Cylinder-Free Atmosphere Control for Incubators

描述（由申请人提供）：所提出的技术是一种方便灵活的系统，可以在不使用加压气瓶的情况下控制细胞培养箱中的气体气氛。该产品将是细胞培养箱的辅助装置/附件，用于希望无气瓶操作的便利性和安全性以及在大范围内拨入氧气和二氧化碳设定点的灵活性的实验室。哺乳动物细胞培养在基础医学研究、移植、组织工程、干细胞生产、疫苗生产、抗体生产和细胞分析中发挥着重要作用。哺乳动物细胞培养的标准孵化器通常在142毫米汞柱（18.6%）氧气和38毫米汞柱（5%）二氧化碳使用压力气体混合物操作。随着氧浓度在细胞生理学中的作用越来越为人所熟知，研究和生产对可调氧培养箱（1%-60%）的需求变得越来越明显。干细胞、胚胎细胞和肿瘤细胞的研究需要较低浓度的氧气；较高的浓度可能有利于培养多层组织，如皮肤、胰岛和组织工程产品。Giner, Inc.的总体产品目标是商业孵化器的辅助单元，以提供受控的气体气氛（氧气，二氧化碳，氮气，湿度），使用电化学过程产生所需的所有气体。在第一阶段，通过提供气体产生和控制小型孵化器的原型系统，成功地证明了可行性。在第二阶段，该技术将适用于一系列商业孵化器，并将其封装为集成电子显示器和终端，并为商业化做准备。第二阶段的原型将在一所医学院的生物医学研究实验室进行评估和使用。商业潜力：细胞培养培养箱市场是巨大的，并且在不断增长，2005年销售了超过16,000个二氧化碳培养箱，全球销售额为1.12亿美元。对于那些希望无气瓶操作的便利性和安全性以及在大范围内拨入氧气和二氧化碳设定点的灵活性的实验室来说，拟议的技术将是一种优质的辅助/附属装置。Giner将与一家制造商和分销商合作，将这项技术商业化。与公共卫生的相关性：提出的技术是一个控制细胞培养箱中气体气氛的系统。这将加强涉及细胞培养的基础研究和商业化生产，如癌症研究、移植、组织工程、干细胞、疫苗生产、抗体生产和需要专门气体气氛控制的细胞分析。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed technology is a convenient and flexible system to control the gas atmosphere in cell culture incubators without the use of pressurized gas cylinders. The product would be an auxiliary unit/accessory to a cell culture incubator for laboratories that want the convenience and safety of no gas cylinder operation and the flexibility of dial-in oxygen and carbon dioxide set points over a wide range. Mammalian cell culture plays an important role in basic medical research, transplantation, tissue engineering, stem cell production, vaccine production, antibody production and cellular assays. Standard incubators for mammalian cell culture are typically operated at 142 mm Hg (18.6%) oxygen and 38 mm Hg (5%) carbon dioxide using pressured gas mixes. As the role of oxygen concentration in cellular physiology becomes more well understood, the need for adjustable oxygen incubators (1%-60%) for both research and production is becoming apparent. Lower concentrations of oxygen are required for research on stem cells, embryonic cells and tumor cells; higher concentrations may be advantageous for the culture of multilayer tissue such as skin, pancreatic islets and tissue engineering products. Giner, Inc.'s overall product goal is an auxiliary unit to commercial incubators to supply controlled gas atmospheres (oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, humidity) using electrochemical processes to generate all the gases required. In Phase I, feasibility was successfully demonstrated by providing gas generation and control to a small incubator with a prototype system. In Phase II, the technology will be sized for a range of commercial incubators, be packaged with an integrated electronic display and terminal and be more full- featured in preparation for commercialization. The Phase II prototype will be evaluated and utilized in a biomedical research laboratory at a medical school. Commercial Potential: The cell culture incubator market is substantial and growing with over 16,000 carbon dioxide incubators sold in 2005 with $112 million in sales worldwide. The proposed technology would be a premium auxiliary/accessory unit for laboratories that want the convenience and safety of no gas cylinder operation and the flexibility of dial-in oxygen and carbon dioxide set points over a wide range. Giner will be partnering with a manufacturer and a distributor to commercialize the technology. R+R Other #7 Project Narrative RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH: The proposed technology is a system to control the gas atmosphere in cell culture incubators. This will enhance basic research and commercial production that involves cell culture such as cancer research, transplantation, tissue engineering, stem cells, vaccine production, antibody production and cellular assays where specialized gas atmosphere control is required.