Cell Evaluation Adapter Sealing for Leak-Free Medium Refreshment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cell evaluation devices with adapters face issues of medium leakage due to insufficient sealing between the culture vessel and adapter, particularly in smaller vessels, leading to inefficiencies in medium refreshment.

Innovation Solution

A cell evaluation device with an adapter featuring a truncated cone-shaped body and a flexible sheet member that seals against the inner peripheral face of the cell housing unit, ensuring tight fit and preventing medium leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If an adapter is fitted into a small culture vessel to enable automatic medium refreshment, then time and effort for medium refreshment are saved, but sealing between the adapter and culture vessel becomes insufficient due to dimensional errors, causing leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedium refreshment efficiencyVSAvoidsealing reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible sealing ring made of elastic material that can deform to adapt to dimensional variations between the adapter and culture vessel. This flexible membrane structure ensures reliable sealing even when there are manufacturing tolerances or size variations, particularly in small culture vessels where rigid sealing would be difficult to achieve.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing mechanism utilizes elastic deformation of the sealing ring material, changing its physical parameters (shape and size) to accommodate dimensional errors. The elastic material can stretch and compress to maintain contact pressure and sealing effectiveness across a range of interface dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If a tapered face is used on the adapter to enable easy fitting into the culture vessel, then insertion ease is improved, but gaps may be generated between the tapered face and inner face of the culture vessel, causing medium entry into the gap

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadapter insertion easeVSAvoidculture medium leakage into gap

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible sealing ring is positioned to seal the gap between the tapered outer peripheral face of the adapter and the inner peripheral face of the culture vessel. The elastic material deforms to fill and seal the gap, preventing culture medium from entering while maintaining the ease of insertion provided by the tapered geometry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing ring acts as an intermediary element between the adapter and culture vessel, mediating the interface where the tapered surfaces meet. It prevents the harmful effect of medium leakage into the gap while preserving the beneficial tapered insertion geometry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the adapter is made elastic to enable easy holding and fitting, then ease of operation is improved, but sealing precision may be compromised due to deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadapter handling easeVSAvoidsealing precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The adapter body is made of elastic material for ease of handling and fitting, while a separate flexible sealing ring provides the sealing function. The sealing ring's elasticity allows it to deform and adapt to the interface geometry, ensuring precise sealing even when the adapter itself undergoes elastic deformation during insertion and removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The adapter structure is segmented into the elastic adapter body for handling and the separate flexible sealing ring for sealing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function: the body for ease of operation and the sealing ring for sealing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The adapter effectively seals the culture medium within the cell housing unit, facilitating automatic medium refreshment and reducing manual effort, while maintaining a sterile environment.

Implementation Method 1

an adapter configured to be elastically deformed by being fitted into the cell housing unit to close the top opening

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12546733B2Cell evaluation device

Publication Date: 2026.02.10 SHIMADZU CORP

AI summary

The cell evaluation device includes a cell housing unit 111, and an adapter 120 configured to be elastically deformed by being fitted into the cell housing unit to close a top opening of the cell housing unit, and the adapter includes a body 121 to be inserted into the cell housing unit, a positioning unit 122 configured to position the body in a vertical direction with respect to the cell housing unit, a culture medium inlet port 124 and a culture medium outlet port 125 penetrating the top end and the lower end of the body, and a flexible sheet member 123 which is provided on a lower end of the body and extends radially outward from an outer edge of the lower end. This makes it possible to prevent leakage of the culture medium in the cell evaluation device.