CULTURE APPARATUS

• US 20160010048A1
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TOKUMARU, Tomoyoshi, KOBAYASHI, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,677,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/00 Means for regulation, monitoring, measurement or control, e.g. flow regulation controlling or regulating chemical, physical or physicochemical processes B01J19/0006; heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00; electro optical investigation of individual particles, flow cytometers G01N15/14; automatic analysis G01N35/00; controlling or regulating in general G06N
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/14 Incubators; Climatic chambers per se B01L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/34 of gas

Abstract

A culture apparatus is provided which can suppress condensation on walls of a culture space and the like to suppress adverse effects on a culture material. In the culture apparatus having a culture space formed in a heat insulating box main body, a humidification water reservoir for humidifying the culture space and a heat transfer condensation member penetrating the heat insulating box main body are provided. One end of the heat transfer condensation member is disposed inside the culture space, while the other end is disposed outside the heat insulating box main body. The heat transfer condensation member is positioned such that a condensation portion disposed inside the culture space is inclined downward to the one end, and the one end leads condensed water condensed on the surface of the condensation portion into the humidification water reservoir.

Claims

1. A culture apparatus comprising:

a heat insulating box main body approximately in a box shape, formed with a culture space therein for culturing a sample such as a cell and a microorganism;

a humidification water reservoir disposed in a bottom of the culture space, the humidification water reservoir storing humidification water to control humidity of the culture space; and

a heat transfer condensation member penetrating the heat insulating box main body in such a manner that one end is disposed inside the culture space while the other end is disposed outside the heat insulating box main body, wherein

the heat transfer condensation member is positioned such that a condensation portion disposed inside the culture space is inclined downward to the one end, and the one end leads condensed water condensed on a surface of the condensation portion into the humidification water reservoir.

2. The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating box main body has an approximately box-shaped inner box for forming the culture space and an approximately box-shaped outer box enclosing an outer periphery of the inner box, and a first heat insulating sealing member with heat insulating properties and hydrophobic properties is disposed between the inner box and a portion of the heat transfer condensation member that penetrates the inner box.

3. The culture apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first heat insulating sealing member has an extending portion that extends into the culture space and that is inclined downward to the one end of the heat transfer condensation member, to lead condensed water adhering to a periphery of the extending portion into the humidification water reservoir.

4. The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tip of the one end is inclined toward the inside of the humidification water reservoir, and a lowermost end of the tip is disposed inside the humidification water reservoir in a horizontal direction with respect to an edge of the humidification water reservoir.

5. The culture apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a second heat insulating sealing member with heat insulating properties covers a portion of the heat transfer condensation member that is disposed between the outer box and the inner box.

6. The culture apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first heat insulating sealing member and the second heat insulating sealing member are integrated into one unit.

7. The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer condensation member is provided with an electronic cooling element that can cool the heat transfer condensation member by the Peltier effect at a cooling portion disposed outside the heat insulating box main body, and moisture condensed on the surface of the condensation portion by cooling by the electronic cooling element is led into the humidification water reservoir disposed beneath.

8. The culture apparatus according to claim 7, wherein heat is dissipated from the heat transfer condensation member by contact of the cooling portion disposed outside the heat insulating box main body with the outer box, and the moisture condensed on the surface of the condensation portion by cooling the condensation portion by heat dissipation from the cooling portion is led into the humidification water reservoir disposed beneath.

9. The culture apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a cover member for covering at least the cooling portion of the heat transfer condensation member is provided outside the heat insulating box main body, heat is dissipated from the cooling portion by contact with the cover member, and the moisture condensed on the surface of the condensation portion by cooling the condensation portion by heat dissipation from the cooling portion is led into the humidification water reservoir disposed beneath.

10. A culture apparatus comprising:

a heat insulating box main body approximately in a box shape, formed with a culture space therein for culturing a sample such as a cell and a microorganism;

a humidification water reservoir disposed in a bottom of the culture space, the humidification water reservoir storing humidification water to control humidity of the culture space; and

a heat transfer condensation member penetrating the heat insulating box main body in such a manner that one end is disposed inside the culture space while the other end is disposed outside the heat insulating box main body, wherein

the heat transfer condensation member is positioned such that one end of a condensation portion disposed inside the culture space leads condensed water condensed on a surface of the condensation portion into the humidification water reservoir;

the heat insulating box main body has an approximately box-shaped inner box for forming the culture space and an approximately box-shaped outer box enclosing an outer periphery of the inner box;

a first heat insulating sealing member with heat insulating properties and hydrophobic properties is disposed between the inner box and a portion of the heat transfer condensation member that penetrates the inner box; and

the first heat insulating sealing member has an extending portion that extends into the culture space and that is inclined downward to the one end of the heat transfer condensation member, to lead condensed water adhering to a periphery of the extending portion into the humidification water reservoir.

11. The culture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the heat transfer condensation member is positioned such that a condensation portion disposed inside the culture space is inclined downward to the one end, and the one end leads condensed water condensed on a surface of the condensation portion into the humidification water reservoir.

12. The culture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a tip of the one end is inclined toward the inside of the humidification water reservoir, and a lowermost end of the tip is disposed inside the humidification water reservoir in a horizontal direction with respect to an edge of the humidification water reservoir.

13. The culture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a second heat insulating sealing member with heat insulating properties covers a portion of the heat transfer condensation member that is disposed between the outer box and the inner box.

14. The culture apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first heat insulating sealing member and the second heat insulating sealing member are integrated into one unit.

15. The culture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the heat transfer condensation member is provided with an electronic cooling element that can cool the heat transfer condensation member by the Peltier effect at a cooling portion disposed outside the heat insulating box main body, and moisture condensed on the surface of the condensation portion by cooling by the electronic cooling element is led into the humidification water reservoir disposed beneath.

16. The culture apparatus according to claim 15, wherein heat is dissipated from the heat transfer condensation member by contact of the cooling portion disposed outside the heat insulating box main body with the outer box, and the moisture condensed on the surface of the condensation portion by cooling the condensation portion by heat dissipation from the cooling portion is led into the humidification water reservoir disposed beneath.

17. The culture apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a cover member for covering at least the cooling portion of the heat transfer condensation member is provided outside the heat insulating box main body, heat is dissipated from the cooling portion by contact with the cover member, and the moisture condensed on the surface of the condensation portion by cooling the condensation portion by heat dissipation from the cooling portion is led into the humidification water reservoir disposed beneath.