Cell Culture Parameter Transfer for Automated Culturing Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing culturing apparatuses face challenges in setting appropriate conditions for cell culture due to a lack of knowledge transfer between manual and automated systems, leading to high burdens on operators and difficulties in ensuring equivalent results, hindering widespread adoption and customization.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize an initial-stage determination of apparatus-culturing conditions based on manual conditions, followed by a testing phase and setting phase to generate a customized culturing apparatus, incorporating a database for managing condition pairs and a control unit for automated cell culture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a culturing apparatus is introduced to automate cell culture, then temporal and physical burdens on operators are reduced, but the operator's ability to set appropriate apparatus-culturing conditions deteriorates due to lack of knowledge transfer from manual culture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an assistance apparatus as an intermediary between the operator and the culturing apparatus. This assistance apparatus stores accumulated knowledge of apparatus-culturing conditions and provides appropriate setting values to the operator, enabling reliable condition setting without requiring the operator to have extensive expertise in apparatus culture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a database that copies and stores accumulated knowledge from previous apparatus-culturing tests and manual culturing conditions. By retrieving and reusing this accumulated knowledge for new cell types or conditions, the system avoids redundant testing and ensures reliable condition settings based on proven data.
2Reliability
If repeated apparatus-culturing tests are run to find appropriate conditions, then reliable culturing conditions are obtained, but time consumption and testing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by accumulating and storing apparatus-culturing condition knowledge in advance through database records from previous tests. When a new cell type or condition needs to be tested, the system retrieves relevant pre-accumulated knowledge to provide initial setting values, eliminating the need to start testing from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the database to copy proven apparatus-culturing conditions from previous successful tests and applies them to new situations. This copying of validated knowledge avoids redundant time-consuming testing while maintaining reliability, as the settings are based on accumulated proven data rather than new empirical testing.
3Reliability
If customized culturing apparatus are created for each cell type, then optimal culturing results are achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal assistance apparatus that can handle multiple cell types and culturing conditions through a single database system. Instead of creating separate customized apparatus for each cell type, the system provides customized settings dynamically based on the specific cell type and conditions, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves customization through parameter changes in the software/database rather than physical hardware customization. By changing the setting values and parameters in the assistance apparatus database based on cell type, the system provides optimized culturing conditions for each cell type without modifying the physical apparatus structure, thus reducing manufacturing complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If manufacturers provide standardized culturing apparatus, then production costs are reduced, but the ability to meet specific cell culture needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adaptability through the assistance apparatus database that can be updated and configured for different cell types. The standardized physical apparatus remains the same, but the software-based condition settings dynamically adapt to specific cell culture needs, allowing a single standardized model to serve multiple specialized purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The assistance apparatus acts as an intermediary layer between the standardized culturing apparatus and the specific cell culture requirements. It translates diverse cell type needs into appropriate setting values for the standardized hardware, enabling the same physical apparatus to meet various specialized requirements without custom manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present invention, an initial-stage test apparatus-culturing condition (parameter set) is determined (22) on the basis of a manual culturing condition (26) for a specific cell. Multiple apparatus-culturing tests (20) are run in accordance with multiple test apparatus-culturing conditions, including the initial-stage test apparatus-culturing condition. A test apparatus-culturing condition at the time point when the result of an apparatus-culturing test satisfies requirement specifications is set (40) in a culturing apparatus as a setting apparatus-culturing condition, and the culturing apparatus is set up by using said setting apparatus-culturing condition.