Culture device

Abstract

This culture device comprises a culture chamber for accommodating a culture, a first vapor supply unit for supplying vapor within the culture chamber through natural vaporization, a second vapor supply unit for supplying vapor to the culture chamber through forced vaporization, a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity of the culture chamber, and a control device for humidifying the culture chamber using the first and second vapor supply units so as to keep the humidity of the culture chamber at a target value. After the culture chamber has been humidified to an assessment value using the first and second vapor supply units, the control device stops the second vapor supply unit and humidifies the culture chamber to the target value using the first vapor supply unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a culture device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a culture device that cultivates cultures of cells, microorganisms, etc. in a culture chamber, the culture chamber is humidified by heating and evaporating the liquid stored in the culture chamber with a heater. To quickly increase the humidity in the culture chamber, the liquid is heated and evaporated with a heater and evaporated with an ultrasonic vibrator at the same time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5727187 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to maintain an optimal culture environment in a culture device, there is a demand for quickly increasing the humidity in the culture chamber that has decreased due to the opening and closing of the door, as in the culture device of Patent Document 1. When the humidity in the culture chamber is increased quickly, the humidity in the culture chamber tends to become relatively high due to overshoot, and condensation is likely to occur.

[0005] When condensation occurs in a culture chamber, bacteria grow in the droplets, adversely affecting the culture. Therefore, there is a demand for preventing condensation in a culture device. To prevent condensation in the culture chamber, a humidity sensor is used to detect the humidity in the culture chamber, and humidification of the culture chamber is stopped when the humidity sensor's detection value reaches a target value. However, the difference between the humidity sensor's detection value and the actual humidity, i.e., the detection error, differs for each humidity sensor, and the difference between the detection errors of each humidity sensor is also relatively large. In other words, the humidity sensor's detection value is not necessarily accurate. Therefore, when the humidity in the culture chamber becomes relatively high, condensation may occur in the culture chamber even if the humidity sensor's detection value has not yet reached a value at which condensation occurs.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to achieve both an early increase in humidity in a culture chamber and prevention of condensation in the culture chamber in a culture device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The culture device according to the present disclosure comprises: a culture chamber for storing cultures; a first vapor supply unit that supplies vapor to the culture chamber by natural evaporation; A second vapor supply unit that supplies vapor to the culture chamber by forced vaporization; a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the culture chamber; a control device that humidifies the culture chamber by the first vapor supply unit and the second vapor supply unit so that the humidity in the culture chamber reaches a target value; The control device After the first vapor supply unit and the second vapor supply unit humidify the humidity in the culture chamber to a judgment value, the second vapor supply unit is stopped, and the first vapor supply unit humidifies the humidity in the culture chamber to the target value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, in a culture device, it is possible to achieve both an early increase in humidity in a culture chamber and prevention of condensation in the culture chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the culture device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the right side; [Figure 2] Front view showing the outline of the incubation chamber [Figure 3] Flowchart executed in normal humidification control and rapid humidification control [Figure 4] Flowchart executed during rapid humidification control [Figure 5] Another example of a flowchart executed in rapid humidification control [Figure 6] Flowchart executed in the second humidification mode DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment The culture device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, the side that the user faces when using the culture device 1 will be referred to as the front side (front face side), and the opposite side will be referred to as the rear side (rear face side) of the culture device 1. The left and right sides when the user views the culture device 1 from the front will be referred to as the left and right sides of the culture device 1. The side away from the surface on which the culture device 1 is placed will be referred to as the upper side (top face side) of the culture device 1, and the opposite side will be referred to as the lower side (bottom face side) of the culture device 1.

[0011] 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross section of the culture device 1 as viewed from the right side. The culture device 1 is an apparatus for culturing a culture of cells or microorganisms contained in a culture chamber 20 formed inside a substantially box-shaped housing 10. The housing 10 includes an inner box 11, an outer box 12, an outer door 13, and an inner door 14.

[0012] The inner box 11 is generally box-shaped, has a culture chamber 20 inside, and has an opening 21 for the culture chamber 20 on the front side. The outer box 12 is generally box-shaped, and covers the outside of the inner box 11 except for the opening 21. The inner box 11 and the outer box 12 are formed from metal plates. A heat insulating material 15 is arranged between the inner box 11 and the outer box 12.

[0013] The outer door 13 and the inner door 14 open and close the opening 21. A packing P is disposed on the outer edge of the outer door 13.

[0014] Furthermore, a plurality of heaters 30 for heating the culture chamber 20 are arranged in the housing 10. Each of the plurality of heaters 30 is formed in a plate shape. Specifically, the plurality of heaters 30 are formed by arranging cord heaters (not shown) on a metal plate. The rated outputs of the plurality of heaters 30 may be different from each other or may be the same as each other.

[0015] The multiple heaters 30 are arranged outside the inner box 11, and include a top heater 31 arranged on the top surface of the inner box 11, a bottom heater 32 arranged on the bottom surface of the inner box 11, a back heater 33 arranged on the back surface of the inner box 11, and side heaters (not shown) arranged on the left and right side surfaces of the inner box 11. The multiple heaters 30 also include an outer door heater 34 arranged on the outer door 13.

[0016] Furthermore, a duct 22 extending vertically is disposed on the rear inner surface of the inner box 11 in the culture chamber 20. A gas passage K is formed inside the duct 22. A circulation fan 23 is disposed in this gas passage K. By operating the circulation fan 23, air in the culture chamber 20 is drawn in through an inlet 22a formed at the top of the duct 22, and this air is blown out into the culture chamber 20 from an outlet 22b provided at the bottom of the duct 22. This causes forced circulation of air as indicated by the thick arrows. An indoor temperature sensor 24 and gas supply devices 25a and 25b are disposed inside the duct 22.

[0017] The indoor temperature sensor 24 detects the temperature of the culture chamber 20. Specifically, the indoor temperature sensor 24 is disposed near the air inlet 22a, and detects the temperature of the air sucked in from the air inlet 22a.

[0018] The gas supply devices 25a and 25b supply the culture chamber 20 with adjustment gases (for example, CO2 gas, O2 gas, and N2 (nitrogen) gas) that adjust the O2 gas concentration and CO2 gas concentration in the culture chamber 20.

[0019] A humidifying tray D (a storage unit in the present disclosure) that stores liquid (specifically, water) that becomes steam for humidification is installed between the lower part of duct 22 and the bottom surface of inner box 11. The water stored in humidifying tray D is sterilized by irradiating it with ultraviolet rays from a UV lamp (not shown).

[0020] The water stored in the humidifying tray D evaporates (natural evaporation) in approximately proportion to the difference between the saturated vapor pressure according to the temperature of the water and the vapor pressure of the gas-phase water in the culture chamber 20. In this way, the humidifying tray D constitutes a vapor supply unit (first vapor supply unit in the present disclosure) that supplies vapor to the culture chamber 20 by natural evaporation. In this configuration, since vapor is supplied to the culture chamber 20 by natural evaporation, the amount of vapor supplied changes depending on the humidity of the culture chamber 20.

[0021] However, in the first embodiment, a bottom heater 32 (heating unit in the present disclosure) is provided to heat the water stored in the humidifying tray D, and the humidifying tray D and the bottom heater 32 constitute a steam supply unit 60 (first steam supply unit in the present disclosure) that supplies steam to the culture chamber 20 by natural evaporation. Here, the bottom heater 32 heats the water stored in the humidifying tray D to a temperature below the boiling point, so it is called heating. The water stored in the humidifying tray D is heated by the bottom heater 32 and is naturally evaporated. In this configuration, steam is supplied to the culture chamber 20 by natural evaporation, so the amount of steam supplied changes depending on the humidity of the culture chamber 20.

[0022] If the target humidity in the culture chamber 20 is relatively high, humidification can be performed using a steam supply unit 60 having a humidifying tray D and a bottom heater 32, and if the humidity is not relatively high, humidification can be performed using a steam supply unit having only a humidifying tray D without using the bottom heater 32 (without heating).

[0023] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an overview of the inside of the culture chamber 20. A humidity sensor 26 is disposed on the rear surface inside the culture chamber 20. The humidity sensor 26 detects the humidity in the culture chamber 20. The humidity sensor 26 is disposed on the lower part of the rear surface inside the culture chamber 20, to the left of the air outlet 22b. It goes without saying that the position of the humidity sensor 26 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 2.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, the back and bottom of the outer box 12 of the housing 10 are covered with a cover 16. The space between the back of the outer box 12 and the cover forms a machine room M in which various devices are placed. An electrical box 16a is provided in the machine room M. A control device 40 is housed in the electrical box 16a.

[0025] The culture apparatus 1 further includes an outside air temperature sensor 17, a steam supplying device 18, and a dehumidifying member 19. The outside air temperature sensor 17 detects the temperature around the culture apparatus 1.

[0026] The vapor supply device 18 supplies vapor to the culture chamber 20. The vapor supply device 18 includes a vapor generation unit 18a and a vapor delivery unit 18b.

[0027] The steam generating unit 18a is disposed in the electrical box 16a and has a heater (not shown). Water for generating steam is supplied to the steam generating unit 18a by a pump (not shown) from a tank (not shown) in which water is stored, and the water is heated by the heater and evaporated to generate steam. The steam supply unit 18b is tubular and supplies the steam generated by the steam generating unit 18a to the culture chamber 20.

[0028] In the steam supply device 18, water supplied from a tank is heated by a heater and forced to evaporate. Here, the term "heating" is used because the water supplied from the tank is heated to a temperature above its boiling point and evaporated. In the first embodiment, the steam generation unit 18a and the steam delivery unit 18b of the steam supply device 18 constitute a steam supply unit (second steam supply unit in the present disclosure) that supplies steam to the culture chamber 20 by forced evaporation. Because the steam supply device 18 supplies steam to the culture chamber 20 by forced evaporation, the amount of steam supplied can be a desired amount regardless of the humidity in the culture chamber 20.

[0029] For example, the control device 40 controls the pump to adjust the amount of water supplied to the steam generating part 18a per unit time, and thereby adjust the amount of steam supplied to the culture chamber 20 per unit time.

[0030] The dehumidifying member 19 dehumidifies the interior of the culture chamber 20 so that the humidity does not become too high. The dehumidifying member 19 is a rod-shaped metal member. A first end of the dehumidifying member 19 is located above the humidifying tray D within the culture chamber 20. A second end of the dehumidifying member 19 is located within the electrical box 16a. A cooling device 19a (e.g., a Peltier element) that cools the dehumidifying member 19 is attached to the second end of the dehumidifying member 19. A heat insulating material 19b is wrapped around the dehumidifying member 19 between the first and second ends.

[0031] The control device 40 controls the cooling device 19a based on the detected values of the indoor temperature sensor 24 and the outdoor temperature sensor 17 so that the temperature of the first end of the dehumidifying member 19 becomes lower than the indoor temperature of the culture chamber 20. If the humidity in the culture chamber 20 becomes relatively high, water droplets will form only at the first end of the dehumidifying member 19. In other words, it is possible to prevent water droplets from forming in other parts of the culture chamber 20 (for example, the inner surface of the inner box 11) and on the culture.

[0032] In addition to the indoor temperature sensor 24 and the outdoor temperature sensor 17, the dehumidifying member 19 may be controlled based on the detection value of the humidity sensor 26. In this case, when the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the cooling device 19a is controlled so that the temperature of the first end of the dehumidifying member 19 becomes lower than the indoor temperature of the culture chamber 20. This allows the humidity in the culture chamber 20 to be increased quickly when the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is lower than the predetermined threshold value. The predetermined threshold value is a value lower than 100%, for example, 90%.

[0033] Water droplets generated at the first end of the dehumidifying member 19 fall into the humidifying tray D and are sterilized by ultraviolet light emitted from the UV lamp. Therefore, even if water droplets are generated, the water droplets are prevented from adversely affecting the culture.

[0034] The culture device 1 receives instructions to start and stop the culture device 1 and inputs of various set values for the culture chamber 20 from an operation unit 50 provided on the outer door 13. The various set values for the culture chamber 20 include the set temperature, the set O2 gas concentration, and the set CO2 gas concentration. The operation unit 50 has a display unit that displays the status of the culture device 1.

[0035] During the culture operation in which the culture material is cultured in the culture device 1, the control device 40 controls the circulation blower 23, the gas supply devices 25a, 25b, and the multiple heaters 30, etc., so that the atmosphere inside the housing 10 (culture chamber 20) is suitable for culturing the culture material.

[0036] Specifically, the control device 40 starts the culture operation when the power of the culture device 1 is turned on. During the culture operation, the control device 40 controls the amount of power supplied to the circulation fan 23 and the multiple heaters 30 based on the detection value of the room temperature sensor 24 so that the temperature in the culture chamber 20 becomes the set temperature input to the operation unit 50. The amount of power supplied to the top heater 31, bottom heater 32, back heater 33, side heater, and outer door heater 34 is controlled to a predetermined ratio. The predetermined ratio is derived in advance through experiments or the like so that the temperature distribution in the culture chamber 20 becomes uniform, and is stored in the control device 40. Furthermore, during the culture operation, the control device 40 controls the gas supply devices 25a and 25b so that the O2 gas concentrations and CO2 gas concentrations in the culture chamber 20 become the set O2 gas concentrations and CO2 gas set concentrations.

[0037] When the control device 40 starts culturing operation in response to turning on the power, it performs feedback control (e.g., PID (Proportional Integral Differential) control) of the power supply to the circulation fan 23 and the plurality of heaters 30 based on the detected value of the room temperature sensor 24 so that the temperature in the culture chamber 20 becomes the set temperature input to the operation unit 50. When the temperature in the culture chamber 20 becomes stable at the set temperature input to the operation unit 50, the power supply to the plurality of heaters 30 becomes stable at a power supply amount corresponding to the outside air temperature, the set temperature, and a predetermined ratio. At this time, the power supply to the bottom heater 32 becomes stable at a first power supply amount.

[0038] During the culture operation, when the bottom heater 32 generates heat, the water stored in the humidifying tray D evaporates, and the culture chamber 20 is humidified so that the humidity in the culture chamber 20 reaches a target value. The target value is a humidity level suitable for culturing a culture product and does not cause condensation in the culture chamber 20. The target value is, for example, 95%. The actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 stabilizes at a value determined by the temperature of the culture chamber 20 and the temperature of the water stored in the humidifying tray D. This stabilized actual humidity value in the culture chamber 20 is referred to as the target humidity value. Even if the temperature of the water stored in the humidifying tray D temporarily changes due to, for example, replacing the water, it eventually stabilizes at a constant value based on the amount of power supplied to the bottom heater 32. Therefore, the target humidity value is approximately equal to the target value. In other words, when the amount of power supplied to the bottom heater 32 stabilizes at the first amount of power, the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 stabilizes at approximately the target value. After stabilization, the temperature of the water stored in the humidifying tray D will not change during normal use, such as when the door is opened and closed for a short period of time, due to the high specific heat of water.

[0039] Next, we will explain the control of humidifying the culture chamber 20 executed by the control device 40 during the culture operation. The control device 40 selects either normal humidification control, which humidifies the culture chamber 20 by activating the heater without activating the steam supply device 18, or rapid humidification control, which humidifies the culture chamber 20 by activating the heater and the steam supply device 18, and humidifies the culture chamber 20 so that the humidity in the culture chamber 20 reaches a target value.

[0040] The control device 40 selects one of normal humidification control and rapid humidification control based on information input to the operation unit 50. Rapid humidification control is a control that humidifies the culture chamber 20 earlier than normal humidification control.

[0041] Fig. 3 is a flowchart that is executed regardless of whether normal humidification control or rapid humidification control is selected. Fig. 4 is a flowchart that is executed in parallel with the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 when rapid humidification control is selected. When normal humidification control is selected, the control device 40 executes only the flowchart of Fig. 3.

[0042] The following describes the operation of the culture device 1 when normal humidification control is selected and the control device 40 executes the flowchart of Fig. 3. During culture operation, as described above, the heat generated by the bottom heater 32 evaporates the water stored in the humidifying tray D, thereby humidifying the culture chamber 20 so that the humidity in the culture chamber 20 reaches the target value.

[0043] In S1, the control device 40 determines whether there is a history of opening and closing the doors 13, 14. Specifically, the control device 40 determines whether the doors 13, 14 have been opened or closed between the present time and a predetermined time (e.g., 20 minutes) before the present time. When the doors 13, 14 are opened, high-humidity air leaks out of the culture chamber 20, causing the humidity in the culture chamber 20 to decrease. The predetermined time is set to a time sufficient for the humidity in the culture chamber 20 to increase from a relatively low humidity (e.g., 30% or less) to a relatively high humidity (e.g., 85% or more) as a result of the doors 13, 14 being opened. Note that the control device 40 may also determine in S1 whether it is within a predetermined time from the time the power was turned on.

[0044] If there is no history of the doors 13, 14 being opened or closed (NO in S1), the control device 40 continues to control the bottom heater 32 with the first current amount. On the other hand, if there is a history of the doors 13, 14 being opened or closed (YES in S1), the control device 40 increases the current amount of the bottom heater 32 in S2 to humidify the culture chamber 20.

[0045] Specifically, the control device 40 sets the power supply amount of the bottom heater 32 to a second power supply amount that is greater than the first power supply amount. This increases the output of the bottom heater 32 and, therefore, the amount of evaporation per unit time of the water stored in the humidification tray D. Therefore, when the humidity in the culture chamber 20 becomes relatively low due to the opening of the doors 13 and 14, the culture chamber 20 can be humidified early. On the other hand, when there is no history of opening or closing the doors 13 and 14 within a predetermined time, the power supply amount of the bottom heater 32 remains at the first power supply amount, and the culture chamber 20 is humidified. In other words, when the humidity in the culture chamber 20 is relatively high within a predetermined time, the power supply amount of the bottom heater 32 is not increased. Therefore, when the humidity in the culture chamber 20 is relatively low, the power supply amount of the bottom heater 32 is increased, thereby preventing condensation from occurring.

[0046] Furthermore, unlike the first power supply amount, which changes depending on the outside air temperature, the set temperature, and a predetermined ratio, the second power supply amount is predetermined to a constant value that does not change depending on the outside air temperature, the set temperature, and a predetermined ratio. This allows the humidity in the culture chamber 20 to be stably and quickly increased without being affected by the outside air temperature or the set temperature.

[0047] Next, in S3, the control device 40 determines whether the detection value of the indoor temperature sensor 24 is greater than a temperature determination value. The temperature determination value is determined in advance by actual measurement, such as through experiments, and is pre-stored in the control device 40. The temperature determination value is set, for example, to a value lower than the set temperature by a predetermined value (e.g., 0.2). If the temperature of the culture chamber 20 becomes higher than the set temperature, humidity may increase as the temperature decreases to the set temperature, potentially causing condensation. Therefore, by making a determination based on the detection value of the indoor temperature sensor 24, the culture chamber 20 can be humidified early, and the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be prevented from becoming too high, thereby preventing condensation from occurring.

[0048] In S3, the control device 40 may determine the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 in addition to determining the detection value of the indoor temperature sensor 24. Specifically, it determines whether the detection value of the indoor temperature sensor 24 is equal to or less than a temperature determination value and whether the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or less than a first humidity determination value. The first humidity determination value is determined in advance by actual measurement such as through experiments and is pre-stored in the control device 40. As described below, the first humidity determination value is determined taking into account the detection error of the humidity sensor 26, which is the difference between the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 and the actual humidity of the incubation chamber 20. The magnitude of the detection error of the humidity sensor 26 differs depending on the humidity sensor used as the humidity sensor 26. The first humidity determination value is set to a value smaller than the value obtained by subtracting the magnitude of the detection error of the humidity sensor 26 from the target value. Therefore, when the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is the first humidity determination value, the actual humidity of the incubation chamber 20 is smaller than the target value. The first humidity determination value is set to, for example, 80%. This prevents condensation from occurring when the control device 40 is executing S3.

[0049] If the detected value of the indoor temperature sensor 24 is equal to or lower than the temperature judgment value (NO in S3), the control device 40 continues to control the bottom heater 32 with the second power supply amount. On the other hand, if the temperature of the culture chamber 20 rises and the detected value of the indoor temperature sensor 24 becomes larger than the temperature judgment value (YES in S3), the control device 40 returns the power supply amount of the bottom heater 32 to S4 to continue humidifying the culture chamber 20.

[0050] Then, when the temperature of the culture chamber 20 reaches the set temperature and the atmosphere in the culture chamber 20 becomes suitable for culture, the amount of current flowing through the bottom heater 32 stabilizes at the first amount of current flow as described above, and the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 stabilizes at the achieved humidity value, i.e., approximately the target value.

[0051] On the other hand, when rapid humidification control is selected, the control device 40 executes the flowcharts of Figures 3 and 4 in parallel. The control device 40 executes the flowchart of Figure 3 in the same manner as described above. Below, the operation of the culture device 1 when the control device 40 executes the flowchart of Figure 4 will be described. At the start of the flowchart of Figure 4, the steam supply device 18 is not operating.

[0052] In S10, the control device 40 determines whether the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or less than a second humidity determination value. Similar to the first humidity determination value, the second humidity determination value is determined in advance by actual measurement such as through experiments so that the second humidity determination value is lower than the value obtained by subtracting the magnitude of the detection error of the humidity sensor 26 from the target value, and is pre-stored in the control device 40. The second humidity determination value is set to, for example, 80%. If the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is greater than the second humidity determination value (NO in S10), the control device 40 maintains the state in which the steam supply device 18 is not operating.

[0053] On the other hand, if the time from when the power was turned on to the present time is relatively short or if the doors 13, 14 are open, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 becomes relatively low. As a result, if the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or less than the second humidity judgment value (YES in S10), the control device 40 determines in S11 whether the doors 13, 14 are closed.

[0054] If the doors 13, 14 are open (NO in S11), the control device 40 maintains the state in which the steam supply device 18 is not operating. On the other hand, if the doors 13, 14 are closed (YES in S11), the control device 40 starts the supply of steam in S12. This prevents the supply of steam from starting when the doors 13, 14 are open, and prevents the steam from leaking from the culture chamber 20 and coming into contact with the user, etc.

[0055] The control device 40 adjusts the amount of steam per unit time supplied by the steam supply device 18 through feedback control (e.g., PID control) based on the detection value of the humidity sensor 26. In PID control, the control device 40 controls the steam supply device 18 so that the amount of steam supplied per unit time by the steam supply device 18 continuously decreases as the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 approaches a target value. Note that instead of PID control, the control device 40 may also perform feedback control that changes the amount of steam in steps according to the range of the detection value of the humidity sensor 26.

[0056] Furthermore, the amount of steam supplied by the steam supply device 18 per unit time is greater than the amount of evaporation per unit time of the water stored in the humidifying tray D when the bottom heater 32 is controlled at the first power supply amount. This allows the humidity in the culture chamber 20 to be stably and quickly increased.

[0057] Next, in S13, the control device 40 determines whether the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or greater than a third humidity determination value. The third humidity determination value is determined in advance by actual measurement, such as through experiments, and is pre-stored in the control device 40. Like the first humidity determination value, the third humidity determination value is determined based on the detection error of the humidity sensor 26. Specifically, the third humidity determination value is set to a value smaller than the value obtained by subtracting the magnitude of the detection error of the humidity sensor 26 from the target value. Therefore, when the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is the third humidity determination value, the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 is smaller than the target value. The third humidity determination value is preferably at least 5% smaller than the target value. This prevents the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 from exceeding the target value even if a detection error occurs in the humidity sensor 26. Furthermore, by setting the third humidity determination value to a value at least 10% smaller than the target value, the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be prevented from exceeding the target value even if there is a detection error in the humidity sensor 26 and / or a delay in detection by the humidity sensor 26. For example, in this embodiment, the third humidity determination value is set to 80%. The third humidity determination value may be the same as or different from the first humidity determination value.

[0058] If the detection value of humidity sensor 26 is smaller than the third humidity determination value (NO in S13), control device 40 continues supplying steam by steam supply device 18. On the other hand, if the humidity in culture chamber 20 increases and the detection value of humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the third humidity determination value (YES in S13), control device 40 executes S14. By stopping the supply of steam by S12 based on the third humidity determination value, which is smaller than the target value in S13, even if a detection error occurs in humidity sensor 26, the humidity in culture chamber 20 will not become too high and condensation will not occur. In other words, culture chamber 20 can be humidified without condensation occurring due to the influence of the detection error of humidity sensor 26.

[0059] The third humidity judgment value is set to be equal to or greater than the second humidity judgment value. This allows the culture chamber 20 to be humidified without causing condensation due to the influence of detection errors of the humidity sensor 26 when the humidity in the culture chamber 20 decreases.

[0060] In S14, the control device 40 determines whether the rate of increase, which is the amount of increase per unit time of the detected value of the humidity sensor 26, is equal to or less than a determination rate. The control device 40 calculates the rate of increase based on the detected value of the humidity sensor 26.

[0061] As a result of research, the inventors have found that when the culture chamber 20 is humidified solely by the steam evaporated from the humidifying tray D without the steam supply from the steam supply device 18, the rate of increase in the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 per unit time decreases linearly as the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 approaches the target humidity value. In other words, in this case, the inventors have found that the rate of increase in the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 per unit time is proportional to the difference between the target humidity value and the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20. The slope of this proportional relationship is referred to as the humidifying tray rise rate coefficient. Furthermore, the inventors have found that although the target humidity value changes depending on the set temperature, the humidifying tray rise rate coefficient does not change significantly depending on the set temperature, varying by approximately ±20%.

[0062] Furthermore, the rate of increase, which is the amount of increase per unit time of the detected value of the humidity sensor 26, can be calculated without being affected by detection error of the humidity sensor 26. The rate of increase is equal to the amount of increase per unit time of the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20, regardless of detection error of the humidity sensor 26. Furthermore, when there is no change in the temperature of the water stored in the humidifying tray D due to temporary opening and closing of the door, for example, the achieved humidity value is approximately equal to the target value. Therefore, when the amount of power supplied to the bottom heater 32 stabilizes at the above-mentioned first amount of power, the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 stabilizes at approximately the target value. In other words, by calculating the rate of increase, it is possible to indirectly detect the difference between the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 and the target value without being affected by detection error of the humidity sensor 26.

[0063] Furthermore, as described above, when the atmosphere in the culture chamber 20 is stable and suitable for culture, the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 stabilizes at an attained humidity value that is approximately equal to the target value at which condensation does not occur in the culture chamber 20. When the atmosphere in the culture chamber 20 is stable and suitable for culture, condensation does not occur in the culture chamber 20.

[0064] Therefore, by having the control device 40 control the supply of steam by the steam supply device 18 based on the rate of increase so that the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 is equal to the target value, the culture chamber 20 can be humidified without causing condensation due to the influence of detection errors in the humidity sensor 26.

[0065] The judgment speed of S14 is predetermined based on the supply of steam by the steam supply device 18, the above-mentioned reached humidity value actually measured in an experiment or the like, and the humidification tray rising speed coefficient, without taking into consideration the detection error of the humidity sensor 26, and is pre-stored in the control device 40. Specifically, the judgment speed is determined so that the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 when the rising speed is the judgment speed is higher than the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 when the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is the third humidity judgment value, and is lower than the target value.

[0066] For example, a case will be described in which the judgment speed is set to a value corresponding to the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 being 10% lower (e.g., 85%) than the target value (95%), which is approximately equal to the target humidity value. It was found through experiments, etc., that when the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 is 10% lower than the target value, the increase in the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 per unit time due to evaporation of water stored in the humidifying tray D is 1% / min, based on the target humidity value and the humidifying tray rise rate coefficient. In this case, the steam supply rate from the steam supply device 18 is feedback controlled to be 2% / min. Thus, the judgment speed is set to 3% / min, which is the sum of the increase in the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 per unit time due to evaporation of water stored in the humidifying tray D (1% / min) and the steam supply rate from the steam supply device 18 (2% / min).

[0067] As a result, even when the detected value of the humidity sensor 26 exceeds the third humidity judgment value and the humidity in the culture chamber 20 is relatively high, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be quickly increased without causing condensation. Note that by setting the judgment speed to a value corresponding to a value that is 5% or more lower than the target value (for example, 90%), the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be prevented from exceeding the target value even if the detection of the humidity sensor 26 is delayed.

[0068] The specific operations of the control device 40 from S14 onwards will be described below. If the rising speed is higher than the determination speed (NO in S14), the control device 40 causes the steam supply device 18 to continue supplying steam.

[0069] If the rate of increase is higher than the determination rate (NO in S14), the control device 40 controls the steam supply device 18 differently from S12. Specifically, the amount of steam supplied by the steam supply device 18 per unit time is adjusted by feedback control based on the rate of increase rather than the value detected by the humidity sensor 26. In controlling the amount of steam, the amount of steam may be changed stepwise depending on the range of the rate of increase, or may be changed continuously depending on the rate of increase as in PID control. In PID control, the control device 40 controls the steam supply device 18 so that the amount of steam supplied by the steam supply device 18 per unit time decreases as the rate of increase approaches zero.

[0070] For example, when the rate of increase is 6% RH / min, steam supply device 18 may be controlled so that the amount of steam supplied by steam supply device 18 is 4% RH / min, i.e., 2 / 3 times the normal rate. By using a coefficient less than 1 in this way, the ratio between the amount of steam supplied by steam supply device 18 and the amount of increase per unit time in the actual humidity of culture chamber 20 due to evaporation of water stored in humidifying tray D can be kept constant, and humidification can be stably performed up to the target humidity value.

[0071] In particular, by using a coefficient of 3 / 4 or less, the ratio between the amount of steam supplied by the steam supply device 18 and the increase in the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 per unit time due to evaporation of the water stored in the humidifying tray D can be maintained at 3:1 or less. This allows the humidity in the culture chamber 20 to be quickly increased without causing condensation, even if there is a slight error in the amount of steam supplied by the steam supply device 18.

[0072] On the other hand, if the humidity in the culture chamber 20 increases and the rate of increase is equal to or lower than the determination rate (YES in S14), the control device 40 stops the supply of steam in S15. Specifically, the control device 40 stops the operation of the steam supply device 18.

[0073] 3, which is executed in parallel with the flowchart of FIG. 4, the control device 40 operates the bottom heater 32 to humidify the culture chamber 20. In other words, when the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 increases and the rate of increase becomes equal to or less than the determination rate (YES in S14), the control device 40 does not operate the steam supply device 18, but operates the bottom heater 32 to humidify the culture chamber 20. When the atmosphere in the culture chamber 20 becomes suitable for culture, the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 is maintained at the target humidity value, i.e., approximately the target value. At this time, the bottom heater 32 may be controlled by the control device 40 to heat the water stored in the humidifying tray D so as to change the temperature according to the target value.

[0074] Thus, in rapid humidification control, compared to normal humidification control, the culture chamber 20 is humidified earlier because the steam supply device 18 supplies steam in addition to humidifying the culture chamber 20 by operating the bottom heater 32. Furthermore, when the detected value of the humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the third humidity judgment value and the rate of increase becomes equal to or less than the judgment rate, the control device 40 does not operate the steam supply device 18 and humidifies the culture chamber 20 by operating the bottom heater 32. This makes it possible to prevent the humidity in the culture chamber 20 from overshooting. Therefore, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring in the culture chamber 20 due to the humidity in the culture chamber 20 overshooting and becoming relatively high.

[0075] Furthermore, the control device 40 controls the steam supply device 18 so that the amount of steam supplied per unit time by the steam supply device 18 decreases as the detected value of the humidity sensor 26 approaches the target value. This makes it possible to reliably prevent condensation from occurring in the culture chamber 20 due to the humidity in the culture chamber 20 overshooting and becoming relatively high.

[0076] Furthermore, since the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 corresponding to the judgment speed is closer to the target humidity value (target value) than the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 corresponding to the third humidity judgment value, steam can be supplied by the steam supply device 18 until the difference between the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 and the target value becomes relatively small. Therefore, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be increased quickly.

[0077] In this embodiment, the third humidity judgment value is set to 80%. As a result, even if the water stored in the humidifying tray D runs out, rapid humidification control is executed due to the decrease in humidity in the culture chamber 20, so that the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be quickly increased and maintained at the third humidity judgment value.

[0078] In S10, the control device 40 may determine whether the rate of increase is equal to or greater than the second judgment rate, in addition to whether the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or less than the second humidity judgment value. The second judgment rate is set so that the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 when the rate of increase is the second judgment rate is between the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 when the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is the second humidity judgment value and the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 when the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is the third humidity judgment value. This allows the steam supply device 18 to continue supplying steam until the rate of increase falls below the judgment rate, even if the decrease in humidity in the culture chamber 20 is slight and does not fall below the second humidity judgment value. Therefore, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be increased quickly.

[0079] If the water stored in the humidifying tray D is cold water, condensation may occur in the humidifying tray D even if the humidity in the culture chamber 20 is not so high (for example, about 50%).

[0080] The present inventors have found that when culture chamber 20 is humidified only by steam evaporated from humidifying tray D without steam supply from steam supply device 18, and cold water is stored in humidifying tray D, the humidity in culture chamber 20 temporarily stabilizes at a second ultimate humidity value lower than the first ultimate humidity value before rising to a first ultimate humidity value corresponding to an ultimate humidity value approximately equal to the target value, and as the water stored in humidifying tray D warms, the humidity rises from the second ultimate humidity value to the first ultimate humidity value and finally stabilizes at the first ultimate humidity value. Furthermore, the present inventors have found that when rapid humidification control is selected, condensation occurs on the outside of humidifying tray D if steam supply device 18 supplies steam after the humidity in culture chamber 20 rises from the second ultimate humidity value to the first ultimate humidity value and before finally stabilizing at the first ultimate humidity value. In other words, when rapid humidification control is selected, it has been found that the occurrence of condensation on the outside of the humidification tray D can be suppressed by supplying steam from the steam supply device 18 so that the humidity in the culture chamber 20 does not exceed the second attained humidity value.

[0081] However, because the second ultimate humidity value depends on the temperature of cold water stored in the humidifying tray D by the user, it was difficult to determine the second ultimate humidity value without measuring the temperature of the water stored in the humidifying tray D. Therefore, the inventors took advantage of the fact that when the culture chamber 20 is humidified only by the steam evaporated from the humidifying tray D without the steam supply from the steam supply device 18 as described above, the amount of increase per unit time of the actual humidity of the culture chamber 20 decreases linearly as the actual humidity of the culture chamber 20 approaches the ultimate humidity value, and supplied steam from the steam supply device 18 so that the humidity of the culture chamber 20 would not exceed the second ultimate humidity value, without determining the second ultimate humidity value. Specifically, the third humidity judgment value is set to a value (e.g., 40%) that is much lower than the first and second ultimate humidity values, and the judgment rate is set to 3% / min (corresponding to the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 being 10% lower than the second ultimate humidity value), which is the judgment rate when the steam supply rate from the steam supply device 18 is 2% / min, as described above. This allows the control device 40 to perform judgment in S14 until the humidity in the culture chamber 20 changes from the third humidity judgment value to the second ultimate humidity value. In other words, the difference between the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 and the second ultimate humidity value is accurately calculated based on the rate of increase, regardless of the detection error of the humidity sensor 26. This allows the culture chamber 20 to be humidified without the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 exceeding the second ultimate humidity value. In other words, even when cold water is stored in the humidifying tray D, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be increased without causing condensation in the culture chamber 20.

[0082] Note that when the humidity in the culture chamber 20 exceeds the second ultimate humidity due to the supply of steam by the steam supply device 18, water droplets adhere to the outside of the humidifying tray D. However, if the humidity in the culture chamber 20 exceeds the second ultimate humidity, the amount of water droplets is small, and the water droplets may evaporate before the humidity in the culture chamber 20 finally stabilizes at the first ultimate humidity value. In other words, condensation does not occur on the outside of the humidifying tray D during culture operation. Furthermore, as described above, by setting the third humidity determination value relatively high, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be maintained relatively high even if the water stored in the humidifying tray D is depleted. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third humidity determination value is set to 80%. By setting the third humidity determination value to a value in the range of 50% to 85%, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be increased without condensation occurring in the culture chamber 20, even if cold water is stored in the humidifying tray D, the water stored in the humidifying tray D is depleted, or a detection error occurs in the humidity sensor 26.

[0083] Second Embodiment Next, a culture device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is another example of a flowchart executed in rapid humidification control of the culture device 1. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5, like Fig. 4, is executed in parallel with the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 when rapid humidification control is selected.

[0084] The configuration of the culture apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the culture apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment described above, but part of the rapid humidification control according to the second embodiment differs from that according to the first embodiment. Specifically, the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is substantially the same as the flowchart shown in Fig. 4, but S14 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 4 is not performed, and the process proceeds from S13 to S15. Therefore, a description that overlaps with the description of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4 will be omitted here.

[0085] S10 to S12 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 are the same as S10 to S13 in the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0086] In S13, if the detection value of humidity sensor 26 is smaller than the third humidity determination value (NO in S13), control device 40 continues supplying steam by steam supply device 18. On the other hand, if the humidity in culture chamber 20 increases and the detection value of humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the third humidity determination value (YES in S13), control device 40 executes S15. Here again, by stopping the supply of steam by S12 based on the third humidity determination value, which is smaller than the target value in S13, even if a detection error occurs in humidity sensor 26, the humidity in culture chamber 20 does not become too high and condensation does not occur. In other words, it is possible to humidify culture chamber 20 without condensation occurring due to the influence of the detection error of humidity sensor 26.

[0087] Then, when the detection value of humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the third humidity judgment value (YES in S13), control device 40 stops the supply of steam by steam supply device 18 in S15. In other words, when the detection value of humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the third humidity judgment value, control device 40 does not operate steam supply device 18, but operates bottom heater 32 to humidify culture chamber 20.

[0088] After the supply of steam by the steam supply device 18 is stopped, the control device 40 operates the bottom heater 32 to humidify the culture chamber 20 based on the flowchart of Figure 3, which is executed in parallel with the flowchart of Figure 5. In other words, the control device 40 humidifies the culture chamber 20 by operating the bottom heater 32 without operating the steam supply device 18. When the atmosphere in the culture chamber 20 becomes suitable for culture, the actual humidity in the culture chamber 20 is maintained at the target humidity value, i.e., approximately the target value. At this time, the bottom heater 32 may be heated by the control of the control device 40 to change the temperature of the water stored in the humidifying tray D according to the target value.

[0089] Thus, in rapid humidification control, compared to normal humidification control, the culture chamber 20 is humidified earlier because the steam supply device 18 supplies steam in addition to humidifying the culture chamber 20 by operating the bottom heater 32. Furthermore, after the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the third humidity determination value, the control device 40 does not operate the steam supply device 18, but humidifies the culture chamber 20 by operating the bottom heater 32. This makes it possible to prevent the humidity in the culture chamber 20 from overshooting. Therefore, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring in the culture chamber 20 due to the humidity in the culture chamber 20 overshooting and becoming relatively high.

[0090] <Third embodiment> Next, the culture device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, mainly focusing on the differences from the culture device 1 according to the first embodiment described above.

[0091] The culture device 1 according to the third embodiment further includes an input unit 51 into which the target value is input. The input unit 51 is, for example, a touch panel provided on the operation unit 50.

[0092] Furthermore, the control device 40 according to the third embodiment humidifies the culture chamber 20 by selecting one of the first humidification mode and the second humidification mode.

[0093] The first humidification mode is a mode in which the control device 40 humidifies the culture chamber 20 using the steam supply unit 60 and the steam supply device 18 described above.

[0094] The second humidification mode is a mode in which the control device 40 humidifies the culture chamber 20 using the steam supply device 18 without using the steam supply unit 60. Specifically, the second humidification mode is a mode in which the control device 40 does not operate the bottom heater 32 but operates the steam supply device 18, thereby humidifying the culture chamber 20 so that the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 becomes the target value input into the input unit 51. The target value in the second humidification mode is a value input by the user through the input unit 51, and is the humidity of the culture chamber 20 desired by the user.

[0095] In addition, in the second humidification mode, water is not stored in the humidifying tray D. That is, in the second humidification mode, the culture chamber 20 is humidified only by the steam supplied by the steam supply device 18. In addition, in the second humidification mode, the humidifying tray D installed in the culture chamber 20 may be removed from the culture chamber 20.

[0096] The first humidification mode or the second humidification mode is selected according to, for example, a target value. As an example, when the target humidity is 80 to 90%, the second humidification mode is selected and the culture chamber 20 is humidified using only the steam supply device 18. When the target humidity is 90% or higher, the first humidification mode is selected and the culture chamber 20 is humidified using the steam supply unit 60 and the steam supply device 18. In the first humidification mode, the humidification control described in the first embodiment is performed.

[0097] When switching from the first humidification mode to the second humidification mode, the control device 40 may display on the display unit of the operation unit 50 a message indicating that the liquid stored in the humidification tray D should be discarded or that the humidification tray D should be removed from the culture chamber 20. Furthermore, when switching from the second humidification mode to the first humidification mode, the control device 40 may display on the display unit of the operation unit 50 a message indicating that the liquid should be stored in the humidification tray D or that the humidification tray D should be placed in the culture chamber 20.

[0098] Fig. 6 is a flowchart executed when the second humidification mode is selected. The operation of the culture device 1 when the control device 40 executes the flowchart of Fig. 6 will be described below. At the start of the flowchart of Fig. 6, the steam supply device 18 is not operating.

[0099] In S20, the control device 40 determines whether the doors 13, 14 are closed. If the doors 13, 14 are open (NO in S20), the control device 40 maintains a state in which the steam supply device 18 is not operating. On the other hand, if the doors 13, 14 are closed (YES in S20), the control device 40 operates the steam supply device 18 in S21 to start the supply of steam. This prevents the supply of steam from starting when the doors 13, 14 are open, and prevents the steam from leaking from the culture chamber 20 and coming into contact with the user, etc.

[0100] The control device 40 starts supplying steam at a predetermined first supply rate. The first supply rate is the amount of steam supplied per unit time to quickly increase the humidity in the culture chamber 20. The first supply rate is determined to be greater than the amount of evaporation of water stored in the humidifying tray D per unit time when water is stored in the humidifying tray D and the bottom heater 32 is controlled at the second power supply rate, for example.

[0101] Next, in S22, the control device 40 determines whether the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or greater than a fourth humidity determination value. The fourth humidity determination value is predetermined so as to prevent the humidity in the culture chamber 20 from overshooting and becoming relatively high when the steam supply amount is the first supply amount, and is stored in the control device 40. When the target value of the second humidification mode is 95%, the fourth humidity determination value is a value corresponding to, for example, 95% of the target value, that is, 90.2%.

[0102] If the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is smaller than the fourth humidity judgment value (NO in S22), the control device 40 continues to supply steam at the first supply amount. On the other hand, if the humidity in the culture chamber 20 increases and the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the fourth humidity judgment value (YES in S22), the control device 40 reduces the supply amount of steam in S23.

[0103] Specifically, the control device 40 supplies steam at a second supply rate that is smaller than the first supply rate. The second supply rate is a supply rate of steam per unit time that quickly increases the humidity in the culture chamber 20 while preventing the humidity in the culture chamber 20 from overshooting and becoming relatively high.

[0104] Next, in S24, the control device 40 determines whether the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or greater than a fifth humidity judgment value. The fifth humidity judgment value is greater than the fourth humidity judgment value, and is predetermined so as to prevent the humidity in the culture chamber 20 from overshooting and becoming relatively high when the steam supply rate is the second supply rate, and is stored in the control device 40. When the target value for the second humidification mode is 95%, the fifth humidity judgment value is, for example, 99.5% of the target value, i.e., a value equivalent to 94.5%.

[0105] If the detection value of humidity sensor 26 is smaller than the fifth humidity judgment value (NO in S24), control device 40 continues to supply steam at the second supply amount. On the other hand, if the humidity in culture chamber 20 increases and the detection value of humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the fifth humidity judgment value (YES in S24), control device 40 reduces the supply amount of steam in S25.

[0106] Specifically, the control device 40 supplies steam at a third supply amount that is smaller than the second supply amount. The third supply amount is a supply amount of steam per unit time that reliably prevents the humidity in the culture chamber 20 from overshooting and becoming relatively high.

[0107] Next, in S26, the control device 40 determines whether the detection value of the humidity sensor 26 is equal to or greater than a sixth humidity judgment value. The sixth humidity judgment value is greater than the fifth humidity judgment value and is predetermined so as to reliably prevent the humidity in the culture chamber 20 from overshooting and becoming relatively high when the steam supply rate is the third supply rate. The sixth humidity judgment value is stored in the control device 40. When the target value for the second humidification mode is 95%, the sixth humidity judgment value is, for example, 99.95% of the target value, i.e., a value equivalent to 94.9%.

[0108] If the detection value of humidity sensor 26 is smaller than the sixth humidity judgment value (NO in S26), control device 40 continues supplying steam at the third supply amount. On the other hand, if the humidity in culture chamber 20 increases and the detection value of humidity sensor 26 becomes equal to or greater than the sixth humidity judgment value (YES in S26), control device 40 stops the supply amount of steam in S27. At this time, the detection value of humidity sensor 26 is approximately equal to the target value.

[0109] In this way, the control device 40 operates the steam supply device 18 so as to gradually reduce the amount of steam supplied as the humidity in the culture chamber 20 approaches the target value. Therefore, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be set to the target value input from the input unit 51 while suppressing overshooting of the humidity in the culture chamber 20.

[0110] <Modification> The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications to the present embodiments and combinations of components from different embodiments are also included within the scope of the present disclosure, as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0111] For example, in the second humidification mode, the control device 40 may adjust the amount of steam supplied by executing PID control instead of the flowchart of FIG.

[0112] Furthermore, in the second humidification mode, the control device 40 may prevent condensation from occurring on the dehumidifying member 19. In this case, the control device 40 does not operate the cooling device 19a. This allows the humidity in the culture device 1 to be accurately set to the target value desired by the user.

[0113] The disclosures of the specification, drawings and abstract contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-010203, filed on January 26, 2022, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. [Industrial Applicability]

[0114] The present disclosure is suitably used as a culture device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1 Culture device 10. Cabinet 18 Steam supply device 20 Culture room 26 Humidity Sensor 30 Heater 32 Bottom heater 40 Control device 51 Input section 60 Steam supply section

Claims

1. a culture chamber for storing cultures; a first vapor supply unit that supplies vapor to the culture chamber by natural evaporation; A second vapor supply unit that supplies vapor to the culture chamber by forced vaporization; a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the culture chamber; a control device that humidifies the culture chamber by the first vapor supply unit and the second vapor supply unit so that the humidity in the culture chamber reaches a target value; The control device After the first vapor supply unit and the second vapor supply unit humidify the humidity in the culture chamber to the determination value, the second vapor supply unit is stopped, and the first vapor supply unit humidifies the humidity in the culture chamber to the target value. Culture device.

2. The control device When the rate of increase in the detected value of the humidity sensor becomes equal to or less than the judgment rate after the detected value of the humidity sensor becomes equal to or greater than the judgment rate, the second steam supply unit is stopped, and the first steam supply unit is used to humidify the humidity in the culture chamber to the target value. The culture device according to claim 1 .

3. The control device controlling the second steam supply unit so that the amount of steam supplied per unit time by the second steam supply unit decreases as the detected value of the humidity sensor approaches the target value; The culture device according to claim 1 .

4. further comprising an input unit into which the target value is input, The control device a first humidification mode in which the culture chamber is humidified using the first vapor supply unit and the second vapor supply unit; a second humidification mode in which the culture chamber is humidified using the second vapor supply unit without using the first vapor supply unit so that the detection value of the humidity sensor becomes the target value input to the input unit; Select one of the above to humidify the culture chamber; The culture device according to claim 1 .

5. The first steam supply unit is a storage section for storing the liquid to be vaporized; a heating unit that heats the liquid that spontaneously vaporizes; having The culture device according to claim 1 .

6. The heating unit heats the liquid so as to change the temperature of the liquid in accordance with the target value. The culture device according to claim 5.

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