US 12,545,885 B2Granted

Culture device and culture method

AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsMinoru Goto, Nozomi Shiobara, Shohei Kinoshita, Mizuho Doi, Kenji Machida

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Abstract

A culture device by which microalgae can be satisfactorily cultured using a simple structure while suppressing an increase in energy consumption, and a culture method. A main body of this culture device comprises an accommodation part which accommodates contents and to which gas is supplied. The inner wall faces of the accommodation part are joined together to form a joined part which extends along the gas supply direction. A guide part and a circulation part, which are adjacent to each other across the joined part, are each along the extending direction of the joined part and communicated with each other via a guide part inlet and a guide part outlet. A gas supply port enables gas supply toward the guide part.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A culture device that cultures microalgae in a culture solution, the culture device comprising a main body portion that is flexible, the main body portion including:

an accommodation unit which is configured to accommodate the culture solution and the microalgae, and to which a gas is supplied;
a joint member that is formed by joining together inner wall surfaces of the accommodation unit and extends in a first direction in which the gas is supplied;
a guide unit and a circulation unit that are disposed in an interior of the accommodation unit, are adjacent to each other with the joint member being interposed therebetween in a second direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the first direction, and lie respectively along the first direction in which the joint member extends;
and
a gas supply port configured to enable the gas to be supplied to the guide unit,
wherein when the accommodation unit accommodating the culture solution and the microalgae is viewed from the first direction, the guide unit and the circulation unit are tubular and the main body portion is bound at the joint member in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction,
the gas is supplied to the guide unit from a lower side to an upper side when the main body portion is installed at an installation location,
the guide unit and the circulation unit communicate with each other via a guide unit inlet port provided on an upstream side in the direction in which the gas is supplied, and a guide unit outlet port provided on a downstream side in the direction in which the gas is supplied, and
when the gas flows through the guide unit, a culture solution flow is generated in which the culture solution inside the circulation unit flows into the guide unit from the guide unit inlet port, and the culture solution inside the guide unit flows out from the guide unit outlet port into the circulation unit.

6 more elements

A culture device that cultures microalgae in a culture solution, the culture device comprising:

a main body portion including:
an accommodation unit which is configured to accommodate the culture solution and the microalgae, and to which a gas is supplied;
a joint member that is formed by joining together inner wall surfaces of the accommodation unit and extends in a direction in which the gas is supplied;
a guide unit and a circulation unit that are disposed in an interior of the accommodation unit, are adjacent to each other with the joint member being interposed therebetween, and lie respectively along a direction in which the joint member extends;
and
a gas supply port configured to enable the gas to be supplied to the guide unit,
wherein the gas is supplied to the guide unit from a lower side to an upper side when the main body portion is installed at an installation location,
the guide unit and the circulation unit communicate with each other via a guide unit inlet port provided on an upstream side in the direction in which the gas is supplied, and a guide unit outlet port provided on a downstream side in the direction in which the gas is supplied, and
when the gas flows through the guide unit, a culture solution flow is generated in which the culture solution inside the circulation unit flows into the guide unit from the guide unit inlet port, and the culture solution inside the guide unit flows out from the guide unit outlet port into the circulation unit, wherein:
a partition extending in the direction in which the gas is supplied is formed on the main body portion by joining together inner wall surfaces of the main body portion;
and
the accommodation unit is disposed on each of both sides of the partition along a direction in which the partition extends.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/915,122Filed 24 Mar 2021
Priority: JP 2020-05932330 Mar 2020
Published: US 2023/0159884 A125 May 2023
Granted: 10 Feb 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

C12N 1/12
Microorganisms; Compositions thereof ; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of…:…
C12M 21/02
Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses: photobioreactors
C12M 27/20
Flow directing inserts: baffles; Ribs; Ribbons; Auger vanes
C12M 27/24
Flow directing inserts: draft tube