Figure 1.

Automated cell culture equipment. (a) External view of the automated cell culture equipment (ACE3). (b) Internal configuration. (c) Difference between open culture system and closed culture system. The incubator area is at the top, and the control area and storage cabinet (including the refrigerator) are at the bottom. The white dotted outline indicates the incubator area where cell culturing is performed at 37°C, but humidified 5% CO₂ is only supplied in the closed culture vessel and circuit surrounded by the white solid line. The inside of the device, including the shaking mechanism, valves, and pumps, is kept dry. The refrigerator at the bottom is where the culture medium and recovered supernatant can be stored. The equipment also includes a sterile welding‐cutting device for aseptically removing culture vessels and culture supernatant and control device. The open culture system is the conventional culture method and it means a manual culture and sealed‐chamber culture system using robotic arm. Light gray parts indicate spaces that need to be sterilized. The closed culture system that we use requires very little space for cleanliness