Thrive Bioscience, Inc.

A method and apparatus for disinfecting a laboratory instrument having a housing with pathogens therein. A plurality of UVC light sources are provided in the housing and the pathogens in the housing are moved relative to the light from the UVC light sources.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a networked cell culture incubator and to methods for operating such an incubator. In one aspect, the cell culture incubator includes a network interface for communicating with a source of parameter data utilized successfully by other incubators. The incubator receives appropriate parameter data and conducts the incubation process as prescribed by the parameter data so as to provide an improved environment for cell culture growth. The incubator may share its own parameter data with the data source for use by other incubators. The incubator and data source may share other forms of data as well.

Aspects of the present invention relate to an automated cell culture instrument and to methods for operating such an instrument. In one aspect, the cell culture instrument includes a computing unit and a plurality of electrically controllable resources (e.g., sensors, actuators, etc.). The computing unit receives a protocol, schedules the resources so as to execute the protocol, and operates the resources as scheduled or in response to so as to provide an improved environment for cell culture growth. The computing unit may simulate protocol execution in connection with the scheduling or execution of the protocol.

In some aspects, the invention relates to automated cell culture incubators and their methods of use. In one aspect, the disclosure provides cell culture incubators having an airlock chamber, a storage chamber and/or an internal chamber. In some aspects, the disclosure provides methods for producing autologous mammalian cell cultures.

According to at least one aspect, a system configured to count cells in a vessel is provided. The system comprises an imaging system configured to image cells in the vessel and a controller coupled to the imaging system. The controller is configured to control the imaging system to capture a focused image of the cells and estimate a number of cells in the focused image. The controller is configured to control the imaging system to capture a focused image of the cells at least in part by controlling the imaging system to capture a plurality of images of the cells in a plurality of focal planes, determining an area of at least one cell in each of the plurality of images, and selecting one image from the plurality of images as the focused image using the area of the at least one cell in the plurality of images.

At least one tool removably mountable on a cell incubator mandrel or a cell incubator having at least one mandrel having an end portion, the at least one mandrel mounted on a movable transport for moving the at least one mandrel and at the least one tool removably mountable on the end portion of the at least one mandrel. The at least one tool is preferably electrically powered and controllable by signals applied to the at least one tool to perform at least one operation with respect to the incubation of cells.

Methods for the image processing od cells are disclosed for the purpose of segmenting cell colonies for further processing to determine confluence, counting and morphology.

Method and apparatus for displaying cultured cell wherein the image can be smoothly moved into and out of focus and can be zoomed in and out and panned.

A data collection hub and method wherein a controller is configured to receive data from a plurality of sensors sensing conditions related to the performance of operations on cells by at least one instrument. A database stores the data from the plurality of sensors and the controller is configured to compare data from the plurality of sensors for a past operation with the data for a more recent operation.

A data collection hub and method wherein a controller is configured to receive data from a plurality of sensors sensing conditions related to the performance of operations on cells by at least one instrument. A database stores the data from the plurality of sensors and the controller is configured to compare data from the plurality of sensors for a past operation with the data for a more recent operation.