Cell Information Management System for Traceable Sheet Formation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for managing cell culture information lack traceability when cells are cultured under different conditions, leading to difficulties in identifying and improving cell sheet formation and transplantation outcomes.

Innovation Solution

A cell information management system that integrates additional information from multiple cell culture units using an integrated information acquisition unit, allowing for the classification, compression, and conversion of data into secondary information for secure traceability and visualization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If cells are cultured under different culture lines or culture conditions to form a cell sheet, then the versatility and adaptability of the cell sheet is improved, but the traceability of cell culture information is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveversatility of cell sheet formationVSAvoidtraceability of cell culture information
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges information from multiple cell culture units into a single integrated data structure. The information integration unit combines culture conditions, cell types, and identification data from different culture units (W1-W6) into unified cell sheet information, allowing traceability to be maintained even when cells from different culture conditions are combined into a single cell sheet.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an information integration unit as an intermediary between multiple culture units and the final cell sheet. This intermediary component collects, processes, and integrates information from various culture units, maintaining the connection between the final cell sheet and its constituent cells' culture histories without requiring direct tracking of each individual cell.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If individual culture information is managed for each culture vessel using RFID or IC tags, then the measurement precision of cell information is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of cell information managementVSAvoidcomplexity of information management system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual culture unit information structures into a single integrated cell sheet information structure. Instead of managing separate RFID/IC tag systems for each culture unit independently, the system merges all culture information into one unified data structure that can be read and processed as a single entity, reducing system complexity while maintaining information precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If cells from multiple culture units are integrated to form a cell sheet, then the productivity of cell sheet production is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring cell information increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproductivity of cell sheet productionVSAvoiddifficulty of cell information traceability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary information integration by assigning unique identification information to each culture unit before cell harvesting and combining all culture information in advance during the information integration step. This preliminary organization of data makes subsequent detection and measurement straightforward, as all necessary information is already consolidated and structured before the cell sheet is finally assembled.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3203434B1Device, method and program for acquiring information on cells
Publication Date: 2020.04.08 FUJIFILM CORP
  • EP3203434B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3203434B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3203434B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention provides a cell information acquisition apparatus, a cell information acquisition method, and a cell information acquisition program capable of securing, when forming a tissue or the like using a plurality of cells, traceability of culture information of cells that form the tissue, or the like. The cell information acquisition apparatus includes an additional information acquisition unit 51 that acquires additional information assigned to a plurality of cell culture units; and an integrated information acquisition unit 52 that acquires, when integrating cells respectively cultured in the plurality of cell culture units to create an integrative cell culture unit, integrated information relating to the integrative cell culture unit by integrating the additional information of the respective cell culture units.