Hitachi-High-Technologies Corporation

Hitachi High-Tech Corporation

Akihiro Shimase

Kazumichi Imai

Eiichiro Takada

Sadamitsu Aso

Toshinari Sakurai

Masako Kawarai

Katsuhiro Kambara

Hiroaki Nakagawa

Hiroyasu Uchida

Tomoyuki Tobita

Yoko Inoue

Hiroyuki Koshi

Ryota Nakajima

Naoko Senda

Shizu Takeda

Kazumi Kusano

This automated analyzer comprises a first systemthat does not need to use degassed water, a second systemfor which it is preferable to use degassed water and that comprises a degassing devicefor producing degassed water and a second pumpfor delivering the degassed water, and a tankhaving formed therein a first compartmentfor storing water to supply to the first systemand a second compartmentfor storing degassed water to supply to the second system. The second systemcomprises a circulation system, which comprises a suction flow pathand return flow pathfor connecting the degassing device, the second pump, and the second compartmentof the tank, and a usage system, which comprises a discharge flow pathand connection flow pathfor connecting the degassing deviceand a usage unit for using the degassed water. Provided inside the tankare a partitionfor forming the first compartmentand second compartmentand a water passage partwhere water moves between the first compartmentand second compartment

Automatic analyzer

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a cell dispersion measurement mechanism whereby it becomes possible to fully disperse cells regardless of the experiences of operators skilled in cell culture and it also becomes possible to determine the number or concentration of cells accurately; a cell culture apparatus equipped with the cell dispersion measurement mechanism; and a cell dispersion measurement method. The problem can be solved by circulating a cell suspension in a flow path to disperse cell masses contained in the cell suspension, and then determining over time the number or concentration of cells and/or the degree of dispersion of cells in the cell suspension that is flowing in the circulation flow path.

Cell dispersion measurement mechanism, and cell subculture system utilizing same

A cytometric mechanism includes: a flow path through which a cell suspension is made to flow; a liquid drive unit for sending the cell suspension which is in the flow path; and a computation unit for irradiating, with irradiation light from a light source, a cell suspension flowing through a flow cell, and for finding a cell survival rate in the cell suspension on the basis of a resulting forward scattered light intensity and transmittance and/or side scattered light intensity. The invention is provided with a calibration curve database for storing, in advance, respective calibration curves indicative of a relationship between viable cell concentration and forward scattered light intensity, a relationship between dead cell concentration and the transmittance, and a relationship between a cell survival rate and the side scattered light intensity.

Cytometric mechanism, cell culture device comprising same, and cytometric method

According to the present invention, a simple structure can be used to achieve reliable liquid delivery with no residual air, and simple attachment/detachment of a culture vessel, and thus a closed-system cell culture device exhibiting high reliability can be constructed at low cost. In the present invention, a liquid is supplied or discharged while a culture vessel is in an inclined state. The culture vessel is provided with two flow paths, namely an intake flow path and a discharge flow path, which connect a culture chamber and a connection member. Points where the flow paths join with the culture chamber are respectively configured as an intake port and a discharge port. The discharge port is provided in the position nearest to the axis of inclination of the culture vessel. The intake port is provided in a plane projected from a vertical plane including the aforementioned axis of inclination.

Cell culture device

According to the present invention, a problem of closed systems, namely minimizing the number of electromagnetic valves required to control a plurality of flow paths, can be addressed, and thus a low-cost cell culture device can be achieved. In this flow-path control method for X number of flow paths satisfying X&#x2264;2, the X number of flow paths are selected by using N number of valves to simultaneously and selectively control the opening and closing of the plurality of flow paths.

Flow-path control method, and cell culture device

A device which automatically performs a step in which expanded and cultured cells are diluted to a desired cell concentration and re-inoculated using a cell-concentration adjustment device having an inlet for taking in a cell suspension; an outlet for discharging a diluted cell suspension; and a flow path which is provided between the inlet and the outlet and is capable of holding a cell suspension, the flow path being provided with: a liquid delivery pump for causing a cell suspension inside to flow; a cell-concentration measurement instrument for collecting data related to a cell concentration per unit amount of the cell suspension; and a dilution-liquid container for holding a dilution liquid which is supplied to the flow path to dilute the cell suspension. The device further includes a control unit for controlling at least the liquid delivery pump on the basis of the data obtained by the cell-concentration measurement instrument, wherein the control unit determines, on the basis of the data obtained by the cell-concentration measurement instrument, an amount of the dilution liquid required to bring the cell concentration to the desired concentration, and drives the liquid delivery pump so as to take in the required amount of the dilution liquid into the flow path and mix the cell suspension and the dilution liquid.

Cell concentration adjustment device, and automatic subculture system using same

There is provided a method for noninvasively evaluating the cell state (proliferation, multi-layering, and differentiation) of a cell sheet as a mimic tissue at the time of culturing the cell sheet. The method is characterized in that an analysis of an amino acid is conducted with the use of the culture supernatant of a cell sheet to monitor a change in the concentration of any amino acid selected from a group of 5-species of amino acids (Ile, Val, Ser, Leu, and Ala), thereby making a determination.

Method for determining cell state and autoanalyzer using said method

A sample dispensing apparatus is realized which can detect a dispensing abnormality occurred during the sample dispensing operation regardless of the type and the extent of the abnormality. A pressure sensor is connected to a dispensing flow passage system, including a sample probe and a dispensing syringe, and a plurality of output values of the pressure sensor during the sample dispensing operation are taken in. A multi-item analysis (based on the Mahalanobis distance) is carried out by using, as items, the plurality of taken-in output values of the pressure sensor. Whether the dispensing is normally performed or not is determined by comparing an analysis result with a threshold. A highly reliable determination result is obtained in spite of variations of sensitivity of the pressure sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Akihiro Shimase