DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AN IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE ON A BIOREACTOR, BIOREACTOR WITH DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AN IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR PROPAGATION OR CULTIVATION OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL

• US 20190309253A1
• Filed: 04/09/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Ott, Christian, Hettler, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 11,788,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/22 Transparent or translucent parts glassware for laboratory use B01L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/48 Holding appliances; Racks; Supports holding devices for laboratory apparatus B01L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/10 by light emitting elements located inside the reactor, e.g. LED or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/04 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/06 of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/46 of cellular or enzymatic activity or functionality, e.g. cell viability
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/00 Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/00 Stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles placed thereon ; Stands for scientific apparatus such as gravitational force meters without heads F16M13/00; easels or stands for blackboards or the like A47B97/04; show-stands A47F7/00; for workmen E04G1/32; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; supporting or suspending for lighting devices F21V21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems

Abstract

A supporting device for an image capturing device on a bioreactor, a bioreactor, and a method of use are provided. The supporting device for an image capturing device includes a window and a holder. The window has a transparent element that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation. The holder is configured to hold the image capturing device. The supporting device is held at least partially in a through-opening of a feedthrough of a container for holding fluid media containing biological material. The window seals the through-opening.

Claims

1. A bioreactor, comprising:

a container having an exterior and an interior configured to hold fluid media containing biological material or a precursor of the biological material;

a feedthrough with a through-opening between the interior and the exterior; and

a supporting device for an image capturing device, the supporting device having a window and a holder for the image capturing device, the window having a transparent element that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation, the supporting device is held at least partially in the through-opening of the feedthrough with the window sealing the through-opening.

2. The bioreactor of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a material selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, plastic, and a sterilizable plastic.

3. The bioreactor of claim 1, wherein the container including the supporting device held at least partially in the through-opening is autoclavable.

4. A device for supporting an image capturing device on a bioreactor, comprising:

a window including a transparent element, the transparent element is transparent to electromagnetic radiation; and

a holder for the image capturing device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the holder comprises a main body on which the transparent element of the window is secured in a hermetically sealed manner.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the transparent element is secured to the main body by a compression glass seal or welding.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the holder has a cylindrically symmetrical shape and has a receiving area, the window hermetically sealing the receiving area on a side associated with an interior of the bioreactor.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein the transparent element exhibits a transmittance of greater than 80% in a spectral range of wavelengths between 250 and 2000 nm.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein the transparent element of the window comprises a material selected from a group consisting of glass, quartz glass, and borosilicate glass.

10. The device of claim 4, wherein the transparent element of the window has a shape selected from a group consisting of sheet-like shape having plane-parallel main surfaces, plano-convex, plano-concave, biconvex, biconcave, convexo-concave, and concavo-convex.

11. The device of claim 4, wherein the transparent element forms part of a microscopic device.

12. The device of claim 4, wherein the holder has a radially extending lateral shoulder, the lateral shoulder being positioned a first axial distance from the transparent element so that the first axial distance defines a second axial distance between the transparent element and an inner surface of the bioreactor.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising an illumination device disposed on the holder at a side of the holder configured to be in the inner surface of the bioreactor.

14. The device of claim 4, further comprising an illumination device, the illumination device having a housing and a second window including a second transparent element.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the second transparent element is secured to the housing by a compression glass seal or welding.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the transparent element and the second transparent element have a predefined spacing from each other.

17. The device of claim 14, further comprising a first electrical connector on the holder and a second electrical connector the housing, wherein the first and second electrical connectors are each hermetically sealed and complementary interengagable.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising a first inductive coupler on the holder and a second inductive coupler on the housing, wherein the first and second inductive couplers are each hermetically sealed and adapted to be coupled inductively.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the illumination device comprises an LED or an array of LEDs arranged in the housing.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising an associated electronic device configured to control the LED or array of LED'"'"'s stroboscopically.

21. The device of claim 14, wherein the illumination device is autoclavable.

22. A method for propagation or cultivation of biological material, comprising:

providing a bioreactor having an exterior and an interior, the interior being configured to hold a fluid media containing the biological material or a precursor of the biological material, the bioreactor having a feedthrough with a through-opening between the interior and the exterior;

mounting an image capturing device supporter at least partially in the through-opening, the image capturing device supporter having a holder with a receiving area and a window arranged on the holder, the window having a transparent element that is transmissive to electromagnetic radiation, the window hermetically sealing the receiving area; and

introducing the fluid media into the bioreactor.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising placing an image capturing device in the receiving area.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising acquiring image information using the image capturing device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising irradiating electromagnetic radiation into the bioreactor holding the fluid media by an illumination device disposed in the bioreactor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of irradiating electromagnetic radiation further comprises time-limited pulsing the illumination device.

23. The method of claim 23, further comprising sterilizing the bioreactor after the step of mounting the image capturing device supporter, but before the step of introducing the fluid media.