# US 2010/0167383 A1 · Culture apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2010/0167383 A1
- Document ID: US20100167383A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/703,532
- Filed: 2010-02-10
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2008-08-26
- Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiroki Busujima; Yasuhiro Kikuchi; Kenichi Ito; Kuniyoshi Kobayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167383A1

## CPC

- C12M 41/14: {Incubators; Climatic chambers (per se B01L1/00)}
- C12M 37/00: {Means for sterilizing, maintaining sterile conditions or avoiding chemical or biological contamination (C12M23/38 takes precedence; filtration in general and filters per se B01D24/00-B01D41/00; autoclaves B01J3/04; treatment of microorganisms with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00)}
- C12M 37/06: {Means for testing the completeness of the sterilization (testing for sterility conditions C12Q1/22)}
- A61L 2/10: Ultraviolet [UV] radiation
- Y10S 435/809: Incubators or racks or holders for culture plates or containers
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A culture apparatus comprising: a housing including a culture chamber inside, culture being cultured in the culture chamber; a door configured to seal the culture chamber; an ultraviolet lamp configured to generate an ultraviolet ray for disinfecting air in the culture chamber; a lighting device configured to allow the ultraviolet lamp to be on for a predetermined time period, when the air in the culture chamber is disinfected; a detecting device configured to detect deterioration of disinfection capability of the ultraviolet lamp; and a controller configured to correct the predetermined time period, during which the ultraviolet lamp is on, so as to be longer according to the deterioration of the disinfection capability of the ultraviolet lamp detected by the detecting device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A culture apparatus comprising:
a housing including a culture chamber inside, culture being cultured in the culture chamber;
a door configured to seal the culture chamber;
an ultraviolet lamp configured to generate an ultraviolet ray for disinfecting air in the culture chamber;
a lighting device configured to allow the ultraviolet lamp to be on for a predetermined time period, when the air in the culture chamber is disinfected;
a detecting device configured to detect deterioration of disinfection capability of the ultraviolet lamp; and
a controller configured to correct the predetermined time period, during which the ultraviolet lamp is on, so as to be longer according to the deterioration of the disinfection capability of the ultraviolet lamp detected by the detecting device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the detecting device outputs as a detection result an accumulated time period obtained by accumulating a lighting time period of the ultraviolet lamp; and
the controller controls the lighting device so that the predetermined time period is set longer as the accumulated time period becomes longer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The culture apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the controller controls the lighting device so that the predetermined time period is set longer in a stepwise manner each time the accumulated time period reaches a predetermined time period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the ultraviolet ray has a wavelength at which generation of ozone is suppressed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The culture apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising
a switch configured to detect whether the door is open or closed, wherein
lighting of the ultraviolet lamp is started when closing of the door is detected by the switch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The culture apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising
a switch configured to detect whether the door is open or closed, wherein
lighting of the ultraviolet lamp is started when closing of the door is detected by the switch.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the detecting device detects the disinfection capability based on the number of times the door is opened and closed.