METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CULTIVATING BIOLOGICAL CELLS

Abstract

In a method for cultivating biological cells of differing types, carriers are stored in an incubator, in which the carriers comprise one or more storage chambers. One or more cultures comprising cells of a common type are stored in one of the storage chambers. Cultivation parameters are assigned to the cultures. Datasets containing organizational coordinates of each storage chamber and the cultivation parameters of the culture stored therein are stored in a data processing device. The carriers are removed from the incubator at predefined time intervals in order to treat the cultures according to their respective cultivation parameters. The datasets are divided into groups with correlated cultivation parameters. The cultures are subsequently treated in groups.

Claims

1. A method for cultivating biological cells of differing types, in which carriers (2) each comprise one or more storage chambers (3), wherein one or more respective cultures (S) comprising cells of a common type are stored in one of the respective storage chambers (3), the method comprising: assigning respective cultivation parameters (t.sub.1, t.sub.2, N) to each of the cultures (S); storing datasets (S) containing organizational coordinates (C, K) of each of the storage chambers (3) and the respective cultivation parameters (t.sub.1, t.sub.2, N) of the cultures (S) in a data processing device (4); removing the carriers (2) from an incubator (1) at predefined time intervals; treating the cultures (S) in accordance with the respective cultivation parameters (C, K), wherein the cultivation parameters comprise culture-specific time windows (t.sub.1, t.sub.2) within which respective treatments of the cultures (S) must take place; dividing the datasets (S) into groups (G) with correlated ones of the cultivation parameters (t.sub.1, t.sub.2, N), and wherein each of the groups (G) has a group-specific time window (ΔT); and generating a job list (10) that comprises a list of jobs, each of the jobs corresponding to one of the group-specific time windows (ΔT), wherein the generation of the job list (10) comprises assigning the cultures (S) to the respective jobs of the job list (10) in such a way that for each of the jobs, the group-specific time window (ΔT) associated with the job falls within the respective culture-specific time windows (t.sub.1, t.sub.2) of those cultures (S) assigned to the job.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cultures (S) are treated in groups in accordance with the job list (10).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cultivation parameters (C, K) further comprise one or more of: a type of nutrient (N) for treating the cultures (S); a quantity of the nutrient (N) for treating the cultures (S); a duration between two treatments; a type of treatment for the cultures (S); a type of cells; information specifying whether one of the treatments involves supplying nutrients from a nutrient supply; and information specifying whether one of the treatment treatments involves removing cells from one of the storage chambers (3).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein cultures (S) belonging to different ones of the groups (G) are stored on a common one of the carriers (2).

5. (canceled)

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the organizational coordinates (C, K) identifies a respective one of the carriers (2) and a respective one of the storage chambers (3).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein treating the cultures (S) comprises in a treatment phase during which only respective cultures (S) of one group (G) are treated, sequentially removing by a handling machine (5) and in accordance with the job list (10) only those carriers (2) from the incubator (1) that store at least one culture (S) whose cultivation parameters have a culture-specific time window (t.sub.1, t.sub.2) within which a first one of the group-specific time windows (ΔT) lies and which are to be treated an identical manner.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein treating the cultures (S) comprises in a treatment phase during which only respective cultures (S) of one group (G) are treated, sequentially removing by a handling machine (5) and in accordance with the job list (10) only those carriers (2) from the incubator (1) that store at least one culture (S) which is to be supplied with a common nutrient (N) within a common one of the group-specific time windows (ΔT).

9. A device, comprising: carriers (2) each with one or more storage chambers (3) for storing cultures (S) of biological cells; an incubator (1) for storing the carriers (2); a data processing device (4) for storing datasets that contain organizational coordinates (C, K) of each of the storage chambers (3) and respective cultivation parameters (t.sub.1, t.sub.2, N) of the cultures (S); means for removing the carriers (2) from the incubator (1) at predefined time intervals; and means for treating the cultures (S) in accordance with the respective cultivation parameters (t.sub.1, t.sub.2, N), wherein the cultivation parameters comprise culture-specific time windows (t.sub.1, t.sub.2) within which respective treatments of the cultures (S) must take place, wherein the datasets are divided into groups (G) with correlated ones of the cultivation parameters, wherein each of the groups (G) has a group-specific time window (ΔT), wherein a job list (10) comprises a list of jobs, each of the jobs corresponding to one of the group-specific time windows (ΔT), wherein the cultures (S) are assigned to the respective jobs of the job list (10) in such a way that for each of the jobs, the group-specific time window (ΔT) associated with the job falls within the respective culture-specific time windows (t.sub.1, t.sub.2) of those cultures (S) assigned to the job, and wherein the data processing device (4) is programmed in such a way that, in a respective treatment phase during which only respective cultures (S) of one of the groups (G) are treated, only those carriers (2) are sequentially removed from the incubator (1) that at least one of: (i) store at least one of the cultures (S), whose cultivation parameters comprise a culture-specific time window (t.sub.1, t.sub.2) within which a first one of the group-specific time windows (ΔT) lies, and which are to be biologically treated in an identical manner, or (ii) store at least one of the cultures (S) which is to be supplied with a common nutrient (N).

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the carriers (2) are microplates and the storage chambers (3) are sample wells of the microplates.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the carriers (2) each have a uniform, rectangular profile with a width of 127.8 mm and a height of 85.5 mm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein during a treatment phase, the cultures (S) receive only a common nutrient (N) from a nutrient container (8) by means of a pipetting system (7).

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the means for treating the cultures (S) comprises a pipetting system (7) controlled by a program of a controller.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the carriers (2) are placed in the incubator (1) in accordance with a chaotic or dynamic storage process.

15-16. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The invention will be described in more detail below based upon exemplary embodiments. Shown in:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic table of twelve datasets of twelve cultures S, which are respectively stored in six storage chambers K of two carriers C, the twelve datasets including cultivation parameters having a time t.sub.1 at which the treatment can begin at the earliest, and a time t.sub.2 at which the treatment must have ended by the latest, and including information about the nutrient N,

[0013] FIG. 2 is a table showing a timetable 9 with four groups G: I, II, III, IV, which are treated in sequence,

[0014] FIG. 3 is a table showing a job list 10, according to which the groups G of cultures S depicted in FIG. 2 are treated in sequence, and

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a treatment device with an incubator 1, carriers 2 with storage chambers 3 arranged therein, a handling machine 5 for transporting the carriers 2 to a treatment module 6, wherein the cultures arranged in the storage chambers 3 are supplied with nutrient stored in a bottle 8 by means of a pipetting system 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] FIG. 4 depicts a schematic view of a device with an incubator 1, which involves a closed container, in which a predefined temperature and/or a predefined humidity can be set. The incubator 1 has a plurality of storage spaces, which can be fitted with identically designed carriers 2, which according to the invention are shaped like microplates. Each carrier 2 has a plurality of storage chambers 3, which are preferably sample wells. In order to keep the cells of cell cultures stored in the storage chambers 3 alive over the long term, the carriers 2 are removed from the incubator 1 at predefined time intervals. This is done with the handling machine 5. The carriers 2 are transported to a treatment module 6, where a pipetting system 7 with one or more pipettes is provided. The one or more pipettes are used to remove liquid nutrient N from a bottle 8 and feed it into the storage chambers 3. Reference number 4 denotes a data processing device, which can also have a controller.

[0017] According to the invention, the cultures are treated in groups. From the total number of cultures, those which must be supplied with the same nutrient N over the short term are combined into a first group. To this end, a dataset is assigned to each culture. The cultures S are numbered 1 to 12 on FIG. 1. The exemplary embodiment provides two carriers C, which each have six storage chambers K. As a consequence, each dataset has two organizational coordinates C, K, with which a culture S can be assigned to a location.

[0018] The table shown in FIG. 1 further contains cultivation parameters t.sub.1 and t.sub.2, which denote the time points as of which the treatment can take place and by which the treatment must have been performed. The cultivation parameters additionally contain information about the nutrient N to be used, with two nutrients A, B being provided in the exemplary embodiment. Based upon the cultivation parameters, the cultures S can be assigned to four different groups G. For the sake of simplicity, only two cultivation parameters have been indicated. More cultivation parameters can also be provided, for example the type of cell, the duration between two treatments, etc.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows the four groups G: I, II, III and IV. The groups G each have different group-specific time windows Δt during which a treatment of cultures S can take place. In addition, each group G has a group-specific nutrient N. FIG. 2 shows a timetable 9 consisting of four sequential treatment phases.

[0020] All cultures S allocated to one of the four groups G are characterized in that the group-specific time window lies in each culture-specific time window t.sub.1, t.sub.2.

[0021] This yields the processing list 10 shown in FIG. 3, according to which the groups I, II, III, IV are processed one after the other, specifically at the respective beginning of a start time to.

[0022] The above statements serve to explain the inventions covered by the application as a whole, which each also independently advance the prior art at least by the following feature combinations, wherein two, several or all of these feature combinations can also be combined, specifically:

[0023] A method, characterized in that the datasets S are divided into groups G with correlating cultivation parameters t.sub.1, t.sub.2, N.

[0024] A method, characterized in that the cultures S are treated in groups.

[0025] A method, characterized in that the cultivation parameters C, K at least contain information about the type of nutrient N, information about a time window t.sub.1, t.sub.2 of treatment, information about the quantity of nutrient N, information about the duration between two treatments, information about the type of treatment and/or information about the type of cells and/or that the treatment involves nutrient supply and/or that the treatment involves removing cells from the storage chamber 3.

[0026] A method, characterized in that cultures S of different groups G are stored on a carrier 2.

[0027] A method, characterized in that the electronic data processing device 4 generates a job list 10 that contains the cultures S to be treated in chronological sequence.

[0028] A method, characterized in that the organizational coordinates C, K permit a clear identification of a carrier 2 and a storage chamber 3.

[0029] A method, characterized in that, in a treatment phase in which only respective cultures S of one group G are treated, a handling machine 5 is used according to the job list 10 to sequentially remove only those carriers 2 from the incubator 1 that store at least one culture S whose cultivation parameters have a time window t.sub.1, t.sub.2 in which a group-specific time window ΔT lies and which are treated in the same way, and/or that store at least one culture S which is supplied with the same nutrient N within a common time window ΔT.

[0030] A device, characterized in that the datasets are divided into groups G with correlating cultivation parameters and the data processing device 4 is programmed in such a way that, in a respective treatment phase in which only respective cultures S of one group G are treated, only those carriers 2 are sequentially removed from the incubator 1 that store at least one culture S, which is biologically treated in the same manner within a time window ΔT of this group, and/or that store at least one culture S which is supplied with the same nutrient N.

[0031] A device or a method, characterized in that the carriers 2 are microplates and the storage chambers 3 are sample wells of the microplates, and/or that the carriers 2 have a uniform, rectangular layout with a width of 127.8 mm and a depth of 85.5 mm, and/or that only a common nutrient N from a nutrient container 8 is supplied to the cultures S by means of a pipetting system 7 in a treatment phase, and/or that a pipetting system 7 controlled by a program of a controller is used, and/or that the carriers 2 are deposited in the incubator 1 in a chaotic or dynamic storage, and/or that the cultivation parameters contain information about an earliest treatment timepoint t.sub.1 and a latest treatment timepoint t.sub.2 for the cell type and/or the maximum number of cells in the culture S.

[0032] All disclosed features (whether taken separately or in combination with each other) are essential to the invention. The disclosure of the application hereby also incorporates the disclosure content of the accompanying/attached priority documents (copy of the prior application) in its entirety, also for the purpose of including features of these documents in claims of the present application. Even without the features of a referenced claim, the subclaims characterize standalone inventive further developments of prior art with their features, in particular so as to submit partial applications based upon these claims. The invention indicated in each claim can additionally have one or several of the features indicated in the above description, in particular those provided with reference numbers and/or indicated on the reference list. The invention also relates to design forms in which individual features specified in the above description are not realized, in particular if they are recognizably superfluous with regard to the respective intended use, or can be replaced by other technically equivalent means.

TABLE-US-00001 REFERENCE LIST 1 Incubator 2 Carrier 3 Storage chamber 4 Data processing device 5 Handling machine 6 Treatment module 7 Pipetting system 8 Bottle 9 Timetable 10 Processing list t0 Start time t1 Time window, treatment timepoint t2 Time window, treatment timepoint A Nutrient B Nutrient C Carrier G Group K Storage chamber N Nutrient S Dataset ΔT Time window