Development of a simple discarding robot for the media changing process

Currently, in regenerative medicine, cell processing is performed manually, which is labor intensive and expensive. Recently, automatic cell culture apparatuses equipped with a vertical articulated robot have been proposed to improve the efficiency of cell-processing tasks. However, most of them automate all the cell-processing tasks, which complicate the system. This study aimed to develop a simple and rational cell-processing system by combining the tasks performed by a robot and human. In a previous study, we proposed a method to improve the efficiency of the media changing process and implemented prototypes that improve the efficiency of discarding and injecting tasks. Herein, we developed and evaluated a simpler discarding robot than the previous model. The proposed discarding robot fulfilled its basic functions. Using the robot, the operator does not need to worry about the liquid-dripping effect during the discarding task. Moreover, the device is equipped with human error countermeasures. Further, as this device is sufficiently small to be used in a safety cabinet, it can be integrated into current culture methods.