JP2006204186A - Culture apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small culture apparatus suppressing temperature variation in a culture space, having high reliability on capability for uniform and precise temperature control, able to control temperature, moisture and CO<SB>2</SB>(carbon dioxide) concentration and having both heating and cooling functions. <P>SOLUTION: An air conditioner 9 comprises an electrothermal conversion device 10, a heat-dissipation side heat exchange means 11 and a heat-absorption side heat exchange means 12. The outer plate 2 or the inner plate 3 of a heat insulating enclosure serves as the heat-dissipation side heat exchange means 11 or the heat-absorption side heat exchange means 12. Therefore, whole culture space 6 surrounded by the inner plate 3 can be heated or cooled and the culture space 6 can be kept at a uniform temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a culture apparatus used for culturing bacteria, cells, and the like while maintaining the temperature, humidity, atmosphere, and pH of a culture solution at a constant level.

  With the recent development of fields related to biotechnology and regenerative medicine, the work of culturing cells using a culture device is increasing. In order to promote cell culture, it is necessary to prepare a culture space suitable for each cell, and a culture apparatus that controls temperature, humidity, and atmosphere in the culture space has been developed.

  In particular, when culturing animal cells that require a strict concentration condition of CO2 (carbon dioxide / carbon dioxide) gas as a culture condition, in addition to the temperature control and humidity control, the CO2 gas in the culture space is used. A CO2 incubator is used to control the concentration (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, the culture environment and conditions are not necessarily the same because there are various culture purposes depending on the researchers who use the culture apparatus. In addition, even the same researcher may check the same cells with different culture conditions.

  As described above, since cell culture research is conducted under various conditions, it is generally difficult to handle with a large culture apparatus. Furthermore, studies that require a cooling function in the culturing process have begun.

Therefore, a culture apparatus capable of individually managing the culture space environment such as temperature, humidity, CO2 (carbon dioxide / carbon dioxide) gas concentration, and capable of heating and cooling in a small size has been desired.
JP-A-5-227742

  However, in the conventional culture apparatus, as a heating means for maintaining the culture space environment, an electric heater and a circulation fan are attached to the heat insulation box, and the electric heater is turned on / off by a detection value of a temperature sensor provided in the culture space. Since control is performed, rapid temperature fluctuations occur, and it is difficult to perform precise temperature control by uniformizing the temperature in the culture space. In addition, when it is desired to set the temperature in the culture space to be lower than the outside air temperature, it is necessary to separately install a cooling device or the like, which has a drawback that it becomes a large-scale device.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and provides a culture apparatus using a thermoelectric conversion device having the features of being small and light and capable of being designed to be quiet. In addition, portability (small and light) and space-saving are possible, temperature fluctuations in the culture space are suppressed, uniform and precise temperature control is possible, high reliability, and temperature, humidity, and CO2 ( An object of the present invention is to provide a culture apparatus that can individually manage the culture space environment such as carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide) gas concentration and has a function of both heating and cooling.

  Here, the thermoelectric conversion device is known as a Peltier module, a thermo module, a thermoelectric chip, or a thermoelectric element, has two heat transfer surfaces, and allows a current to flow (a predetermined voltage is applied). This is a member having a function of heating one heat transfer surface and cooling the other heat transfer surface. That is, in the thermoelectric conversion device, one surface functions as a heat dissipation surface and the other functions as a heat absorption surface.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the culture apparatus of the present invention has a heat-insulating housing having an opening on one surface, and is formed inside the housing and faces the opening. In a culture device comprising a culture space, an outer door that closes the opening in an openable manner, and a temperature control device that maintains the inside of the culture space in a predetermined environment, the temperature control device includes at least a heat dissipation surface and a heat absorption surface. A thermoelectric conversion device having heat radiation side heat exchange means that is thermally connected to the heat radiation surface and exchanges heat with the heat radiation surface, and a heat absorption side that is thermally connected to the heat absorption surface and exchanges heat with the heat absorption surface. A heat exchange means, and at least one of an outer cover material or an inner cover material of the housing is thermally connected to the heat radiation side heat exchange means or the heat absorption side heat exchange means.

  Accordingly, the culture space can be heated or cooled over a wide range via the inner covering material, so that the temperature in the culture space can be made uniform. In addition, since the outer covering material or inner covering material of the housing serves as part or all of the heat-dissipation-side heat exchange means or the heat-absorption-side heat exchange means, it can be configured with a compact temperature control device, and the volumetric efficiency of the housing Therefore, the culture space can be used effectively.

  Furthermore, although the thermoelectric conversion device cannot secure a large capacity as compared with a conventional cooling device using a refrigerant and a compressor, the thermoelectric conversion device is small and lightweight and can be designed to be quiet. Utilizing this feature, portability and space saving can be realized.

  Further, by taking advantage of the features of the thermoelectric conversion device, both the heating and cooling actions can be freely controlled in the same space by reversing the polarity of the DC power supply of the thermoelectric conversion device.

  The culture apparatus of the present invention suppresses temperature fluctuations in the culture space, enables uniform and precise temperature control, improves reliability, temperature, humidity, CO2 (carbon dioxide / carbon dioxide) gas concentration, etc. Therefore, it is possible to provide a culture apparatus that can manage each culture space environment individually, is small in size, and has both heating and cooling functions.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a housing having heat insulation and having an opening on one surface, a culture space formed inside the housing and facing the opening, and the opening. In the culture apparatus composed of an outer door that can be freely opened and closed, and a temperature control apparatus that maintains the inside of the culture space in a predetermined environment, the temperature control apparatus has a thermoelectric conversion device having at least a heat radiation surface and a heat absorption surface, and A heat-dissipating side heat exchanging means thermally connected to the heat dissipating surface and exchanging heat with the heat dissipating surface; and a heat absorbing side heat exchanging means thermally connected to the heat absorbing surface and exchanging heat with the heat absorbing surface; At least one of the outer shell material and the inner shell material of the casing is thermally connected to the heat radiation side heat exchange means or the heat absorption side heat exchange means.

  By adopting such a configuration, the heat radiation or heat absorption from the heat radiation side heat exchange means or the heat absorption side heat exchange means can be released into the culture space via the inner material constituting the housing, As a result, heat is radiated over a wide range in the culture space, and the culture space can be brought to a uniform temperature. Further, since the outer shell material or inner shell material also serves as a part or all of the heat radiation side heat exchange means or the heat absorption side heat exchange means, it can be configured with a compact temperature control device, and the volumetric efficiency is improved, The culture space can be used effectively.

  Furthermore, a culture apparatus capable of portability and space saving can be realized by taking advantage of the small size and light weight, which are the characteristics of the thermoelectric conversion device, and being capable of quiet design.

  In addition, by utilizing the characteristics of the thermoelectric conversion device, by reversing the polarity of the DC power supply of the thermoelectric conversion device, both heating and cooling actions can be freely controlled in the same space, so control design becomes easy.

  The invention according to claim 2 includes a plurality of fins for exchanging heat with air on at least one of the heat radiation side heat exchange means or the heat absorption side heat exchange means on the side opposite to the joint surface with the thermoelectric conversion device. It is a heat sink.

  With such a configuration, a function of exchanging heat with the airflow is added, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved. Therefore, a more stable culture space environment can be formed due to the improvement of the heating or cooling performance.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, at least one of the heat radiating side heat exchanging means or the heat absorbing side heat exchanging means is a heat exchanger in which a liquid flows, and a function of exchanging heat with the liquid is added. As the exchange efficiency is improved, heating or cooling performance is improved, a more stable culture space environment can be formed, and heat can be transferred to a remote place.

  In the invention according to claim 4, at least one of the heat radiating side heat exchanging means or the heat absorbing side heat exchanging means is constituted by a heat pipe, and by adding a function of exchanging heat with the liquid, heat exchange efficiency is improved. As a result, heating or cooling performance is improved, and a more stable culture space environment can be formed, and heat can be transferred to a remote place.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the one in which an air blowing means for promoting heat exchange is installed in at least one of the heat radiating side heat exchanging means and the heat absorbing side heat exchanging means. In addition, the heat exchange efficiency is further improved, so that the heating or cooling performance is improved, and a more stable culture space environment can be formed.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the heat insulating material that maintains the heat insulating property of the casing is provided with a non-breathable outer covering material and a heat insulating core material accommodated in the outer covering material. And using a vacuum heat insulating material in which the inside of the jacket material is kept in a reduced pressure state.

  By setting it as this structure, since the heat insulation performance of a vacuum heat insulating material is higher than a normal heat insulating material, the thickness of a heat insulating layer can be made thin and compact, and heating efficiency or cooling efficiency can be improved.

  The invention according to claim 7 is provided with a central control device in which a plurality of the culture devices are arranged and the control in each of the culture devices is concentrated, and the plurality of culture devices can be individually controlled, As a result, the environment in the culture space, such as temperature, humidity, and CO2 (carbon dioxide / carbon dioxide) gas concentration, can be individually managed, and the culture environment and conditions can be set according to the culture purpose, thus improving convenience And can be set or activated individually or simultaneously.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the one in which the culture apparatus is arranged in an integrated manner, and the effective use of the installation space is achieved by the integrated arrangement.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is an external perspective view of a culture device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the culture device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a temperature control device incorporated in the culture device according to the embodiment. It is an expanded sectional view.

  1 to 3, a culture apparatus 1 has a heat insulating property, a housing 1a having an opening 5 on one surface, a culture space 6 that is formed inside the housing 1a and faces the opening 5, and an opening. An inner door 7 made of transparent resin or transparent glass provided in the section 5 and opening and closing the culture space 6, and an outer door 8 arranged to open and close the opening 5 and to be located outside the inner door 7 Has been. The heat-insulating housing 1a is formed of a heat conductive material, and the outer plate 2 and the inner plate 3 arranged at predetermined intervals in the inner and outer directions form an outer shell and an inner shell of the housing. Between the inner plate 3 and the inner plate 3, a urethane-based heat insulating material 4 is filled and foamed. The outer plate 2 is made of a steel plate (painted steel plate), a stainless steel plate, or the like that has been subjected to a surface treatment, and is formed into a shape having an opening 5 by processing such as bending or pressing. The inner plate 3 is made of, for example, a stainless steel plate or an aluminum alloy plate in consideration of corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity, and is formed into a shape having an opening 5 by bending or pressing the inner plate 3.

  Further, the inner plate 3 is preferably subjected to a countermeasure against contamination by using a surface treatment having antibacterial and bactericidal effects.

  The outer door 8 has heat insulation properties and is formed of the same material and configuration as the housing 1a. Further, as described above, the inner door 7 is formed of, for example, heat-resistant tempered glass or a transparent hard synthetic resin material having heat-resistant reinforcing properties so that the inside of the culture space 6 can be visually recognized in the closed state.

  The inner door 7 and the outer door 8 are both configured to be hermetically sealed via an inner door gasket 14 and an outer door gasket 15 at the periphery of the opening 5 of the casing having heat insulation properties. The gaskets 14 and 15 are well-known ones that have cushioning properties and have permanent magnets embedded therein. In addition, in order to make sealing possible, it is not limited to a permanent magnet, but a mechanical part having a hook shape, for example, can be arranged and structurally sealed.

  Furthermore, the heat insulating structure of the housing 1 a and the outer door 8 is configured such that the vacuum heat insulating material 13 is integrally foamed with the heat insulating material 4 and embedded in addition to the heat insulating material 4. The vacuum heat insulating material 13 has a well-known configuration, and the core material 13b is accommodated inside the non-breathable jacket material 13a, and the inside of the non-breathable jacket material 13a is kept in a reduced pressure state. .

  More specifically, the vacuum heat insulating material 13 can be manufactured at a vacuum of 1.3 to 133 Pa, and exhibits a heat insulating performance of about 2 to 3 times that of the conventional heat insulating material 4 such as urethane foam. Are known.

  Here, the covering material 13a is a plastic laminated bag excellent in gas barrier property, the outermost layer is nylon (15 μm), the inner side is polyethylene terephthalate (12 μm), the intermediate layer is aluminum foil (6 μm), and the innermost layer is heat. It is a welding layer and has a four-layer structure made of low-density polyethylene (100 μm). And the outermost layer and the inside thereof are materials having excellent impact resistance and abrasion resistance from the outside. In addition to the above, biaxially stretched polypropylene can be used, and at least one of these three materials is included. It is preferable. Further, the intermediate layer is a material having excellent gas barrier properties, and other than aluminum foil, a gas barrier material having an aluminum vapor deposition layer can be used. The innermost layer is a heat-weldable material. In addition to the above, high-density polyethylene, amorphous polypropylene, amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, etc. can be used, and those having a low melting point are preferable from the viewpoint of seal stability. .

  Further, the core member 13b is for preventing the space sealed under reduced pressure by the covering member 13a from being crushed by atmospheric pressure, and a porous body having a completely connected structure can be used. Fine pores that exhibit high heat insulation performance are preferred. For example, there are amorphous silica powder, urethane foam with open cell structure, fine fiber glass wool, etc., especially fine fiber glass wool has excellent heat insulation performance and has flexibility when a vacuum heat insulation container is formed. To preferred. Moreover, it is not limited to silica powder, You may use well-known materials, such as pearlite powder, a calcium silicate board, a continuous foam, glass wool.

  The main constituent materials of the vacuum heat insulating material 13 are as described above. However, when used at a high temperature or when required performance and service life are severe, a room temperature active getter is used as a moisture adsorbent or air adsorbent as an auxiliary material. Etc. are preferably used. The moisture adsorbent is not limited to zeolite, and generally known moisture adsorbents such as calcium hydroxide, calcium chloride, lithium chloride, activated carbon and silica gel can be used. In terms of adsorption capacity, chemical adsorption of calcium hydroxide, calcium chloride, lithium chloride, etc. is excellent, but considering the handling properties, zeolite activated carbon which is physical adsorption is suitable.

  Next, the culture space 6 will be described.

  The culture space 6 is provided with a tray 26 on which a culture container such as a petri dish for culturing cells is placed, and a humidifying basin 27 provided on the bottom surface of the culture space 6 to prevent the culture environment from drying. . Sterilized water is pumped into the humidifying basin 27. Therefore, the humidity in the culture space 6 is maintained by the natural vaporization of the sterilized water pumped into the humidifying basin 27, and the culture space 6 is always kept at high humidity.

  Furthermore, a temperature sensor 20 that detects the temperature in the culture space 6 and a CO2 sensor 21 that detects the CO2 gas concentration are disposed on the inner surface of the culture space 6. In the present embodiment, it is described that the temperature, the CO2 gas concentration, and the humidity in the culture space 6 need to be managed as the culture environment.

  The CO2 gas concentration control in the culture space 6 supplies CO2 gas into the culture space 6 based on the detection signal of the CO2 sensor 21.

  That is, the CO 2 gas is supplied from the gas cylinder (not shown) into the culture space 6 through the gas supply path 24 by controlling the electromagnetic valve 23 based on the detection signal of the CO 2 sensor 21. Further, a sterilization filter (not shown) is disposed in the gas supply path 24 that connects the culture space 6 to the gas cylinder.

  Furthermore, when initializing the culture apparatus 1 or the like, the CO2 gas concentration in the culture space 6 is measured because the CO2 gas concentration in the culture space 6 at the stable time and the actual CO2 gas concentration need to be corrected. A sample collection path 25 is provided.

  The temperature control in the culture space 6 controls the electric input to the temperature control device 9 based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor 20 to keep the temperature in the culture space 6 at a set value.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the temperature control device 9 has a thermal conductivity device 10 that performs endothermic action on one side and radiates on the other side, and thermal conductivity that secures the heat capacity of the endothermic or radiated heat, according to a well-known principle. It is composed of a block body 16 made of excellent aluminum or the like and a frame body 17 that unitizes them.

  In the formation of the temperature environment of the culture space 6, for example, when the culture space 6 is set to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature, the temperature adjustment device 9 removes the heat radiation surface 10 a of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 as shown in FIG. The heat radiation side heat exchange means (heat sink) 11 is thermally joined via the plate 2, and the heat absorption surface 10 b is thermally joined to the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12 via the block body 16. The heat absorption side heat exchange means 12 also serves as the inner plate 3, and as a result, the heat radiation of the heat dissipation surface 10a is performed from the outer plate 2 and the heat dissipation side heat exchange means (heat sink) 11, and the heat absorption of the heat absorption surface 10b is As described above, the inside of the culture space 6 is cooled and controlled to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature.

  Here, the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11 and the frame body 17, and the block body 16 and the frame body 17 are each attached via an elastic body such as an O-ring 18. The O-ring 18 serves as a seal that prevents intrusion of moisture or the like from the outside of the frame 17 or an absorber of thermal stress.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heat sink is made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and has a plate-like portion 11b for diffusing heat from the thermoelectric conversion device 10, and has a large number on the surface side. The fin 11a is provided. The plurality of fins 11a may be configured by thinly cutting the surface of the plate-like portion and raising the cut-out portion, or the fin 11a is a thin plate-like member having a substantially L-shape or a substantially I-shape. A structure is known in which crimping or ultrasonic welding or the like is performed on the surface side of the plate-like portion of the heat exchange means (heat sink) 11 and joined.

  The temperature control device 9, the temperature sensor 20, the CO2 sensor 21, the electromagnetic valve 23, and the operation panel 19 are connected to a control device 22 disposed on the back surface of the housing 1a as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation panel 19 installed on the outer door 8 requires a display unit 19a for displaying the temperature and CO2 gas concentration in the culture space 6, and the temperature and CO2 gas concentration in the culture space 6. Setting means 19b is provided for setting to the value of.

  Next, in the culture apparatus 1 configured as described above, the operation and action when the environmental condition in the culture space 6 is set to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature in the CO2 gas supply state will be described.

  First, bacteria or tissues intended for culture are placed in a culture container in the culture space 6 of the culture apparatus 1 and placed on the tray 26. During culture of bacteria and cells, it is necessary to replace the culture solution in the culture container in order to adjust the pH in the culture container. In that case, the culture vessel must be taken out of the culture space 6. Similarly, when the sterilizing water is no longer present in the humidifying basin 27 performing the humidity control in the culture space 6, it is necessary to take out the humidifying basin 27 from the culture space 6.

  In these cases, since the inner door 7 is formed of a transparent material, the culture space 6 can be visually recognized by opening the outer door 8.

  Therefore, since it is not necessary to open and close the inner door 7 unnecessarily, a stable environment of the culture space 6 can be maintained, and invasion of germs from the outside can be reduced.

  Next, when the environment inside the culture space 6 fluctuates due to the opening and closing of the inner door 7, control for returning the environment will be described.

  Opening the inner door 7 changes the environmental conditions (CO2 gas concentration, temperature, humidity, etc.) inside the culture space 6.

  First, in the CO2 gas concentration control, when the decrease in the CO2 gas concentration is detected, the control device 22 is controlled based on the detection signal of the CO2 sensor 21. The control device 22 opens and closes the electromagnetic valve 23, and CO 2 gas is supplied into the culture space 6 through the gas supply path 24 to keep the CO 2 gas concentration inside the culture space 6 at a set value.

  Moreover, temperature control will control the control apparatus 22 based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor 20, if the temperature sensor 20 detects the temperature fall or rise in the culture space 6 inside. As a result, the electrical input to the temperature control device 9 is controlled by the control device 22, and based on this, the output of the temperature control device is varied to keep the temperature in the culture space 6 at a set value. Since capability adjustment control of the temperature control device 9 (thermoelectric conversion device 10) is well known, description thereof is omitted.

  In the temperature control device 9, in the first embodiment, specifically, the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11 is a heat radiation heat sink having a plurality of fins 11a as shown in FIG. 3, and the back side of the fins 11a is thermoelectrically converted. The device 10 is thermally bonded to the heat radiating surface 10 a of the device 10 via the outer plate 2. Further, the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12 is an inner plate 3 constituting the casing 1a having heat insulation properties, and indirectly and thermally joined to the heat absorption surface 10b of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 via the block body 16. is doing.

  As described above, since the inner plate 3 also serves as the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12, not only from the rear side of the housing 1 a but also from the upper surface side, the bottom surface side, and the left and right side surfaces due to the heat conduction of the inner plate 3. The culture space 6 is cooled, and as a result, the inside of the culture space 6 is maintained in a uniform temperature distribution. Further, since the inner plate 3 also serves as the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12, it can be a compact temperature control device, and the volumetric efficiency of the culture device 1 can be improved. This leads to effective utilization of the culture space 6.

  Further, the heat radiation side heat exchanging means 11 is a heat sink provided with a plurality of fins 11a for exchanging heat with air, and heat radiation is also promoted from the outer plate 2 of the housing 1a. Will improve. Therefore, the cooling performance is further improved, the temperature recovery characteristic is improved, and a more stable culture environment can be formed and maintained.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchange efficiency can be further improved by adding forced convection by the fan 34 to the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11.

  Further, as means for improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12, the inner surface of the culture space 6 of the inner plate 3 is formed in an uneven shape (not shown), or air as in the case of the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11. As a configuration provided with a plurality of fins for exchanging heat with (air in the culture space 6), a configuration in which the heat exchange area is increased may be employed.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, since the inner plate 3 also serves as the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12, heat can be absorbed through the inner plate 3, and as a result, the inner plate 3 The enclosed culture space 6 can be cooled over a wide range. This can suppress the uniformity and temperature variation of the temperature distribution in the entire culture space 6. Further, since the inner plate 3 also serves as the heat absorption side heat exchanging means 12, it can be constituted by a compact temperature control device 9, the volume efficiency of the culture device 1 is improved, and the culture space 6 can be used effectively.

  In addition, the thermoelectric conversion device 10 can be designed to take advantage of the small size, light weight, and quiet characteristics, thereby realizing portability and space saving.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment 1, the heat exchange efficiency with an airflow improves by setting it as the heat sink provided with the several fin 11a for heat-exchange means and heat exchange with air. Therefore, since the cooling performance is improved, the temperature returnability is improved, and the culture space 6 that can maintain a more stable environment can be formed.

  In addition, the heat exchange efficiency can be further improved by adding forced convection by the fan 34 to the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11 as shown in FIG.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the culture space 6 is set as a so-called cooling environment set lower than the outside air temperature has been described. However, when the culture space 6 is set as a so-called heating environment set higher than the outside air temperature, What is necessary is just to switch the electric current direction supplied to the adjustment apparatus 9 reversely. Thereby, as is well known, the heat dissipation surface and the heat absorption surface of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 are reversed, and heat is radiated from the surface 10 b in FIG. 3 to heat the culture space 6 over a wide range via the inner plate 7.

  Therefore, similarly to the above-described cooling environment, the culture space 6 can be maintained in a uniform temperature distribution.

  Further, in this case, by installing a heating means such as a heater (in some cases, auxiliary) inside the outer door 8, the outer door 8 itself generates heat so that the inside of the culture space 6 can be made more quickly and uniformly. Can be warmed.

  In addition, the supply gas that satisfies the environmental conditions in the culture space 6 has been described for the case of CO2 gas. However, depending on the type of culture tissue and culture conditions, oxygen gas (O2), nitrogen gas (N2), etc. Can be supplied using similar means.

  Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which provides the thermal radiation structure of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 only in either the outer plate 2 or the inner plate 3 which comprises the housing | casing 1a according to the capability of the culture apparatus 1, the environment of an installation place, etc. .

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to an enlarged cross-sectional view of a temperature control device portion provided in the culture device of FIG. 4 and a vertical cross-sectional view of a culture device provided with the temperature control device of FIG. This Embodiment 2 is different from the previous Embodiment 1 in the heat exchange format with the temperature control device 9 and the outer plate 2 and the inner plate 3, and the culture space 6 has the same configuration, Description is omitted. In addition, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. Therefore, the contents according to the gist of the present invention will be described here.

  The temperature control device 9 according to the second embodiment heats a pipe 29 constituting a fluid flow path on the heat radiation surface 10a of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 as shown in FIG. 4 in place of the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11 in the previous example. It is joined in a conductive manner. The pipe 29 has one end connected to a water faucet (not shown) and the other end as a path leading to a drainage channel to circulate and circulate the cooling circuit for circulating the cooling water or the cooling water sealed in the closed circuit. One of the constituent elements constituting the circulation type cooling circuit is included, and since these cooling circuits may have a well-known configuration, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, an example of a structure for incorporating the temperature control device 9 having the above-described configuration into the housing 1a will be described with reference to FIG.

  The configuration shown in the figure is the case of the latter circulation type cooling circuit in the above-described path, and a heat-radiating side heat exchange channel 11b made of a pipe is formed on the entire inner surface of the outer plate 2 on the heat insulating material 4 inside the housing 1a. It is drawn in a meandering shape or a comb shape, and is in contact with the outer plate 2 so that heat can be transferred. The start end and the end of the heat radiation side heat exchange flow path 11b are connected to the start end 29a and the end 29b of the pipe 29, respectively, and a closed circulation circuit is formed. The cooling fluid in the circulation circuit is circulated using natural convection, but a circulation pump may be provided in the circuit as is well known as necessary. Therefore, heat exchange is performed over a wide range on the heat radiation side of the thermoelectric conversion device 10.

  Moreover, the structure of the figure is equipped with the same structure also in the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric conversion device 10, and the pipe of the same structure as the pipe 29 via the block body 16 directly on the heat absorption surface 10b of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 29c is provided so that heat transfer is possible. Since these configurations are in the same contact relationship as in FIG. 5, detailed illustration is omitted.

  Further, a heat-absorbing side heat exchange channel 12a made of a pipe is drawn in a meandering or comb-like manner on the entire inner surface on the heat insulating material 4 side of the inner plate 3 inside the housing 1a, like the heat-radiating side heat exchange channel 11b. It is in contact with the inner plate 3 so that heat can be transferred. The start end and end of the heat absorption side heat exchange flow path 12a are connected to the start end and end (not shown) of the pipe 29c, respectively, similarly to the heat dissipation side, thereby forming a closed circulation circuit. The cooling fluid in the circulation circuit is circulated using natural convection as in the case of the heat dissipation side, but a circulation pump may be provided in the circuit as is well known as necessary. Therefore, heat exchange is performed over a wide range also on the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric conversion device 10.

  As described above, by adding a function of exchanging heat with the liquid to the temperature control device 9, heat transfer between the temperature control device 9 and a place away from the temperature control device 9 can be enabled. In addition, by thermally joining the pipe 29 to the outer plate 2 constituting the casing 1a having heat insulation properties, the entire surface of the outer plate 2 can be used as the heat radiation side heat exchanging means 11 and is compact. While being able to comprise with the temperature control apparatus 9, since the volumetric efficiency of the culture apparatus 1 improves further, the culture space 6 can be utilized effectively. Furthermore, since the heat exchange area is increased, the heat exchange efficiency in heat radiation is improved. Therefore, the cooling performance is improved, the temperature recovery property is improved, and a more stable culture space 6 can be formed.

  Similarly, the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12 is also joined to the heat absorption surface 10b of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 by thermally joining the pipe 29c constituting the fluid flow path so that the entire surface of the inner plate 3 is absorbed by the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12. Since the volumetric efficiency of the culture apparatus 1 is further improved, the culture space 6 can be used effectively.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the heat exchanging means is the pipe 29 constituting the fluid flow path, so that heat transfer between the temperature control device 9 and the place away from the temperature control device 9 is achieved by exchanging heat with the liquid. Can be made possible. Therefore, the pipe 29 is thermally joined to the outer plate 2 so that the entire surface of the outer plate 2 also serves as the heat radiating side heat exchanging means 11, so that a compact temperature control device 9 can be formed. Therefore, the culture space 6 can be used effectively. Furthermore, since the heat exchange area is increased, the heat exchange efficiency in heat radiation is improved. Therefore, the cooling performance is improved, the temperature returnability is excellent, and a more stable culture space 6 can be obtained.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a longitudinal sectional view of the culture apparatus of FIG. The third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in the configuration of the housing 1a, and the temperature control device 9 is the same as the previous second embodiment. Therefore, the contents according to the gist of the present invention will be described here.

  In the third embodiment, the structure shown in FIG. 5 is used as a basis, and a duct 32 for circulating air in the culture space 6 is installed in the culture space 6 as shown in FIG. 31 is provided and a forced convection function by the fan 31 is added.

  By adopting such a configuration, the heat exchange efficiency in the heat absorption side heat exchange means 12 (inner plate 3) can be further improved, and the inside of the culture space 6 can be maintained in a more rapid and uniform temperature distribution.

  In addition, the heat exchange efficiency can be further improved by adding forced convection by the fan 34 to the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11 described in the first embodiment.

  Furthermore, by providing the circulation pumps 50 and 51 in the heat radiation side heat exchange flow path 11b and the heat absorption side heat exchange flow path 12a, the heat exchange action of the heat exchange medium which is a liquid such as cooling water is forced, and further heat exchange is performed. Efficiency can be improved.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to an enlarged cross-sectional view of a temperature control device portion provided in the culture device of FIG. The fourth embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in the configuration of the temperature control device 9, and the configuration on the culture space 6 side is the same as that in the second or third embodiment. Therefore, the description is omitted. In addition, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. Therefore, the contents according to the gist of the present invention will be described here.

  In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the temperature adjustment device 9 has a configuration in which a heat pipe 30 having a known configuration is joined to the heat radiation surface 10 a of the thermoelectric conversion device 10.

  The heat pipe 30 is drawn in a meandering manner or a comb shape over the entire inner surface on the heat insulating material 4 side of the outer plate 2 inside the housing 1a as in the second embodiment.

  Therefore, heat exchange is performed over a wide range on the heat radiation side of the thermoelectric conversion device 10.

  In this manner, by adding a function of exchanging heat with the liquid to the temperature control device 9, it is possible to enable heat transfer between the temperature control device 9 and a place away from the temperature control device 9 as in the fourth embodiment.

  Further, since the heat pipe 30 is thermally joined to the outer plate 2 constituting the heat-insulating housing 1a, the entire surface of the outer plate 2 can also serve as the heat radiation side heat exchange means 11, Thus, the compact temperature control device 9 can be used, and the volumetric efficiency of the culture device 1 is further improved, so that the culture space 6 can be used effectively.

  Furthermore, since the heat exchange area is increased, the heat exchange efficiency in heat radiation is improved. Therefore, the cooling performance is improved and the temperature recovery property is improved, so that the culture space 6 can be made more stable.

  Those skilled in the art can easily understand that the heat exchange configuration by the heat pipe 30 can be similarly implemented on the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric conversion device 10 and that the same effect as the third embodiment can be expected. Illustration and detailed description are omitted because they are obtained.

(Embodiment 5)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the external view of the culture apparatus with the integrated arrangement shown in FIG. In the fifth embodiment, the culture apparatus 1 shown in the previous embodiment is used, and the same components as those in the previous embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. Therefore, the contents according to the gist of the present invention will be described here.

  In the fifth embodiment, a plurality of culture devices 1 described in the previous embodiment are integrated, and the operation of each culture device 1 is controlled by a centralized control device 33 connected to the control device 22 in each culture device 1. Be controlled.

  The research using the culture apparatus 1 has various culture purposes depending on the researcher, so the culture environment and conditions are not necessarily the same. In addition, even the same researcher may check the same cells with different culture conditions.

  In the fifth embodiment, the stack type culture devices are independent and the small culture devices 1 are stacked and arranged, and an independent culture environment can be set by the central control device 33.

  Therefore, in the conventional large culture apparatus, many cultures can be performed simultaneously in the same environment, but there is a risk that everything is wasted due to a single contamination, and the problem that management is difficult can be solved. Moreover, since it is a small culture apparatus, it has better temperature stability, temperature recovery, CO2 gas concentration stability, and CO2 gas concentration recovery than a large-sized apparatus.

  As described above, in the fifth embodiment, since the independent and small culture apparatuses 1 are stacked, an independent culture environment can be set by the centralized control apparatus 33, which is easy to manage and inexpensive for researchers. The culture apparatus 1 can be provided. Moreover, the arrangement | positioning space of the culture apparatus 1 can be reduced by integrated arrangement | positioning.

  The culture apparatus according to the present invention can be used for physics and chemistry experiments such as organisms and chemistry, basic experiments such as regenerative medicine, clinical experiments, and the like, and can also be used for fermentation of fermented foods for home use. Further, it can be used for equipment that does not require CO2 gas concentration control but requires precise temperature control, for example, general household equipment such as a wine cellar and a refrigerator.

1 is an external perspective view of a culture device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Longitudinal sectional view of the culture apparatus in the first embodiment Expanded cross-sectional view of the temperature control unit incorporated in the same culture device The expanded sectional view of the temperature control apparatus part provided in the culture apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the culture apparatus provided with the temperature control apparatus in Embodiment 2 Longitudinal sectional view of a culture device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention The expanded sectional view of the temperature control apparatus part provided in the culture apparatus in Embodiment 4 of this invention External view of culture apparatus arranged and arranged according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Culture | cultivation apparatus 1a Housing | casing 2 Outer plate 3 Inner plate 4 Heat insulating material 5 Opening part 6 Culture space 7 Inner door 8 Outer door 9 Temperature control apparatus 10 Thermoelectric conversion device 10a Heat radiation surface 10b Heat absorption surface 11 Heat radiation side heat exchange means 11a Fin 11b Heat radiation side heat exchange flow path 12 Heat absorption side heat exchange means 12a Heat absorption side heat exchange flow path 13 Vacuum heat insulating material 29 Pipe 29c Pipe 30 Heat pipe 31 Fan 33 Central control device

Claims (8)

  A housing having heat insulation and having an opening on one surface; a culture space formed on the inside of the housing and facing the opening; and an outer door for opening and closing the opening; In the culture apparatus constituted by a temperature control apparatus that maintains the inside of the culture space in a predetermined environment, the temperature control apparatus is thermally connected to the thermoelectric conversion device having at least a heat radiation surface and a heat absorption surface, and the heat radiation surface. A heat-dissipating-side heat exchanging means for exchanging heat with the heat-dissipating surface; and a heat-absorbing-side heat exchanging means thermally connected to the heat-absorbing surface and exchanging heat with the heat-absorbing surface. A culture apparatus in which at least one of the materials is thermally connected to the heat radiation side heat exchange means or the heat absorption side heat exchange means.   2. The heat sink according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the heat radiating side heat exchanging means or the heat absorbing side heat exchanging means is a heat sink having a plurality of fins for exchanging heat with air on the side opposite to the joint surface with the thermoelectric conversion device. Culture device.   The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the heat radiation side heat exchange means and the heat absorption side heat exchange means is a heat exchanger in which a liquid flows.   The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the heat radiation side heat exchange means or the heat absorption side heat exchange means is constituted by a heat pipe.   The culture apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an air blowing means for promoting heat exchange is installed in at least one of the heat radiation side heat exchange means and the heat absorption side heat exchange means.   At least a part of the heat insulating material that maintains the heat insulating property of the casing is composed of a non-breathable outer jacket material and a heat insulating core material housed in the outer jacket material, and the inner portion of the outer jacket material is The culture apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a vacuum heat insulating material maintained in a reduced pressure state is used.   A culture apparatus provided with a central control device in which a plurality of culture apparatuses according to claim 1 are arranged and the control of each of the culture apparatuses is concentrated.   The culture apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the culture apparatuses are integrated and arranged.

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