Abstract: A co-culture apparatus includes: a first airtight container; a co-culture device disposed outside of the first airtight container; a first culture medium source disposed in the first airtight container and storing a first culture medium; a second culture medium source storing a second culture medium having a lower dissolved oxygen concentration than that of the first culture medium; and a first conduit connected to the co-culture device and the first culture medium source. The co-culture device includes: a membrane having a first main surface, and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface for culturing cells; a first flow path partially defined by the first main surface and disposed such that the first culture medium flows therethrough; and a second flow path partially defined by the second main surface and disposed such that the second culture medium flows therethrough. The first flow path has an inlet connected to the first conduit.

Abstract: A cell seeding method according to this invention includes a step of filling a flow channel of a cell culture device with a culture medium, the cell culture device including a first port that is selectively fluidly connected to a culture medium supplier through a pipe, a second port, and the flow channel that is provided between the first and second ports; and a step of introducing a cell suspension into the flow channel from the second port side of the flow channel with the first port being connected to the pipe after the step of filling the flow channel with the culture medium.

Abstract: A cell culture container includes: an insert member having a membrane on which a cell is seeded, the insert member defining a first inner space that functions as an anaerobic chamber; a container having an attachment/detachment portion to and from which the insert member is attachable and detachable, the container defining a second inner space that functions as an aerobic chamber; a sealing member that closes an opening of the aerobic chamber between the attachment/detachment portion and the insert member with the insert member being attached to the attachment/detachment portion; and a transfer mechanism that transfers force to the sealing member. The sealing member closes the opening in response to an input of the force from the transfer mechanism.

Abstract: A cell culture container includes: a container body; a cell culture insert having a tubular portion and an oxygen-permeable membrane; and a lid member. The container body is provided with an opening that communicates with an interior of the container body. The tubular portion includes an upper end and a lower end, and is inserted in the opening such that the lower end is located inside the container body. The lower end side of the tubular portion is closed by the membrane. The upper end side of the tubular portion is closed by the lid member. The lid member includes a lower surface that faces toward an interior of the tubular portion. The lid member is provided with an electrode insertion port and a culture medium outlet port that each communicate with the interior of the tubular portion at the lower surface.

Abstract: A cell evaluation device includes: a porous membrane having a first main face and a second main face; a first passage having a first passage portion facing a first area on which cells are placed in the first main face of the porous membrane; a second passage having a second passage portion facing a second area in the second main face of the porous membrane, the second area being positioned backside of the first area; and a first electrode provided in the first passage portion and a second electrode provided in the second passage portion, the first electrode and the second electrode being positioned across the first area and the second area. In the cell evaluation device, tight junctions are formed among the cells by cell cultivation. With the cell evaluation device, any increase in the electric resistance occurring due to the formation of the tight junctions can be easily measured.

Abstract: A co-culture apparatus includes: a first airtight container; a co-culture device disposed outside of the first airtight container; a first culture medium source disposed in the first airtight container and storing a first culture medium; a second culture medium source storing a second culture medium having a lower dissolved oxygen concentration than that of the first culture medium; and a first conduit connected to the co-culture device and the first culture medium source. The co-culture device includes: a membrane having a first main surface, and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface for culturing cells; a first flow path partially defined by the first main surface and disposed such that the first culture medium flows therethrough; and a second flow path partially defined by the second main surface and disposed such that the second culture medium flows therethrough. The first flow path has an inlet connected to the first conduit.

Abstract: The cell evaluation device includes a cell housing unit 111, and an adapter 120 configured to be elastically deformed by being fitted into the cell housing unit to close a top opening of the cell housing unit, and the adapter includes a body 121 to be inserted into the cell housing unit, a positioning unit 122 configured to position the body in a vertical direction with respect to the cell housing unit, a culture medium inlet port 124 and a culture medium outlet port 125 penetrating the top end and the lower end of the body, and a flexible sheet member 123 which is provided on a lower end of the body and extends radially outward from an outer edge of the lower end. This makes it possible to prevent leakage of the culture medium in the cell evaluation device.

Abstract: To provide a cell treatment container, including: a first member having a flow path in which a cell suspension including a liquid and cells dispersed in the liquid flows through, the flow path formed on a surface of the first member; a second member arranged to face the surface of the first member; and a damming formed in one or both of the first member and the second member, in which the damming is provided with a protrusion part protruding from the first member into the flow path to form a gap for allowing the liquid in the cell suspension to pass through the gap and for damming up the cells in the cell suspension, and a pillar extending from the protrusion part at a first end and being joined to the second member at a second end.

Abstract: A co-culture device includes: a first body including a first membrane having a first main surface for culturing cells and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, a first flow path partially defined by the first main surface, the first flow path configured for a first culture medium to flow therethrough, and a second flow path partially defined by the second main surface, the second flow path configured for a second culture medium having a higher dissolved oxygen concentration than that of the first culture medium to flow therethrough; and an oxygen concentration adjuster for adjusting the dissolved oxygen concentration in the first culture medium to be supplied to the first flow path.

Abstract: This specimen collection device has a channel through which a specimen can be drawn by capillarity. The channel has two channel sections that extend from the tip side to the base side and are connected at the tip side. One of the channel sections is connected to a base side specimen intake port, and the other terminates at a location prior to reaching the base end. An air hole is provided at this terminating location. The specimen collection device is equipped with an extraction unit for collecting a prescribed amount of the specimen. The extraction unit includes the two channel sections on the tip side of the air hole, and can be severed from the other sections of the device body of the specimen collection device via a severable section.

Abstract: To provide a cell treatment container, including: a first member having a flow path in which a cell suspension including a liquid and cells dispersed in the liquid flows through, the flow path formed on a surface of the first member; a second member arranged to face the surface of the first member; and a damming formed in one or both of the first member and the second member, in which the damming is provided with a protrusion part protruding from the first member into the flow path to form a gap for allowing the liquid in the cell suspension to pass through the gap and for damming up the cells in the cell suspension, and a pillar extending from the protrusion part at a first end and being joined to the second member at a second end.

Abstract: A cell evaluation device includes: a porous membrane having a first main face and a second main face; a first passage having a first passage portion facing a first area on which cells are placed in the first main face of the porous membrane; a second passage having a second passage portion facing a second area in the second main face of the porous membrane, the second area being positioned backside of the first area; and a first electrode provided in the first passage portion and a second electrode provided in the second passage portion, the first electrode and the second electrode being positioned across the first area and the second area. In the cell evaluation device, tight junctions are formed among the cells by cell cultivation. With the cell evaluation device, any increase in the electric resistance occurring due to the formation of the tight junctions can be easily measured.

Abstract: A device for culturing a liver tissue has a culture chamber to which at least two flow channels, which are at least for introducing and discharging a culture medium, are connected. A gel which serves as a cell scaffold material is housed in the culture chamber. A co-culture system containing an endothelial cell-derived cell, a hepatocyte-derived cell and a mesenchymal cell is co-cultured on the gel in such a way that the co-culture system has a tubular structure.

Abstract: A cell culturing device has: a first culture chamber; a first introduction flow channel and a first discharge flow channel which are connected to the first culture chamber; a second culture chamber connected to a halfway part of the first introduction flow channel via a first porous membrane; and a second introduction flow channel and a second discharge flow channel which are connected to the second culture chamber. The first discharge flow channel is connected to the first culture chamber via a second porous membrane. The first introduction flow channel has a liquid collecting part between the first culture chamber and the second culture chamber.

Abstract: A cell culturing device has: a first culture chamber; a first introduction flow channel and a first discharge flow channel which are connected to the first culture chamber; a second culture chamber connected to a halfway part of the first introduction flow channel via a first porous membrane; and a second introduction flow channel and a second discharge flow channel which are connected to the second culture chamber. The first discharge flow channel is connected to the first culture chamber via a second porous membrane. The first introduction flow channel has a liquid collecting part between the first culture chamber and the second culture chamber.

Abstract: This specimen collection device has a channel through which a specimen can be drawn by capillarity. The channel has two channel sections that extend from the tip side to the base side and are connected at the tip side. One of the channel sections is connected to a base side specimen intake port, and the other terminates at a location prior to reaching the base end. An air hole is provided at this terminating location. The specimen collection device is equipped with an extraction unit for collecting a prescribed amount of the specimen. The extraction unit includes the two channel sections on the tip side of the air hole, and can be severed from the other sections of the device body of the specimen collection device via a severable section.

Abstract: A cell culturing device has: a first culture chamber; a first introduction flow channel and a first discharge flow channel which are connected to the first culture chamber; a second culture chamber connected to a halfway part of the first introduction flow channel via a first porous membrane; and a second introduction flow channel and a second discharge flow channel which are connected to the second culture chamber. The first discharge flow channel is connected to the first culture chamber via a second porous membrane. The first introduction flow channel has a liquid collecting part between the first culture chamber and the second culture chamber.

Abstract: A device for culturing a liver tissue has a culture chamber to which at least two flow channels, which are at least for introducing and discharging a culture medium, are connected. A gel which serves as a cell scaffold material is housed in the culture chamber. A co-culture system containing an endothelial cell-derived cell, a hepatocyte-derived cell and a mesenchymal cell is co-cultured on the gel in such a way that the co-culture system has a tubular structure.

Abstract: A total organic carbon measuring instrument including a measuring unit composed of, integrated together, organic substance oxidation part and carbon dioxide separation part and conductivity measuring part, control unit and data processing unit. In order to enhance the accuracy of conductivity measurement, the control unit is constructed so as to stop feeding of a sample water at the time of oxidation of organic substance and carry out feeding of the sample water at the time of sample water moving to the organic substance oxidation decomposition part and carbon dioxide separation part. The data processing unit is constructed so as to measure the total organic carbon concentration on the basis of conductivity at the time of arriving of sample water irradiated with ultraviolet rays of which relative intensity is a given value or higher at the carbon dioxide separation part.

Abstract: [PROBLEMS] To increase the rate of gas transfer in gas exchangers. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A gas exchange chip comprises substrates (1,2); two flow channels (3,4) formed in the substrates (1,2) and each having an inlet port and an outlet port; and multiple grooves (9) interlinking the flow channels (3,4). The grooves (9) have the size of their sectional area predetermined and have at least a part of the internal surface thereof rendered hydrophobic so as to permit the transfer of gas component while inhibiting any liquid passage. A sample water containing carbon dioxide is caused to flow through one of the flow channels (3) while pure water is caused to flow through the other flow channel (4) to thereby transfer the carbon dioxide contained in the sample water into the pure water.