Culture device and culture system

Abstract

An incubation device according to the present invention is provided with: a casing having an incubation chamber; a humidity sensor that detects the humidity in the incubation chamber; a protective member that prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the incubation chamber; and a control device that controls a decontamination device that decontaminates the incubation chamber. The control device causes the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the humidity sensor is prevented from being exposed to the incubation chamber by the protective member, while not causing the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the humidity sensor is exposed to the incubation chamber.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a culture device and a culture system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, culture devices (incubators) for culturing cultures of cells, microorganisms, etc. have been known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] The culture chamber of the culture device described in Patent Document 1 has an upper space, a lower space, a front space, and a rear space at the upper, lower, front, and rear sides, respectively. A circulation fan is disposed in the rear space to circulate the air in the rear space horizontally into the culture chamber. A humidity sensor that detects the humidity in the culture chamber is disposed on the right side wall of the housing.

[0004] The culture device described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a gas generator that sterilizes the inside of a culture chamber by circulating hydrogen peroxide gas within the culture chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-77208 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-17151 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the culture device described in Patent Document 1, the culture chamber needs to be periodically kept sterile. Therefore, it is conceivable to decontaminate the culture chamber using the gas generator described in Patent Document 2. However, if the humidity sensor is exposed to hydrogen peroxide gas, its function may be impaired or it may malfunction. To prevent such problems, it is conceivable to remove the humidity sensor from the culture chamber before decontaminating the culture chamber. However, in this case, there is a risk that a humidity sensor contaminated outside the culture chamber may be installed inside the decontaminated culture chamber, and there is a risk that the humidity sensor may be lost or dropped due to removal, resulting in malfunction. It is also conceivable to decontaminate the culture chamber using low-concentration hydrogen peroxide gas that does not adversely affect the humidity sensor. However, in this case, there is a risk that the decontamination standards may not be met or that a long decontamination time may be required to meet the standards.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an incubation device and an incubation system that can appropriately decontaminate an incubation chamber without adversely affecting a humidity sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The culture device according to the present disclosure comprises: a housing having a culture chamber; a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the culture chamber; a protective member that prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber; a control device that controls a decontamination device that decontaminates the culture room, The control device During decontamination operation, When the protective member prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber, the decontamination device is allowed to perform decontamination, whereas when the humidity sensor is exposed to the culture chamber, the decontamination device is not allowed to perform decontamination.

[0009] The culture system according to the present disclosure comprises: a culture device including a housing having a culture chamber, a humidity sensor for detecting humidity in the culture chamber, a protective member for preventing the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber, and a control device; a decontamination device for decontaminating the culture room; The control device During decontamination operation, When the protective member prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber, the decontamination device is allowed to perform decontamination, whereas when the humidity sensor is exposed to the culture chamber, the decontamination device is not allowed to perform decontamination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the culture device and culture system of the present disclosure, the culture chamber can be appropriately decontaminated without adversely affecting the humidity sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross section of the culture device that constitutes the culture system, viewed from the right side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of the interior of the culture chamber in a decontamination setup state in which the protective member is attached to the plug connection portion. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing an outline of the interior of the culture chamber in a state where the protective member is attached to the humidity sensor unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the humidity sensor unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the protection member is attached to the humidity sensor unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view showing the positional relationship between the magnet of the protection member and the protection sensor. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the decontamination operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0013] <Configuration of the culture system> First, the configuration of the culture system will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the culture device constituting the culture system, seen from the right side. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an overview of the culture chamber in a decontamination setup state in which a protective member is attached to a plug connection portion. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an overview of the culture chamber in a state in which a protective member is attached to a humidity sensor unit. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the humidity sensor unit. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which a protective member is attached to a humidity sensor unit. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the positional relationship between the magnet of the protective member and the protective sensor. In the following, the front side refers to the side facing the user of the culture device, and the rear side refers to the opposite side of the front side. The right side refers to the right side as seen from the user facing the culture device, and the left side refers to the opposite side of the right side. The upper side refers to the upper side when the culture device is placed on a horizontal surface, and the lower side refers to the opposite side of the upper side.

[0014] The culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 constitutes a culture system 100 together with a decontamination apparatus 90 (see FIG. 3). The culture apparatus 1 includes a box-shaped housing 10. Inside the housing 10, a culture chamber 20 is formed for culturing a culture of cells, microorganisms, or the like. The housing 10 includes an inner box 11, an outer box 12, an outer door 13, and an inner door 14.

[0015] The inner box 11 is formed in a box shape with the culture chamber 20 inside. An opening 21 of the culture chamber 20 is formed on the front surface of the inner box 11. The outer box 12 is formed in a box shape. The outer box 12 is arranged so as to cover the parts of the inner box 11 other than the opening 21. Of the inner box 11 and the outer box 12, at least the inner box 11 is formed from a non-magnetic metal plate. An example of a non-magnetic metal is stainless steel. A heat insulating material 15 is arranged between the inner box 11 and the outer box 12.

[0016] The outer door 13 and the inner door 14 open and close the opening 21. A gasket P is disposed on the outer edge of the outer door 13. An operation unit 50 is disposed on the outer surface of the outer door 13. The operation unit 50 receives input of various set values ​​for the culture chamber 20. The various set values ​​for the culture chamber 20 include the set temperature, set humidity, set O2 gas concentration, and set CO2 gas concentration. The operation unit 50 has a display unit that displays the status of the culture device 1. Instructions to start and stop the culture device 1 are given by a power switch (not shown). Note that the culture device 1 does not need to be provided with a function for controlling (setting) the O2 gas concentration in the culture chamber 20.

[0017] A heating unit 30 that heats the culture chamber 20 is disposed in the housing 10. The heating unit 30 includes a top heater 31 disposed on the upper side of the inner box 11, a bottom heater 32 disposed on the lower side of the inner box 11, a back heater 33 disposed on the rear side of the inner box 11, side heaters (not shown) disposed on the left and right sides of the inner box 11, and an outer door heater 34 disposed on the outer door 13.

[0018] A duct 22 is disposed in the culture chamber 20. The duct 22 is formed on a back plate 11a that constitutes the rear surface of the inner box 11 so as to extend vertically. A gas passage K is formed inside the duct 22. A circulation fan 23 is disposed in the gas passage K. By operating the circulation fan 23, air in the culture chamber 20 is sucked in through an intake port 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.

[0019] An indoor temperature sensor 24 and gas supply devices 25a, 25b are disposed within duct 22. The indoor temperature sensor 24 detects the temperature of the culture chamber 20. The indoor temperature sensor 24 is disposed near the air inlet 22a and detects the temperature of the air drawn in through the air inlet 22a. The gas supply devices 25a, 25b supply adjustment gases (e.g., CO2 gas, O2 gas, and N2 (nitrogen) gas) to the culture chamber 20 to adjust the O2 gas concentration and CO2 gas concentration in the culture chamber 20.

[0020] A humidifying tray D for storing a humidifying liquid (specifically, water) is installed between the lower part of the duct 22 and the bottom surface of the inner box 11. The water stored in the humidifying tray D is sterilized by irradiating it with ultraviolet rays from a UV lamp (not shown).

[0021] 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 16 forms a machine room M in which various devices are arranged. An electrical box 16a is provided in the machine room M. A control device 40 is housed in the electrical box 16a.

[0022] The culture apparatus 1 further includes an outside air temperature sensor 17 and a steam supplying device 18. The outside air temperature sensor 17 detects the temperature around the culture apparatus 1. The steam supplying device 18 supplies steam to the culture chamber 20. The steam supplying device 18 includes a steam generating unit 18a and a steam supplying unit 18b.

[0023] The steam generating unit 18a is disposed in the electrical equipment box 16a. The steam generating unit 18a has a heater (not shown). Water is supplied to the steam generating unit 18a from a tank (not shown) in which the water is stored by a pump (not shown), and the water is evaporated by the heater 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.

[0024] 2 and 3, the culture chamber 20 is configured so that at least one shelf 26 can be detachably installed at a predetermined position in the vertical direction. The shelf 26 is supported by supports (not shown) arranged in a vertical line on both the left and right sides of the inner box 11. A humidity sensor unit 27 and a plug connection part 28 are arranged on the rear surface of the culture chamber 20. A protective member 60 that covers the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection part 28 is selectively attached.

[0025] A humidity sensor 27a that detects the humidity in the culture chamber 20 is disposed inside the humidity sensor unit 27. The humidity sensor unit 27 is disposed outside the duct 22 on the back panel 11a. This arrangement of the humidity sensor unit 27 makes it easier to attach and detach the protective member 60 to and from the humidity sensor unit 27 than in a configuration in which the humidity sensor unit 27 is disposed inside the duct 22. The humidity sensor unit 27 is disposed to the left of the air outlet 22b of the duct 22. This arrangement of the humidity sensor unit 27 allows the humidity sensor 27a to detect the humidity of the air in the culture chamber 20 before it comes into contact with the culture, and humidity can be appropriately controlled based on the detection result of the humidity sensor 27a. The humidity sensor unit 27 is disposed below the shelf 26 that is installed at the lowest position. This arrangement of the humidity sensor unit 27 reliably prevents a shelf 26 from being installed in front of the humidity sensor unit 27, making it easier to attach and detach the protective member 60 to and from the humidity sensor unit 27.

[0026] 3, a power plug 90a of a decontamination device 90 that decontaminates the culture chamber 20 is connected to the plug connection part 28. The plug connection part 28 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the holder 27b of the humidity sensor unit 27.

[0027] The decontamination device 90 is installed between the lower part of the duct 22 and the bottom surface of the inner box 11 in place of the humidification tray D. The decontamination device 90 is driven by power supplied via the plug connection part 28, the power plug 90a, and the cord 90b to generate hydrogen peroxide gas. The hydrogen peroxide gas generated from the decontamination device 90 circulates between the culture chamber 20 and the duct 22 as shown by the thick arrows in FIG. 1 in conjunction with the operation of the circulation blower 23. This circulation of hydrogen peroxide gas decontaminates the inside of the culture chamber 20.

[0028] Next, a detailed description will be given of the configuration of the humidity sensor unit 27. As shown in Fig. 4, the humidity sensor unit 27 includes a humidity sensor 27a, a holder 27b, a filter 27c, a pair of packings 27d, and a pressing plate 27e.

[0029] The humidity sensor 27a is a capacitance-type humidity sensor. The holder 27b is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with one end face closed and the other end face open. A through-hole 27b1 is formed in one end face of the holder 27b. A filter 27c is disposed inside the holder 27b so as to close the through-hole 27b1. The humidity sensor 27a is sandwiched between a pair of packings 27d and disposed on the rear side of the filter 27c (the side opposite the through-hole 27b1). The retaining plate 27e is fixed to the holder 27b with a screw 27f behind the rear packing 27d. The humidity sensor 27a and the control device 40 are electrically connected by a wire (not shown) passing through the opening 27e1 of the retaining plate 27e. The humidity sensor unit 27 is attached to the culture chamber 20 by screwing the other end face of the holder 27b into an attachment portion 11b (see FIG. 5) protruding from the back plate 11a of the inner box 11.

[0030] Next, the detailed configuration of the protective member 60 will be described. The protective member 60 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is elastically deformable and made of, for example, resin or rubber that is corrosion-resistant to hydrogen peroxide gas. In this embodiment, the protective member 60 is made of silicone rubber. The protective member 60 includes a cylindrical base 61 and a closing portion 62 that closes one end face of the base 61. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 so that the base 61 covers the outer periphery of the holder 27b and the closing portion 62 covers the front face of the holder 27b, thereby preventing the humidity sensor 27a from being exposed to the culture chamber 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the protective member 60 is attached to the plug connection portion 28 so that the base 61 covers the outer periphery of the plug connection portion 28 and the closing portion 62 covers the front face of the plug connection portion 28, thereby preventing the plug connection portion 28 from being exposed to the culture chamber 20. That is, the protective member 60 is selectively attached to either the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion .

[0031] The base 61 is formed in a shape such that the entire other end surface 61a comes into contact with the back plate 11a of the inner box 11 when the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28. The inner peripheral surface of the base 61 is also configured to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the holder 27b and the outer peripheral surface of the plug connection portion 28. This shape of the base 61 makes it possible to prevent hydrogen peroxide gas from coming into contact with the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28.

[0032] The other end surface 61a of the base 61 is formed with four magnet arrangement grooves 61b, each containing a magnet 63. The four magnet arrangement grooves 61b are formed at equal intervals along the outer periphery of the base 61. That is, when viewed from the rear side in the mounting direction of the protective member 60, the magnets 63 are arranged intermittently on the base 61 so as to surround the humidity sensor unit 27. Each magnet arrangement groove 61b includes a storage section 61c in which the magnet 63 is stored and an insertion section 61d for inserting the magnet 63 into the storage section 61c. The insertion section 61d is formed to be smaller than the end of the storage section 61c on the insertion section 61d side. This shape of the insertion section 61d prevents the magnet 63 stored in the storage section 61c from slipping out of the protective member 60.

[0033] The inner diameter of the base 61 is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the holder 27b of the humidity sensor unit 27 and the diameter of the plug connection portion 28. As shown in the enlarged view of the portion surrounded by the dashed dotted line in Figure 5, a protrusion 61e is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the base 61, protruding linearly along the inner circumferential direction of the base 61. The protrusion 61e is formed so that the diameter of the circle drawn by the tip of the protrusion 61e is smaller than the outer diameter of the holder 27b and the diameter of the plug connection portion 28. Due to the shape of the protrusion 61e, the protective member 60 can be attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28 with the protrusion 61e elastically deformed to contact the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28. Even if part of the other end surface 61a of the base 61 is scratched and a gap is formed between the other end surface 61a and the back panel 11a of the inner box 11, hydrogen peroxide gas can be prevented from coming into contact with the front side portion of the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28.

[0034] The culture device 1 further includes a protective sensor 70. The protective sensor 70 detects that the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27. The protective sensor 70 includes a plurality of reed switches 71, three reed switches 71 in this embodiment.

[0035] Each reed switch 71 is electrically connected to the control device 40. Each reed switch 71 is configured to open when no magnetic force is applied and close when a magnetic force is applied. Each reed switch 71 is arranged behind the back panel 11a of the inner box 11, i.e., between the protective member 60 attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 and each reed switch 71. When viewed from the rear side in the attachment direction of the protective member 60, the three reed switches 71 are arranged at equal intervals around the humidity sensor unit 27. In other words, in this embodiment, four magnets 63 and three reed switches 71 are used to detect whether the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27. By arranging different numbers of magnets 63 and reed switches 71 at equal intervals in this manner, the angle formed by the line connecting the center of the protective member 60 to the magnet 63 and the line connecting the center of the humidity sensor unit 27 to the reed switch 71 can be kept small for the closest combination of magnet 63 and reed switch 71. This means that the distance between the magnet 63 and the reed switch 71 can be reduced. Specifically, in a configuration in which four magnets 63 and four reed switches 71 are arranged at equal intervals, the angle formed by the magnets 63 and reed switches 71 is 22.5 degrees or less. However, in the present embodiment, by arranging four magnets 63 and three reed switches 71 at equal intervals, the angle formed by the magnets 63 and reed switches 71 can be kept at 15 degrees or less. This arrangement of three reed switches 71 ensures that at least one reed switch 71 is close to at least one magnet 63 and is closed by the magnetic force of that magnet 63, regardless of the positions of the four magnets 63 when the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27. In other words, the protective sensor 70 can detect that the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27, regardless of the positions of the four magnets 63 when the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27.

[0036] The magnetic force of the magnet 63 is preferably set so that the reed switch 71 closes when at least the other end surface 61a of the base 61 is in contact with the back plate 11a, and opens when the other end surface 61a of the base 61 is not in contact with the back plate 11a. In this embodiment, the base 61 of the protective member 60 has a protrusion 61e. Therefore, the magnetic force of the magnet 63 is set so that the reed switch 71 closes when the distance from the other end surface 61a of the base 61 to the back plate 11a is less than the allowable distance, and opens when the distance is equal to or greater than the allowable distance. The allowable distance is the maximum distance that allows the entire protrusion 61e to fit tightly against the entire outer periphery of the holder 27b, which is approximately 5 mm in this embodiment. This allows decontamination to be performed while preventing hydrogen peroxide gas from contacting the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28, even when the other end surface 61a is not in contact with the back plate 11a, thereby improving usability.

[0037] <Culture system operation> Next, the operation of the culture system 100 will be described.

[0038] <Cultivation operation> First, the culture operation for culturing a culture will be described as an operation of the culture system 100. Before starting the culture operation, the user attaches the protective member 60 to the plug connection portion 28. By attaching the protective member 60 to the plug connection portion 28 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the protective member 60 from being lost and to prevent moisture generated by humidifying the culture chamber 20 from adhering to the plug connection portion 28. Furthermore, the humidity in the culture chamber 20 can be detected by the humidity sensor 27a of the humidity sensor unit 27 to which the protective member 60 is not attached. The user installs the humidification tray D in the culture chamber 20 and places, for example, a petri dish containing the culture on the shelf 26.

[0039] When a user inputs information to start a culture operation into the operation unit 50, the control device 40 controls the circulation fan 23, the gas supply devices 25a and 25b, and the heating unit 30 so that the inside of the housing 10 (the culture chamber 20) has a gas concentration and temperature suitable for culturing the culture. When the bottom heater 32 generates heat, 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. During the culture operation, the control device 40 selects either normal humidification control or rapid humidification control based on information input by the user into the operation unit 50, and humidifies the culture chamber 20 so that the humidity detected by the humidity sensor unit 27 reaches a target value. The normal humidification control is a control in which the steam supply device 18 is not operated, and the culture chamber 20 is humidified by evaporating the water in the humidifying tray D using heat from the bottom heater 32. Rapid humidification control is a control in which the water in the humidifying tray D is evaporated by the heat generated by the bottom heater 32 and the steam supply device 18 is activated to humidify the culture chamber 20, and can humidify the culture chamber 20 more quickly than with normal humidification control. Details of normal humidification control and rapid humidification control will not be explained here.

[0040] <Decontamination operation> Next, the decontamination operation of the culture system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The decontamination operation is performed to sterilize the culture cultivated in the previous culture operation or bacteria and the like resulting from the culture. Fig. 7 is a flowchart of the decontamination operation.

[0041] When the user inputs information to the operation unit 50 indicating that a decontamination operation is to be started, the control device 40 causes the operation unit 50 to display decontamination setup instructions (step S1), as shown in Fig. 7. The setup instructions include an instruction to specify the installation position of the shelf 26, an instruction to attach the protective member 60 to the humidity sensor unit 27, and an instruction to connect the decontamination device 90 to a power source.

[0042] The user opens the outer door 13 and the inner door 14, and if at least one shelf 26 is installed below the plug connection portion 28 or at the same height as the plug connection portion 28, moves the shelf 26 so that all shelves 26 are positioned above the plug connection portion 28. Next, the user removes the protective member 60 from the plug connection portion 28 and attaches it to the humidity sensor unit 27 based on the setup instructions. When the protective member 60 is attached so that the distance from the other end surface 61 a of the protective member 60 to the back panel 11 a is less than the allowable distance, the magnetic force of the magnet 63 of the protective member 60 causes at least one reed switch 71 to transition from an open state to a closed state. On the other hand, when the protective member 60 is not attached so that the distance from the other end surface 61 a of the protective member 60 to the back panel 11 a is less than the allowable distance, all reed switches 71 remain open.

[0043] Next, the user leans the humidification tray D against the wall of the culture room 20 (not shown), installs the decontamination device 90, and connects the power plug 90a to the plug connection part 28. After that, the user closes the outer door 13 and the inner door 14 and presses the setup completion button. If the operation part 50 is configured with a touch panel, the setup completion button is a button displayed on the touch panel, and if the operation part 50 is not configured with a touch panel, it is a physical button.

[0044] When the control device 40 detects operation of the setup complete button (step S2), it determines whether or not attachment of the protective member 60 to the humidity sensor unit 27 has been detected based on the detection result of the reed switches 71 (step S3). If all the reed switches 71 are open and attachment of the protective member 60 to the humidity sensor unit 27 has not been detected (step S3: NO), the control device 40 does not perform decontamination using the decontamination device 90 and causes the operation unit 50 to display a warning that the protective member 60 is not attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 (step S4). Thereafter, the control device 40 performs the process of step S1.

[0045] On the other hand, if at least one reed switch 71 is closed and the control device 40 detects that the protective member 60 has been attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 (step S3: YES), the control device 40 performs decontamination using the decontamination device 90 (step S5). In the process of step S5, for example, after detecting that the protective member 60 has been attached to the humidity sensor unit 27, the control device 40 may start decontamination upon detecting operation of a button displayed on a touch panel or a decontamination start button configured as a physical button. Alternatively, the control device 40 may start decontamination immediately upon detecting that the protective member 60 has been attached to the humidity sensor unit 27. When performing decontamination, the control device 40 supplies power to the decontamination device 90 to drive it, thereby generating hydrogen peroxide gas, and drives the circulation fan 23 to circulate the hydrogen peroxide gas. The circulation of hydrogen peroxide gas decontaminates the inner walls and shelves 26 of the culture chamber 20. When a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of decontamination, the control device 40 stops the circulation blower 23 and the decontamination device 90, thereby completing the decontamination. After decontamination is completed, the decontamination device 90 is removed, the moved shelves 26 and humidification tray D are returned to their original positions, and the protective member 60 is removed from the humidity sensor unit 27 and attached to the plug connection part 28. Note that when the control device 40 detects that the protective member 60 has been attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 during the culture operation, it may display a warning on the operation part 50 to prompt the user to remove the protective member 60 from the humidity sensor unit 27 and attach it to the plug connection part 28.

[0046] As described above, when the control device 40 detects that the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27, it performs decontamination using the decontamination device 90. However, when the control device 40 does not detect that the protective member 60 is attached to the humidity sensor unit 27, it does not perform decontamination using the decontamination device 90. This prevents the humidity sensor unit 27 from corroding due to hydrogen peroxide gas, allowing the culture chamber 20 to be appropriately decontaminated without adversely affecting the humidity sensor unit 27. Furthermore, there is no need to remove the humidity sensor unit 27 from the culture chamber 20 to prevent corrosion of the humidity sensor unit 27. This prevents contamination of the culture chamber 20 due to a humidity sensor unit 27 contaminated outside the culture chamber 20 being attached to the decontaminated culture chamber 20. Furthermore, there is no need to spend time attaching and detaching the humidity sensor unit 27, thereby reducing the time required for decontamination. Furthermore, because there is no need to lower the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas, standards for decontamination of the culture chamber 20 can be met without requiring a long time.

[0047] A reed switch 71 that closes by magnetic force is used as the protection sensor 70 that detects the attachment of the protection member 60 to the humidity sensor unit 27. Therefore, unlike when a proximity sensor that uses infrared rays is used as the protection sensor 70, it is not necessary to form a window in the back panel 11a to allow light to pass through, and attachment of the protection member 60 can be detected with a simple configuration.

[0048] [Modification of the embodiment] It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The above embodiments and the modifications shown below can be combined in any way within the applicable range.

[0049] For example, while the protective member 60 has been illustrated as being capable of being attached to either the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28, it may be configured so that it can be attached to the humidity sensor unit 27 but cannot be attached to the plug connection portion 28. The protective member 60 may be shaped to cover only the through-hole 27b1 of the humidity sensor unit 27. In this case, it may be configured to be detachable from the humidity sensor unit 27, or it may be attached to the tip surface of the holder 27b via a hinge so that the through-hole 27b1 can be opened and closed. The protective member 60 may be fixed to the back plate 11a so as to cover the humidity sensor unit 27 or the plug connection portion 28. The protective member 60 may not necessarily have the protrusion 61e. The base 61 and the blocking portion 62 may be formed of a material that does not elastically deform, while the protrusion 61e may be formed of a material that does elastically deform.

[0050] Only one magnet 63 may be arranged on the protective member 60, or a ring-shaped magnet may be arranged surrounding the humidity sensor unit 27. The protective sensor 70 may be composed of only one reed switch 71. A window that allows infrared light to pass through may be formed in the back panel 11a, and a proximity sensor that uses infrared light may be used as the protective sensor 70.

[0051] The humidity sensor unit 27 may be placed inside the duct 22, or may be placed above the air outlet 22b on the outside of the duct 22, or may be placed at a position above the shelf 26 installed at the lowest position.

[0052] A decontamination device that generates a gas having a decontaminating effect other than hydrogen peroxide gas, such as peracetic acid gas, may be applied as the decontamination device 90. The culture apparatus 1 does not need to be provided with the steam supply device 18 and the rapid humidification control function using the steam supply device 18.

[0053] The disclosures of the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-42686, filed on March 17, 2022, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0054] The present disclosure can be applied to a culture device and a culture system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Culture device 10. Cabinet 11 Inner box 11a back plate 11b Mounting part 12 outer box 13 Outer door 14 Inner door 15. Insulation 16 Cover 16a Electrical box 17 Outside air temperature sensor 18 Steam supply device 18a Steam generation section 18b Steam supply section 20 Culture room 21,27e1 aperture 22 Duct 22a Intake port 22b Air outlet 23 Circulation blower 24 Indoor temperature sensor 25a, 25b Gas supply device 26 Shelves 27 Humidity sensor unit 27a Humidity sensor 27b Holder 27b1 Through hole 27c filter 27d,P packing 27e Retaining plate 27f Bis 28 Plug connection 30 Heating section 31 Top heater 32 Bottom heater 33 Rear heater 34 Exterior door heater 40 Control device 50 Control section 60 Protective material 61 Base 61a Other end surface 61b Magnet placement groove 61c Storage area 61d Insertion section 61e Protrusion 62 Occlusion 63 Magnet 70 Protective Sensor 71 Reed switch 90 Decontamination Equipment 90a power plug 90b code 100 Culture Systems D Humidifying dish K gas passage M Machine room

Claims

1. a housing having a culture chamber; a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the culture chamber; a protective member that prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber; a control device that controls a decontamination device that decontaminates the culture chamber; The control device causes the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the protective member prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber during decontamination operation, and does not cause the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the humidity sensor is exposed to the culture chamber. Culture device.

2. Further comprising a protection sensor disposed on the housing; the protective member is configured to be detachable from the humidity sensor so as to prevent the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber; the protection sensor detects whether the protection member is attached or not; The control device causes the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the protection sensor detects that the protective member is attached, and does not cause the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the protection sensor does not detect that the protective member is attached. The culture device according to claim 1 .

3. a magnet is disposed on the protective member; The protection sensor is configured to be able to detect the magnetic force of the magnet when the protection member is attached. The culture device according to claim 2 .

4. At least one of the protection sensor and the magnet is arranged continuously or intermittently so as to surround the humidity sensor when viewed from behind in the mounting direction of the protection member. The culture device according to claim 3 .

5. a plug connection part to which a power plug of the decontamination apparatus is connected is disposed in the culture chamber; The protective member is configured to be detachable from the plug connection portion so as to prevent the plug connection portion from being exposed to the culture chamber, and is attached alternatively to the humidity sensor or the plug connection portion. The culture device according to claim 2 .

6. Further provided is a humidity adjusting device that adjusts the humidity of the culture chamber by supplying steam to the culture chamber; The housing is provided with a duct disposed in the culture chamber and a blower for circulating the steam between the duct and the culture chamber, The humidity sensor is disposed outside the duct in the incubation chamber. The culture device according to claim 1 .

7. The humidity sensor is disposed adjacent to a steam outlet in the duct. The culture device according to claim 6.

8. the culture chamber is configured so that a shelf on which a culture is placed can be installed at a predetermined position in the vertical direction, The humidity sensor is disposed below the lowest position at which the shelf can be installed. The culture device according to claim 7.

9. a culture device including a housing having a culture chamber, a humidity sensor that detects humidity in the culture chamber, a protective member that prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber, and a control device; a decontamination device for decontaminating the culture chamber; The control device causes the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the protective member prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber during decontamination operation, and does not cause the decontamination device to perform decontamination when the humidity sensor is exposed to the culture chamber. Culture system.

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