Stacked Cell Culture Device with Curved Bottom Venting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stacked tray cell culture systems occupy significant space due to their height and footprint, limiting the total growing surface area without increasing the number of trays or tray footprint.
Innovation Solution
The cell culture device comprises a stack of trays with a higher tray-to-height ratio, allowing for increased growing surface area per unit height through a tongue-in-groove joint design for efficient stacking and adhesive bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional stacked tray systems are used with standard height dimensions, then adequate headspace for gas exchange is maintained, but the device occupies significant incubator and storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from horizontal expansion (increasing tray footprint) to vertical compression (reducing tray height) by redesigning the tray profile. The curved bottom surface and optimized wall geometry allow stacking multiple trays vertically while maintaining adequate headspace volume for gas exchange, thereby reducing the overall device footprint without compromising cellular respiration requirements
2Productivity
If the number of trays per stack is increased to provide larger cell growth surface area, then productivity increases, but the device height and space occupation increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the tray structure, specifically reducing the height dimension while optimizing the curved bottom surface area. This allows a higher density of trays to be stacked vertically (e.g., 10 trays in a compact configuration) without proportionally increasing the overall device height, thereby increasing total cell growth surface area while controlling the footprint
3Volume of stationary object
If tray height is reduced to decrease device footprint, then space usage is optimized, but headspace for gas exchange may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a curved bottom surface geometry that optimizes the distribution of headspace volume. The curved profile allows the culture medium to form an optimal meniscus shape, ensuring adequate gas exchange surface area is maintained even when the overall tray height is reduced. This curvature optimization enables compact vertical stacking while preserving the functional headspace volume required for cellular respiration
Data Source
AI summary
A cell culturing device includes a plurality of trays that are stacked on top of each other, each of the plurality of trays having a floor and an upstanding encircling sidewall, the floor and the encircling sidewall of each tray bounding a space configured to hold a liquid cell culture medium, the plurality of trays comprising a top tray, a bottom tray and one or more intermediate trays disposed therebetween. The bottom tray and the one or more intermediate trays each have a first venting port extending upwardly from the floor thereof, each first venting port bounding a channel passing through the floor of the corresponding tray and being in fluid communication with an adjacent tray. The channel of the bottom tray is openly exposed so that a gas can flow from the space of the bottom tray through the channel of the bottom tray.