Cell culture device

A cell culture system, comprising:

• a liquid storage configured to store a liquid;
• and
• a cell culture device in which cells in the liquid are cultured,
• wherein the cell culture device accommodates a plurality of cell culture containers while a closed system line is maintained,
• wherein the cell culture device comprises, for each of the plurality of cell culture containers:
• a base;
• a rotary table attached to the base and capable of rotating around a first axis;
• a container holding member attached to the rotary table and capable of rotating around a second axis, the container holding member being configured to hold one of the plurality of cell culture containers;
• and
• a driver configured to rotationally drive the rotary table around the first axis and to rotationally drive the container holding member around the second axis,
• wherein a liquid port to which a liquid tube is connected is arranged on an outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of cell culture containers,
• wherein a first predetermined portion of the liquid tube, which is spaced apart by a predetermined length from a connection portion connected to the liquid port, is positioned on the container holding member by a first positioning member,
• wherein a second predetermined portion of the liquid tube, which is further spaced apart from the connection portion than the first predetermined portion, is positioned on the rotary table by a second positioning member,
• wherein the first positioning member is rotatably attached to the container holding member,
• wherein each of the plurality of cell culture containers includes a plurality of shelves,
• wherein each of the plurality of shelves includes a shelf surface and a side surface configured to partition a shelf space in which the liquid is stored,
• wherein a communication portion is provided at a corner portion on a side of one end edge of each of the plurality of shelves, and
• wherein a vertical wall, which has a height lower than a height of the side surface, is provided at a boundary between the communication portion and the shelf surface of each of the plurality of shelves such that the liquid is stored in the shelf space when the shelf surface is in a horizontal state, and the liquid is drained out of the shelf space when the shelf surface is tilted.

A cell culture method by using a cell culture system, wherein the cell culture system comprises:

• a liquid storage configured to store a liquid;
• a cell culture device in which cells in the liquid are cultured;
• an intermediate processor,
• wherein the cell culture device accommodates a plurality of cell culture containers while a closed system line is maintained,
• wherein the cell culture device comprises, for each of the plurality of cell culture containers:
• a base;
• a rotary table attached to the base and capable of rotating around a first axis;
• a container holding member attached to the rotary table and capable of rotating around a second axis, the container holding member being configured to hold one of the plurality of cell culture containers;
• and
• a driver configured to rotationally drive the rotary table around the first axis and to rotationally drive the container holding member around the second axis,
• wherein a liquid port to which a liquid tube is connected is arranged on an outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of the cell culture containers,
• wherein a first predetermined portion of the liquid tube, which is spaced apart by a predetermined length from a connection portion connected to the liquid port, is positioned on the container holding member by a first positioning member,
• wherein a second predetermined portion of the liquid tube, which is further spaced apart from the connection portion than the first predetermined portion, is positioned on the rotary table by a second positioning member,
• wherein the first positioning member is rotatably attached to the container holding member,
• wherein the cell culture method comprises:
• preparing the liquid in the liquid storage;
• transferring the liquid from the liquid storage to the plurality of cell culture containers of the cell culture device;
• culturing the cells in each of the plurality of cell culture containers;
• taking out the cultured cells from each of the plurality of cell culture containers;
• and
• performing, by the intermediate processor, an intermediate process on the liquid taken out from each of the plurality of cell culture containers before recovering the cells,
• wherein each of the plurality of cell culture containers includes a plurality of shelves,
• wherein each of the plurality of shelves includes a shelf surface and a side surface configured to partition a shelf space in which the liquid is stored,
• wherein a communication portion is provided at a corner portion on a side of one end edge of each of the plurality of shelves, and
• wherein a vertical wall, which has a height lower than a height of the side surface, is provided at a boundary between the communication portion and the shelf surface of each of the plurality of shelves such that the liquid is stored in the shelf space when the shelf surface is in a horizontal state, and the liquid is drained out of the shelf space when the shelf surface is tilted.