Touchscreen Sensor for In-Situ Cell Adhesion Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cell culture methods require removing culture vessels from a culturing apparatus for microscope observation to assess cell adhesion and proliferation, leading to contamination risks and inefficient workflow, as well as potential missed transfer timings.

Innovation Solution

A cell culturing apparatus with a touchscreen sensor integrated into the culturing chamber that detects cell adhesion positions and areas through a thin membrane-like film at the bottom of the culture vessel, allowing for wireless transmission of data for remote monitoring without removing the vessels, enabling timely assessment of culturing states without compromising sterility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If cells are observed using a microscope by removing the culture vessel from the culturing apparatus, then the culturing state and proliferation state can be checked, but the workflow becomes inefficient and contamination risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination riskVSAvoidworkflow efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the observation function with the culturing apparatus by integrating a touchscreen sensor directly into the bottom of the culture vessel. This allows cell adhesion detection to occur in-situ within the culturing apparatus, eliminating the need to remove vessels for observation and thereby maintaining workflow efficiency while reducing contamination risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a touchscreen sensor as an intermediary device that detects cell adhesion through the bottom membrane of the culture vessel. This mediator enables remote monitoring of cell states without direct visual observation through microscope removal, thus preventing contamination while maintaining observation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If cells are observed using a microscope by removing the culture vessel, then accurate assessment of cell adhesion area is possible, but time is lost and transfer timing may be missed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell adhesion area measurementVSAvoidtime for cell transfer decision

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The touchscreen sensor continuously monitors cell adhesion area in real-time within the culturing apparatus, enabling preliminary assessment of cell proliferation state. This allows researchers to determine the optimal transfer timing without removing vessels for intermittent microscope observations, thus preventing time loss and missed transfer windows.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous monitoring of cell adhesion area through the integrated touchscreen sensor, replacing the discontinuous observation method of removing vessels for microscope checks. This continuous measurement ensures timely detection of optimal transfer timing while maintaining uninterrupted culturing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Productivity

If a touchscreen sensor is integrated into the culturing chamber to detect cell adhesion, then contamination risk is reduced and workflow efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkflow efficiencyVSAvoidapparatus structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The touchscreen sensor serves multiple functions: it acts as both the bottom membrane of the culture vessel and the detection sensor. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving continuous monitoring capability for improved workflow efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 efficient and contamination-free monitoring of cell culturing states within the apparatus, allowing for accurate determination of completion times and reducing the risk of contamination, while maintaining the sterility of the culturing environment.

Implementation Method 1

a touchscreen sensor 13 that is brought into direct contact with the external surface of the bottom 8 of the culture vessel 2

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDirect contact sensing:

Data Source

PatentUS9909096B2Detector including touchscreen sensor to detect signals from cells in a culuture vessel. culture vessel including a touchscreen sensor,and cell detecting method

Publication Date: 2018.03.06 EVIDENT CORP

AI summary

In order to determine the culturing state of cells in a culture vessel in a simple manner at an appropriate timing without removing the culture vessel from the culturing apparatus, a cell culturing apparatus includes a culturing chamber that accommodates a culture vessel, which can accommodate cells in the interior thereof, and that maintains a predetermined temperature and humidity; a touchscreen sensor that is disposed inside the culturing chamber on a mounting surface, on which the culture vessel is placed, and that is brought into tight contact with an external surface of a bottom of the culture vessel; and an output portion that exports an output from the touchscreen sensor to the exterior of the culturing chamber.