Automatic culturing device

• US 10,106,769 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shibuya Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shibuya Corporation
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Masahiro, Nishimura, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyner, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULL, HOLLY MICHAELA
• Application Number:
  US15/322,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20170130189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 4353041
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/08 Flask, bottle or test tube
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/50 Means for positioning or orientating the apparatus C12M41/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/10 by centrifugation centrifuges in general B04B; Cyclones cyclones in general B04C
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/00 Means for sterilizing, maintaining sterile conditions or avoiding chemical or biological contamination C12M23/38 takes precedence; filtration in general and filters per se B01D24/00-B01D41/00; autoclaves B01J3/04; treatment of microorganisms with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/14 Incubators; Climatic chambers per se B01L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/48 Automatic or computerized control automatic analysis G01N35/00

Abstract

An automatic culturing device configured such that, in a work chamber 2a maintained in a sterile state, first and second robots 6 and 7 are arranged so that the movable ranges thereof partially overlap each other, and such that liquid supply means 10 which supplies liquids, containing a culture medium and liquid medicine, to containers held by the robots, and temporary placement sections (handing-over table 42, centrifuge tube holder 43, and heated room 44), each of which hands over the containers between the first and second robots, are provided in the movable ranges of the first and second robots, which ranges overlap each other.

The first robot takes out the containers housed in housing means (rotary stocker 8), and the second robot holds and transports the containers handed over from the first robot via the temporary placement section.

The cultivating operation can be efficiently performed.

Claims

1. An automatic culturing device comprising a work chamber maintained in a sterile state, a pass box connected to one side surface of the work chamber, and an incubator connected to the other side surface of the work chamber, the automatic culturing device including,

in the work chamber, a rotary stocker which is arranged in the vicinity of the pass box and houses a culture vessel, a robot which holds and transports the culture vessel, and a pipette which supplies liquids, such as a culture medium and liquid medicine, to the culture vessel held by the robot, and the automatic culturing device being configured to perform a cultivating operation associated with the cultivation of a culture object by the robot,

the automatic culturing device being characterized by including, as the robot, a first robot corresponding to the rotary stocker and a second robot corresponding to the incubator, the first and second robots respectively having movable ranges which partially overlap with each other, wherein

the pipette and a handing-over table for handing over the culture vessel between the first and second robots are provided in the movable ranges of the first and second robots which overlap with each other,

an attachment for supporting the culture vessel from the bottom is further provided and the attachment is housed in the rotary stocker,

the first robot holds the attachment housed in the rotary stocker, causes the attachment to support and takes out the culture vessel housed in the rotary stocker, and mounts the attachment supporting the culture vessel on the housing-over table, and

the second robot holds and transports the attachment mounted on the handing-over table and supporting the culture vessel.

2. The automatic culturing device according to claim 1, characterized in

that a communication port is formed at a position at which the incubator is connected to the work chamber, and a dish mounting section at which the culture vessel is mounted and which is reciprocated between the second robot and inside of the incubator is provided and in the vicinity of the communication port, wherein

the second robot transports the culture vessel housing the culture object and the culture medium between the hanging over table and the dish mounting section.

3. The automatic culturing device according to claim 2, characterized in that:

a pass box for carrying the culture vessel into the work chamber from the outside is provided outside the work chamber and the rotary stocker is arranged in the vicinity of a communication port between the pass box and the work chamber.

4. The automatic culturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that:

a pass box for carrying the culture vessel into the work chamber from the outside is provided outside the work chamber and the rotary stocker is arranged in the vicinity of a communication port between the pass box and the work chamber.

5. The automatic culturing device according to claim 1, wherein the liquids supplied by the pipette is at least one of a culture medium and medicine.