Cell Culture System with Camera-Based Liquid Thickness Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell culture systems face challenges in finely controlling the inflow and discharge of medium to culture bags, particularly due to issues with weight sensors being difficult to fix, vulnerable to temperature changes, and affected by tube tension, and lack of liquid thickness detection and control, which affects medium uniformity and cell culture quality.
Innovation Solution
A cell culture system with a culture bag having multiple ports connected to a medium container through tubular members, where each port is equipped with supply means such as pumps, and a control system that adjusts pump operations based on liquid thickness detection to maintain uniform medium levels, allowing for precise medium circulation and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If weight sensors are used to measure medium weight, then medium supply control is enabled, but the sensors are difficult to fix, vulnerable to temperature changes, and affected by tube tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces weight sensors (mechanical measurement system) with a camera-based vision system. The camera captures images of the culture bag, and liquid thickness is measured by image processing to calculate the distance between the upper and lower surfaces of the culture bag. This substitution eliminates the mechanical contact and vulnerability of weight sensors while achieving precise medium supply measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a transparent or translucent culture bag as an intermediary that allows optical measurement. The culture bag material enables the camera to detect the liquid level and thickness through the bag wall, facilitating non-contact measurement without direct contact with the medium or sensor contamination.
2Manufacturing precision
If liquid thickness detection is implemented, then medium uniformity and cell culture quality improve, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system serves multiple functions: it monitors liquid thickness for medium uniformity control, tracks the position of culture bags during rotation and inversion, and can potentially detect cell confluency. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sensors for each measurement task, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity while achieving precise medium uniformity control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing transparent culture bag structure as part of the measurement system. The bag's transparency enables optical detection without requiring additional transparent windows or special structural modifications, allowing the bag itself to contribute to the measurement function and reducing overall system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If multiple pumps are connected in series to control medium supply to multiple culture bags, then synchronized control is possible, but the work of attaching pumps to tubes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple pumps into a single pump system. One pump is used to supply medium to multiple culture bags through a distribution manifold or multiple tubes, eliminating the need to attach separate pumps to each tube. This reduces assembly work while maintaining synchronized control capability through centralized pump operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A single pump is designed to perform multiple functions by supplying medium to multiple culture bags simultaneously. The pump system is configured with multiple output connections or uses a manifold to distribute medium to different bags, making one pump serve multiple purposes and reducing the total number of pumps needed.
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
This system enables precise control of medium supply and discharge, ensuring uniform medium distribution, preventing cell movement, and allowing for increased culture area by rotating and inverting culture bags, thereby improving cell culture quality and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the tubular member connected to a first port of the plurality of ports is provided with first supply means, and the tubular member connected to a second port of the plurality of ports is provided with second supply means
Implementation Method 2
allowing for increased culture area by rotating and inverting culture bags
Data Source
AI summary
A cell culture system includes a culture bag made of a flexible packaging material and having a plurality of ports, a medium container that stores a medium to be transferred to the culture bag, and a control part that controls the supply of the medium, tubular members are connected to the respective ports to circularly connect the culture bag and the medium container through the tubular members, the tubular member connected to a first port of the plurality of ports is provided with first supply unit (e.g., pump), and the tubular member connected to a second port of the plurality of ports is provided with second supply unit (e.g., pump), and the control part controls the operation of at least the first supply unit or the second supply unit to circulate the medium in the culture bag and the medium container.