Dynamic Cell Culture Tray Control for Uniform Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell culture methods fail to ensure uniform distribution of cells, leading to irregular growth patterns due to natural growth patterns and uneven supply of culture solution and gases.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses image analysis to determine cell density and adjust the movement of a tray, such as tilting or shaking, to optimize cell growth by controlling the distribution of cells within the culture medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If cells are cultured in a static container without movement, then the culture solution and gases can be easily supplied, but cells grow in irregularly distributed patterns due to natural growth patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming the static culture container into a dynamic system that can move and change position. The culture plate is mounted on a robotic arm that can dynamically adjust its position and orientation, allowing the culture system to actively manage cell distribution through controlled movement rather than remaining static. This dynamic capability enables the system to counteract natural irregular growth patterns by periodically repositioning the culture plate.
2Productivity
If the culture solution is continuously replaced to maintain optimal nutrient levels, then cell growth is stimulated, but the supply of solution through the culture space remains uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic repositioning of the culture plate to improve solution distribution uniformity. By moving the culture plate to different positions and orientations, the system ensures that culture solution is more evenly distributed across all culture wells during replacement operations, preventing localized depletion or accumulation of nutrients while maintaining continuous supply for optimal cell growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by using image analysis to monitor cell distribution patterns and using this information to guide subsequent culture plate repositioning decisions. The system captures images of the culture plate, analyzes cell distribution uniformity, and adjusts future movements to correct any identified non-uniformities, creating a closed-loop control system that continuously optimizes both nutrient distribution and cell growth conditions.
3Manufacturing precision
If image analysis is used to determine cell density and adjust tray movement, then uniform cell distribution is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs feedback control by capturing images of the culture plate, analyzing cell distribution patterns through image processing algorithms, and using this analytical information to determine optimal repositioning movements. The feedback loop continuously monitors cell density and distribution uniformity, then adjusts tray movement parameters to correct any non-uniformities, enabling precise control of cell distribution despite the added system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual monitoring and adjustment of cell distribution with an automated optical system. Instead of mechanical inspection methods or manual intervention, the system uses image capture and digital analysis to detect cell density patterns, substituting mechanical complexity with optical and computational approaches that provide more precise and consistent measurement and control capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling a motion of a cell culture includes a tray adapted to hold a cell culture, a camera adapted to capture an image of the cell culture, and a device adapted to control a movement of the tray. The system also includes a processor adapted to determine a first movement of the tray, receive from the camera data representing an image of the cell culture, determine a characteristic of the cell culture based on the image data, determine a second movement of the tray based on the characteristic, the second movement being different from the first movement, and cause the tray to move in accordance with the second movement.