JPS63108262A - Method for controlling concentration of co2 for incubator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To minimize the dispersion in the concn. of CO2 at the point of the time when the specified concn. is attained by supplying CO2 continuously until the concn. of CO2 in a CO2 incubator attains the set concn. value which is present to the value lower than the specified concn. value and supplying CO2 intermittently after the set concn. value is attained. CONSTITUTION:CO2 is supplied from a cylinder 23 for CO2 into a culture vessel 5 and is supplied continuously therein until the concn. of CO2 in the vessel 5 attains the low set concn. by a detecting sensor 29 for concn. A signal is fed from the sensor 29 to a controller 35 when said concn. is exceeded. The controller 35 makes on and off control of a solenoid valve 27, by which CO2 is intermittently supplied into the vessel 5. The concn. of CO2 in the vessel 5 is detected by the sensor 29 when said concn. attains 5%. The controller makes the on and off control of the concn. of CO2 in the vessel 5 by as much as the leakage component. The dispersion in CO2 at the point of the time when the specified concn. is attained is, therefore, minimized and the specified concn. is maintained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a CO2 control method in an incubator, and more specifically, to a CO2 control method in a CO2 incubator.
The present invention relates to a CO2 control method in an incubator that enables the CO2 concentration to quickly reach a constant concentration value.

(Technical Background of the Invention and Problems thereof) Conventionally, CO2 incubators are generally known as cell culture vessels for culturing cells of humans and higher animals such as mice.

The functions of the CO2 incubator itself include keeping the temperature inside the CO2 incubator at a constant temperature, for example, about 37°C, and keeping the humidity at a high level.
It is necessary to maintain the concentration at a constant level, for example, about 5%.

Among these functions, as shown in the curve Δ in Figure 3, the control to keep the concentration of CO2 at a constant level is particularly important.
2 into the CO2 incubator at a constant flow,
When the CO2'a degree in the O2 incubator reaches a certain concentration, for example 5%, it is detected by a sensor and the CO2
ON/OFF for concentration leaking from inside the incubator
Control: Performed by Ja. Moreover, with this CO2 concentration control means, it takes a considerable amount of time to reach a constant concentration.

One worker uses one CO2 incubator to control this GO2a degree controller, and CO2 incubator is used two to three times a day.
There were no particular problems when checking the cells of higher animals in and out of the 2 incubators.

However, recently, when more than 10 workers share a single CO2 incubator, CO2
2. Cells of higher animals are frequently taken in and out of the incubator, and the door is opened and closed frequently. the result,
CO21 inside the CO2 incubator every time the door is opened
m degrees becomes almost O, and it takes a considerable amount of time to bring the CO2 temperature inside the CO2 incubator to a constant concentration. Furthermore, there is a possibility that other cell culture ports in the CO2 incubator may be affected.

As a means of quickly raising the CO2 concentration in the CO2 incubator to a constant temperature, it is possible to stir the inside of the CO2 incubator with a stirrer, but even this method was still insufficient.

Furthermore, as a means to quickly raise the CO2 level in the Co2 incubator, it is also possible to double the conventional CO2 supply flow rate, as shown by curve B in FIG. 3. However, with this method, due to the balance with the sensor, the variation in concentration becomes large when a certain concentration is reached, and furthermore, CO2
At present, this method cannot be used because it has an adverse effect on the cells contained in the incubator.

(Object of the invention) The object of the present invention was proposed to improve the problem in view of the above circumstances.
CO2 degree control in an incubator that minimizes variations in O2 degree and speeds up the rise time to reach a certain concentration value so that frequent cell removal and removal from the CO2 incubator will not be hindered. The purpose is to provide a method.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention supplies CO2 into a CO2 incubator and controls the concentration of CO2 in the CO2 incubator to a constant concentration value.
C continuously until the CO2 concentration in the incubator reaches a preset set concentration value lower than a certain concentration value.
After O2 is supplied and the CO2m degree in the CO2 incubator reaches the set concentration value, the CO2 control method in the incubator is configured such that CO2 is intermittently supplied.

(Function) By employing the CO2 control method of the present invention, the CO2 E1 degree in the CO2 incubator reaches a constant concentration more quickly than in the past. Furthermore, the variation in CO2 at the time when it reaches a certain concentration is small, and the concentration is maintained at a constant level.

Therefore, frequent transfer of cells into and out of the CO2 incubator will not cause much trouble.

(Embodiments of the Invention) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a door 3 equipped with a handle 3A is attached to the front of a box-shaped incubator 1 so that it can be opened and closed forward. The door 3 is opened and closed by the handle 3A.

A box-shaped culture tank 5 housed within the CO2 incubator 1
Hot water is stored in the surrounding double wall of an inner wall 7 and an outer wall 9, and the temperature of the hot water is adjusted by a temperature regulator (not shown). The agitation level, which will be described in detail later, is adjusted from the lower part of the gap between the inner wall 7 and the shelf support 19, the details of which will be described later, to about 37 DEG C., for example, from the lower left side in FIG. 1 into the culture tank 5.

On the lower surface of the inner wall 7, culture M! An evaporation section 11 for storing water is provided to provide humidity to the culture tank 5. Water is evaporated from the evaporation section 11, and the humidity inside the culture tank 5 is adjusted to high humidity.

A fan attachment port 13 is provided on the top surface of the culture tank 5, passing through the inner wall 7 and the outer wall 9. A stirring fan 15 for stirring the inside of the culture ala is installed in the fan attachment port 13 in the culture tank 5. It is. This stirring fan 15 is rotated by a drive motor 17 attached to the outer wall 9, and the temperature, humidity, and CO2 inside the culture tank 5 are adjusted uniformly.

Two shelf supports 19 are vertically attached to the culture tank 5 on the left and right sides of the inner wall 7, respectively. This shelf support 19 has
Removable shelves 21 are installed in multiple stages at regular intervals. Cells from higher animals, such as humans and mice, are placed on the removable shelf 21 via saucers. and cultured in the culture tank 5 for a certain period of time. Moreover, the degree of culture of the cells is checked by the operator by taking them out from the culture tank 5 at any time.

culture! 95 to a certain concentration value, e.g. 5%
A CO2 cylinder 23 in which CO2 is stored is provided outside the CO2 incubator 1 in order to supply and hold CO2. One end of a pipe 25 is connected to the CO2 cylinder 23, and the other end of the pipe 25 penetrates a part of the outer wall 9 and inner wall 7 in the CO2 incubator 1 and is exposed to the upper surface of the culture tank 5. There is. A solenoid valve 27 is connected in the middle of the pipe 25 to adjust the CO211A that supplies CO2.

With the above configuration, CO2 is supplied into the culture tank 5 from the CO2 cylinder 23 via the pipe 25.

In order to detect the CO2 concentration in the culture tank 5, a temperature detection sensor 29 such as an infrared sensor is provided, for example, on the right side outside the CO2 incubator 1 in FIG. The concentration detection sensor 29 has a supply pipe 3 connected to the culture tank 5, respectively.
1. Sending piping 33 is connected, and culture IP! 5 to the concentration detection sensor 29 via the supply pipe 31, the concentration detection sensor 29 detects CO2, and the CO2 is sent to the culture tank 5 via the delivery pipe 33 and circulated. It has become.

The concentration detection sensor 29 is connected to the electromagnetic valve 27 and the drive motor 17 via a control bag 235. The CO2'a degree in the control device 35 is controlled as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the CO2 cylinder 23
CO2 is supplied into the culture tank 5 via piping 25 from
C02711 in the culture tank 5 is continuously supplied in a straight line until the concentration detection sensor 29 reaches 4%, for example. The concentration detection sensor 29 detects CO2 in the culture tank 5.
For example, when it is detected as 4%, a signal is sent from the concentration detection sensor 29 to the control device 35. Internally processed within the control device 35, for example, 3 seconds ON, 2 seconds COF
The ON and OFF signals of F every 5 seconds are the solenoid valve 27.
The solenoid valve 27 is turned on and controlled to 0FF7J+, and the temperature of <0028 degrees as shown by the curve C1 is intermittently supplied into the culture tank 5, and the CO2 concentration in the culture tank 5 reaches 5%, and the CO2 concentration in the culture tank 5 reaches 5%. It is detected by the detection sensor 29.

When the concentration detection sensor 29 detects 5%, the culture Ia
The CO2 concentration in 5 will be controlled to be turned on and off by the amount of leakage.

Also, as shown in Figure 2, CO2
When the door 3 of the incubator 1 is opened and closed by the handle 3A to take cells in and out, the CO2 in the culture tank 5 is released to the outside, and almost no CO2 in the culture tank 5 is left. Therefore, the procedure described above is repeated so that CO2 is supplied from the CO2 cylinder 23 through the pipe 25 into the culture tank 5.

In this way, the CO2 is transferred from the CO2 cylinder 23 through the piping 25.
O2 is supplied at a faster flow rate than conventionally, and before reaching a certain concentration value, for example 5%, a concentration detection sensor 29 detects a set concentration lower than a certain temperature value, for example 4%. After the detection, the solenoid valve 27 is controlled to turn on and off via the control device 35. As a result, the CO2 concentration in the culture tank 5 can reach a constant concentration value in a faster rise time than before. Culture tank 5 after returning to a certain concentration value
The ON/OFF control for internal leakage can also be adjusted more uniformly with less CO2 supplied than in the past.

Then, open and close the door 3 of the CO2 incubator 1,
Cells can be taken in and out of culture R15 without any hindrance than before.

As mentioned above, the control device 35 is also connected to the drive motor 17, and CO2 is supplied from the CO2 cylinder 23 through the pipe 25 into the culture tank 5, and when the CO2a2 degree in the culture tank 5 reaches 4%, the concentration It is detected by the detection sensor 29, and the detection signal is sent to the control device 35, where it is internally processed, and as described above, for example, the solenoid valve 27 is turned ON for 3 seconds and OFF for 2 seconds.

It is controlled to be OFF. At this time, the control device 35 is also connected to a drive motor 17 that rotates the stirring fan 15, and rotates the drive motor 17 when the solenoid valve 27 is in an ON state, and rotates the drive motor when the solenoid valve 27 is in an OFF state. 17
The controller 35 sends a signal to the drive motor 17 to stop the motor.

As a result, in Fig. 2, in the straight state, the solenoid valve 2
7 is ON, drive the drive motor 17,
The stirring fan 15 rotates. In the state of curve C, even when the solenoid valve 27 is frequently turned on and off, the drive motor 1
In order to prevent the temperature from rising in step 7, it is kept in a rotating state.

Similarly, when the CO2 concentration is at a certain concentration value, for example 5%, it is ON,
Even in the case of OFF control, the stirring fan 15 is similarly stopped in the 01 state, and the stirring fan 1 is stopped in the C2 state.
The drive motor 17 of the stirring fan 15 is controlled to rotate the stirring fan 5.

Therefore, the C in the culture tank 5 of the CO2 incubator 1
By maintaining a uniform O28 degree and opening and closing the door 3 when taking cells in and out, even if bacteria enter the culture tank 5 from the outside and attach to one cell, for example,
Culture medium [for stirring unless CO2 is supplied in 15)? Since the engine 17 is not rotating, germs will not be scattered. As a result, bacteria are less likely to attach to and multiply on other cells than in the past, and the negative effects of bacteria on cells can be minimized.

As mentioned above, CO2 is switched from ON to OFF to the culture tank 5.
When switching to state F and supplying, the stirring fan 15
Preferably, the switching from the rotating state to the stopped state occurs after only a short period of time has elapsed.

(Effects of the Invention) As understood from the description of the embodiments above, according to the present invention, the CO2 concentration in the CO2 incubator continues until it reaches a preset concentration value lower than a certain concentration value. After the temperature in the CO2 incubator reaches the set concentration value,
Since CO2 is supplied intermittently, variations in the CO2 concentration at a constant concentration value can be suppressed as much as possible. In addition, the rise time until a certain concentration value is reached is made faster, thereby providing the effect of not causing any hindrance to frequent cell removal and removal from the CO2 incubator.

By the way, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can be implemented in other embodiments by making appropriate changes.・

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a CO2 incubator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows CO2 concentration control in the present invention.
It is a relationship diagram between 1 degree and time. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between CO2a degrees and time, showing conventional CO2 control. (Explanation of symbols representing main parts of drawings) 1...CO
2 Incubator 3... I7 5... Culture tank 15... Stirring fan 17... Drive motor 23... CO2 cylinder 25
... Piping 27 ... Solenoid valve 29 ... Concentration detection sensor 31 ... Supply pipe 33 ... Sending pipe 35 ...
・Control a device

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Supplying CO_2 into the CO_2 incubator,
When controlling the concentration of CO_2 in the CO_2 incubator to a constant concentration value,
Continuously supply CO_2 until the O_2 concentration reaches a preset set concentration value lower than a certain concentration value, and
_2 A method for controlling CO_2 concentration in an incubator, characterized in that after the CO_2 concentration in the incubator reaches the set concentration value, CO_2 is intermittently supplied. (2) A method for controlling CO_2 concentration in an incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that the intermittent supply of CO_2 is performed by ON/OFF control of a solenoid valve.