Automated Culturing Apparatus with Independent Incubator Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automated culturing systems struggle to set optimal culturing conditions for individual culture containers due to the inability to customize conditions for each container, leading to variations in cell growth reproducibility.

Innovation Solution

An automated culturing apparatus equipped with multiple incubators, an imaging unit, and processing circuitry that allows for independent control of culturing conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and gas composition, for each incubator based on real-time imaging and analysis of cell growth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If automated culturing apparatus is used, then operator variability is reduced, but individualized culturing conditions for each container cannot be set

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereproducibility of cell culturingVSAvoidability to set individualized culturing conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the culturing environment into multiple independent incubators, each capable of maintaining separate culturing conditions. This segmentation allows each culture container to have customized temperature, humidity, and gas composition settings while still being part of an automated system, thereby resolving the contradiction between automation and individualized control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts culturing conditions for each incubator based on real-time imaging data and cell growth analysis. The processing circuitry continuously monitors cell states and automatically modifies culturing parameters, enabling adaptive individualized control within an automated framework.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple incubators with independent control are implemented, then individualized culturing conditions can be set, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividualized culturing conditionsVSAvoidnumber of incubators and control systems

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each incubator is designed as a multi-functional unit that integrates imaging capabilities, environmental control, and data processing. This universal design allows a single incubator to perform multiple functions that would otherwise require separate devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining individualized culturing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges the imaging unit, processing circuitry, and multiple incubator controls into an integrated platform. By combining these functions into a unified system with centralized data processing and coordinated control, the complexity of managing multiple independent devices is reduced.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250084363A1Automated culturing apparatus and automated culturing method

Publication Date: 2025.03.13 CANON MEDICAL SYST CORP

AI summary

According to one embodiment, an automated culturing apparatus includes a plurality of incubators, an imaging unit and processing circuitry. The plurality of incubators is configured to store one or more culture containers in which a cell or a biological tissue is cultured. The imaging unit is configured to capture an image of the cell or the biological tissue in the culture containers in the incubators. The processing circuitry is configured to control delivery and discharge of a cell suspension and a medium for the culture containers stored in each of the incubators, and control a culturing condition of the cell or the biological tissue independently for each incubator.