating plate 6 due to the disengaging magnetic field, the stick-slip effect is mitigated. This is achieved by creating an air cushion 13, which positions the guide unit 10 and the magnetic holder 12 at a distance from the separating plate 6 that is still small enough to maintain the magnetic coupling. The robot mechanically holds and moves the guide unit 10 at a very small distance above the separating plate 6 without touching the plate.

[0043] This air cushion 13 is generated by drawing air from incubation chamber 2. This air is blown towards the partition plate 6. A HEPA filter 14 is associated with the magnetic holder 12, through which the drawn-in incubation air—that is, the air held in incubation chamber 2—is filtered under the conditions created by the control unit. The operation of the magnetic holder 12 thus also ensures air circulation and air purification within incubation chamber 2. If necessary, the HEPA filter 14 can also be placed outside incubation chamber 2 and connected via longer air ducts, making it easier to change from outside incubation chamber 2.

[0044] The lifting and gripping unit 11 is pneumatically actuated and controlled via valves. It has a hose through which compressed air is supplied from outside the incubation chamber 2 by the control unit. A clearance 26 is provided in the incubation chamber 2 for the storage of other mechanical parts, in which the lifting and gripping unit 11 does not need to grip anything. If these mechanical parts are located above this area in the robot chamber 8, they do not interfere with the movement of the lifting and gripping unit 11. In this way, the microtiter plate 23 is only slightly lifted from the storage position 5 until it can be lifted over the floor 4 of the incubation chamber. The microtiter plate 23 is then placed in a storage position 21 in a slide 20, which is initially placed in an airlock chamber 16, also located on the floor 4 of the incubation chamber 2.Because the storage position 21 in the ejector 20 is arranged at the same height as other storage positions 5 in the incubator 1, the lifting gripping unit 11 only needs to be moved minimally in height.

[0045] The removal of a microtiter plate takes place via the airlock chamber 16, which is closed by three doors 17, 18, and 19. The inner door 17 is a top-mounted flap of the airlock chamber 16, so that when the flap is opened, there is as little exchange as possible between the incubation chamber 2 and the airlock chamber 16. After loading the pusher 20, the lifting gripping unit 11 is moved out of the swing area of ​​the inner door 17, and the inner door 17 is closed. The airlock chamber 16 is thus sealed off from the environment and the incubation chamber 2, and it can be flooded with outside air. If necessary, the air is filtered to prevent the escape of critical substances. Then an outer door 18 and a security door 19 are opened and the ejector 20 is actuated to position the microtiter plate 23 to be ejected from the airlock 28 for removal at a sampling point.Depending on the degree of further automation, the microtiter plate 23 can now be automatically or manually removed from the storage location 21 of the ejector 20 and fed to further analysis.

[0046] Conversely, a microtiter plate 23 can then be reintroduced into the incubator 1. It should be noted that the safety door 19 is not required in the case of automatic insertion. It serves to prevent injuries in the event of manual operation. In the case of manual operation, the safety door 19 is closed first after the microtiter plate 23 has been inserted into the ejector 20 and the ejector has moved into the airlock chamber 16. Only when the safety door 19 is closed, which is detected by a sensor, can the outer door 18 be closed, which, unlike the safety door 19, is pneumatically operated. The safety door 19 can be opened and closed manually. Once closed, however, no finger or other body part can enter the opening of the outer door 18 and be injured when it is closed.After closing the outer door 18, the climate in the airlock chamber 16 can be adjusted to match the climate in the incubation room 2, and the inner door 17 can be opened. The microtiter plate 23 is picked up by the lifting and gripping unit 11 and returned to storage location 5.

[0047] Additionally, an analyzer 25 is assigned to incubation chamber 2, which is located in control chamber 9 below floor 4. A window made of borosilicate glass is provided in the floor, through which the analyzer 25 can analyze the samples from a microtiter plate 23 placed on the window. Figure 1A microtiter plate 23 is placed on the analyzer 25. For this process, the microtiter plate 23 does not need to leave incubation chamber 2, so this analysis can be carried out without affecting the climate in the incubation chamber. As long as this analysis is sufficient, incubation chamber 2 does not need to be opened at all and can be operated fully automatically.

[0048] The above description thus describes an incubator that is suitable for effective sterilization and can also be fully automated for the removal of microtiter plates. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0049] 1 Incubator 2 Incubation chamber 3 Outer wall 4 Floor 5 Storage area 6 Partition plate 7 Lighting unit 8 Robot chamber 9 Control chamber 10 Guide unit 11 Lifting gripper unit 12 Magnetic holder 13 Air cushion 14 HEPA filter 15 Gripper plate 16 Airlock chamber 17 Inner door 18 Outer door 19 Safety door 20 Ejector 21 Storage area 22 Microtiter plate shaker 23 Microtiter plate 24 Docking station 25 Analyzer 26 Freedom 27 Housing door 28 Airlock

Claims

1. Incubator comprising an incubation chamber (2) which can be sealed against the environment in a pressure-tight and gas-tight manner and whose composition of gases and humidity can be adjusted, for accommodating at least one microtiter plate (23), in which a lifting gripper unit (11) for transporting the at least one microtiter plate (23) is movably mounted within the incubation chamber (2), wherein the incubation chamber (2) is accessible via an airlock chamber (16) which can be sealed off from the environment by means of an outer door (18) and from the incubation chamber (2) by means of an inner door (17), wherein the lifting gripper unit (11) is movable between a first position above the airlock chamber (16) and at least one second position above a storage location (5) for the at least one microtiter plate (23), characterised in that a ceiling of the incubation chamber (2) is designed as a nonmagnetic separating plate (6), wherein an actuating robot for controlling the movement of the lifting gripping unit (11) is arranged with a guide unit (10) above the separating plate (6) and the lifting gripping unit (11) is held in a displaceable manner inside the incubation chamber (2) on the inner surface of the separating plate (6) by means of a magnetic or electromagnetic magnetic holder (12) acting through the separating plate (6) and comprises a height-adjustable gripper, and the guide unit (10) and / or the magnetic holder (12) have air outlet nozzles on a surface facing the separating plate (6) to form an air cushion (13) between the surface and the separating plate (6).

2. Incubator according to claim 1, characterised in that the inner door (17) is arranged and sealed on or in or above a floor (4) of the incubation chamber ( ) (2) and can either be moved horizontally or pivoted around a horizontal axis into the incubation chamber (2).

3. Incubator according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the outer door (18) is arranged and sealed on an outer wall (3) of the incubation chamber (2) and can either be moved vertically or pivoted around a horizontal axis.

4. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the inner door (17) and the outer door (18) open and close automatically, preferably being actuated by an electric or pneumatic drive.

5. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outer door (18) is assigned a motorically decoupled safety door (19), the closed position of which is detected by a sensor, whereby closure of the outer door (18) is only possible when the safety door (19) is closed.

6. Incubator according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a conveyor device is provided which automatically feeds the microtiter plates (23) to the airlock chamber (16).

7. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the airlock chamber (16) is assigned an ejector (20) which forms a storage location (21) for at least one microtiter plate (23) and can be moved out of the airlock chamber (16) through the outer door (18), preferably by means of an electric or pneumatic drive.

8. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the air for generating the air cushion on the side of the magnetic holder (12) is sucked in from the incubation chamber (2) and preferably passed through a HEPA filter (14) and / or cooled by Peltier cooling.

9. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lifting gripper unit (11) has an electrically operated gripper which is supplied with operating voltage inductively via the magnetic holder (12).

10. Incubator according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the lifting gripper unit (11) has a pneumatically operated gripper which, with the aid of pneumatic hose lines connected to at least one outer wall (3), the base (4) or the partition plate (6) into the incubation chamber (2) and are fed from outside the incubation chamber (2).

11. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the partition plate (6) is designed as a glass plate, preferably made of borosilicate glass.

12. Incubator according to claim 11, characterised in that the incubation chamber (2) is illuminated through the glass plate by means of a lighting device (7) arranged outside the incubation chamber (2).

13. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lifting gripping unit (11) is made at least essentially of a non-corrosive material, preferably stainless steel.

14. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the airlock chamber (16) is assigned means for automatic identification of individual microtiter plates (23), in particular a barcode reader or a near-field communication reader.

15. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one microtiter plate shaker (22), preferably a plurality of microtiter plate shakers (22) arranged in a grid pattern, are associated with the bottom (4) of the incubation chamber (2), wherein the at least one microtiter plate shaker (22) is preferably operable in circular motion and / or longitudinal motion.

16. Incubator according to claim 15, characterised in that the at least one microtiter plate shaker (22) is mounted on a base plate which can be removed from the incubation chamber (2) as a whole together with all microtiter plate shakers (22) for cleaning and / or disinfection.

17. Incubator according to one of claims 15 or 16, characterised in that the at least one microtiter plate shaker (22) has a bearing point (21) for centred and preferably force- or friction-locking of the at least one microtiter plate (23), wherein preferably the bearing height of a microtiter plate (23) in the bearing point (21) of the at least one microtiter plate (23) is 1.5 mm.or friction-locked mounting of the at least one microtiter plate (23), wherein preferably the bearing height of a microtiter plate (23) in the bearing location (21) of the at least one microtiter plate shaker (22) corresponds at least approximately to the bearing height of the microtiter plate (23) in the airlock chamber (16).

18. Incubator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bottom (4) of the incubation chamber (2) is at lea ly assigned an analyser (25) for evaluating samples in a microtiter plate (23) placed on a window kept free on the analyser in the bottom (4).