Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.

Mikio Houjou

Atsushi Oda

Hiroshi Yamamoto

Yasuhiko Yokoi

Daisuke Etou

Yuichi Tamaoki

Masahiko Kobayashi

Masaki Harada

Hiroki Busujima

Akira Sakaguchi

Akihiko Yamada

Yoshitaro Yamanaka

Ayako Michida

Tomoyoshi Tokumaru

Takahiro Inoue

Seiji Murakami

Yasuhiro Asai

An observation device () is provided with: a general observation unit () for observing sample cells by observing an entire container (C) containing the cells and a culture solution; and a magnification observation unit () for magnifying a region within the container (C) and observing the cells, the general observation unit () and the magnification observation unit () each individually having lighting for illuminating the cells with light, and an optical system for observing the cells. The general observation unit () and the magnification observation unit () are thereby each provided with an individual optical system and lighting, making it possible to configure an appropriate observation unit for use both when the cells are observed by observing the entire container (C) and when a part within the container (C) is magnified and the cells are observed.

Observation device, observation program, and observation system

A storage apparatus includes: a storage member provided with a pair of first rail members, extending along a horizontal direction, on both side faces thereof; a storage rack; a carrying mechanism to carry the storage member placed thereon in the horizontal direction to a storage location of the storage rack; and a pair of walls, provided so as to be opposed to the side faces of the storage member, respectively, having a pair of second rail members, extending in the horizontal direction, provided on side faces thereof opposed to the pair of first rail members, respectively, in a state where the storage member is stored in the storage rack, the storage member being guided to the storage rack with the pair of first rail members being supported by the pair of second rail members, when the carrying mechanism is moved in the horizontal direction toward the storage rack.

Storage apparatus

A carrier device may include a loading board, a moving mechanism to move the loading board horizontally for a storage member storing a plurality of containers for storing liquid to be loaded on the loading board; a base material having set thereon the loading board and moving mechanism, and a first mounting member mounted to the base material.

Carrier device and culture apparatus

A recording medium having an observation program recorded therein, the program may cause a computer to execute: an entire-image-pickup process of picking up an image of a sample by picking up an image of an entire container containing the sample and a solution; a sample-mass-identification process of identifying a sample mass having the samples gathering therein, from the image picked up in the entire image-pickup process; a sample-mass-determination process of extracting shape information of the identified sample mass, and determining a state of the sample mass based on the shape information; a coordinate-detection process of selecting a magnifying-observation-target sample mass from the identified sample masses, and detecting coordinates of the center of the magnifying-observation-target sample mass.

Recording medium having observation program recorded therein and observation apparatus

The image sensing device () includes: a vessel holding portion () that holds a culture vessel (S); a swing portion () in which the vessel holding portion () is provided; a vibration application portion (); an image sensing portion () that senses an image of the cells within the culture vessel (S); an image correction portion () that uses images at a plurality of image sensing places which include at least one image sensed by the image sensing portion () during vibration so as to correct a displacement between the images caused as a result of the image sensing places being different; and an image processing portion () that uses the image sensed by the image sensing portion () and the image corrected by the image correction portion () so as to distinguish between a state of floatation of the cells and a state of adherence thereof.

Image sensing device

Provided are a container tray in which a position and orientation of a container is hardly displaced from a predetermined position and orientation; a tray base used together with the container tray; and an observation unit. The container trayincludes a mounting platehaving a mounting surfaceon which the container is to be mounted, an elastic body, and a biasing mechanism. The elastic bodyis arranged on the mounting surfaceof the mounting platearound a mounting region R where the container is to be mounted. The biasing mechanismis capable of switching states between a biased state in which the elastic bodyis biased inward by applying a pressing force to the elastic bodyfrom outside and a bias released state in which the bias on the elastic bodyis released.

Container tray, tray base, and observation unit

The carrying device comprises a carrying mechanism carrying a fluid vessel containing liquid, a detection device detecting depth information changing with depth of the liquid in the fluid vessel, and a control device controlling the carrying mechanism. The control device comprises: an information acquisition unit acquiring the depth information detected by the detection device; a computing unit calculating a maximum value of an acceleration which can be given to the fluid vessel when carried based on the depth information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and a carry command unit giving the carrying mechanism a command for carrying the fluid vessel at acceleration of the maximum value or smaller. The computing unit calculates a greater value as the maximum value of the acceleration as the depth of the liquid in the fluid vessel increases, and a smaller value as the maximum value of the acceleration as the depth of the liquid in the fluid vessel decreases.

Carrying device, control device and program

The observation unit according to the present invention comprises an observation device observing a sample, a placing table on which the sample is placed, a drive device moving the placing table to an observation position where the sample is observed by the observation device, and a casing sealing a first space extending in a vertical direction. The first space and the placing table are arranged so as to be displaced from each other in a horizontal direction, and the drive device is arranged in the first space.

Observation unit

The invention provides an incubatorwherein stackershaving a plurality of microplate accommodating portions are arranged in a chamber, and a microplate transport deviceis arranged for transporting a microplatewithin the chamberand moving the microplateinto or out of a desired microplate accommodating portion. A camerais provided on a position opposed to a microplate accommodating portion of an uppermost stage in the stacker. The camerafaces said microplate accommodating portion, whereby a sample on the microplatecan be photographed.

Incubator

The invention provides an incubatorwherein a microplate transport deviceis disposed inside a chambercentrally thereof. The transport devicecomprises a transport tablefor placing a microplate thereon and is capable of driving the tablealong the directions of three axes, i.e., X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis. A plurality of stackersare arranged in the direction of Y-axis at each of opposite sides of the transport devicealong the direction of X-axis. Each of the stackershas a plurality of microplate accommodating portions arranged in the direction of Z-axis. The microplate is movable into or out of the desired accommodating portion by the transport device

The invention provides an incubatorwherein stackershaving a plurality of microplate accommodating portions are arranged in a chamberand a microplate transport deviceis arranged for transporting a microplatewithin the chamberand moving the microplateinto or out of a desired microplate accommodating portion. A camerais provided on a position opposed to a microplate accommodating portion of an uppermost stage in the stackerThe camerafaces said microplate accommodating portion, whereby a sample on the microplatecan be photographed.

Growing community of inventors

Higashiosaka, Japan

Mikio Houjou