Cell culture apparatus and cell culture method

A cell culture apparatus, comprising:

• a connected culture container comprising n number of units, where each of the n number of the units consists of m number of culture chambers and one or more communication-channels, wherein each of the culture chambers comprises a cell-holding portion that holds seeded cells,
• wherein the m number of the culture chambers are disposed in parallel along a first direction and communicating with each other by the one or more communicating-channels,
• wherein each of the culture chambers is configured to store liquid culture media,
• wherein the n number of units are disposed in parallel along a second direction that is different from the first direction,
• wherein m is an integer of two or more, and n is an integer of two or more,
• a plurality of pneumatic pipes communicating same-row-disposed culture chambers that are disposed on a same row along the second direction with each other in the connected culture container, the pneumatic pipes being configured to pressurize the same-row-disposed culture chambers at the same time or open the same-row-disposed culture chambers to atmospheric pressure at the same time, the pneumatic pipes being configured to send the liquid culture media to each of the culture chambers through the communication-channels using pressure differences in each of the culture chambers, and
• further comprising a Laplace valve configured at portions connected to the one or more communication-channels and the culture chambers, to prevent flows of air using interface tension to the communication-channels from the culture chambers.