There is provided a cell observation apparatus having a sterile chamber 3 containing a culture vessel 1 and a transparent observation window 11 provided in a bottom portion of the sterile chamber 3 and having the culture vessel 1 placed thereabove, wherein the camera 4 and the lighting 5 are provided below the observation window 11. The cells in the culture vessel 1 are imaged through the observation window 11 by setting the focus of the camera 4 to a bottom surface 1d of the culture vessel 1. The lighting 5 emits inspection light L as spot light where the light is not diffused, and an imaging range of the camera 4 is positioned inside an irradiation range of the inspection light L on the bottom surface 1d of the culture vessel 1.

A medium changing device includes a lid disposed at a position where two or more regions in which a medium may be stored are covered therewith, the regions being disposed adjacent to each other and being open upward; one or more flow-path members each disposed so as to penetrate the lid, and each disposed at a position where one of the regions is bridged to another therewith when the lid is disposed at the position where the regions are covered; and a pump disposed on the other side of the lid and acting on the intermediate sections of the flow-path members, exposed on the other side, so as to cause the medium to flow from the opening at one end toward the opening at the other end of each of the flow-path members.

Provided are a cell culture apparatus and a living cell concentration adjustment method. The cell culture apparatus includes: a first container that holds a cell suspension; a second container that holds a diluent diluting the cell suspension; a living cell concentration measurement device that individually determines whether a plurality of target cells in the cell suspension are alive or dead to measure a living cell concentration of the target cells in the cell suspension; a control device that holds and controls the living cell concentration and amount data of the cell suspension; a mixing unit that mixes the cell suspension and the diluent; and a culture container in which the diluted cell suspension is seeded to culture cells. The control device determines an amount of the cell suspension to be seeded and an amount of the diluent required to adjust the cell suspension to be seeded to a predetermined living cell concentration, on the basis of the living cell concentration and the amount data of the cell suspension, feeds the amount of the cell suspension and the amount of the diluent to the mixing unit, and seeds the diluted cell suspension.

Methods and systems for preparing clonal cell populations are described. In some instances the disclosed methods comprise: a) identifying and selecting a cell based on its position on a surface or in a container, where the selection is not based on whether the cell comprises an exogenous label or an expressed reporter; b) photoablating all non-selected cells on the surface or in the container; and c) growing a clonal population of the selected cell.

A method of discriminating a living cell from a dead cell, and a device for implementing the method, the method including: using a lens-free imaging device to acquire a diffraction figure corresponding to a cell; and determining a light intensity on a central area of an elementary diffraction figure associated with the cell. It can thus be determined if the studied cell is a living cell or a dead cell.

To provide a cell culture container and a cell culture system that can perform cell sorting, culturing, cell processing, and the like in one space and a volume of the space can be varied to suit respective steps.

A cell culture container includes first molecules each bondable to target cells to be cultured, being immobilized to the container via a stimulus degradable linker, the container having a variable volume.

A cell culture system included a cell culture container, including first molecules each bondable to target cells to be cultured, being immobilized to the container via a stimulus degradable linker, the container having a variable volume, and a stimulus imparting device that imparts a stimulus to the stimulus degradable linker

A method for improving the illumination of a three-dimensional cellular structure such as an organoid or spheroid for imaging, comprising the steps of: culturing the structure with a scaffold; and directing light onto the structure using the scaffold. Also disclosed is a method for improving the illumination of a three-dimensional cellular structure such as an organoid or spheroid for imaging, comprising the steps of: culturing the structure; and directing light into the structure using a light source. Further disclosed is a method for improving the imaging of a three dimensional cellular structure such as an organoid or spheroid comprising the steps of applying waves to the structure and measuring the waves to create an image of the structure.

A cell culture observation device and a cell culture observation method which observe a plurality of culture containers and perform operations for each culture container capture an image without blurring caused by the operations for the culture container and improve the throughput of processing for the plurality of culture containers. The cell culture observation device includes a cell observation unit 30 that observes cells in each of a plurality of culture containers in which the cells are cultured, an operating unit 20 that performs a plurality of operations for each of the culture containers, and an operation content determination unit 41 that determines the content of an operation which can be performed for culture containers other than a culture container to be observed while the culture container to be observed is being observed among the plurality of operations.

System, including methods and apparatus, for identifying and picking spectrally distinct colonies. In an exemplary method, a filter may be received in an optical path extending from a light source to a grayscale image detector. The filter may be configured to increase an intensity difference between a first type of colony and a spectrally distinct second type of colony. Colonies including both types may be received in the optical path. An image of the colonies may be obtained with the grayscale image detector. At least one of the types of colony may be identified in the image. One or more colonies of the at least one type may be picked robotically.

System, including methods and apparatus, for identifying and picking spectrally distinct colonies. In an exemplary method, a filter may be received in an optical path extending from a light source to a grayscale image detector. The filter may be configured to increase an intensity difference between a first type of colony and a spectrally distinct second type of colony. Colonies including both types may be received in the optical path. An image of the colonies may be obtained with the grayscale image detector. At least one of the types of colony may be identified in the image. One or more colonies of the at least one type may be picked robotically.