Culture apparatus and culture method

A culture apparatus comprising:

• a culture vessel including an internal space containing a culture solution in which a culture target is suspended;
• a gas supply apparatus configured to supply a single gas or a mixed gas to the internal space of the culture vessel;
• and
• an agitation apparatus configured to agitate the culture solution by changing position and posture of the culture vessel,
• wherein the agitation apparatus is configured to change the position and posture of the culture vessel to circulate the culture solution in the internal space of the culture vessel so that a bottom surface of the internal space of the culture vessel is partially revealed and that the revealed portion transitions in a circulating direction, and
• wherein the agitation apparatus comprises:
• a stage holding the culture vessel,
• a single rotary actuator including a rotating table rotating about a rotation center axis extending in a vertical direction,
• an oscillating head configured to support the stage swingably about a first axis of oscillation extending in a horizontal direction and a second axis of oscillation extending in a horizontal direction and orthogonal to the first axis of oscillation and that includes a coupling shaft,
• a tilting mechanism disposed on the rotating table of the single rotary actuator and including an oscillating head coupling part slidably disposed around the coupling shaft of the oscillating head, a base part attached to the rotating table of the single rotary actuator, and
• no more than two link arms, each link arm including one end pivotally fixed to the oscillating head coupling part and the other end pivotally fixed to the base part, and
• a rotary actuator lifting/lowering mechanism configured to:
• lift and lower the single rotary actuator in the vertical direction such that the base part of the tilting mechanism attached the rotating table of the single rotary actuator is, respectively, lifted towards and lowered away from the oscillating head,
• draw the base part towards the oscillating head by lifting the single rotary actuator such that the other end of each of the no more than two link arms approaches the oscillating head coupling part while the one end of each of the no more than two link arms pushes the oscillating head coupling part, so as to tilt the oscillating head about at least one of the first axis or the second axis through the coupling shaft around which the oscillating head coupling part is slidably disposed, and
• adjust a height position of the single rotary actuator to adjust an area of the revealed portion on the bottom surface of the internal space of the culture vessel.