Incubator with air curtain
AssigneeEmbrient, Inc.
InventorsKyong-su Son, Royal Q. Le, Barry E. Rothenberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An incubator for cell and tissue culture under controlled atmospheric conditions has a primary air flow control device that forms a primary, preferably laminar flow, air veil across an opening that allows access to the cells or tissue cultures disposed within the incubator. Preferably, most if not all of the air in the primary (laminar flow) air veil is recirculated, and a secondary air flow control device is used that forms a secondary, preferably laminar flow, air veil between the primary (laminar flow) air veil and a user of the incubator.
Claims20
A gas supply system for a controlled atmosphere incubator, comprising:
- an ambient air compressor fluidly coupled to a gas mixing unit via a first conduit;
- a second conduit coupling the ambient air compressor to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit or a membrane filtration unit, wherein the PSA or membrane unit is configured to produce a nitrogen rich product;
- wherein the second conduit further couples the PSA or membrane unit to the gas mixing unit;
- a third conduit configured to allow coupling of the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator;
- a control unit operationally coupled to the controlled atmosphere incubator;
- and
- a first gas sensor located in the controlled atmosphere incubator and electronically coupled to the control unit,
- wherein the control unit is configured to regulate flow and/or composition of a gas stream flowing from the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator in response to a signal from the first gas sensor, thereby maintaining a desired gas mix in the controlled atmosphere incubator.
A method of supplying gas to a controlled atmosphere incubator, comprising:
- providing a gas supply system that comprises (a) an ambient air compressor fluidly coupled to a gas mixing unit via a first conduit, (b) a second conduit coupling the ambient air compressor to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit or a membrane filtration unit, wherein the PSA or membrane unit is configured to produce a nitrogen rich product, wherein the second conduit further couples the PSA or membrane unit to the gas mixing unit, and (c) a control unit configured to independently operate respective valves in the first and second conduits;
- feeding a gas stream from the gas supply system to the controlled atmosphere incubator via a third conduit that fluidly connects the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator;
- receiving, by the control unit, a signal from a first gas sensor located in the controlled atmosphere incubator;
- and
- using the signal in the control unit to operate at least one of the valves in the gas supply system to thereby regulate flow and/or composition of the gas stream flowing from the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.