Cell Incubator with RFID and Optical pH Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell culture monitoring systems either risk contamination when measuring conditions directly on culture containers or fail to accurately monitor conditions due to using separate measurement cuvettes, leading to incomplete monitoring of cell culture conditions.
Innovation Solution
A cell incubator equipped with an RFID tag and integrated sensors that measure temperature, CO2 concentration, and other parameters, allowing for wireless transmission of data to a communicating apparatus while preventing contamination, and a light-based measuring unit for pH monitoring, enabling continuous and accurate condition monitoring without removing the cell culture container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a measurement is performed directly on a culture container, then the conditions of cells under culture can be correctly known, but there is a fear that a contamination problem arises in cell culture
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into two separate components: a measuring unit that remains outside the culture container and an RFID tag attached to the culture container. The measuring unit measures conditions (temperature, CO2 concentration, pH) and stores them in the RFID tag, eliminating the need to insert measurement devices into the culture container and thus preventing contamination while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tag serves as an intermediary between the culture container and the external measuring unit. It stores measurement data and enables wireless communication of culture condition information to external systems without requiring physical contact or insertion into the sterile culture environment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a cuvette which is different from a culture container is set as the measurement object, then the possibility of contamination is reduced, but it is impossible to detect the contamination when the contamination does not occur in the cuvette
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring unit and RFID tag are integrated into a unified system where the measuring unit externally measures conditions and stores data in the RFID tag attached to the culture container. This combination allows contamination-free measurement while ensuring direct monitoring of the actual culture container conditions through integrated data storage and wireless communication.
3Loss of information
If information is written on a label pasted to the container, then identification is possible, but it is required to seek out the desired container and take it out to check the information
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID tag enables automatic feedback of culture condition information (temperature, CO2 concentration, pH, passage history) to external systems through wireless communication. This eliminates the need for manual container retrieval and inspection, allowing real-time monitoring and immediate access to culture status data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical inspection (retrieving and reading physical labels) with wireless electromagnetic communication. The RFID tag transmits culture condition data wirelessly to external monitoring systems, substituting physical information access with automated electronic data retrieval.
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 continuous, accurate, and contamination-free monitoring of cell culture conditions, improving the management of cell culture environments and reducing human errors by allowing remote data acquisition and alarm notifications for abnormal values.
Implementation Method 1
An RFID tag may be attached to the culture cell accommodating section which is configured to transmit predetermined information to a communicating apparatus in response to reception of a signal that is wirelessly transmitted from the communicating apparatus
Implementation Method 2
a sensor which is configured to directly or indirectly measure at least one of a temperature of the culture solution, a carbon dioxide concentration, an oxygen concentration, an oxygen partial pressure, a glucose concentration, a lactate concentration, and an ammonia concentration
Implementation Method 3
a light emitting section and a light receiving section, the measuring unit in which the light emitting section transmits light through the culture solution and the light receiving section receives the transmitted light, thereby measuring a condition of the culture solution
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is directed to a cell incubator comprising a culture cell accommodating section which accommodates cells to be cultured and a culture solution; and a measuring unit accommodating section which accommodates a measuring unit that includes a light emitting section and a light receiving section, the measuring unit in which the light emitting section transmits light through the culture solution and the light receiving section receives the transmitted light, thereby measuring a condition of the culture solution, wherein a part of the culture cell accommodating section is located between the light emitting section and light receiving section.