Ring Gear Pumping for Cell Culture Media Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell culture media supply apparatuses cannot actively control the supply speed of cell culture media and fail to supply different media types to co-cultivated cells in cell culture chips.
Innovation Solution
A cell culture media supply apparatus featuring a ring gear and a membrane with channel-shaped driving pressure transmission units, allowing for precise control of media supply speed and simultaneous supply of different media types to multiple cells in cell culture chips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cell culture media are supplied by gravity and surface tension to simulate in-vivo environment, then physiological condition is maintained, but supply speed cannot be actively controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces passive gravity-based supply with an active mechanical pumping system. The ring gear with driving pressure transmission units mechanically pressurizes the cell culture media reservoir, enabling controlled media supply while maintaining physiological simulation conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic pressure transmission through the ring gear mechanism to control media flow. The driving pressure transmission units transmit mechanical pressure to the media reservoir, enabling hydraulic control of supply speed while maintaining physiological conditions.
2Device complexity
If single media supply system is used, then device complexity is reduced, but different media types cannot be supplied to co-cultivated cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media supply system by providing separate reservoirs for different cell types within the same chip. The ring gear mechanism can selectively pressurize different reservoirs, enabling differentiated media supply to co-cultivated cells while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different regions of the chip to receive different media types through selective pressurization of specific reservoirs by the ring gear mechanism, enabling customized media delivery to different cell populations.
3Ease of operation
If tubing is used to connect media supply apparatus to cell culture chip, then media can be supplied, but contamination risk and media usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the media reservoir directly with the cell culture chip structure, eliminating external tubing connections. The ring gear pressurizes the integrated reservoir, enabling direct media supply to cells without contamination-prone external pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the tubing component from the system by integrating the reservoir directly into the chip structure, removing the contamination vector while maintaining media supply functionality through the ring gear pressurization system.
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 accurate and controlled supply of cell culture media to multiple cells, mimicking physiological conditions, and reduces contamination and media usage by eliminating the need for separate tubing.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane attached onto the back surface of the top cover and having a channel-shaped driving pressure transmission unit, in which the ring gear protrudes upwards and pressing and transforming the driving pressure transmission unit to allow the driving pressure transmission unit to perform a pump operation
Implementation Method 2
the driving pressure transmission unit connects two channels among a plurality of channels formed on a back surface of the top cover to one
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a cell culture media supply apparatus supplying cell culture media to cell culture chips, which includes: a base unit including a ring-shaped ring gear which is rotatable; a top cover provided at an upper portion of the base unit, equipped with a cell culture chip on an upper periphery, having a cell culture media reservoir provided on an upper surface, and having a plurality of channels formed on a back surface; and a membrane attached onto the back surface of the top cover and having a channel-shaped driving pressure transmission unit, in which the ring gear protrudes upwards and pressing and transforming the driving pressure transmission unit to allow the driving pressure transmission unit to perform a pump operation.