Culturing Device Weight Detection for Liquid Supply Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell culture devices fail to accurately measure the amount of chemical agents supplied to culture vessels due to instability in the shape and meniscus of flexible culture vessels, leading to inaccuracies in liquid flow measurements.
Innovation Solution
A culture device equipped with a weight detector, rotation mechanism, and control system that sets reference values to accurately measure and supply liquids to culture vessels by stabilizing the vessel's shape and monitoring the weight changes during liquid supply and discharge, ensuring precise volume control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a flexible culture vessel (bag) is used, then the vessel can be easily handled and sterilized, but the shape and meniscus become unstable making liquid amount measurement inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the visual/optical measurement method (reading meniscus level) with a weight detection system. A weight detector measures the weight of the culture vessel before and after liquid supply, and the control portion calculates the liquid amount based on weight difference. This substitution eliminates the measurement errors caused by the flexible vessel's unstable shape and meniscus, while preserving the ease of sterilization advantage of flexible bags.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the position of the tube connected to the flexible bag changes, then the bag can accommodate volume changes, but the weight detection accuracy is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The control portion continuously monitors the weight detector's output during liquid supply and dynamically adjusts the liquid supply amount based on real-time weight feedback. This closed-loop control ensures that even if the tube position changes and affects the weight reading, the system can compensate by adjusting the supply to achieve the target liquid amount accurately.
3Extent of automation
If automatic liquid supply is implemented, then labor is reduced, but accurate measurement of supplied liquid amount becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic liquid supply with integrated weight detection and control. The weight detector automatically measures the culture vessel's weight, and the control portion automatically calculates and adjusts the liquid supply amount based on weight change. This combination of automation with weight-based measurement ensures both labor reduction and accurate liquid amount control.
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
The device ensures accurate measurement and supply of liquids to culture vessels, preventing overfilling and maintaining vessel stability, thus enhancing the reliability of cell culture processes.
Implementation Method 1
a weight detector detecting a weight of the culture vessel and the vessel holding portion
Data Source
AI summary
A culture device supplying an accurate amount of liquid into a culture bag has a culture bag having ports, a first bag holding portion having supporting surfaces supporting the culture bag, a rotation mechanism rotating the first bag holding portion, a liquid supplying mechanism supplying a liquid through a tube communicating with the ports a weight detector detecting the weight of the culture bag and the first bag holding portion, and a control portion, in which the control portion sets a first reference value according to a first detection information output from the weight detector in a first state and carries out a liquid supplying step of stopping the liquid supplying mechanism under the condition where a second detection information output from the weight detector when a liquid is supplied to the culturing bag reaches a first target value obtained by adding the weight of the liquid to be supplied to the first reference value.