Tissue Culture Microscope Liquid Supply Protrusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tissue culture microscope systems face challenges in maintaining a stable cell culture environment during dosing, leading to temperature and environmental changes that affect cell observations, and existing dosing apparatuses are costly and complicated, making them inefficient and prone to mold growth.

Innovation Solution

A tissue culture microscope apparatus with a temperature-controlled culture chamber, a liquid supply unit that matches the liquid temperature to the chamber temperature, and a pipette system that injects reagents without opening the chamber, maintaining a consistent environment and simplifying cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a specific dosing apparatus is installed in the incubator to avoid environmental changes and temperature effects, then the cell culture environment stability is improved, but the device complexity increases and cleaning becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell culture environment stabilityVSAvoidincubator structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dosing function is segmented from the main incubator body by using a protrusion portion that penetrates the chamber wall. This allows the liquid supply unit to be positioned outside the temperature-controlled chamber while still enabling dosing inside, thereby maintaining environmental stability without complicating the incubator structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusion portion acts as an intermediary element that bridges the external liquid supply unit and the internal culture environment. It allows reagent injection without requiring the opening/closing cover to be opened, thus preventing environmental disruption while keeping the dosing mechanism simple and accessible for cleaning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If dosing is performed through an opening of the incubator, then the operation simplicity is improved, but the cell culture environment changes and temperature differences occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedosing operation simplicityVSAvoidcell culture environment stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid supply unit is prepared outside the incubator chamber, and the protrusion portion is pre-positioned to penetrate the chamber wall. This preliminary arrangement allows dosing to be performed by simply injecting liquid through the protrusion without opening the chamber, thus maintaining environmental stability while keeping the operation simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical action of opening the chamber cover to perform dosing is replaced by a liquid injection mechanism through the protrusion portion. This substitution eliminates the need to open the chamber, preventing environmental changes and temperature fluctuations while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If the liquid temperature does not match the chamber temperature, then the dosing speed is improved, but temperature effects on the cell occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedosing speedVSAvoidtemperature effects on cell
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid in the liquid supply unit is pre-heated or pre-cooled to match the chamber temperature before dosing. This preliminary temperature adjustment prevents temperature shocks to the cells during rapid dosing operations, thereby maintaining both dosing speed and cell safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The temperature parameter of the liquid is adjusted to match the chamber temperature. By changing the liquid temperature to coincide with the chamber temperature, the harmful thermal effects on cells are eliminated while allowing rapid dosing to proceed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 precise and cost-effective dosing without disrupting the cell culture environment, maintaining optimal temperature and humidity conditions, and simplifying the apparatus for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

a liquid supply unit that stores a liquid in a protrusion portion penetrating into a wall of the chamber and protruding to an inside of the chamber, matches a temperature of the liquid with the temperature of the chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature matching: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentEP1767615B1Tissue culture microscope apparatus
Publication Date: 2010.05.26 OLYMPUS CORPORATION(JP)
  • EP1767615B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1767615B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1767615B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A tissue culture microscope apparatus includes a culture unit (11, 24, 30 to 34) that includes a chamber (11) in which a specimen (S) is put, and maintains the chamber (11) at a predetermined temperature to culture the specimen (S); an observation unit (51, 56, 58) that forms an observation image of the specimen (S) put in the chamber (11); and a liquid supply unit (71, 71a, 72, 74, 71, 71a, 74, 75, 76, 76a, 80; 71, 71a, 74, 77, 78, 78a, 79, 80, 82) that stores a liquid in a protrusion portion (71b, 72b,; 71b, 75a; 71b, 77a) penetrating into a wall of the chamber (11) and protruding to an inside of the chamber (11), matches a temperature of the liquid with the temperature of the chamber (11), and injects the liquid from the protrusion portion (71b, 72b,; 71b, 75a; 71b, 77a) to the specimen (S).