Flask with lid and cell culture system

Abstract

This flask with a lid comprises a flask body centered on an axis and a lid part provided at a mouth part of an upper end of the flask body. The lid part comprises: a fixed lid part that has an annular shape and is fixed to the mouth part from an outer peripheral side; a movable lid part that can be displaced between a closed position in which the movable lid part comes into contact with the fixed lid part from above and closes the mouth part, and an open position in which the movable lid part is separated from the fixed lid part and opens the mouth part; a support part that protrudes from the fixed lid part to the outer peripheral side; and a supported part that protrudes from the movable lid part to the outer peripheral side and is supported by engaging with the support part when the movable lid part is in the open position.

Description

Flasks with lids and cell culture systems

[0001] This disclosure relates to a lidded flask and a cell culture system. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-118798, filed on July 21, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a lidded flask for use in an automated cell culture system. The lidded flask has a flask body and a lid. The lid is composed of a fixed lid attached to the mouth of the flask and a movable lid rotatably connected to the fixed lid via a hinge. The movable lid is provided with a tongue. A movable pin of the cell culture system applies force to the tongue, allowing the fixed lid to be opened and closed.

[0003] JP 2012-29691 A

[0004] However, in the lidded flask described in Patent Document 1, if an inertial force acts on the lidded flask while the movable lid is open, the movable lid will move relative to the flask body. Therefore, if culture medium adheres to the movable lid, the culture medium may splash out.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a lidded flask and a cell culture system that can prevent the culture medium from scattering.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the lidded flask of the present disclosure comprises a flask body centered on an axis and a lid portion provided on a mouth portion at the upper end of the flask body, the lid portion being annular and comprising a fixed lid portion fixed to the mouth portion from the outer periphery, a movable lid portion that is movable between a closed position in which it abuts the fixed lid portion from above to close the mouth portion and an open position in which it moves away from the fixed lid portion to open the mouth portion, a support portion that protrudes outer periphery from the fixed lid portion, and a supported portion that protrudes outer periphery from the movable lid portion and is supported by engaging with the support portion when the movable lid portion is in the open position.

[0007] The cell culture system of the present disclosure comprises the above-mentioned capped flask, an incubator forming a culture area in which the capped flask is housed, a clean bench forming a liquid handling area in which dispensing operations are performed on the capped flask, a transport device capable of transporting the capped flask between the culture area and the liquid handling area, and a pass box capable of transferring the capped flask between the incubator and the clean bench.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, scattering of culture medium can be suppressed.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of a cell culture system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a side view of a lidded flask according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the movable lid is in a closed position; FIG. 3 is a plan view of a lidded flask according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the movable lid is in a closed position; FIG. 4 is a side view of a lidded flask according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the movable lid is in an open position; FIG. 5 is a side view of a lidded flask according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the movable lid is in a closed position; FIG. 6 is a side view of a lidded flask according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the movable lid is in an open position; FIG. 7 is a side view of a lidded flask according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the movable lid is in a closed position; FIG. 8 is a side view of a lidded flask according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the movable lid is in a closed position;

[0010] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a cell culture system 100 of this embodiment is a system that performs cell culture, post-culture cell analysis, and the like, using a flask unit 1 as a processing unit, and these processes are performed, for example, unmanned and automatically.

[0011] The flask unit 1 is composed of a tray and a plurality of (for example, two in this embodiment) lidded flasks 10 provided on the tray. The lidded flasks 10 contain cells and a culture solution containing a medium supplemented with nutrients necessary for cell growth.

[0012] 1 , the cell culture system 100 includes a stocker 110, an incubator 130, a clean bench 140, and a pass box 150. The cell culture system 100 of this embodiment further includes a carry-in booth 120, a measuring device 160, a culture medium supply device 161, a waste liquid tank 162, and a transport device 170.

[0013] <Stocker> The stocker 110 is a facility for storing a plurality of flask units 1. The stocker 110 has a stocker body 111, a rack 112, a first stocker door 113, and a second stocker door 114. The stocker body 111 is a housing that forms a storage area R1 as a warehouse inside. The stocker body 111 is made of a transparent material such as acrylic or glass. The rack 112 is arranged in the storage area R1 and is capable of storing a plurality of flask units 1 horizontally and vertically.

[0014] The stocker first door 113 is a door for carrying in the flask unit 1 and the like from outside, and can be opened and closed by sliding horizontally, for example. The stocker second door 114 is a door for carrying out the flask unit 1 to the clean bench 140, and can be opened and closed by sliding horizontally, for example.

[0015] <Loading Booth> The loading booth 120 is a booth used to load flask units 1 and the like into the stocker 110 from outside. The loading booth 120 has a booth body 121 and a loading door 122. The booth body 121 is a housing disposed adjacent to the stocker 110 and is made of transparent materials. The space within the loading booth 120 is designated as a loading area R2, which is capable of communicating with the storage area R1 via the second stocker door 114. The loading door 122 is a door used to load flask units 1 and the like into the loading booth 120 from outside, and can be opened and closed by, for example, sliding up and down. The interior of the loading area R2 is maintained at a negative pressure, for example, lower than the atmosphere in the storage area R1. This prevents outside air and the like from entering the stocker 110 when the loading door 122 is open.

[0016] <Incubator> The incubator 130 is a facility for growing cells in a culture solution. The incubator 130 has an incubator main body 131 and a shaking stage 132. The incubator main body 131 is a housing that forms a culture area R3 inside. The culture area R3 is controlled to a temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration suitable for cell culture. The incubator main body 131 is made of a transparent material such as acrylic or glass. The shaking stage 132 is a device for shaking the flask units 1. Multiple shaking stages 132 are arranged in the culture area R3, each holding multiple flask units 1. The shaking stages 132 are configured to be able to shake the flask units 1 by, for example, rotating eccentrically around a vertical axis.

[0017] <Clean Bench> The clean bench 140 is a facility for performing various operations and processes on the flask unit 1. The clean bench 140 includes a clean bench main body 141, a dispensing device 142, a waste liquid extracting device 145, and a stage 149.

[0018] The clean bench main body 141 is a housing that forms a liquid handling area R4, which is a highly clean and sterile space (bio-clean room) inside. Within the clean space, air flows and circulates as a downflow (downward air current) from above to below. The clean bench main body 141 is made of a transparent material such as acrylic or glass.

[0019] The dispensing device 142 is provided in the clean room. The dispensing device 142 performs various dispensing operations and other processes for the flask unit 1. It should be noted that not only one but also a plurality of dispensing devices 142 may be provided.

[0020] Waste liquid extraction device 145 is provided in liquid handling area R4 and is a device for extracting unused culture liquid as waste liquid from capped flask 10 of flask unit 1. Multiple stages 149 are provided in liquid handling area R4. Flask unit 1 is temporarily placed on stage 149.

[0021] <Pass Box> The pass box 150 is provided between the incubator 130 and the clean bench 140. The pass box 150 is configured so that the flask unit 1 can be temporarily placed between the incubator 130 and the clean bench 140. The pass box 150 has a box body 151, a first door 152, and a second door 153.

[0022] Box body 151 is a housing formed to be sandwiched between incubator body 131 and clean bench body 141. First door 152 opens and closes, for example, horizontally, to switch between a communication state and an open state between the space within box body 151 and culture area R3. Second door 153 opens and closes, for example, horizontally, to switch between a communication state and an open state between the space within box body 151 and liquid handling area R4. First door 152 and second door 153 are never open at the same time. This prevents direct communication between culture area R3 and liquid handling area R4. Flask units 1 are transferred between culture area R3 and liquid handling area R4 via pass box 150.

[0023] Note that a transfer device 170 (not shown) may be provided inside the pass box 150, and the transfer device 170 may transfer the flask unit 1 via the pass box 150. Alternatively, a second transfer robot 172 in the culture area R3 may transfer the flask unit 1 to the liquid handling area R4 via the pass box 150. Furthermore, a third transfer robot 173 in the liquid handling area R4 may transfer the flask unit 1 to the culture area R3 via the pass box 150. In these cases, both the first door 152 and the second door 153 may be temporarily open. Alternatively, the second transfer robot 172 and the third robot may cooperate to transfer the flask unit 1 between the culture area R3 and the liquid handling area R4 via the bus box.

[0024] <Measuring Device> The measuring device 160 is disposed adjacent to the clean bench 140. The measuring device 160 is a device capable of measuring and analyzing the number of cells in the culture solution. For example, the culture solution dispensed from the capped flask 10 by the dispensing device 142 is transferred to the measuring device 160 via a tube (not shown).

[0025] <Culture medium supplying device> The culture medium supplying device 161 is disposed adjacent to the clean bench 140. The culture medium supplying device 161 is a device capable of supplying a culture medium contained in a flask. The culture medium supplied from the culture medium supplying device 161 is transferred to the dispensing device 142, and is supplied into the flask of the flask unit 1 in the dispensing device 142.

[0026] <Waste Liquid Tank> The waste liquid tank 162 is disposed adjacent to the clean bench 140. The waste liquid tank 162 is connected to the waste liquid extraction device 145 via a tube (not shown). Waste liquid is transferred from the waste liquid extraction device 145 to the waste liquid tank 162 via the tube.

[0027] <Transportation Device> The transport device 170 is a device for realizing unmanned transport of the flask units 1 within the cell culture system 100. The transport device 170 has a first transport robot 171, a second transport robot 172, a third transport robot 173, a fourth transport robot 174, and a conveyor 175.

[0028] <Operation of Cell Culture System> In the cell culture system 100 configured as described above, cell proliferation is promoted by shaking the culture medium in the flask unit 1 in the incubator 130. The flask unit 1 in which cell proliferation has progressed is placed in the pass box 150 by the second transfer robot 172. The flask unit 1 is then transferred from the pass box 150 to the liquid handling area R4 by the third transfer robot 173. At this time, the first door 152 and the second door 153 are not open at the same time. The flask unit 1 transferred to the liquid handling area R4 is then transferred to the dispensing device 142 via the third transfer robot 173. The dispensing device 142 dispenses the culture medium from the flask of the flask unit 1, and the culture medium is transferred to the measuring device 160. The measuring device 160 measures the number of cells in the culture medium, analyzes the liquid properties, etc.

[0029] When adding culture medium to the capped flask 10, the capped flask 10 of the flask unit 1 is transported into the dispensing device 142. Then, in the dispensing device 142, the culture medium is supplied from the culture medium supply device 161 to the capped flask 10 of the flask unit 1.

[0030] Furthermore, when cell growth is performed using a new flask unit 1, the procedure is, for example, as follows: The first transport robot 171 transports a flask unit 1 on the rack 112 that does not contain culture medium into the liquid handling area R4 via the second stocker door 114. The flask unit 1 is then transferred to the dispensing device 142 via the third transport robot 173, and the culture medium is supplied.

[0031] Thereafter, a proliferated flask unit 1 in which cell proliferation has progressed is transported to the dispensing device 142. Then, the culture medium in the lidded flask 10 of this proliferated flask unit 1 is dispensed into the lidded flask 10 of a new flask unit 1. This completes the cell subculture operation into the lidded flask 10 of the new flask unit 1. The flask unit 1 that has undergone the subculture operation is transported to the incubator 130, where the cells are proliferated.

[0032] <Detailed Structure of Capped Flask> Next, the detailed structure of the capped flask 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. The capped flask 10 has a flask body 11 and a cap 20.

[0033] <Flask Body> The flask body 11 has a bottomed cylindrical shape centered on an axis O1 extending in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, an Erlenmeyer flask is used as the flask body 11. The flask body 11 is made of transparent glass or the like that allows the interior to be seen. The flask body 11 has a bottom 12, a cylindrical portion 13, and a mouth portion 14.

[0034] The bottom portion 12 is disk-shaped and centered on the axis O1. The tubular portion 13 extends upward from the outer periphery of the bottom portion 12 and is cylindrical and centered on the axis O1. The tubular portion 13 is tapered, gradually reducing in diameter as it extends upward. The mouth portion 14 is connected to the upper end of the tubular portion 13 and is cylindrical and centered on the axis O1. The cross-sectional shape of the mouth portion 14, perpendicular to the axis O1, is constant in the vertical direction.

[0035] <Lid> The lid 20 is attached to the upper end of the flask body 11. The lid 20 opens and closes the space inside the flask to the outside. The lid 20 is made of a flexible material, such as a synthetic resin. The lid 20 has a fixed lid portion 30, a movable lid portion 40, a hinge portion 50, a tongue portion 60, a support portion 70, and a supported portion 80.

[0036] <Fixed Lid> The fixed lid 30 is an annular member centered on the axis O1, i.e., a ring-shaped member. The inner peripheral surface of the fixed lid 30 is fixed by being fitted into the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 14. The fixed lid 30 can be fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 14 by various methods, such as fitting, bonding with an adhesive, or fastening with screws.

[0037] <Movable lid portion> The movable lid portion 40 is a disk-shaped member that serves to open and close the upper opening of the mouth portion 14. The movable lid portion 40 is displaceable between a closed position shown in Figures 2 and 3 and an open position shown in Figure 4.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the movable lid part 40 in the closed position is arranged to abut against the fixed lid part 30 from above. As shown in Figure 3, the central axis of the disk-shaped movable lid part 40 in the closed position coincides with the axis O1 of the flask body 11. The outer diameter of the movable lid part 40 is the same as that of the fixed lid part 30. The movable lid part 40 abuts against the ring-shaped upper end surface of the fixed lid part 30 over the entire circumferential direction. This seals the internal space of the flask body 11.

[0039] <Hinge> The hinge 50 connects the movable cover 40 and the fixed cover 30 so that the movable cover 40 can be displaced between a closed position and an open position. As shown in Fig. 2, the hinge 50 is provided on a portion of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheries of the movable cover 40 and the fixed cover 30 when the movable cover 40 is in the closed position. The hinge 50 of this embodiment is belt-shaped, with one end connected to the outer periphery of the fixed cover 30 and the other end connected to the outer periphery of the movable cover 40. When the movable cover 40 is in the closed position, the belt-shaped hinge 50 is folded over in part of its extending direction.

[0040] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the movable cover 40 is in the open position, the hinge 50 extends linearly from one end to the other. The hinge 50 allows the movable cover 40 to rotate about a horizontal rotation axis O2. The rotation axis O2 passes through the fold of the band-shaped hinge 50. When the movable cover 40 is in the closed position, it rotates about the rotation axis O2 so as to move away from the fixed cover 30, thereby displacing the movable cover 40 to the open position. In this embodiment, the movable cover 40 in the open position is rotated, for example, 90° away from the fixed cover 30 relative to the closed position. The orientation of the movable cover 40 in the open position may be, for example, 60° to 120°, preferably 70° to 110°, and more preferably 80° to 100° away from the fixed cover 30 relative to the closed position.

[0041] <Tongue portion> The tongue portion 60 is provided so as to protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the movable cover portion 40. The tongue portion 60 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the movable cover portion 40 on the opposite side of the axis O1 from the hinge portion 50. In other words, the tongue portion 60 is provided in a positional relationship in which the axis O1 is sandwiched between the tongue portion 60 and the hinge portion 50. When the movable cover portion 40 is in the closed position, the tongue portion 60 has a flat plate shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis O1. The tongue portion 60 has a rectangular shape when viewed in a plan view from the direction of the axis O1.

[0042] <Supporting portion> The supporting portion 70 is a member that protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the fixed cover portion 30. The supporting portion 70 is provided at a circumferential position corresponding to the hinge portion 50. The supporting portion 70 has a flat supporting plate 71 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis O1. The supporting plate 71 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above in the direction of the axis O1.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, a fitting recess 73 is formed in the upper surface 72 of the support plate 71. The fitting recess 73 is recessed from the upper surface 72 and extends in a direction along the rotation axis O2. The fitting recess 73 has a circular cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the fitting recess 73. The opening of the fitting recess 73 on the upper surface 72 is defined by cutting out the upper part of the circular cross section. As a result, the width of the opening of the fitting recess 73 (the dimension of the opening in the cross section perpendicular to the extension direction) is narrower than the maximum width of the interior of the fitting recess 73 in the cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the fitting recess 73.

[0044] <Supported portion> The supported portion 80 is provided on the outer periphery of the movable cover portion 40. The supported portion 80 is provided at a circumferential position corresponding to the hinge portion 50 and the support portion 70. The supported portion 80 has a protruding portion 81 and a fitted portion 82.

[0045] The protruding portion 81 protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the movable cover portion 40. The protruding portion 81 has a rectangular flat plate shape when viewed from above in the direction of the axis O1. A fitted portion 82 extending in a direction along the rotation axis O2 is provided at the tip of the protruding portion 81. The fitted portion 82 has a cylindrical shape extending in a direction along the rotation axis O2. The outer diameter of the circle in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the fitted portion 82 corresponds to the inner diameter of the fitting recess 73. The fitted portion 82 has a shape and dimensions that allow it to fit into the fitting recess 73.

[0046] <Effects> The capped flask 10 configured as described above, containing a culture medium, is shaken by the shaking stage 132 and transported by the transport device 170. As shown in FIG. 2 , the capped flask 10 has its cap portion 20 opened and closed by, for example, the gripping piece 181 of the gripper 180 of the cell culture system 100. That is, when the movable cap portion 40 is moved from the closed position to the open position, the gripping piece 181 abuts against the tongue portion 60 from below and applies an upward force. This causes the movable cap portion 40 to rotate about the rotation axis O2 away from the fixed cap portion 30 and move to the open position.

[0047] Here, when the movable cover part 40 is displaced to the open position, the supported part 80 engages with the support part 70, and the supported part 80 is supported by the support part 70. That is, when the movable cover part 40 is displaced toward the open position, the fitted part 82 of the supported part 80 reaches the opening of the fitting recess 73 of the support part 70. Then, when the movable cover part 40 is further displaced toward the open position in this state, the fitted part 82 attempts to advance into the fitting recess 73, as if prying open the opening of the fitting recess 73.

[0048] At this time, because the support part 70 is made of a flexible material, the support part 70 elastically deforms to open the opening of the fitting recess 73 in its width direction. This allows the fitted part 82 to enter the fitting recess 73. Then, when the fitted part 82 is completely inserted into the fitting recess 73, the elastic deformation of the fitting recess 73 returns, and the fitted part 82 is fitted into the fitting recess 73. This restricts the movement of the movable cover part 40.

[0049] Furthermore, when moving the movable lid 40 from the open position to the closed position, the gripping portion applies force to the tongue portion 60, thereby rotating the movable lid 40 so that it approaches the fixed lid 30. This causes the fitted portion 82 inside the fitting recess 73 to pry open the opening of the fitting recess 73, causing the support plate 71 to elastically deform so as to open the opening of the fitting recess 73. As a result, the fitted portion 82 escapes from the fitting recess 73, and the movable lid 40 rotates so that it approaches the fixed lid 30. This causes the movable lid 40 to move to the closed position.

[0050] As described above, according to this embodiment, the relative movement of the movable lid 40 in the open position with respect to the flask body 11 is suppressed. Therefore, even if an inertial force acts when the movable lid 40 is in the open position, for example, due to shaking culture performed by the shaking stage 132 or movement by the transport device 170, the culture medium adhering to the lid 20 will not scatter around. This makes it possible to avoid contamination and contamination in the cell culture system 100 and maintain a hygienic environment.

[0051] Furthermore, simply by displacing the movable lid 40 to the open position, the supported part 80 can be temporarily supported by the supporting part 70. As a result, the displacement of the movable lid 40 can be restricted, and a hygienic environment can be maintained with a simple system without requiring complicated operations by the gripper 180.

[0052] Furthermore, for example, if an attempt is made to close and open the flask body 11 by making the lid portion 20 detachable, after the lid portion 20 is removed from the flask body 11, the lid portion 20 may be attached to another flask body 11, resulting in contamination. In contrast, in this embodiment, the corresponding relationship between the flask body 11 and the movable lid portion 40 is not lost, and the one-to-one relationship between the flask body 11 and the lid portion 20 can always be maintained, thereby preventing contamination from occurring.

[0053] Second Embodiment Next, a lidded flask 10 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In Figures 5 and 6, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The lidded flask 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the support portion 70 and the supported portion 80.

[0054] That is, the upper surface 72 of the support plate 71 of the support part 70 of the capped flask 10 of the second embodiment is a planar support surface 74 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis O1. The support surface 74 is located below the upper end of the fixed lid part 30. The support surface 74 and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed lid part 30 are positioned perpendicular to each other.

[0055] The supported portion 80 of the capped flask 10 of the second embodiment is a protruding portion 81 and an abutting portion 83 provided at the tip of the protruding portion 81. The abutting portion 83 has a cylindrical shape extending in the direction along the rotation axis O2, similar to the fitted portion 82 of the first embodiment.

[0056] The orientation of the movable lid 40 in the open position may be, for example, 90° to 150°, preferably 100° to 140°, and more preferably 110° to 130° in the direction away from the fixed lid 30, based on the angle at which the movable lid 40 abuts against the fixed lid 30. In this embodiment, the orientation of the movable lid 40 in the open position is a state in which it has rotated approximately 120° in the direction away from the fixed lid 30.

[0057] The protruding length of the protruding portion 81 and the installation height of the support portion 70 are dimensionally related so that the protruding portion 81 and the support portion 70 can come into contact with each other at the maximum angle of the rotation range of the movable cover portion 40.

[0058] <Operation and Effect> As in the first embodiment, when the gripping piece 181 of the gripper 180 applies an upward force to the tongue portion 60, the movable lid portion 40 rotates away from the fixed lid portion 30. Then, after rotating to a certain extent, the abutting portion 83 of the supported portion 80 abuts against the support surface 74 of the support portion 70. At this time, the weight of the movable lid portion 40, the reaction force of the support plate 71, and the tension of the hinge portion 50 are balanced, thereby restricting movement of the movable lid portion 40 from the open state. In this embodiment, the abutting portion 83 abuts not only against the support surface 74 but also against the outer periphery of the fixed lid portion 30. This improves the stability of the movable lid portion 40 in the open position.

[0059] This makes it possible to restrict inadvertent movement of the movable lid portion 40, as in the first embodiment, and to prevent the culture medium from splashing. Furthermore, since the engagement and support by the supporting portion 70 and the supported portion 80 can be achieved with a simpler configuration than in the first embodiment, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0060] Third Embodiment Next, a lidded flask 10 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. In Figures 7 and 8, the same components as those in the other embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The lidded flask 10 according to the third embodiment differs from the other embodiments in the configuration of the supporting portion 70 and the supported portion 80.

[0061] That is, a through hole 75 that penetrates in the vertical direction is formed in the support plate 71 of the support part 70 of the capped flask 10 of the third embodiment. The through hole 75 extends, for example, in a direction along the rotation axis O2 as the longitudinal direction.

[0062] The supported portion 80 of the lidded flask 10 of the third embodiment has an insertion portion 84 that protrudes outward at a circumferential position on the outer periphery of the movable flask corresponding to the support portion 70 and the hinge portion 50. The insertion portion 84 is sized to be insertable into the through-hole 75 from above.

[0063] In the third embodiment, the orientation of the movable lid 40 in the open position may be, for example, 60° to 120°, preferably 70° to 100°, and more preferably 80° to 100°, in the direction away from the fixed lid 30, based on the angle at which the movable lid 40 abuts against the fixed lid 30. In this embodiment, the orientation of the movable lid 40 in the open position is a state in which it has been rotated 90° in the direction away from the fixed lid 30.

[0064] <Operation and Effect> As in the other embodiments, when the gripping piece 181 of the gripper 180 applies an upward force to the tongue portion 60, the movable lid portion 40 rotates so as to move away from the fixed lid portion 30. Then, after rotating to a certain extent, the movable lid portion 40 falls downward due to its own weight due to the flexibility of the hinge portion 50. As a result, at least a portion of the insertion portion 84 of the supported portion 80 is inserted into the through-hole 75 of the supporting portion 70, and the supporting portion 70 and the supported portion 80 are engaged with each other.

[0065] This makes it possible to restrict inadvertent movement of the movable lid part 40, as in the first embodiment, and to prevent the scattering of culture fluid. Also, since there is no need to elastically deform the fitting recess 73 to open, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the force required to engage the supporting part 70 and the supported part 80. Furthermore, compared to the second embodiment, the posture of the movable lid part 40 in the open state can be stabilized.

[0066] In the third embodiment, a recess may be provided in the movable cover 40 instead of the tongue 60. As described above, the movable cover 40 is opened by inserting the grip piece 181 into the recess. Furthermore, by forming a recess in the fixed cover 30 at a location corresponding to the movable cover 40, the movable cover 40 can be opened and closed more easily.

[0067] <Other Embodiments> Although each embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0068] For example, the fitting recess 73 and the fitted portion 82 in the first embodiment are not limited to the above-described structures, and various known structures may be adopted as long as the fitting utilizes elastic deformation. The shape of the abutting portion 83 in the second embodiment is also not limited to the above-described structure, and other shapes may be used as long as the movable cover portion 40 is stable when the abutting portion 83 abuts against the support surface 74.

[0069] In the third embodiment, for example, the tip of the insertion portion 84 may be tapered toward the tip. Also, the shape of the through hole 75 may be formed to widen toward the top. This allows the insertion portion 84 to be easily inserted into the through hole 75 even if there is a misalignment between the insertion portion 84 and the through hole 75. Also, in the third embodiment, the hinge portion 50 may not be necessary. In this case, a series of operations may be performed, such as removing the movable cover portion 40 from the fixed cover portion 30 using the gripper 180, and then inserting the insertion portion 84 into the through hole 75.

[0070] The shape of the fixed cover part 30 and the movable cover part 40 is not limited to a disk shape, and may be other shapes such as a polygonal shape perpendicular to the axis O1.

[0071] The movable lid 40 has a hole formed therein that penetrates the inside and outside of the flask body 11, and a filter may be provided in the hole, so that oxygen can be supplied to the culture solution from the outside even when the movable lid 40 is in the closed position.

[0072] Furthermore, when the movable lid 40 is in the closed or open position, the support 70, the supported part 80, and the tongue 60 are preferably located inside the outline of the flask body 11 in a plan view. This prevents the support 70, the supported part 80, and the tongue 60 from entering the flow path of each device in the cell culture system 100.

[0073] The hinge portion 50 is not limited to the above configuration, and various known configurations can be employed, such as a configuration in which a shaft portion rotates relative to a bearing.

[0074] <Additional Notes> The capped flask 10 and the cell culture system 100 described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0075] (1) The lidded flask 10 of the first embodiment comprises a flask body 11 centered on an axis O1 and a lid portion 20 provided on the mouth portion 14 at the upper end of the flask body 11, and the lid portion 20 is annular and comprises a fixed lid portion 30 fixed to the mouth portion 14 from the outer periphery, a movable lid portion 40 that is displaceable between a closing position in which it abuts the fixed lid portion 30 from above to close the mouth portion 14 and an opening position in which it moves away from the fixed lid portion 30 to open the mouth portion 14, a support portion 70 that protrudes outer periphery from the fixed lid portion 30, and a supported portion 80 that protrudes outer periphery from the movable lid portion 40 and is supported by engaging with the support portion 70 when the movable lid portion 40 is in the open position.

[0076] This restricts the movable cover 40 from moving inadvertently when the movable cover 40 is in the open position.

[0077] (2) The lidded flask 10 of the second aspect is the lidded flask 10 of (1), which is provided with a hinge portion 50 that connects the fixed lid portion 30 and the movable lid portion 40 on the outer periphery and enables the movable lid portion 40 to rotate around an axis O1 extending horizontally relative to the fixed lid portion 30, and the supporting portion 70 and the supported portion 80 are provided at circumferential positions corresponding to the hinge portion 50.

[0078] As a result, the movement of the movable lid part 40 can be restricted via the support part 70 and the supported part 80 simply by rotating the movable lid part 40. Furthermore, the fixed lid part 30 and the movable lid part 40 are connected by the hinge part 50. Therefore, the risk of mistaking the movable lid part 40 corresponding to the flask body 11 for a movable lid part corresponding to another flask body can be reduced, and contamination can be avoided.

[0079] (3) The third aspect of the lidded flask 10 is the lidded flask 10 of (2) having a tongue portion 60 that protrudes outward and is provided on the opposite side of the axis O1 of the hinge portion 50 at the outer periphery of the movable lid portion 40 in the closed position.

[0080] This allows the movable cover 40 to be opened by applying an upward force to the tongue 60, and also allows the movement of the movable cover 40 to be restricted.

[0081] (4) The lidded flask 10 of the fourth aspect is a lidded flask 10 of (2) or (3), in which the support portion 70 is formed from a flexible material and has an engaging recess 73 that opens upward, and the supported portion 80 has an engaging portion 82 that is inserted into the engaging recess 73 from above, elastically deforming the engaging recess 73 and fitting into the engaging recess 73.

[0082] This makes it possible to appropriately restrict the movement of the movable cover portion 40 in the open position.

[0083] (5) The fifth aspect of the lidded flask 10 is a lidded flask 10 of (2) or (3), in which the support portion 70 has a support surface 74 facing upward, and the supported portion 80 has an abutment portion 83 that abuts against the support surface 74 from above when the movable lid portion 40 is set to the open position via the hinge portion 50, thereby regulating the rotation of the movable lid portion 40.

[0084] This makes it possible to appropriately restrict the movement of the movable cover portion 40 in the open position.

[0085] (6) The sixth aspect of the lidded flask 10 is a lidded flask 10 of any one of (1) to (3), in which the support portion 70 has a through hole 75 penetrating in the vertical direction, and the supported portion 80 has an insertion portion 84 that is inserted into the through hole 75 from above when the movable lid portion 40 is in the open position.

[0086] This makes it possible to appropriately restrict the movement of the movable cover portion 40 in the open position.

[0087] (7) A cell culture system 100 according to a seventh aspect is a cell culture system 100 comprising a capped flask 10 of any one of (1) to (6), an incubator 130 forming a culture area R3 in which the capped flask 10 is accommodated, a clean bench 140 forming a liquid handling area R4 in which dispensing operations are performed on the capped flask 10, a transport device 170 capable of transporting the capped flask 10 between the culture area R3 and the liquid handling area R4, and a pass box 150 capable of transferring the capped flask 10 between the incubator 130 and the clean bench 140.

[0088] When the movable lid portion 40 is in the open position, even when the lidded flask 10 is subjected to shaking culture or moved, scattering of the culture medium can be prevented.

[0089] The lidded flask and cell culture system of the present disclosure can prevent the culture medium from scattering.

[0090] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 flask unit 2 tray 10 lidded flask 11 flask body 12 bottom 13 cylindrical part 14 mouth part 20 lid part 30 fixed lid part 40 movable lid part 50 hinge part 60 tongue part 70 support part 71 support plate 72 upper surface 73 fitting recess 74 support surface 75 through hole 80 supported part 81 protrusion part 82 fitting part 83 abutment part 84 insertion part 100 cell culture system 110 stocker 111 stocker body 112 rack 113 stocker first door 114 stocker second door 120 loading booth 121 booth body 122 loading door 130 incubator 131 incubator body 132 shaking stage 140 clean bench 141 Clean bench body 142 Dispensing device 145 Waste liquid extraction device 149 Stage 150 Pass box 151 Box body 152 First door 153 Second door 160 Measuring device 161 Culture medium supply device 162 Waste liquid tank 170 Transport device 171 First transport robot 172 Second transport robot 173 Third transport robot 174 Fourth transport robot 175 Conveyor 180 Gripper 181 Gripper R1 Storage area R2 Loading area R3 Cultivation area R4 Liquid handling area O1 Axis O2 Rotation axis

Claims

1. A lidded flask comprising: a flask body centered on an axis; and a lid portion provided on a mouth portion at the upper end of the flask body, wherein the lid portion comprises: a fixed lid portion which is annular and fixed to the mouth portion from the outer periphery; a movable lid portion which is displaceable between a closing position where it contacts the fixed lid portion from above to close the mouth portion and an open position where it moves away from the fixed lid portion to open the mouth portion; a supporting portion which protrudes outward from the fixed lid portion; and a supported portion which protrudes outward from the movable lid portion and is supported by engaging with the supporting portion when the movable lid portion is in the open position.

2. A lidded flask as described in claim 1, further comprising a hinge portion that connects the fixed lid portion and the movable lid portion on the outer periphery and enables the movable lid portion to rotate relative to the fixed lid portion about an axis extending horizontally, and the supporting portion and the supported portion are provided at circumferential positions corresponding to the hinge portion.

3. A lidded flask as described in claim 2, further comprising a tongue portion protruding outwardly, said tongue portion being provided on the opposite side of the axis of said hinge portion at the outer periphery of said movable lid portion in said closed position.

4. A lidded flask as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the supporting portion is made of a flexible material and has an engaging recess that opens upward, and the supported portion has an engaging portion that is inserted into the engaging recess from above, thereby elastically deforming the engaging recess and engaging with the engaging recess.

5. A lidded flask as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the supporting portion has a supporting surface facing upward, and the supported portion has an abutment portion that abuts against the supporting surface from above to regulate the rotation of the movable lid portion when the movable lid portion is set to the open position via the hinge portion.

6. A lidded flask as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the supporting portion has a through hole penetrating in the vertical direction, and the supported portion has an insertion portion which is inserted into the through hole from above when the movable lid portion is in the open position.

7. A cell culture system comprising: a capped flask according to any one of claims 1 to 3; an incubator forming a culture area in which the capped flask is housed; a clean bench forming a liquid handling area in which dispensing operations are performed on the capped flask; a transport device capable of transporting the capped flask between each of the culture area and the liquid handling area; and a pass box capable of transferring the capped flask between the incubator and the clean bench.

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