Culture device
A culture device includes a culture vessel that contains a culture solution for culturing cells, a gas supply device that supplies a gas to the culture vessel, and a humidification device that humidifies the gas flowing from the gas supply device to the culture vessel. The humidification device includes a hollow fiber membrane filter that includes a hollow fiber membrane through which the gas from the gas supply device passes and a casing that accommodates the hollow fiber membrane, a water supply device that fills the casing of the hollow fiber membrane filter with water, and a first heater that heats the hollow fiber membrane filter.
1 . A culture device, comprising:
a culture vessel that contains a culture solution for culturing cells;
a gas supply device configured to supply a gas to the culture vessel;
a humidification device configured to humidify the gas flowing from the gas supply device to the culture vessel, the humidification device comprising a hollow fiber membrane filter that includes a hollow fiber membrane configured to pass gas from the gas supply device, and a casing that accommodates the hollow fiber membrane, the casing of the hollow fiber membrane filter having a first port and a second port;
a water supply device comprising a plurality of water supply containers, the plurality of water supply containers being located above the casing; and
a first heater configured to heat the hollow fiber membrane filter,
wherein the water supply device is configured to supply water from a first water supply container of the plurality of water supply containers into the casing through the first port, and the water supply device is configured to move air in the casing to a second water supply container of the plurality of water supply containers through the second port.
2 . The culture device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of water supply containers are configured to have variable inner volumes.
3 . The culture device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of water supply containers are configured to store water such that all water levels in the plurality of water supply containers are at a same level.
4 . The culture device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second heater that is disposed below the culture vessel and is configured to heat the culture solution in the culture vessel.
5 . The culture device according to claim 4 , further comprising a third heater configured to heat a first membrane filter that is provided in a gas supply channel between the humidification device and the culture vessel,
wherein a heating temperature of the third heater is higher than a heating temperature of the second heater.
6 . The culture device according to claim 5 , further comprising a fourth heater configured to heat a second membrane filter that is provided in a gas discharge channel that connects an interior of the culture vessel and outside air,
wherein a heating temperature of the fourth heater is higher than a heating temperature of the second heater.
7 . The culture device according to claim 6 , the culture vessel having a columnar shape including a bottom plate part, a top plate part, and a sidewall part, and comprising a fifth heater configured to heat the top plate part and a sixth heater configured to heat the sidewall part,
wherein heating temperatures of the fifth and sixth heaters are higher than the heating temperature of the second heater.
8 . The culture device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first membrane filter that is provided in a gas supply channel between the humidification device and the culture vessel, and which is disposed in a state such that a normal line of a filter surface is tilted with respect to a vertical direction.
9 . The culture device according to claim 8 , wherein a portion of the gas supply channel between the first membrane filter and the culture vessel extends in a horizontal direction.
10 . The culture device according to claim 8 , wherein the first membrane filter is located at a lower position than a connection part of the culture vessel between the gas supply channel and the culture vessel.
11 . The culture device according to claim 8 , further comprising a second membrane filter that is provided in a gas discharge channel that connects an interior of the culture vessel and outside air, and which is disposed in a state such that a normal line of a filter surface is tilted with respect to a vertical direction.
12 . The culture device according to claim 11 , wherein a portion of the gas discharge channel between the second membrane filter and the culture vessel extends in a horizontal direction.
13 . The culture device according to claim 11 , wherein the second membrane filter is located at a lower position than a connection part of the culture vessel between the gas supply channel and the culture vessel.
14 . The culture device according claim 1 , further comprising:
a culture solution supply unit configured to supply the culture solution to the culture vessel; and
a control unit configured to control the gas supply device and the culture solution supply unit,
wherein as an amount of the culture solution in the culture vessel supplied by the culture solution supply unit increases, the control unit is configured to change a gas supply amount per unit time of the gas supply device.
15 . The culture device according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit is configured to change the gas supply amount of the gas supply device such that an evaporation percentage at the culture solution amount in the culture vessel and an osmotic pressure of the culture solution calculated from the evaporation percentage take predetermined values.
16 . The culture device according to claim 15 , wherein the predetermined value of the osmotic pressure of the culture solution is 260 to 315 mOsm/kg.
17 . The culture device according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the heating temperature of the first heater and to change the heating temperature of the first heater as the amount of the culture solution in the culture vessel supplied by the culture solution supply unit increases.
18 . The culture device according to claim 14 , wherein gas supplied from the gas supply device and humidified by the humidification device is configured to be supplied to the culture vessel before the culture solution supply unit supplies the culture solution to the culture vessel.
19 . The culture device according to claim 1 , further comprising a culture vessel rocking unit configured to rock the culture vessel such that a portion of a surface of the culture vessel brought into contact with the culture solution moved by stirring decreases when the amount of culture solution in the culture vessel decreases.