U.S. patent application number 17/307635 was filed with the patent office on 2021-12-23 for incubator and sterilization method for the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is WIGGENS TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Chengxiang ZHANG, Gongrun ZHANG, Gongze ZHANG.
Application Number | 20210395667 17/307635 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005583846 |
Filed Date | 2021-12-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210395667 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ZHANG; Gongrun ; et
al. |
December 23, 2021 |
INCUBATOR AND STERILIZATION METHOD FOR THE SAME
Abstract
The present disclosure discloses an incubator, comprising: a
housing defining an incubation chamber, and the incubation chamber
is a sealable structure; a shaker located inside the incubation
chamber; one or more vent panels, which are each provided with a
plurality of vent openings, wherein the incubation chamber is
divided into a first area and a second area by the vent panels and
the housing, and the shaker is located inside the first area; and a
blowing device, for guiding gas flow; wherein, gas in the
incubation chamber is driven to circulate between the first area
and the second area through cooperation of the vent panels, an
inner wall of the housing and the blowing device.
Inventors: |
ZHANG; Gongrun; (Beijing,
CN) ; ZHANG; Gongze; (Beijing, CN) ; ZHANG;
Chengxiang; (Beijing, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WIGGENS TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD. |
Beijing |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005583846 |
Appl. No.: |
17/307635 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C12M 23/50 20130101;
C12M 27/16 20130101; C12M 41/14 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C12M 1/00 20060101
C12M001/00; C12M 3/06 20060101 C12M003/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 22, 2020 |
CN |
PCT/CN2020/097536 |
Jul 10, 2020 |
CN |
202010664166.9 |
Claims
1. An incubator, comprising: a housing defining an incubation
chamber, and the incubation chamber is a sealable structure; a
shaker located inside the incubation chamber; one or more vent
panels, which are each provided with a plurality of vent openings,
wherein the incubation chamber is divided into a first area and a
second area by the vent panels and the housing, and the shaker is
located inside the first area; and a blowing device for guiding gas
flow; wherein gas in the incubation chamber is driven to circulate
between the first area and the second area through cooperation of
the vent panels, an inner wall of the housing and the blowing
device.
2. The incubator of claim 1, wherein part or all of the vent
openings are sequentially disposed in the vent panels from top to
bottom, and the vent openings are distributed across the top of the
incubation chamber and the bottom of the incubation chamber.
3. The incubator of claim 1, wherein the vent panels comprises a
top panel and side panels, the top panel and the side panels are
disposed on a bottom of the housing, and the vent openings are
disposed in the top panel and the side panels; the second area
comprises side channel s formed by side surfaces of the inner wall
of the housing and the side panels, and a top channel formed by a
top surface of the inner wall of the housing and the top panel; the
first area is an area delimited by the side panels, the top panel
and a bottom surface of the inner wall of the housing; and the side
channel, the first area and the top channel are mutually matched to
form an gas circulation channel, and gas is able to circulate in
the gas circulation channel.
4. The incubator of claim 3, wherein part or all of the vent
openings in the side panels are located at the bottom of the
incubator.
5. The incubator of claim 3, wherein part or all of the vent
openings are sequentially disposed in the side panels from top to
bottom, and the vent openings are distributed across the top of the
incubation chamber and the bottom of the incubation chamber.
6. The incubator of claim 3, wherein the incubator further
comprises one or more blowing devices, and part or all of the
blowing devices correspond to the vent openings in the top panel
one to one and are disposed oppositely.
7. The incubator of claim 3, wherein the incubator is provided with
filters, and part or all of the filters correspond to the vent
openings in the top panel one to one.
8. The incubator of claim 1, wherein the shaker comprises a drive
motor and a support structure, the drive motor being rotationally
coupled to the support structure; the driving motor is used for
shaking a shaking table, the shaker is mounted in the incubation
chamber via the support structure, and the drive motor comprises a
stator and a rotor; the stator is located in the rotor and is
sealed from the first area through cooperation of the rotor and the
support structure.
9. The incubator of claim 1, wherein the shaker is provided with a
shaking table which is releasably mounted on the shaker;
10. The incubator of claim 9, wherein the shaker is provided with a
shaking table bracket for supporting the shaking table, and a
plurality of first openings are formed in the shaking table
bracket.
11. The incubator of claim 10, wherein the shaking table bracket is
releasably mounted to the shaker.
12. The incubator of claim 1, further comprising a sterilizing gas
generator disposed in the incubation chamber.
13. The incubator of claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with
a second opening and a conduit, the conduit is communicated with
the incubation chamber through the second opening to supply gas to
the incubation chamber, and the housing is provided with a valve
for opening and closing the second opening at the second
opening.
14. The incubator of claim 1, wherein the distance between the
shaker and the inner wall of the housing is between 75 mm and 175
mm.
15. The incubator of claim 1, wherein part or all of the vent
openings are provided with filters.
16. The incubator of claim 5, wherein the drive motor is provided
with vanes.
17. The incubator of claim 1, wherein the incubation chamber
comprises a first state and a second state; when the incubation
chamber is in the first state, the incubation chamber is in a
sealed structure; when the incubation chamber is in the second
state, the incubation chamber is in an open state.
18. The incubator of claim 1, wherein the incubator is an orbital
shaker incubator.
19. A sterilization method for the incubator of claim 1, wherein a
sterilizing gas is introduced into the incubation chamber before or
during gas in the incubation chamber is circulated between the
first area and the second area.
20. The sterilization method of claim 19, wherein the vent panels
comprises a top panel and side panels, the top panel and the side
panels are disposed on a bottom surface of the inner wall of the
housing, and the vent openings are disposed in the top panel and
the side panels; the second area comprises side channel s formed by
side surfaces of the inner wall of the housing and the side panels,
and a top channel formed by a top surface of the inner wall of the
housing and the top panel, and the first area is an area delimited
by the side panels, the top panel and a bottom surface of the inner
wall of the housing; wherein, the gas forms a circulating flow
which sequentially passes through the first area, the top channel,
the side channel and the first area under the actuation of the
blowing device, or the gas forms a circulating flow which
sequentially passes through the first area, the side channel, the
top channel and the first area under the actuation of the blowing
device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority to
Patent Cooperation Treaty application number PCT/CN2020/097536,
filed on Jun. 22, 2020, titled "INCUBATOR WITH ORBITAL SHAKER", and
Chinese patent application No. 202010664166.9, filed on Jul. 10,
2020, titled "INCUBATOR AND STERILIZATION METHOD FOR THE SAME",
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to incubators, in particular,
incubators with built-in shakers and a sterilization method for the
same.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Incubators are commonly used to culture microorganisms,
plant and animal cells, and the like. The incubator needs to be
cleaned, sterilized/decontaminated periodically to reduce or avoid
contamination. The incubator can be cleaned and
sterilized/decontaminated by formaldehyde vapor, alcohol wiping,
high-temperature cooking, ultraviolet irradiation and the like. The
concept of performing cleaning, sterilizing/decontaminating
operations on incubators for cell culture using gases such as
ozone, ethylene oxide, and the like is known in the art.
[0004] For example, the following patent documents disclose
cleaning and sterilizing/ decontaminating an incubator with a gas
such as ozone.
[0005] The published patent filing EP 3307059 A2 discloses a cell
culture incubator having a transfer chamber and an internal chamber
that are arranged to form an airlock configuration. Objects placed
into the incubator cabinet are sterilized using ozone produced by
an ozone generator.
[0006] The granted patent JP 5278861 B2 describes an apparatus that
ensures sterilization of a CO2-incubator including a sterilization
tent with an airtight hole for airtightly protruding a leading end
part of a tube connection part and an ozone generator for
pressure-feeding the ozone gas to a tube connection part.
[0007] The utility model CN 206244809 U describes a cell culture
box provided with a carbon dioxide generator, an ozone generator, a
heater, etc. inside and can be sterilized by an ultraviolet lamp
and ozone.
[0008] However, the structure of the above incubators is relatively
simple and generic, and the structural complexity inside the
incubator significantly increases when the driving unit for the
shaker is placed inside the incubator. Accordingly, thorough
cleaning and sterilization/ decontamination of the incubator incurs
considerable complexity as well.
[0009] For example, the following patent documents each disclose an
incubator with a built-in shaker and/or a drive unit thereof.
[0010] The published document DE 19814013 C1 describes an
open-design shaker drive, which is arranged at the lower end of an
incubation chamber of an incubator used for cell culture. The open
design allows moisture and microbial contamination to accumulate in
the shaker device and does not allow for complete cleaning and
decontamination due to the arrangement of mechanical and
electronical parts at the bottom of the incubation chamber. Due to
the additional object in the chamber gas flow is impaired, leading
to blind spots in a gas decontamination process. Thus, a thorough
cleaning and decontamination of the incubator is not possible.
[0011] The granted patent DE 102008010780 B3 discloses an incubator
with a shaker device being located partly inside and partly outside
the incubation chamber which can be used for cultivating cells. The
drive unit with motor and drive belt are located in an adjacent
device room. The shaker device features a base plate which seals
the incubation chamber from the adjacent device room. Due to
mechanical parts of the shaking device located at the bottom of the
incubation shaker, optimal cleaning and decontamination conditions
are not ensured.
[0012] The publication EP 1626082 B1 describes an incubator which
has an incubation chamber and a device chamber at the lower end. To
shake vessels containing cell cultures in the incubation room, an
axis, which rotates and performs eccentric movements in a
horizontal plane, protrudes into the incubation chamber. At the
free end of the axis there is a shaking table for the cell culture
vessels. In this design the sealing between the incubation chamber
and the device chamber is constructed as an elastic and wear-prone
bellows type sealing in order to enable the shaking movement.
Contamination can get into the incubation chamber through cracks in
the material.
[0013] It should be noted that the present inventors have
recognized that the movement of the gas flow inside the
conventional incubator for cell culture is limited, resulting in
insufficient gas flow at some positions, inhibiting introducing the
corresponding gas to sterilize/decontaminate the incubator
completely.
SUMMARY
[0014] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an incubator is
provided wherein flowing gas in an incubation chamber can
distribute evenly in the incubation chamber, facilitating
introduction of corresponding gas for cleaning,
sterilization/decontamination of a housing of the incubator.
[0015] An incubator, comprising:
[0016] a housing defining an incubation chamber, and the incubation
chamber is a sealable structure;
[0017] a shaker located within the incubation chamber;
[0018] one or more vent panels, which are each provided with a
plurality of vent openings, wherein the incubation chamber is
divided into a first area and a second area by the vent panels and
the housing, and the shaker is located inside the first area;
and
[0019] a blowing device for guiding gas flow;
[0020] wherein gas in the incubation chamber is driven to circulate
between the first area and the second area through cooperation of
the vent panels, an inner wall of the housing and the blowing
device.
[0021] In some embodiments, part or all of the vent openings are
sequentially disposed in the vent panels from top to bottom, and
the vent openings are distributed across the top of the incubation
chamber and the bottom of the incubation chamber.
[0022] In some embodiments, the vent panels includes a top panel
and side panels, wherein the top panel and the side panels are
disposed on a bottom of the housing, and the vent openings are
disposed in the top panel and the side panels; the second area
includes side channels formed by side surfaces of the inner wall of
the housing and the side panels, and a t op channel formed by a top
surface of the inner wall of the housing and the top panel; the
first area is an area delimited by the side panels, the top panel
and a bottom surface of the inner wall of the housing; and the side
channel, the first area and the top channel are mutually matched to
form an gas circulation channel, and gas is able to circulate in
the air circulation channel.
[0023] In some embodiments, part or all of the vent openings in the
side panels are located at the bottom of the incubator chamber.
[0024] In some embodiments, part or all of the vent openings are
sequentially disposed in the side panels from top to bottom, and
the vent openings are distributed across the top of the incubation
chamber and the bottom of the incubation chamber.
[0025] In some embodiments, the incubator further includes one or
more blowing devices, and part or all of the blowing devices
correspond to the vent openings in the top panel one to one, and
are disposed oppositely.
[0026] In some embodiments, the incubator is provided with filters,
and part or all of the filters correspond to the vent openings in
the top panel one to one.
[0027] In some embodiments, the shaker includes a drive motor and a
support structure, the drive motor being rotationally coupled to
the support structure; the driving motor is used for shaking a
shaking table, the shaker is mounted in the incubation chamber via
the support structure, and the drive motor includes a stator and a
rotor; the stator is located in the rotor and is sealed from the
first area through cooperation of the rotor and the support
structure.
[0028] In some embodiments, the shaker is provided with a shaking
table which is releasably mounted on the shaker;
[0029] In some embodiments, the shaker is provided with a shaking
table bracket for supporting the shaking table, and a plurality of
first openings are formed in the shaking table bracket.
[0030] In some embodiments, the shaking table bracket is releasably
mounted to the shaker.
[0031] In some embodiments, the incubator further comprises a
sterilizing gas generator in the incubation chamber.
[0032] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with a second
opening and a conduit, the conduit is communicated with the
incubation chamber through the second opening to supply gas to the
incubation chamber, and the housing is provided with a valve for
opening and closing the second opening at the second opening.
[0033] In some embodiments, the distance between the shaker and the
inner wall of the housing is between 75 mm and 175 mm.
[0034] In some embodiments, part or all of the vent openings are
provided with filters.
[0035] In some embodiments, the drive motor is provided with
vanes.
[0036] In some embodiments, the incubation chamber includes a first
state and a second state; when the incubation chamber is in the
first state, the incubation chamber is in a sealed structure; when
the incubation chamber is in the second state, the incubation
chamber is in an open state.
[0037] The incubator according to the embodiments of the disclosure
enables the gas flow to flow to each position in the whole
incubator as much as possible, so that a "dead space" which is
difficult to reach by the gas flow is avoided, and the incubator
can be cleaned, sterilized/decontaminated conveniently.
[0038] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a sterilization
method for the incubator is provided, to effectively
sterilize/contaminate the incubator.
[0039] A sterilization method for the incubator of any one of the
embodiments above, wherein a sterilizing gas is introduced into the
incubation chamber before or during gas in the incubation chamber
is circulated between the first area and the second area.
[0040] In some embodiments, the vent panels include a top panel and
side panels, the top panel and the side panels are disposed on a
bottom surface of the inner wall of the housing, and the vent
openings are disposed in the top panel and the side panels; the
second area includes side channels formed by side surfaces of the
inner wall of the housing and the side panels, and a top channel
formed by a top surface of the inner wall of the housing and the
top panel, and the first area is an area delimited by the side
panels, the top panel and a bottom surface of the inner wall of the
housing; wherein, the gas forms a circulating flow which
sequentially passes through the first area, the top channel, the
side channels and the first area under the actuation of the blowing
device, or the gas forms a circulating flow which sequentially
passes through the first area, the side channel, the top channel
and the first area under the actuation of the blowing device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to
scale. Like reference numbers and designations in the various
drawings indicate like elements. For purposes of clarity, not every
component can be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
[0042] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of an incubator
according to some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0043] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of an incubator
according to some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0044] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of an incubator
according to some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0045] FIG. 4 is a front schematic view of an incubator according
to some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0046] FIG. 5 is a front schematic view of an incubator according
to some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0047] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a shaking table bracket
according to some embodiments of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048] FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show cross-sectional views of
incubators according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
The incubator 1 includes a housing 110 defining an incubation
chamber 2, and a shaker 10 for shaking a shaking table 71. The
incubator can be a sealable structure. Specifically, the incubation
chamber 2 includes a first state and a second state. When the
incubation chamber 2 is in the first state, the incubation chamber
2 is in a sealed structure, and when the incubation chamber 2 is in
the second state, the incubation chamber 2 is in an open state.
More specifically, the housing 110 may include a door, and the
incubation chamber 2 may be opened or the incubation chamber 2 may
be hermetically closed by opening or closing the door so that gas
in the incubation chamber 2 cannot escape and foreign substances
cannot enter into the incubation chamber 2.
[0049] It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the
incubator 1 may have other devices built into it, not shown in FIG.
1, such as a temperature control device to maintain the interior of
the incubation chamber 2 at a constant temperature, for example, a
temperature in the range of 5 to 50 degrees celsius. In some
embodiments, the housing 110 may be made of a corrosion resistant
material, such as stainless steel. In some embodiments, the surface
roughness (Ra) of the inner wall of the housing is less than 0.8
.mu.m. Also, in some embodiments, the inside of the incubation
chamber 2 is designed to be circular and rounded to facilitate
cleaning, sterilization/decontamination, and avoid dead spaces.
Optionally, the radius of the rounded corner of the incubation
chamber 2 is about 20 mm, for users to clean the incubation
chamber.
[0050] In some embodiments, the incubator 1 further includes: a
shaker 10, vent plates, and a blowing device 5. The shaker 10 may
be an orbital shaker 10.
[0051] The shaker 10 is disposed in the incubation chamber 2;
wherein, the shaker 10 includes a shaking table bracket 7 for
loading the shaking table 71. Optionally, the shaking table bracket
7 may be provided with a groove matched with the shaking table 71
to mount the shaking table 71.
[0052] It should be noted that, in the prior art, the incubator 1
includes two chambers, one is an incubation chamber 2 for cell
culture, the other is an equipment chamber, and some parts of the
shaker 10, such as the drive motor 8, are disposed in the equipment
chamber, and some parts of the shaker 10, such as the shaking table
71, are disposed in the incubation chamber 2. In order to ensure a
stable environment for the incubation chamber 2, a dynamic sealing
structure (such as a bellows) is usually provided between the
incubation chamber 2 and the equipment chamber to ensure that the
incubation chamber 2 is relatively sealed, but the drive motor 8
still generates certain vibration, so that the sealing effect is
not necessarily expected and the dynamic sealing structure
performance is reduced, impacting the sealing effect after
long-term collision with the shaker 10. This problem is effectively
avoided in the present application by placing the entire shaker 10
in the incubation chambers 2. It should be understood that the
shaker 10 may be connected to the shaking table 71 by a screw
connection, a snap connection, or the like, in addition to the
shaking table bracket 7 used for supporting the shaking table
10.
[0053] While the vent panels are provided with a plurality of vent
openings 500, wherein the incubation chamber 2 is divided into a
first area 300 and a second area 400 by the vent panels and the
housing 110, and the shaker 10 is located inside the first area
300. The blowing device is for guiding gas flow. Air in the
incubation chamber 2 is driven to circulate between the first area
300 and the second area 400 through cooperation of the vent panels,
an inner wall 116 of the housing and the blowing device.
Alternatively, the vent openings 500 are sequentially disposed in
the vent panels from top to bottom. In order to make the gas more
uniformly distributed in the incubation chamber 2, optionally, part
or all of the vent openings 500 are sequentially disposed in the
side panels 4 from top to bottom, and the vent openings 500 are
distributed across the top of the incubation chamber 2 and the
bottom of the incubation chamber 2. By providing several vent
openings 500 in the vent panels, gas can pass through the vent
panels to the second area 400 and the first area 300 in different
positions within the first area 300 and the second area 400,
respectively, so that the whole circulation can involve as much as
possible of the whole incubation chamber 2. The blowing device 5 is
mainly for guiding the flow of the gas flow inside the incubation
chamber 2, and may be a fan, optionally a negative pressure fan, or
may be an extracting pump or the like. The gas can circulate in the
incubation chamber 2, more specifically, the gas can circulate back
and forth between the first area 300 and the second area 400 under
the action of the incubation chamber 2, the vent plates and the
inner wall 116 of the housing. Firstly, the gas circulation ensures
that the internal gas is uniformly distributed in the gas
circulation area as much as possible, which is beneficial to
cleaning the incubation chamber 2 on one hand, and particularly,
after the sterilizing gas is added into the incubation chamber 2,
the sterilizing gas can be uniformly distributed in each area,
thereby preventing the sterilizing gas concentration in some of the
areas from being too low to effectively sterilize the incubation
chamber, thus ensuring the sterilizing effect; on the other hand,
the temperature in the incubation chamber 2 can be adjusted, and
the local temperature difference is avoided from being too large.
In addition, through the design that the vent panels are provided
with several vent openings 500, the gas can pass through the vent
panels at different positions of the vent panels, so that the gas
circulation is enhanced, and meanwhile, the dead space in the
incubation chamber 2, in which the gas cannot circulate, is
reduced. It should also be understood that the second area is a gap
area between the vent panels and the housing 110 and is not an area
where the shaker 10 is located.
[0054] More specifically, as according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure, the vent panels include a top panel 3 and side
panels 4. The top panel 3 and the side panels 4 are provided on the
bottom surface of the inner wall 116 of the housing 110, and the
vent openings 500 are provided in the top panel 3 and the side
panels 4. The second area 400 includes side channels 410 formed by
the side surface of the inner wall 116 of the housing 110 and the
side panels 4, and a top channel 420 formed by the top surface of
the inner wall 116 of the housing 110 and the top panel 3. The
first area 300 is an area defined by the side panels 4, the top
panel 3, and the bottom surface of the inner wall of the housing
110, and the side channels 410, the first area 300, and the top
channel 420 cooperate to form a gas flow circulation channel in
which gas can flow circularly (the gas flow direction is shown by
arrows in FIG. 1).
[0055] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the
vent panels may be a component of the housing 110. For example, the
vent panels include a top panel 3, side panels 4, and a bottom
panel. The top panel 3 is a top wall of the housing 110, the side
panels 4 are two opposite side walls of the housing 110, and the
bottom panel is a bottom wall of the housing 110. The vent openings
500 may be provided in the top panel 3, the side panels 4, and/or
the bottom panel. A gas flow channel for connecting the vent
openings 500 provided in the different panels is provided in the
housing 110. The housing 110 may have a multi-layer structure, and
the gas flow channel may be disposed between layers of the housing
110. In some examples, the gas flow channels may occupy the entire
space between layers of the housing 110. When the vent openings 500
are provided in the top panel 3 and the side panels 4, gas can
circulate in the gas flow channel and the first area 300 under the
action of the blowing device, the gas flow flows from the first
area 300 into the openings in the top panel 3 and into the gas flow
channel, then flows from the plurality of vent openings 500 in the
side panels 4 into the first area 300 and up to the openings in the
top panel 3 under the action of the suction force of the blowing
device, completing the circulation. When the vent openings 500 are
provided only in the side panels 4, gas flows into the first area
300 from the side panel 4 in one side and flows out of the first
area 300 from the side panel 4 in the other side, thereby achieving
a horizontal gas flow purge in the first area 300. When the vent
openings 500 are provided in the top panel 3 and the bottom panel,
gas flows from the first area 300 into the openings in the top
panel 3 and into the gas flow channel, then flows from the
plurality of vent openings 500 in the bottom panel into the first
area 300 and flows upward to the openings in the top panel 3 under
the suction of the blowing device, effecting a bottom-to-top gas
flow purge in the first area 300.
[0056] Since the shaker 10 is usually rotatably attached to the
support structure inside the incubator 1 to be fixed inside the
incubator 1, this may cause the area under the shaker 10 to be
sometimes difficult to clean due to the obstruction of the shaker
10. In the case where the vent openings 500 are provided in the top
panel 3 and the bottom panel, the vent openings 500 are located at
the bottom of the incubation chamber 2 so that the circulating gas
can flow through the area under the shaker 10, improving the
ventilation effect and ensuring more uniform gas distribution.
[0057] Alternatively, a pair of blowing devices 5 and vent openings
500 corresponding to the blowing devices 5 are symmetrically
provided in the top panel 3, and the blowing devices 5 may be
centrifugal fans. As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of blowing devices are
respectively provided in the top panel 3 and blow gas toward either
side respectively. The resulting gas flow flows towards both sides
in the top channel 420 and then turns at the corners of the
incubation chamber 2 to the side channels 410, the gas then flows
into the first area 300 through a plurality of vent openings 500
provided in the side panels 4 and flows upwards under the suction
of the blowing device, thus achieving circulation between the first
area 300 and the second area 400. The gas purges the components of
the shaker 10 sufficiently during the circulation to facilitate
cleaning, sterilization/ decontamination and to adjust the
temperature balance within the incubation chamber 2. It should be
understood that the blowing device 5 may be provided on the rear
wall in addition to the top panel 3 as shown in FIG. 1, and the
specific installation position thereof may be adjusted according to
the circumstances, and the present disclosure is not particularly
limited.
[0058] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the
shaker 10 is housed in the incubation chamber 2, and spaced apart
from the bottom wall of the incubation chamber 2 at a predetermined
distance ranging from 75 mm to 175 mm, preferably from 120 mm to
130 mm. The predetermined distance is higher than the distance
separating the shaker 10 from the bottom wall of the incubation
chamber 2 in the conventional incubator 1, so that the space
between the shaker 10 and the bottom wall of the incubation chamber
2 can be uniformly flowed by the cleaning,
sterilizing/decontaminating gas (e.g., ozone) to thoroughly clean,
sterilize/decontaminate the components of the shaker 10.
[0059] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the
shaker 10 includes a drive motor 8 and a support structure, the
drive motor 8 being rotatably connected with the support structure.
The drive motor 8 is used for shaking the shaking table bracket 7.
The shaker 10 is mounted in the incubation chamber 2 via the
support structure. The drive motor 8 includes a stator and a rotor
19. The stator is located within the rotor 19 and is sealed from
the first area 300 by the rotor 19 cooperating with the support
structure. Optionally, the outer surface of the rotor 19 and the
part of the support structure exposed to the incubation chamber 2
are smooth surfaces to facilitate the circulation of gas. In the
present application, the shaker 10 is placed in the incubation
chamber 2, and structures with uneven surfaces such as stator in
the shaker 10 are very suitable for bacteria breeding, affecting
cell culture in the incubator 1. Therefore, by sealing the rotor 19
and the support structure from the incubation chamber 2, foreign
substances entering enter into the stator and rotor 19 and
impacting operation of the motor, and bacteria breeding in the
stator and rotor 19 is avoided simultaneously. In some embodiments,
the rotor 19 is a case of the drive motor 8. Optionally, a rotor
plate 27 is provided on the rotor 19.
[0060] Specifically, an example of the internal structure (stator
and rotor 19) of the shaker 10 sealing from the incubation chamber
2 is presented below. The rotor plate 27 is part of the shaker 10
and together with the rotor 19 forms a box, which absorbs the
tilting moment from the shaker 3 through the two bearings 26, the
guide.
[0061] The shaker 10 can be implemented as an orbital shaker 10.
The orbital shaker 10 may include a drive motor 8, an eccentric
bearing structure, an adjustable counterweight 21, a support
structure for fixing the orbital shaker 10 to the bottom 115 of the
housing 110, two bearings 26, and a lip seal 28. The orbital shaker
10 can further includes a control unit 25 which controls the drive
motor 8. On the orbital shaker 10, a shaking table 71 is releasable
fixed. On top of the shaking table 71, one or more sample
containers 15 are releasable fixed. Within each sample container
15, a biological sample 16 is stored. When the shaking table 71 is
shaken by the orbital shaker 10, the biological sample 16 is also
shaken.
[0062] The drive motor 8 can be a rotary direct drive motor and
includes a stator and a rotor 19. The stator includes a plurality
of axis elements 17 around which magnetic coils 18 are wound, and
which act as electro magnets. At an inner circumferential surface
of the rotor 19, a plurality of permanent magnets 100 are disposed.
Furthermore, sensors (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) for determining
the position of the rotor 19 are provided. Depending on the
determined positions of the rotor 19, the control unit 25 controls
electric currents supplied to the magnetic coils 18 in order to
rotate the rotor 19.
[0063] The rotor 19 further includes a rotor plate 27 attached (for
example, screwed) to the bottom of the rotor 19. The rotor 19 and
the rotor plate 27 surround the axis elements 17, the magnetic
coils 18 and the permanent magnets 100. The rotor plate 27 also
supports the permanent magnets 100. For sealing the bottom of the
rotor 19 to the rotor plate 27, an O-ring 22 or press seal is
provided between the rotor 19 and the rotor plate 27.
[0064] Attached to the rotor 19 (for example, screwed to the rotor
19) is the counterweight 21. The counterweight 21 is adjustable in
that its distance from the rotor 19 may be manually adjusted in
order to compensate for the imbalance caused by the eccentric
(orbital stroke) and mass (shaking table bracket 7, shaking table
71, sample containers 15, biological sample 16, etc.) generated by
the eccentric 12.
[0065] In some embodiments, the support structure may include a
bushing 13 and a hollow shaft 14, as shown in FIG. 4. The bushing
13 has a cross sectional double-T-shape and is mounted (for example
screwed) to the bottom 115 of the housing 110. The bottom 115 of
the housing 110 includes an opening through which the bushing 13
extends. Optionally, the bushing 13 abuts against the inner wall of
the opening. Thus, the bushing 13 extends inside the incubation
chamber 2 and in the opening at the bottom 115 of the housing 110
of the incubator 1. Additionally, the bushing 13 may extend to the
outside of the incubation chamber 2 (not shown in FIG. 4). For
sealing the bushing 13 to the bottom 115 of the housing 110, an
O-ring 19 is provided at the bushing 13. The O-ring 29 is in
contact with an inner surface of the bottom 115 of the housing 110,
so that foreign substances cannot pass through the gap between the
bushing 13 and the bottom 115 of the housing 110.
[0066] The hollow shaft 14 abuts against the bushing 13. The hollow
shaft 14 has a cylindrical shape. At outer circumferential surfaces
of the hollow shaft 14, two ball bearings 26 are mounted. The
hollow shaft 14 extends from an upper surface of the rotor 19 to
the opening at the bottom 115 of the housing 110. Additionally, the
hollow shaft 14 may extend to the outside of the incubation chamber
2 (not shown in FIG. 2). The rotor 19 with the rotor plate 27 is
supported by the two ball bearings 26 and is configured to be
rotated around the hollow shaft 14.
[0067] Inside the hollow shaft 14, a first passage 20 is provided.
The first passage 20 extends between the stator and the outside of
the housing 110. In particular, the first passage 20 extends from
the stator between the two ball bearings 26 to the outside of the
housing 110.
[0068] Additionally, a cooling channel (not shown in FIG. 4) may be
provided in the first passage 20. In particular, the cooling
channel may extend between the stator and the outside of the
housing 110. Within the cooling channel, a liquid can flow which
helps to discharge heat generated by the drive motor 8 to the
outside of the housing 110. The heat generated by the drive motor 8
is discharged through the hollow shaft 14 to the outside of the
housing 110.
[0069] In other embodiments, the support structure may include a
base element 30 and a hollow shaft 40, as shown in FIG. 5. And the
hollow shaft 40 only extends from the rotor 19 to a top of the base
element 30. Also, the O-ring 29 is not necessary. All other
elements are the same and have the same or similar functions. Thus,
they are not explained again. The support structure enables the
users to place the orbital shaker 10 with the base element 30 on
the bottom 115 of the housing 110 without being fixed to the bottom
115 of the housing 110. It should be understood that other similar
structures are possible for the support structure in addition to
the two ways described above, and the present disclosure is not
particularly limited.
[0070] The eccentric bearing structure includes two first bearings
11 (optionally ball bearings) stacked upon each other and an
eccentric 12. The rotor 19 includes at its upper end a tray-shaped
part. The two first bearings 11 are mounted inside the tray-shaped
part. The eccentric 12 includes an inner shaft having a cylindrical
shape which is supported inside the two first bearings 11 so that
it may be rotated. Additionally, the eccentric 12 mechanically
guides the shaking table bracket 7 such that it moves in orbital
motions. The eccentric 12 is located above the rotor 19 and the
first bearings 11, and optionally, the eccentric covers the rotor
19 and the upper part of the first bearings 11. The shaking table
bracket 7 is placed on top of the eccentric 12. The shaking table
bracket 7 is releasable fixed to the eccentric 12. It should be
understood that the eccentric 12 is not located on the axis of
rotation of the rotor 19.
[0071] In some embodiments, all of the first bearing 11 and the
second bearing 26 are sealed ball bearings. Thus, the bushing 13,
the O-ring 22 (or press seal), the hollow shaft 14, the second
bearing 26, the rotor plate 27, the O-ring 22, and the rotor 19
seal the stator from the incubation chamber 2, preventing foreign
substances and contamination from entering the interior of the
drive motor 8. It will be appreciated that the first bearings 11
and second bearings 26 may be cylindrical roller bearings, angular
contact bearings, thrust bearings, or the combination thereof, in
addition to ball bearings.
[0072] Additionally, the lip seal 28 provides a sealing between the
bushing 13 and the rotor plate 27. The lip seal 28 is a flexible
FDA-approved tight-seal and is mounted on the rotor plate 27. The
lip seal 28 points towards the bushing 13 into the incubation
chamber 2, which helps to keep the incubation chamber 2 clean,
sterilized/decontaminated. More precisely, the lip seal 28 is fixed
at one end to the rotor plate 27 and extends at the other end
downwards in the direction of bushing 13 until it abuts bushing
13.
[0073] In some embodiments, the lip seal 28 can also be applied
when the second bearings 26 are ball bearings (i.e., normal ball
bearings), instead of the second bearings 26 being sealed ball
bearings. The stator is completely encapsulated by the bushing 13,
the O-ring 29, the lip seal 28, the rotor plate 27, the O-ring 22
and the rotor 19, so that the stator and incubation chamber 2 are
sealed from each other and substances in the incubation chamber 2
contacting the stator is avoided.
[0074] Moreover, in another embodiment, the lip seal 28 may be
omitted and only the bushing 13, the O-ring 29, the hollow shaft
14, the second bearings 16 (optionally sealed ball bearings), the
rotor plate 27, the O-ring 22, and the rotor 19 fully encapsulate
the stator from the incubation chamber 2. This embodiment has the
advantage that the lip seal 28 is omitted and the influence of
long-term operation on the sealing of the drive motor 8 due to
damage to the lip seal is avoided.
[0075] In order to facilitate cleaning,
sterilization/decontamination of the orbital incubator shaker 1,
the inner surface of the housing 110, the rotor 19, the
counterweight 21, the hollow shaft 14 and/or the bushing 13 may be
made of stainless steel. Moreover, the outer surface of the housing
110 or the entire incubator 1 may be made of stainless steel. The
surfaces of the incubation chamber 2 may be designed such that no
hidden vaults or dead spaces are present. Specifically, all
connections of the elements of the orbital shaker 10 are not only
covered but also sealed. In particular, the orbital shaker 10 is
designed to comply with the norm ISO 14159:2002 "Safety of
machinery--Hygiene requirements for the design of machinery" such
that all parts inside the incubation chamber 2 are accessible for
cleaning and sterilization/decontamination.
[0076] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure,
part or all of the vent openings 500 are provided with filters 6,
optionally HEPA filters 6. The filters 6 may filter particulate
matter and the like from the gas before it enters the exhaust fan.
Optionally, the filter 6 is located in front of the blowing
device.
[0077] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the
incubator 1 further includes a sterilizing gas generator. In some
embodiments the sterilizing gas generator is an ozone generator 31
disposed in the incubation chamber 2. The ozone generator 31 can
generate ozone to clean and sterilize the inside of the incubator
1. It should be understood that the sterilizing gas generator may
be a generator for other sterilizing gases, instead of the ozone
generator 31.
[0078] It should be understood that, in addition to disposing the
sterilizing gas generator inside the incubation chamber 2,
sterilizing gas can be supplied to the inside of the housing 110
through an external pipeline. Specifically, the housing 110 can be
provided with a second opening 117 and a conduit 118 in
communication with the incubation chamber 2 through the second
opening 117 to supply gas to the incubation chamber 2. And a valve
119 for opening and closing the second opening 117 is disposed at
the second opening of the housing 110. It will be appreciated that
the conduit 118 is removably connected to the housing 110 and can
be removed if desired. It will be appreciated that the conduit can
supply gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, air, etc. to the interior of
the incubation chamber 2 in addition to the sterilizing gas.
[0079] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in
order to further facilitate the uniform flow of gas from bottom to
top, a plurality of first openings are provided in the shaking
table bracket 7, and the opportunity for parts lying underneath to
be cleaned by hand is provided as well, as shown in FIG. 6. The
first openings may be rectangular, circular, oval, polygonal, etc.,
and the present disclosure is not particularly limited.
Alternatively, in some embodiments, the shaking table bracket 7 is
removably mounted on the shaker 10, and can be removed when the
user needs to clean the incubation chamber 2.
[0080] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the
drive motor 8 is provided with vanes 9. When the shaker 10 is in
operation, the drive motor 8 rotates the vanes 9, so that the vanes
9 further drive the gas flow upwardly.
[0081] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a
sterilization method for the incubator 1 is provided, including the
incubator 1 of any of the above embodiments, wherein a sterilizing
gas is introduced into the incubation chamber 2 before or during
gas in the incubation chamber 2 is circulated between the first
area 300 and the second area 400.
[0082] In some embodiments, the vent panels includes a top panel 3
and side panels 4, the top panel 3 and the side panels 4 are
disposed on a bottom surface of the inner wall of the housing 110,
and the vent openings 500 are disposed in the top panel 3 and the
side panels 4; the second area 400 includes side channels 410
formed by side surfaces of the inner wall of the housing 110 and
the side panels 4, and a top channel 420 formed by a top surface of
the inner wall of the housing 110 and the top panel 3, and the
first area 300 is an area delimited by the side panels 4, the top
panel 3 and a bottom surface of the inner wall of the housing 110;
wherein, the gas forms a circulating flow which sequentially passes
through the first area 300, the top channel 420, the side channels
410 and the first area 300 under the actuation of the blowing
device 5, or the gas forms a circulating flow which sequentially
passes through the first area 300, the side channel 410, the top
channel 420 and the first area 300 under the actuation of the
blowing device 5.
[0083] Having now described some illustrative implementations, it
is apparent that the foregoing is illustrative and not limiting,
having been presented by way of example. In particular, although
many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations
of method acts or system elements, those acts and those elements
can be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives.
Acts, elements and features discussed in connection with one
implementation are not intended to be excluded from a similar role
in other implementations or implementations.
[0084] The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the
purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The
use of "including", "comprising", "having", "containing",
"involving", "characterized by", "characterized in that" and
variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed
thereafter, equivalents thereof, and additional items, as well as
alternate implementations consisting of the items listed thereafter
exclusively. In one implementation, the systems and methods
described herein consist of one, each combination of more than one,
or all of the described elements, acts, or components.
[0085] Any references to implementations or elements or acts of the
systems and methods herein referred to in the singular can also
embrace implementations including a plurality of these elements,
and any references in plural to any implementation or element or
act herein can also embrace implementations including only a single
element. References in the singular or plural form are not intended
to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, their
components, acts, or elements to single or plural configurations.
References to any act or element being based on any information,
act or element can include implementations where the act or element
is based at least in part on any information, act, or element.
[0086] Any implementation disclosed herein can be combined with any
other implementation or embodiment, and references to "an
implementation," "some implementations," "one implementation" or
the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to
indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic
described in connection with the implementation can be included in
at least one implementation or embodiment. Such terms as used
herein are not necessarily all referring to the same
implementation. Any implementation can be combined with any other
implementation, inclusively or exclusively, in any manner
consistent with the aspects and implementations disclosed
herein.
[0087] References to "or" can be construed as inclusive so that any
terms described using "or" can indicate any of a single, more than
one, and all of the described terms. For example, a reference to
"at least one of `A` and `B`" can include only `A`, only `B`, as
well as both `A` and `B`. Such references used in conjunction with
"comprising" or other open terminology can include additional
items.
[0088] Where technical features in the drawings, detailed
description or any claim are followed by reference signs, the
reference signs have been included to increase the intelligibility
of the drawings, detailed description, and claims. Accordingly,
neither the reference signs nor their absence has any limiting
effect on the scope of any claim elements.
[0089] Modifications of described elements and acts such as
variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions
of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting
arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations can occur
without materially departing from the teachings and advantages of
the subject matter disclosed herein. For example, elements shown as
integrally formed can be constructed of multiple parts or elements,
the position of elements can be reversed or otherwise varied, and
the nature or number of discrete elements or positions can be
altered or varied. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and
omissions can also be made in the design, operating conditions and
arrangement of the disclosed elements and operations without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0090] The systems and methods described herein can be embodied in
other specific forms without departing from the characteristics
thereof. Scope of the systems and methods described herein is thus
indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing
description, and changes that come within the meaning and range of
equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.
[0091] Systems and methods described herein may be embodied in
other specific forms without departing from the characteristics
thereof. For example, descriptions of positive and negative
electrical characteristics may be reversed. For example, elements
described as negative elements can instead be configured as
positive elements and elements described as positive elements can
instead by configured as negative elements. Further relative
parallel, planar, perpendicular, vertical or other positioning or
orientation descriptions include variations within +/-10% or +/-10
degrees of pure vertical, planar, parallel or perpendicular
positioning. References to "approximately," "about" "substantially"
or other terms of degree include variations of +/-10% from the
given measurement, unit, or range unless explicitly indicated
otherwise. Coupled elements can be electrically, mechanically, or
physically coupled with one another directly or with intervening
elements. Scope of the systems and methods described herein is thus
indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing
description, and changes that come within the meaning and range of
equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.
* * * * *