Cell Culture Device Nested Cylinder Membrane Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cell culture devices require high dimensional accuracy to securely hold thin cell culture membranes, complicating the manufacturing process and increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A cell culture device design featuring a tubular first inner cylinder with a cell culture membrane folded over one end, an outer cylinder with a slit to hold the membrane between its inner and outer surfaces, and optional grip portions for handling, which reduces the need for precise dimensional accuracy and simplifies assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If concave-convex shapes are used to hold the cell culture membrane, then the membrane can be securely held, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and costs increase due to high dimensional accuracy requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate cylindrical components (first inner cylinder, outer cylinder) that can be manufactured independently with relaxed tolerances, then assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be made simpler while maintaining overall holding reliability through their combined action.
Solution Approach 2:
The first inner cylinder is placed inside the outer cylinder, creating a nested structure. This nesting arrangement allows the thin cell culture membrane to be held between the two cylinders without requiring high dimensional accuracy from individual components, as the cumulative effect of both cylinders provides secure holding.
2Reliability
If high dimensional accuracy is required for ring-shaped members, then the cell culture membrane can be securely held, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the holding structure into multiple cylindrical components rather than using a single ring-shaped member, each component can be manufactured with lower dimensional accuracy requirements, reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining reliable membrane holding.
Solution Approach 2:
The design changes from requiring high dimensional accuracy parameters in individual components to achieving reliable holding through the combined action of multiple components with relaxed parameters, effectively changing the accuracy requirement parameter from component-level to system-level.
3Length of moving object
If the cell culture membrane is made thin (several μm to several tens μm), then cell culture performance is improved, but the device requires higher dimensional accuracy to hold it securely
Solution Approach 1:
The nested cylindrical structure provides a stable holding environment for thin membranes by distributing the holding function across multiple components, reducing the dimensional accuracy burden on any single component while enabling secure holding of membranes with thickness of several μm to several tens μm.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying on precise two-dimensional dimensions of ring-shaped members, the design transitions to a three-dimensional nested cylindrical structure where the holding reliability comes from the radial and axial dimensions of multiple cylinders working together, reducing sensitivity to dimensional variations.
Data Source
AI summary
A cell culture device comprises a first inner cylinder formed in a tubular shape, a cell culture membrane placed to cover over an entire one end of the first inner cylinder and configured to be folded down toward an outer surface of the first inner cylinder along an outer circumference at the one end of the first inner cylinder, and an outer cylinder formed in a tubular shape, configured to place the first inner cylinder inside thereof such that a height direction of the outer cylinder is identical with a height direction of the first inner cylinder, and provided with a first slit in an area overlapping with at least the one end of the first inner cylinder to be extended in the height direction, wherein the cell culture membrane is held between an inner wall surface of the outer cylinder and the outer surface of the first inner cylinder.