Pass box and cell culture system

Abstract

A pass box according to the present invention comprises a first chamber that has a first environment, a second chamber that has a second environment that is different from the first environment, a box body that is provided between the first chamber and the second chamber and communicates with each of the first chamber and the second chamber, a door that is openably / closably provided to at least one of an opening that is formed between the box body and the first chamber and an opening that is formed between the box body and the second chamber, an elastic member that presses the door in a closing direction, and a sealing member that is provided to an end edge of the opening.

Description

Pass box and cell culture system

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-197354, filed on November 21, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a transport mechanism for transporting a culture vessel between two locations. Conventionally, a technique has been proposed in which such a transport mechanism is used to sequentially move a culture vessel between a first chamber (incubator) for culturing cells and a second chamber (clean bench) for subjecting the cells to various treatments.

[0003] When moving the culture vessel, it is necessary to avoid as much as possible the mixing of atmospheres and various environmental conditions (contamination) between the first chamber (incubator) and the second chamber (clean bench). Therefore, the device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is configured to isolate the first and second chambers by providing an openable and closable door between them.

[0004] Patent No. 4778984 Patent No. 6684431

[0005] To avoid the above-mentioned contamination, it is necessary to open and close the door as quickly as possible. However, if the door is opened and closed too quickly, the impact of opening and closing the door may cause the door to bounce back, making it difficult to effectively maintain airtightness between the chambers. For this reason, there has been a growing demand for technology that can improve the speed at which the door can be opened and closed while more reliably avoiding contamination.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a pass box and a cell culture system that can improve the speed at which the door can be opened and closed and that can more reliably avoid contamination.

[0007] The pass box according to the present disclosure comprises a first chamber having a first environment, a second chamber having a second environment different from the first environment, a box body communicating with the first chamber and the second chamber respectively and disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, an opening formed between the box body and the first chamber and a door portion disposed in an openable and closable manner on at least one of the openings formed between the box body and the second chamber, an elastic member pressing the door portion in a closing direction, and a sealing member disposed on an edge of the opening.

[0008] The cell culture system according to the present disclosure comprises an incubator forming a culture area in which containers are housed, a clean bench forming a liquid handling area in which dispensing operations are performed on the containers, a transport device capable of transporting the containers between the culture area and the liquid handling area, and the pass box described above capable of transferring the containers between the incubator as the first chamber and the clean bench as the second chamber.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a pass box and a cell culture system that can improve the speed at which the door can be opened and closed and that can more reliably avoid contamination.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cell culture system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of a pass box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a pass box according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of a door section according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a modified example of the door section according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a door section according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the configuration of a door section according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a front view showing a modified example of the door section according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 4. As shown in Figure 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.

[0012] The flask unit 1 is composed of a flask tray 11 and a plurality of flasks 12 (culture vessels) (for example, two in this embodiment) placed on the flask tray 11. The flasks 12 contain cells and a culture solution containing a medium supplemented with nutrients necessary for cell growth.

[0013] 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.

[0014] <Stocker 110> 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] <Loading Booth 120> The loading booth 120 is 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 a loading space, which can communicate 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, for example, by sliding up and down. The loading space 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.

[0017] <Incubator 130> 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 stage 132 is configured to be able to shake the flask units 1 by, for example, rotating eccentrically around a vertical axis.

[0018] <Clean bench 140> The clean bench 140 is a facility for performing various operations and processes on the flask unit 1. The clean bench 140 has a clean bench main body 141, a dispensing device 142, a waste liquid extraction device 145, and a stage 149.

[0019] 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 from above to below. The clean bench main body 141 is made of a transparent material such as acrylic or glass.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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 flask 12 of flask unit 1. Multiple stages 149 are provided in liquid handling area R4. Flask unit 1 is temporarily placed on stage 149.

[0022] <Pass Box 150> The pass box 150 is provided between the incubator 130 (first chamber) and the clean bench 140 (second chamber). The pass box 150 moves the flask 12 body between the incubator 130 and the clean bench 140. The pass box 150 has a box body 151, a first door 152, a second door 153, and a rotary conveying device 154 (conveying device 170).

[0023] Box body 151 is a housing formed to be sandwiched between incubator body 131 and clean bench body 141. First door 152 switches between a connected state and a disconnected state between the space within box body 151 and incubation area R3, for example, by opening and closing horizontally. Second door 153 switches between a connected state and a disconnected state between the space within box body 151 and liquid handling area R4, for example, by opening and closing horizontally. First door 152 and second door 153 are never open at the same time. This prevents direct communication between incubation area R3 and liquid handling area R4.

[0024] The rotary transfer device 154 is housed in the pass box 150. The rotary transfer device 154 is capable of rotating around a vertical axis between the culture area R3 and the liquid handling area R4 while supporting the flask unit 1. When the rotary transfer device 154 rotates, the first door 152 and the second door 153 are open, but these first door 152 and second door 153 are never open at the same time. This allows the flask unit 1 to move between the culture area R3 and the liquid handling area R4 without direct communication between the two areas. The configurations of the first door 152 and the second door 153 will be described later.

[0025] <Measuring Device 160> 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. The culture solution dispensed from the flask 12 by the dispensing device 142 is transferred to the measuring device 160 via a tube (not shown).

[0026] <Culture medium supplying device 161> 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 the culture medium contained in the flask 12. The culture medium supplied from the culture medium supplying device 161 is transferred to the dispensing device 142, and is supplied into the flask 12 of the flask unit 1 in the dispensing device 142.

[0027] <Waste liquid tank 162> 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.

[0028] <Transportation device 170> The transportation device 170 is a device for realizing unmanned transport of the flask units 1 within the cell culture system 100. The transportation 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.

[0029] The first transfer robot 171, the second transfer robot 172, the third transfer robot 173, and the fourth transfer robot 174 are each capable of horizontal movement, rotational movement, and telescopic movement, and are configured to be able to grasp flask trays 11 with grippers provided at their tips. The first transfer robot 171 is provided in the storage area R1. The second transfer robot 172 is provided in the culture area R3. The third transfer robot 173 and the fourth transfer robot 174 are provided in the liquid handling area R4.

[0030] The conveyor is provided in the liquid handling area R4 and transports the flask unit 1 placed on the upper surface in the horizontal direction. The conveyor is arranged along the inner surface of the main body of the liquid handling area R4.

[0031] <Operation of Cell Culture System 100> 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 transferred to the liquid handling area R4 via the third transfer robot 173 and the pass box 150. 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. In the dispensing device 142, the culture medium is dispensed from the flask 12 of the flask unit 1, and the culture medium is transferred to the measuring device 160. In the measuring device 160, the number of cells in the culture medium is measured, the liquid properties are analyzed, and so on.

[0032] When adding a culture medium to the flask 12, the flask 12 is transported into the dispensing device 142. Then, in the dispensing device 142, the culture medium is supplied to the flask 12 from the culture medium supply device 161.

[0033] Furthermore, when cell growth is performed using a new flask unit 1, the procedure is, for example, as follows: First, the third transport robot 173 transports a flask unit 1 on the rack 112 that does not contain culture medium into the liquid handling area R4 via the first stocker door 113. The flask unit 1 is then transferred to the dispensing device 142 via the third transport robot 173, and the culture medium is supplied.

[0034] At the same time, a proliferated flask tray 11 in which cell proliferation has progressed is transferred to the dispensing device 142. Then, the culture medium in the flasks 12 of this proliferated flask tray 11 is dispensed into the flasks 12 of a new flask tray 11. This completes the cell subculture operation into the new flask tray 11. The flask unit 1 that has undergone the subculture operation is transferred to the incubator 130, where the cells are proliferated.

[0035] <Configuration of Pass Box 150> Next, the pass box 150 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. The rotary conveying device 154 described above has an arm driving unit 201, an arm 202, and a holding unit 203. The arm driving unit 201 is provided inside the pass box 150 and is a driving device for rotating the arm 202 extending horizontally from the arm driving unit 201.

[0036] Arm driver 201 rotates arm 202 around arm rotation axis X, which extends vertically (up and down). Arm 202 extends from its base end on the arm driver 201 side in the radial direction of arm rotation axis X. The tip of arm 202 has a length that allows it to reach culture area R3 and liquid manipulation area R4 through first door 152 and second door 153, respectively.

[0037] A holding part 203 capable of holding the flask unit 1 is provided at the tip of the arm 202. The holding part 203 is in the shape of a dish that supports the flask unit 1 from below.

[0038] The configuration of the first door 152 provided between the pass box 150 and the incubation area R3, and the second door 153 provided between the pass box 150 and the liquid handling area R4 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The first door 152 and the second door 153 have the same configuration except for their positions. Therefore, hereinafter, the first door 152 and the second door 153 will be collectively referred to as door device 300.

[0039] 3, the door device 300 has a door section 301, an elastic member 302, and a sealing member 303. The door section 301 is a rectangular plate that covers an opening that connects the box body 151 to another area. The sealing member 303 is provided on the edge of the opening. The sealing member 303 is made of a resin such as rubber, and is provided to maintain airtightness when the door section 301 closes the opening.

[0040] The door section 301 includes an opening / closing device 400 and a door main body 401. The opening / closing device 400 includes a support stay 501, a frame 502, a guide rail 503, an actuator 504, and a transmission restricting unit 505. The support stay 501 protrudes from above the opening. A frame 502 is attached to the support stay 501 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis O. The rotation axis O of the frame 502 extends horizontally. Two guide rails 503 are provided midway along the vertical extension of the frame 502. The guide rails 503 protrude from the frame 502 toward the opening. The guide rails 503 are inserted into guide holes formed in the door main body 401. A coil spring is provided as an elastic member 302 between the door main body 401 and the frame 502. That is, the door body 401 is biased by the elastic force of the elastic member 302 in a direction away from the frame 502 (in a direction toward the opening).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4 , the output shaft of the actuator 504 is provided coaxially with the rotation axis O of the frame 502. When the actuator 504 is driven, the frame 502 rotates around the rotation axis O. Furthermore, a transmission restricting unit 505 is provided on an extension of the output shaft. The transmission restricting unit 505 transmits the driving force of the actuator 504 only in a direction in which the door main body 401 closes the opening. In other words, when torque is applied in a direction that attempts to open the door main body 401, the transmission restricting unit 505 resists the torque and prevents the door main body 401 from opening. Specifically, the transmission restricting unit 505 is a two-way clutch mechanism. A coupling 506 is provided between the transmission restricting unit 505 and the output shaft of the actuator 504. Furthermore, the transmission restricting unit 505 and the door main body 401 are integrally connected by a shaft 507.

[0042] (Effects) Here, in order to avoid contamination between the pass box 150 and other areas, it is necessary to open and close the door body 401 as quickly as possible. However, if the door body 401 is opened and closed too quickly, there is a risk that the door body 401 will bounce back due to the impact caused by the opening and closing, making it impossible to effectively maintain airtightness between the chambers. For this reason, there has been a growing demand for technology that can improve the speed at which the door body 401 can be opened and closed while more reliably avoiding contamination. Therefore, the present embodiment employs the above-described configurations.

[0043] According to the above configuration, an elastic member 302 is provided between the door 301 and the opening. Therefore, when the door 301 is closed, the elastic member 302 absorbs the impact of the door 301 colliding with the edge of the opening. Therefore, even when the door 301 is closed at high speed, the door 301 is less likely to be bounced off the edge of the opening or the edge of the opening be damaged. This allows the door 301 to be opened and closed more quickly, and more reliably prevents contamination caused by atmosphere mixing between the first chamber and the pass box 150 and between the second chamber and the pass box 150. As a result, the quality of the cells that are ultimately cultured can be maintained at a higher level.

[0044] Furthermore, with the above configuration, even if an external force attempting to open the door main body 401 in a closed state is applied, the external force can be resisted by the transmission restriction unit 505. Therefore, it is possible to stably maintain the closed state of the door main body 401. Furthermore, because the closed state is maintained solely by the transmission restriction unit 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 to keep the door main body 401 closed. This makes it possible to keep the power consumption of the entire device low. As a result, the operating costs of the device are significantly reduced, and it is possible to lower the costs required to provide the final product, cells.

[0045] According to the above configuration, the transmission restriction unit 505 can be easily and inexpensively constructed by simply using a ready-made two-way clutch mechanism. This makes it possible to further reduce the manufacturing and operating costs of the device. Therefore, the cost required to provide the final product, the cells, can be further reduced.

[0046] The first embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. Note that various changes and modifications can be made to the above configuration without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0047] For example, in the first embodiment, an example has been described in which a two-way clutch mechanism is used as the transmission restriction unit 505. However, the form of the transmission restriction unit 505 is not limited to the above, and a modified example such as the configuration shown in Fig. 5 can be adopted. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the transmission restriction unit 505 has a worm gear 601 provided on the output shaft of the actuator 504, and a worm wheel 602 that is rotatable around the axis P integrally with the door main body 401 (frame 502).

[0048] When the worm gear 601 is driven to rotate, a rotational force is transmitted to the worm wheel 602, causing the worm wheel 602 to rotate. On the other hand, when a rotational force is generated on the worm wheel 602, which is integral with the door body 401, the rotational force is not transmitted to the worm gear 601. In other words, even if an external force is applied to open the door body 401, the transmission of the external force is inhibited by the combination of the worm wheel 602 and the worm gear 601. This allows the door body 401 to be stably maintained in a closed state. Furthermore, since the closed state is maintained solely by the transmission restricting unit 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 to keep the door body 401 closed. This eliminates the need for the actuator 504 to generate torque in order to keep the door body 401 closed. This reduces the power consumption of the entire device. As a result, the operating costs of the device are significantly reduced, enabling a reduction in the cost required to provide the final product, cells.

[0049] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the configuration of the door unit 301 differs from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the door unit 301 includes a door main body 401, a guide member 701, and a drive unit 702.

[0050] The door body 401 covers the opening of the box body 151 and is slidable in a direction along the opening (referred to as the first direction). One guide member 701 is provided on each edge of the opening in the width direction. The guide members 701 guide the door body 401 in the first direction. Specifically, the guide member 701 has a cam groove 703 that extends in a direction approaching the opening as it moves from one side to the other in the first direction. A cam follower 704 that engages with the cam groove 703 is provided on the edge of the door body 401 (frame 502) on the width direction side. The upper half of the cam groove 703 extends in a direction parallel to the opening, and the lower half extends in the first direction.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7 , the drive unit 702 includes an actuator 504, a driving pulley 705, a driven pulley 706, a belt 707, a connecting unit 708, and a transmission restricting unit 505. The actuator 504 has an output shaft rotatable about an axis P. The driving pulley 705 is attached to the output shaft. The driven pulley 706 is spaced apart from the driving pulley 705 in the vertical direction. The axis of the driven pulley 706 extends in a direction parallel to the driving pulley 705. The belt 707 is stretched between the driving pulley 705 and the driven pulley 706. The belt 707 is a film made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber. The connecting unit 708 connects the belt 707 to the door main body 401 (frame 502). In other words, when the belt 707 rotates between the driving pulley 705 and the driven pulley 706, the door body 401 also moves vertically together via the connection part 708. The transmission restriction part 505 transmits the driving force of the actuator 504 only in the direction in which the door body 401 closes the opening. The transmission restriction part 505 is a two-way clutch mechanism provided coaxially with the output shaft of the actuator 504.

[0052] (Effects) According to the above configuration, the cam follower 704 of the door body 401 moves in the first direction by being guided by the cam groove 703 of the guide member 701. Because the cam groove 703 extends in a direction approaching the opening as it moves toward the other side of the first direction, the door body 401 is eventually pressed against the edge of the opening, closing the opening. This makes it possible to close the opening more quickly. Furthermore, even if an external force is applied to the door body 401 from the normal direction, the door body 401 does not easily open because the cam groove 703 extends in the first direction, which is different from the normal direction. Therefore, the closure state of the opening by the door body 401 can be stably maintained. As a result, it is possible to maintain the quality of the cells being cultured at an even better level.

[0053] According to the above configuration, when the drive pulley 705 is rotated by the actuator 504, the belt 707 rotates in the same direction. As a result, the door body 401, which is connected to the belt 707 via the connection part 708, moves, thereby opening and closing the opening. Furthermore, even if an external force attempting to open the door body 401 in a closed state is applied, the transmission restricting part 505 can resist the external force. Therefore, the closed state of the door body 401 can be stably maintained. Furthermore, because the closed state is maintained solely by the transmission restricting part 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 to keep the door body 401 closed. This eliminates the need for the actuator 504 to generate torque in order to keep the door body 401 closed. This reduces the power consumption of the entire device. As a result, the operating costs of the device are significantly reduced, enabling a reduction in the cost required to provide the final product, cells.

[0054] According to the above configuration, the transmission restriction unit 505 can be easily and inexpensively constructed by simply using a ready-made two-way clutch mechanism. This makes it possible to further reduce the manufacturing and operating costs of the device. Therefore, the cost required to provide the final product, the cells, can be further reduced.

[0055] The second embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. Note that various changes and modifications can be made to the above configuration without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] For example, similar to the modified example of the first embodiment, the transmission restriction unit 505 can be configured by a worm gear 601 and a worm wheel 602. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8 , the transmission restriction unit 505 has a worm gear 601 provided on the output shaft of the actuator 504, and a worm wheel 602 that is rotatable around the axis P integrally with the door main body 401.

[0057] When the worm gear 601 is driven to rotate, a rotational force is transmitted to the worm wheel 602, causing the worm wheel 602 to rotate. On the other hand, when a rotational force is generated on the worm wheel 602, which is integral with the door body 401, the rotational force is not transmitted to the worm gear 601. In other words, even if an external force is applied to open the door body 401, the transmission of the external force is inhibited by the combination of the worm wheel 602 and the worm gear 601. This allows the door body 401 to be stably maintained in a closed state. Furthermore, since the closed state is maintained solely by the transmission restricting unit 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 to keep the door body 401 closed. This eliminates the need for the actuator 504 to generate torque in order to keep the door body 401 closed. This reduces the power consumption of the entire device. As a result, the operating costs of the device are significantly reduced, enabling a reduction in the cost required to provide the final product, cells.

[0058] (Other Embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have 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.

[0059] For example, the door device 300 may be disposed inside the pass box 150 or outside the pass box (i.e., in the culture area R3 or the liquid handling area R4). Furthermore, in this case, it is possible to make the internal pressure of the chamber on which the door device 300 is installed higher than the internal pressure of the other chambers. With this configuration, a force toward the pass box 150 is generated on the door unit 301 based on the pressure difference between the first and second chambers and the pass box 150. Therefore, even if a slight force is applied to the door unit 301 from the pass box 150 side, the pressure difference can maintain the door unit 301 in a closed state. As a result, the atmosphere between the pass box 150 and the outside can be isolated, further reliably avoiding contamination. This makes it possible to further maintain the quality of the cells, which are the final product.

[0060] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the opening in which the door device 300 is provided is rectangular. However, the shape of the opening is not limited to rectangular, and it may be circular or polygonal. In either case, the same effects as those described above can be obtained. In addition, if the opening is circular, an existing O-ring can be immediately reused as the sealing member 303, which can reduce the manufacturing and maintenance costs of the device.

[0061] <Additional Notes> The pass box 150 and the cell culture system 100 described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0062] (1) A pass box 150 according to a first aspect includes a first chamber having a first environment, a second chamber having a second environment different from the first environment, a box body 151 communicating with the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively, and provided between the first chamber and the second chamber, a door portion 301 provided in an openable and closable manner on at least one of an opening formed between the box body 151 and the first chamber and an opening formed between the box body 151 and the second chamber, an elastic member 302 pressing the door portion 301 in a closing direction, and a sealing member 303 provided on an edge of the opening.

[0063] According to the above configuration, the elastic member 302 is provided between the door portion 301 and the opening. Therefore, when the door portion 301 is closed, the impact when the door portion 301 collides with the edge of the opening is absorbed by the elastic member 302. Therefore, even when the door portion 301 is closed at high speed, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the door portion 301 will bounce off the edge of the opening or that the edge of the opening will be damaged.

[0064] (2) The pass box 150 according to the second aspect is the pass box 150 of (1), in which the door portion 301 covers the opening and has a door body 401 that can rotate around a rotation axis O, an actuator 504 that drives the door body 401 around the rotation axis O, and a transmission control portion 505 that transmits the driving force of the actuator 504 only in the direction in which the door body 401 closes the opening.

[0065] According to the above configuration, even if an external force attempting to open the door body 401 in a closed state is applied, the external force can be resisted by the transmission restricting unit 505. Therefore, it is possible to stably maintain the closed state of the door body 401. Furthermore, since the closed state is maintained only by the transmission restricting unit 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 in order to keep the door body 401 closed. Therefore, the power consumption of the entire device can be kept low.

[0066] (3) The pass box 150 according to the third aspect is the pass box 150 of (2), in which the transmission restricting portion 505 is a two-way clutch mechanism provided coaxially with the output shaft of the actuator 504.

[0067] According to the above configuration, the transmission restricting portion 505 can be configured easily and inexpensively by simply using a ready-made two-way clutch mechanism.

[0068] (4) The pass box 150 according to the fourth aspect is the pass box 150 of (2), and the transmission control unit 505 has a worm gear 601 provided on the output shaft of the actuator 504 and a worm wheel 602 that is integral with the door body 401 and can rotate around the rotation axis O.

[0069] Here, when the worm gear 601 is driven to rotate, a rotational force is transmitted to the worm wheel 602, causing the worm wheel 602 to rotate. On the other hand, when a rotational force is generated on the worm wheel 602 side that is integral with the door main body 401, the rotational force is not transmitted to the worm gear 601. In other words, even if an external force that attempts to open the door main body 401 is applied, the combination of the worm wheel 602 and the worm gear 601 inhibits the transmission of the external force. This makes it possible to stably maintain the closed state of the door main body 401. Furthermore, because the closed state is maintained only by the transmission restricting unit 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 to keep the door main body 401 closed. This makes it possible to keep the power consumption of the entire device low.

[0070] (5) A pass box 150 according to a fifth aspect is the pass box 150 of (1), wherein the door portion 301 has a door body 401 that covers the opening and is slidable in a direction along the opening, a guide member 701 that is provided at the edge of the opening and guides the door body 401 in a first direction, and a drive unit 702 that slides the door body 401 along the guide member 701, and the guide member 701 has a cam groove 703 that extends in a direction approaching the opening as it moves from one side to the other side of the first direction, and a cam follower 704 that is provided in the door body 401 and engages with the cam groove 703.

[0071] According to the above configuration, the cam follower 704 of the door body 401 moves in the first direction by being guided by the cam groove 703 of the guide member 701. Since the cam groove 703 extends in a direction approaching the opening as it moves toward the other side in the first direction, the door body 401 is eventually pressed against the edge of the opening, closing the opening. This makes it possible to close the opening more quickly.

[0072] (6) A pass box 150 according to a sixth aspect is the pass box 150 of (5), wherein the drive unit 702 includes an actuator 504 having an output shaft rotatable around an axis P, a driving pulley 705 provided on the output shaft, a driven pulley 706 arranged at a distance from the driving pulley 705, a belt 707 stretched between the driving pulley 705 and the driven pulley 706, a connection unit 708 connecting the belt 707 to the door body 401, and a transmission control unit 505 that transmits the driving force of the actuator 504 only in the direction in which the door body 401 closes the opening.

[0073] According to the above configuration, when the driven pulley 705 is rotated by the actuator 504, the belt 707 rotates in the same direction. As a result, the door body 401, which is connected to the belt 707 via the connection part 708, moves, thereby opening and closing the opening. Furthermore, even if an external force attempting to open the door body 401 in the closed state is applied, the transmission restricting part 505 can resist the external force. Therefore, the closed state of the door body 401 can be stably maintained. Furthermore, because the closed state is maintained only by the transmission restricting part 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 to keep the door body 401 closed. This makes it possible to keep the power consumption of the entire device low.

[0074] (7) The pass box 150 according to the seventh aspect is the pass box 150 of (6), in which the transmission restricting portion 505 is a two-way clutch mechanism provided coaxially with the output shaft of the actuator 504.

[0075] According to the above configuration, the transmission restricting portion 505 can be configured easily and inexpensively by simply using a ready-made two-way clutch mechanism.

[0076] (8) The pass box 150 according to the eighth aspect is the pass box 150 of (6), and the transmission control unit 505 has a worm gear 601 provided on the output shaft of the actuator 504 and a worm wheel 602 that is integral with the door body 401 and can rotate around the axis P.

[0077] Here, when the worm gear 601 is driven to rotate, a rotational force is transmitted to the worm wheel 602, causing the worm wheel 602 to rotate. On the other hand, when a rotational force is generated on the worm wheel 602 side that is integral with the door main body 401, the rotational force is not transmitted to the worm gear 601. In other words, even if an external force that attempts to open the door main body 401 is applied, the combination of the worm wheel 602 and the worm gear 601 inhibits the transmission of the external force. This makes it possible to stably maintain the closed state of the door main body 401. Furthermore, because the closed state is maintained only by the transmission restricting unit 505, there is no need to generate torque in the actuator 504 to keep the door main body 401 closed. This makes it possible to keep the power consumption of the entire device low.

[0078] (9) The pass box 150 according to the ninth aspect is the pass box 150 according to any one of the aspects (1) to (8), in which the door portion 301 is provided on the first chamber side and the second chamber side, respectively, and the internal pressure of the first chamber and the second chamber is set higher than the internal pressure of the box body 151.

[0079] According to the above configuration, a force toward the pass box 150 is generated on the door part 301 based on the pressure difference between the first chamber and the second chamber and the pass box 150. Therefore, even if a slight force is applied to the door part 301 from the pass box 150 side, the pressure difference can keep the door part 301 in a closed state.

[0080] (10) The pass box 150 according to the tenth aspect includes an incubator 130 as the first chamber forming a culture area R3 in which a container (flask 12) is accommodated, a clean bench 140 as the second chamber forming a liquid handling area R4 in which dispensing operations are performed on the container, a transport device 170 capable of transporting the container between the culture area R3 and the liquid handling area R4, and a pass box 150 according to any one of aspects (1) to (9) capable of transferring the container between the incubator 130 and the clean bench 140.

[0081] According to the above configuration, contamination is avoided, making it possible to provide cells with better quality and activity.

[0082] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a pass box and a cell culture system that can improve the speed at which the door can be opened and closed and that can more reliably avoid contamination.

[0083] 1...Flask unit 11...Flask tray 12...Flask (container) 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 154...Rotary transfer device 160...Measuring device 161...Culture medium supply device 162...Waste liquid tank 170...Transfer device 171...First transfer robot 172...Second transfer robot 173...Third transfer robot 174...Fourth transport robot 201...Arm drive unit 202...Arm 203...Holding unit 300...Door device 301...Door unit 302...Elastic member 303...Sealing member 400...Opening and closing device 401...Door body 501...Support stay 502...Frame 503...Guide rail 504...Actuator 505...Transmission regulation unit 506...Coupling 507...Shaft 601...Worm gear 602...Worm wheel 701...Guide member 702...Drive unit 703...Cam groove 704...Cam follower 705...Driven pulley 706...Driven pulley 707...Belt 708...Connection unit O...Pivoting axis P...Axis R1...Storage area R2...Loading area R3...Cultivation area R4...Liquid handling area X...Arm pivoting axis

Claims

1. A pass box comprising: a first chamber having a first environment; a second chamber having a second environment different from the first environment; a box body communicating with the first chamber and the second chamber respectively and disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber; a door portion provided in an openable and closable manner on at least one of an opening formed between the box body and the first chamber and an opening formed between the box body and the second chamber; an elastic member pressing the door portion in a closing direction; and a sealing member provided on an edge of the opening.

2. A pass box as described in claim 1, wherein the door portion comprises: a door body that covers the opening and is rotatable about a rotation axis; an actuator that drives the door body about the rotation axis; and a transmission control portion that transmits the driving force of the actuator only in a direction in which the door body closes the opening.

3. A pass box as described in claim 2, wherein the transmission restricting portion is a two-way clutch mechanism provided coaxially with the output shaft of the actuator.

4. A pass box as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the transmission regulating section has a worm gear provided on the output shaft of the actuator, and a worm wheel integral with the door body and rotatable around the pivot axis.

5. A pass box as described in claim 1, wherein the door portion comprises: a door body covering the opening and slidable in a direction along the opening; a guide member provided at an edge of the opening for guiding the door body in a first direction; and a drive portion for sliding the door body along the guide member, wherein the guide member comprises a cam groove extending in a direction approaching the opening as it moves from one side to the other side in the first direction; and a cam follower provided on the door body for engaging with the cam groove.

6. The pass box as described in claim 5, wherein the drive unit comprises: an actuator having an output shaft rotatable about an axis; a driving pulley provided on the output shaft; a driven pulley arranged at a distance from the driving pulley; a belt stretched between the driving pulley and the driven pulley; a connection unit connecting the belt to the door body; and a transmission control unit that transmits the driving force of the actuator only in the direction in which the door body closes the opening.

7. A pass box as described in claim 6, wherein the transmission restricting portion is a two-way clutch mechanism provided coaxially with the output shaft of the actuator.

8. A pass box as described in claim 6, wherein the transmission regulating portion has a worm gear provided on the output shaft of the actuator, and a worm wheel that is integral with the door body and can rotate around the axis.

9. A pass box as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the door portions are provided on the first chamber side and the second chamber side, respectively, and the internal pressure of the first chamber and the second chamber is set higher than the internal pressure of the box body.

10. A cell culture system comprising: an incubator forming a culture area in which containers are housed; a clean bench forming a liquid handling area in which dispensing operations are performed on the containers; a transport device capable of transporting the containers between the culture area and the liquid handling area; and a pass box as described in claim 1 capable of transferring the containers between the incubator as the first chamber and the clean bench as the second chamber.

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