Cell maintainer for autologous cell therapy production

A cell culture incubator comprising:

• first and second internal chambers, each having a controlled temperature and gas mixture therein appropriate for the growth of a type of cell for incubation of said type of cell in one or more cell culture vessels in the internal chambers, wherein the first internal chamber comprises a storage location for storing a plurality of cell culture vessels and wherein the second internal chamber comprises at least one imager;
• an automated transfer device for moving at least one of the plurality of cell culture vessels between the storage location in the first internal chamber and the at least one imager in the second internal chamber, wherein the transfer device includes at least one robotic element in at least one of the chambers and wherein the storage location is configured to automatically move the at least one of the plurality of cell culture vessels into a position to be transferred by the automated transfer device;
• at least one processor configured to control the movement of the at least one of the plurality of cell culture vessels in the storage location and the transfer of the at least one of the plurality of cell culture vessels to and from the storage location;
• and
• sensors for sensing the position of each cell culture vessel in the chambers of the incubator and communicating with the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to determine the location of each cell culture vessel for desired transfer of each cell culture vessel between the storage location and the at least one imager.