Closed Cell Culture Kit with Segmented Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic cell culture devices lack a closed system configuration for processes such as cell injection, culture medium addition, sampling, and collection, leading to contamination risks and inefficient cell proliferation due to temperature and gas solubility issues.
Innovation Solution
A cell culture kit with a culture container, medium storage container, cell injection container, cell collection container, and sampling container, all connected by gas-permeable and low-cytotoxicity conduits, allowing for a closed system operation with temperature control to maintain optimal conditions for cell growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a refrigerated culture medium is directly supplied from storage container to culture container, then the culture medium remains fresh and sterile, but the temperature of culture medium in culture container is lowered and cell proliferation is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the culture medium supply path into separate segments: a refrigerated storage container for maintaining sterility and a separate heating mechanism or pre-heating chamber that warms the medium before it enters the culture container. This segmentation allows the medium to remain cold and sterile during storage while being heated only when and where needed for cell culture, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining sterility through refrigeration and providing appropriate temperature for cell proliferation.
2Temperature
If a refrigerated culture medium is transferred and heated, then the temperature is suitable for cell culture, but air bubbles are generated due to reduced gas solubility and cell proliferation is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary degassing of the culture medium before heating or during the heating process. A degassing mechanism removes dissolved gases from the medium prior to introducing it into the culture container, preventing bubble formation when the medium is subsequently heated. This preliminary action eliminates the harmful effect of air bubbles while maintaining the beneficial temperature increase for cell culture.
3Ease of operation
If exchange of waste liquid bag for cell collection bag is conducted in open system, then the operation is simple, but the risk of contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a closed connection mechanism or intermediary device that allows the waste liquid bag to be exchanged for the cell collection bag without breaking the sterile barrier. This intermediary maintains the closed system throughout the exchange process, preventing contamination while enabling the necessary bag replacement operation. The mechanism may include sealed connectors, automated exchange systems, or sterile docking stations that allow bag replacement without exposing the culture environment to external contaminants.
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
Enables automated cell culture processes from injection to collection while maintaining a closed system, preventing contamination and optimizing cell proliferation by minimizing temperature fluctuations and gas bubble formation.
Implementation Method 1
connected by gas-permeable and low-cytotoxicity conduits
Data Source
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AI summary
In the cell culture using a culture container, to enable automatic cell culture from injection of cells, addition of a culture medium, sampling to collection to be conducted in a kit while keeping a closed state. Provided is a cell culture kit for cultivating cells in a closed system that comprises at least one or more of each of: a culture container for cultivating cells; a culture medium storage container for storing a culture medium or the like; a cell injection container for injecting cells; and a cell collecting container for collecting a suspension of cells after cultivation; wherein the culture medium storage container is also used as a waste liquid container for collecting a culture medium after cultivation, and the culture container, the culture medium storage container, the cell injection container and the cell collecting container are linked to one another through a conduit. Also provided is a cell culture kit including at least one or more of a sampling container that is capable of sampling part of a suspension of cells during cultivation, wherein the sampling container is linked to the culture container through a conduit.