Stocker and cell culture system

Abstract

To provide a stocker which can achieve both manual operation of a robot arm and manual operation of an operator at the same time, safely and with sanitation, and a cell culture system.SOLUTION: A stocker is a stocker capable of preserving a workpiece of a cell culture system, and has: a building which forms a preservation area therein; a table which is arranged in the building, has a work plane extending in a horizontal direction, and is formed with an opening penetrating in a vertical direction; and a preservation cabinet which has an upper part is open, has a storage cabinet with a storage space capable of storing the workpiece and a lid part, and is arranged at an initial position being a position below the table and facing the opening; a lid movement mechanism for moving the lid part; a slide mechanism which enables slide movement of the storage cabinet; a workpiece movement mechanism for moving the workpiece in the preservation area; and an interlock mechanism for regulating the slide movement of the storage cabinet by the slide mechanism from the initial position, when the lid part is located at the open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a stocker and a cell culture system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a stocker equipped with a robot arm capable of storing works (containers such as flasks and utensils such as trays) for culturing cells.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the above stocker, not only the movement and operation by the robot arm but also the manual processing by the operator may be required. In this case, if the operator performs the processing during the operation of the robot arm, not only the safety may be reduced due to the physical interference between the two, but also contamination of the cell culture solution during culture may occur from the viewpoint of hygiene management.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a stocker and a cell culture system that can safely and hygienically make both the robot arm and the manual work of the operator compatible.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the stocker according to the present disclosure is a stocker capable of storing the work of a cell culture system, including a building that forms a storage area inside, a table provided in the building having a working surface that extends horizontally and an opening that penetrates vertically, a storage cabinet having an upper portion open and having a storage space capable of accommodating the work, and a lid portion that closes the storage space from above, a storage cabinet provided at an initial position that is below the table and faces the opening, a lid moving mechanism that moves the lid portion between the initial position and an open position that opens the storage space, a slide mechanism that enables the storage cabinet to slide between the initial position and an access position that protrudes from below the table, a work moving mechanism that moves the work within the storage area, and an interlock mechanism that restricts the slide movement of the storage cabinet from the initial position by the slide mechanism when the lid portion is in the open position.

[0007] The cell culture system according to the present disclosure includes the above stocker, a clean bench that communicates with the stocker and performs processing on the work, and an incubator that communicates with the stocker and culturing cells contained in the work.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a stocker and a cell culture system that can safely and hygienically achieve both a robot arm and manual work by an operator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the cell culture system 300 and the stocker 1 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. As shown in FIG. 1, the cell culture system 300 of the present embodiment is a system that performs cell culture contained in a flask, analysis of cells after culture, etc. using a flask unit as a work as a processing unit, and these processes are basically performed unmanned and automatically.

[0011] <Cell culture system> As shown in FIG. 1, the cell culture system 300 includes a first stocker 11 and a second stocker 12 as stockers 1, an incubator 2, a clean bench 3, and a pass box 4.

[0012] <First stocker> The first stocker 11 is a facility for storing a plurality of flask units and other works. The area inside the first stocker 11 is defined as a first storage area R1. A rack capable of storing a large number of works is provided in the first storage area R1. An operator can access the rack from the outside through an opening / closing part (not shown).

[0013] <Second stocker> The second stocker 12 is provided adjacent to the first stocker 11. The second stocker 12 is provided with facilities such as a pedestal on which a workpiece can be placed and a refrigerated freezer capable of storing a culture solution.

[0014] <Incubator> The incubator 2 is a facility for growing cells in a culture solution. The area inside the incubator 2 is the culture area R2. The atmosphere in the culture area R2 is controlled to a temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration suitable for cell culture. A shaking table capable of simultaneously shaking a plurality of flasks is provided in the culture area R2.

[0015] <Clean bench> The clean bench 3 is a facility for performing various liquid operations and treatments on the flask unit. The area inside the clean bench 3 is the liquid operation area R3. The liquid operation area R3 is a highly clean aseptic space (bioclean room).

[0016] Inside the clean bench 3, various facilities such as a dispensing device, a filtering device, a sealing device, a waste liquid draining device, and a workpiece discharging device are provided. Outside the clean bench 3, a medium supply device capable of supplying a medium to the dispensing device, a cell analysis device capable of analyzing the culture solution dispensed by the dispensing device, and the like are provided.

[0017] Here, the clean bench 3 is arranged adjacent to the first stocker 11 and the second stocker 12. Inside the first stocker 11, a first stocker door 201 that separates the first storage area R1 and the liquid operation area R3 is provided. When the first stocker door 201 is in the open state, the first storage area R1 and the liquid operation area R3 are in a communicating state, and workpieces can move between these areas. When the first stocker door 201 is in the closed state, the first storage area R1 and the liquid operation area R3 are in a non-communicating state, and these areas are isolated.

[0018] Inside the second stocker 12, a second stocker door 202 is provided that separates the second storage area and the liquid operation area R3. When the second stocker door 202 is in the open state, the second storage area and the liquid operation area R3 are in a communicating state, and work can move back and forth between these areas. When the second stocker door 202 is in the closed state, the second storage area and the liquid operation area R3 are in a non-communicating state, and these areas are isolated. The detailed configuration of the second stocker 12 will be described later.

[0019] <Passbox> The passbox 4 is provided between the incubator 2 and the clean bench 3 so as to be in contact with them. The passbox 4 has a first pass door 203 and a second pass door 204. When the first pass door 203 is in the open state, the culture area R2 and the area inside the passbox 4 are in a communicating state. When the second pass door 204 is in the open state, the liquid operation area R3 and the area inside the passbox 4 are in a communicating state. Therefore, by the opening and closing operations of these first pass door 203 and second pass door 204, the state where the culture area R2 and the liquid operation area R3 are isolated and the state where work can move back and forth between these areas can be switched. Note that the first pass door 203 and the second pass door 204 are not in the open state at the same time. Thus, the culture area R2 and the liquid operation area R3 do not communicate with each other, and the atmospheric state of each area is maintained.

[0020] <Detailed Configuration of the Second Stocker> Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8, the detailed configuration of the second stocker 12 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the second stocker 12 includes a building 50, a window 60, a slide door 70, a table 80, a storage 90, a lid moving mechanism 100, a slide mechanism 110, a work moving mechanism 120, an interlock mechanism 130, and a slide transfer robot 140.

[0021] (Table) The building 50 is a room that constitutes the outer shape of the second stocker 12. As an example, it has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the long side in the x-axis direction in FIG. 2. The space inside the building 50 is the above-mentioned second storage area. A window 60 is provided on the surface of the building 50 facing the y-axis direction. The window 60 is an opening for an operator to insert a hand to access the workpiece on the table 80 described later. The window 60 can be closed and opened by a slide door 70. The slide door 70 has three door panels 61. These door panels 61 can slide in the x-axis direction so as to overlap each other. Also, this slide door 70 is configured such that only one of the door panels 61 can be moved, and the size of the opened portion is at most the size of one door panel 61. This is to avoid as much as possible the internal pressure of the building 50 maintained at positive pressure from escaping to the outside.

[0022] A table 80 is arranged on the floor surface of the building 50. The table 80 extends in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction which is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the x-axis direction. The upper surface of the table 80 (that is, the surface facing the z-axis direction orthogonal to the x-axis and y-axis) is the working surface 81. The working surface 81 extends on the xy plane.

[0023] On the working surface 81 of the table 80, a plurality (three as an example) of stages 82 are provided at intervals in the x-axis direction. The stages 82 are arranged facing the above-mentioned window 60, and it is possible for the operator to perform various processes on the workpieces on the stages 82 through the window 60.

[0024] On one side of the table 80 in the x-axis direction, two openings 83 are formed. These openings 83 are arranged at intervals in the y-axis direction. Each opening 83 has a rectangular shape and penetrates the table 80 in the z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, a storage 90, a lid moving mechanism 100, a slide mechanism 110, and an interlock mechanism 130 are arranged below the opening 83.

[0025] (Storage) As shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, the storage 90 has a storage compartment 91 and a lid 92. The storage compartment 91 is in the shape of a container, and a storage space 93 capable of accommodating a workpiece is formed in the internal space thereof. The lid 92 can close the storage space 93 from above. Further, gripping portions 94 are provided on one end surface of the storage compartment 91 in the x-axis direction. As will be described in detail later, the gripping portions 94 are provided for an operator to pull out the storage compartment 91. The storage 90 is, for example, a refrigerator, and the temperature of the storage space 93 is set and maintained lower than the ambient temperature.

[0026] (Lid movement mechanism) The lid 92 is slidable in the x-axis direction by a lid movement mechanism 100. The lid movement mechanism 100 moves only the lid 92 between an "initial position" where the lid 92 faces the opening 83 from below and an "open position" where the storage compartment 91 is opened by sliding in the x-axis direction. That is, the lid movement mechanism 100 can move only the lid 92 out of the lid 92 and the storage compartment 91, and even if the lid 92 moves, the storage compartment 91 itself is maintained at the initial position facing the opening 83. When the lid 92 is placed at the open position by the lid movement mechanism 100, the workpiece transfer between the inside and outside of the storage compartment 91 is performed by a workpiece movement mechanism 120 described later.

[0027] (Slide mechanism) As shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, a slide mechanism 110 is provided in parallel with the storage 90 below the table 80. The slide mechanism 110 enables only the storage compartment 91 to slide between an initial position and an access position protruding in the x-axis direction from below the table 80, out of the storage compartment 91 and the lid 92. That is, the slide mechanism 110 has a rail (not shown) extending in the x-axis direction, and only the storage compartment 91 is movable in the x-axis direction along the rail. This sliding movement is performed by an operator grasping the above-described gripping portion 94 by hand and applying a force in the x-axis direction (see FIG. 7).

[0028] (Workpiece movement mechanism) The work moving mechanism 120 is a device for gripping a work on the table 80 and moving it in the xyz-axis directions. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the work moving mechanism 120 includes a pair of guide rails 121, a moving frame 122, a frame moving mechanism (not shown), and a robot arm 123.

[0029] The pair of guide rails 121 extend in the x-axis direction along the working surface 81 on the table 80 and are arranged at intervals in the y-axis direction. Among these guide rails 121, one guide rail 121 where the above-described window 60 is located is set to have a smaller dimension in the z-axis direction (i.e., height dimension) than the other guide rail 121 (see FIG. 4).

[0030] The moving frame 122 is arranged so as to straddle these guide rails 121. The moving frame 122 is movable in the x-axis direction along the guide rails 121. The moving frame 122 includes a horizontal frame 124 extending in the y-axis direction and a pair of leg frames 125 extending from both ends of this horizontal frame 124 in the z-axis direction to the guide rails 121. The horizontal frame 124 extends horizontally along the y-axis. The leg frames 125 extend vertically along the z-axis. Among the pair of leg frames 125, one leg frame 125 corresponding to the guide rail 121 on the window 60 side has a larger dimension in the z-axis direction (i.e., height dimension) than the other leg frame 125. In other words, the other leg frame 125 on the side corresponding to the guide rail 121 on the side opposite to the window 60 has a smaller height dimension than one leg frame 125.

[0031] A robot arm 123 is attached to the horizontal frame 124. The robot arm 123 is movable in the y-axis direction along the horizontal frame 124. The robot arm 123 has a base 126 supported by the horizontal frame 124, an arm support portion 127 extending in the z-axis direction from the base 126, and an arm body 128 attached to the lower end of the arm support portion 127. The arm body 128 is freely movable in the z-axis direction along the arm support portion 127. The arm body 128 can grip the workpiece by scooping it up from below. Therefore, the arm body 128 is capable of freely changing its position in three directions of the xyz axes. Also, the movement of the moving frame 122 and the movement of the arm body 128 are realized by a frame movement mechanism (not shown). The frame movement mechanism appropriately adjusts the three-dimensional positions of the moving frame 122 and the arm body 128 according to a pre-stored program or a command from an operator remotely, and moves the workpiece. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the workpiece transfer mechanism 120 transfers the workpiece in and out of the storage 91 with the lid 92 open. Also, for example, the workpiece taken out from the storage 91 is placed on the stage 82 on the work surface 81 or the transfer table 142 (described later) of the slide transfer robot 140 by moving in the x-axis direction.

[0032] (Interlock mechanism) Here, as shown in FIG. 7, there may be a case where an operator pulls out the storage compartment 91 in the x-axis direction via the slide mechanism 110. In this case, if the above-described moving frame 122 (robot arm 123) is operating, the two will physically interfere with each other. To prevent this interference, an interlock mechanism 130 is provided. The interlock mechanism 130 restricts the slide movement of the storage compartment 91 from its initial position by the slide mechanism 110 when the lid portion 92 of the storage vault 90 is in the open position. Similarly, the interlock mechanism 130 restricts the opening of the lid portion 92 and interrupts the operation of the robot arm 123 when the storage compartment 91 is pulled out to the access position. Note that the interlock mechanism 130 may be a mechanical structure or may be a mechanism that electrically detects the positions and operations of the lid portion 92 and the storage compartment 91 and performs the above-described locking.

[0033] (Slide Transfer Robot) As shown in FIG. 2, a slide transfer robot 140 is disposed on the other side in the y-axis direction of the stage 82 on the work surface 81 of the table 80. The slide transfer robot 140 is provided for exchanging workpieces between the inside of the building 50 and the adjacent clean bench 3. The slide transfer robot 140 includes a robot body 141 and a transfer table 142.

[0034] The robot body 141 extends in the x-axis direction and houses an actuator for driving the transfer table 142. The transfer table 142 has a plate shape extending in the x-axis direction, and a placement surface for placing a workpiece is formed on its upper surface. The transfer table 142 is slidable in the x-axis direction by an actuator. Therefore, the workpiece placed on the transfer table 142 can be moved in and out between the building 50 and the clean bench 3 by the sliding movement of the transfer table 142 (see FIG. 8). Note that the placement of the workpiece on the transfer table 142 is performed by the above-described workpiece movement mechanism 120.

[0035] Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the second stock door 202 that partitions the clean bench 3 and the inside of the building 50 is slidable in the vertical direction (z-axis direction), and in the closed state, it closes the opening by being pressed against the wall surface. As an example, the second stock door 202 has a door body 151 and a slide guide 152. The door body 151 is plate-shaped. The slide guide 152 extends in a direction approaching the opening as it goes downward in the z-axis direction. Therefore, when the door body 151 moves downward along the slide guide 152, the door body 151 automatically moves closer to the opening side. Thereby, the positive pressure inside the building 50 is maintained.

[0036] (Ancillary facilities of the building) Outside the building 50 configured as described above, a first work area R4 and a second work area R5 are provided as ancillary facilities (see FIG. 2). The first work area R4 is arranged on one side in the x-axis direction of the building 50. That is, an operator who enters this first work area R4 can perform operations such as pulling out the storage 91 through the above-described slide mechanism 110. Also, the second work area R5 is provided on one side in the y-axis direction of the building 50. That is, an operator in the second work area R5 can perform various processes on the workpiece on the stage 82 through the above-described window 60.

[0037] (Function and effect) Here, in the cell culture system 300, not only the movement and operation by the above-described robot arm 123 but also manual processing by an operator may be required. In this case, if the operator performs processing during the operation of the robot arm 123, not only will the safety be reduced due to physical interference between the two, but there is also a possibility of contamination of the cell culture solution being cultured from the perspective of hygiene management. To solve this problem, the above-described respective configurations are adopted in this embodiment.

[0038] According to the above configuration, by providing the interlock mechanism 130, when the lid portion 92 is in the open position, the sliding movement of the storage 91 by the operator is restricted. Therefore, in this state, only access to the storage 91 by the robot arm 123 or the like is possible. Thereby, physical interference between the robot arm 123 or the like and the operator can be avoided. Thus, the safety of the device can be further improved, and it is possible to prevent contamination caused by the operator inadvertently contacting the work or the robot arm 123 or the like.

[0039] According to the above configuration, by only moving the lid portion 92 horizontally by the lid movement mechanism 100, the opening / closing state of the storage 91 can be easily switched. Thereby, since the encroachment of the working time associated with the opening and closing of the lid portion 92 is minimized, it becomes possible to perform various processes on the cells more quickly and accurately. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the cost of the cultured cells which are the final product and provide these cultured cells in large quantities and at low cost.

[0040] According to the above configuration, through the window 60, it becomes possible for the operator to easily and quickly perform various operations and processes. Also, when not performing work, by closing the window 60 with the sliding door 70, the environmental stability inside the building 50 can be continuously maintained. Furthermore, since it is the sliding door 70, it is possible to minimize the possibility that the effective area of the workbench is encroached by the space required for opening and closing the door. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform processing and storage on a large amount of work more efficiently and safely.

[0041] According to the above configuration, among the pair of guide rails 121, the guide rail 121 on the side where the window 60 is located is set to have a smaller height dimension than the other guide rail 121. Therefore, when accessing the workbench through the window 60, it is possible to minimize the possibility that the work is obstructed by the guide rail 121. As a result, the work efficiency and safety in the stocker 1 are maintained at a higher level, so that the time and cost required for cell culture can be further reduced.

[0042] According to the above configuration, one leg frame 125 corresponding to the guide rail 121 with a relatively high height dimension has a smaller height dimension than the other leg frame 125. Thereby, while maintaining the horizontal posture of the horizontal frame 124, the rigidity of the one leg frame 125 can be increased. Therefore, the stable operation and robustness of the entire moving frame 122 can be enhanced. On the contrary, if the leg frame 125 is excessively long, the rigidity of the entire moving frame 122 may decrease, and there is a possibility of swaying or vibrating during operation. According to the above configuration, it is possible to suppress the possibility of such swaying and vibration and further improve the stability and certainty of the work.

[0043] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a cell culture system 300 that can perform processing more safely and hygienically.

[0044] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure are also included.

[0045] For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration of the stocker 1 has been described by taking the cell culture system 300 as an example. However, as long as it is a facility that needs to be subjected to biological or chemical treatment while maintaining a clean state, the configuration of the stocker 1 can be applied even if it is other than the cell culture system 300. Any configuration can obtain the same operational effects as those described above.

[0046] In addition, the relative arrangement relationship between the above-described building 50 and the clean bench 3, incubator 2, etc. is an example, and it can be appropriately changed according to the design, specifications, and scale. Any configuration can obtain the same operational effects as those described above.

[0047] Furthermore, the number of the above-described stages 82 and the number of the storage rooms 90 are examples, and these can also be appropriately increased or decreased according to the design, specifications, and scale. Any configuration can obtain the same operational effects as those described above.

[0048] <Appendix> The stocker 1 and the cell culture system 300 described in each embodiment are grasped as follows, for example.

[0049] (1) The stocker 1 according to the first aspect is a stocker 1 capable of storing the work of the cell culture system 300, and includes a building 50 that forms a storage area inside, a table 80 provided in the building 50 and having a working surface 81 that extends horizontally and an opening 83 that penetrates vertically, a storage 91 having a storage space 93 with an open upper part for accommodating the work, and a lid 92 for closing the storage space 93 from above, a storage 90 provided at an initial position that is below the table 80 and faces the opening 83, a lid moving mechanism 100 for moving the lid 92 between the initial position and an open position for opening the storage space 93, a slide mechanism 110 for making the storage 91 slidable between the initial position and an access position protruding from below the table 80, a work moving mechanism 120 for moving the work within the storage area, and an interlock mechanism 130 for restricting the slide movement of the storage 91 from the initial position by the slide mechanism 110 when the lid 92 is in the open position.

[0050] According to the above configuration, by providing the interlock mechanism 130, when the lid portion 92 is in the open position, the sliding movement from the position facing the opening 83 of the storage 91 is restricted. Therefore, in this state, only access to the storage 91 from the opening 83 is possible. Thereby, by restricting the access of the operator to the storage 91, it is possible to prevent contamination caused by the operator inadvertently contacting the work or the like.

[0051] (2) The stocker 1 according to the second aspect is the stocker 1 of (1), wherein the lid portion 92 is horizontally movable by the lid movement mechanism 100 to a position where the opening 83 is opened in a state where the storage 91 is in the initial position.

[0052] According to the above configuration, by horizontally moving the lid portion 92 by the lid movement mechanism 100, the open / closed state of the storage 91 can be easily switched.

[0053] (3) The stocker 1 according to the third aspect is the stocker 1 of (1) or (2), wherein a window 60 facing the work surface 81 is provided on the wall surface of the building 50, and a slide door 70 is further provided which extends in the plane direction of the window 60 and is slidable in the plane direction to switch the open / closed state of the window 60.

[0054] According to the above configuration, through the window 60, it is possible for the operator to easily and quickly perform various operations and processes.

[0055] (4) The stocker 1 according to the fourth aspect is the stocker 1 of (1) or (2), wherein the work movement mechanism 120 includes a pair of guide rails 121 extending along the work surface 81 and provided at intervals from each other, a moving frame 122 arranged so as to span the pair of guide rails 121, a frame movement mechanism for moving the moving frame 122 along the guide rails 121, and a robot arm 123 provided on the moving frame 122.

[0056] According to the above configuration, by moving the robot arm 123 provided on the moving frame 122 by the frame moving mechanism, it is possible to move the workpiece to any three-dimensional position and perform a predetermined process.

[0057] (5) The stocker 1 according to the fifth aspect is the stocker of (4), and among the pair of guide rails 121, the guide rail 121 on the side where the window 60 is located is configured to have a smaller height dimension than the other guide rail 121.

[0058] According to the above configuration, among the pair of guide rails 121, the guide rail 121 on the side where the window 60 is located is set to have a smaller height dimension than the other guide rail 121. Therefore, when accessing the workbench through the window 60, it is possible to minimize the possibility that the work is obstructed by the guide rail 121.

[0059] (6) The stocker 1 according to the sixth aspect is the stocker 1 of (5), and the moving frame 122 has a horizontal frame 124 extending in the horizontal direction and a pair of leg frames 125 extending downward from both ends of the horizontal frame 124 to the guide rail 121. One of the leg frames 125 corresponding to the guide rail 121 having a relatively high height dimension is set to have a smaller height dimension than the other leg frame 125.

[0060] According to the above configuration, one of the leg frames 125 corresponding to the guide rail 121 having a relatively high height dimension has a smaller height dimension than the other leg frame 125. Thereby, while maintaining the horizontal posture of the horizontal frame 124, the rigidity of the one leg frame 125 can be enhanced.

[0061] (7) The cell culture system 300 according to the seventh aspect includes the stocker 1 according to any one of the aspects (1) to (6), a clean bench 3 that communicates with the stocker 1 and processes the workpiece, and an incubator 2 that communicates with the stocker 1 and cultures the cells contained in the workpiece.

[0062] According to the above configuration, a cell culture system 300 that can perform processing more safely and hygienically can be provided.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0063] 1… Stocker 2… Incubator 3… Clean bench 4… Pass box 11… First stocker 12… Second stocker 50… Building 60… Window 61… Door panel 70… Slide door 80… Table 81… Working surface 82… Stage 83… Opening 90… Storage vault 91… Storage 92… Lid part 93… Storage space 94… Gripping part 100… Lid moving mechanism 110… Slide mechanism 120… Workpiece moving mechanism 121… Guide rail 122… Moving frame 123… Robot arm 124… Horizontal frame 125… Leg frame 126… Base 127… Arm support part 128… Arm body 130… Interlock mechanism 140… Slide transfer robot 141… Robot body 142…Conveyor table 151…Door body 152…Slide guide 201…First stocker door 202…Second stocker door 203…First pass door 204…Second pass door 300…Cell culture system R1…First storage area R2…Culture area R3…Liquid operation area R4…First working area R5…Second working area

Claims

1. A stocker capable of storing the work of a cell culture system, comprising: a building having a storage area formed inside; a table provided in the building, having a working surface extending horizontally and having an opening penetrating vertically; a storage having an upper opening and a storage space capable of accommodating a work, and a lid for closing the storage space from above, the storage being provided at an initial position which is below the table and faces the opening; a lid moving mechanism for moving the lid between the initial position and an open position for opening the storage space; a slide mechanism for making the storage slidable between the initial position and an access position protruding from below the table; a work moving mechanism for moving the work within the storage area; an interlock mechanism for restricting the slide movement of the storage from the initial position by the slide mechanism when the lid is in the open position; A stocker comprising the above.

2. The stocker according to claim 1, wherein the lid is horizontally movable by the lid moving mechanism to a position where the opening is opened with the storage in the initial position.

3. A window facing the working surface is provided on the wall surface of the building, The stocker according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a sliding door provided so as to extend in the plane direction of the window and be slidable in the plane direction to switch the opening / closing state of the window.

4. The work moving mechanism includes: a pair of guide rails extending along the working surface and provided at intervals from each other; a moving frame arranged so as to span the pair of guide rails; a frame moving mechanism for moving the moving frame along the guide rails; a robot arm provided on the moving frame; The stocker according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the above.

5. A window facing the working surface is provided on the wall surface of the building, Among the pair of guide rails, the guide rail on the side where the window is located is configured to have a smaller height dimension than the other guide rail. The stocker according to claim 4.

6. The moving frame includes: a horizontal frame extending horizontally; a pair of leg frames extending downward from both ends of the horizontal frame to the guide rails; having the above. The stocker according to claim 5, wherein one of the leg frames corresponding to the guide rail having a relatively high height dimension is set to have a smaller height dimension than the other leg frame.

7. The stocker according to claim 1 or 2, a clean bench that communicates with the stocker and performs processing on the workpiece, an incubator that communicates with the stocker and performs culturing of cells contained in the workpiece, and a cell culture system comprising the same.

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