Patent ID: 7547540

Claim:
A cell/tissue culture apparatus comprising: a culture unit that includes a culture chamber, the culture chamber being formed by installing a cover detachably in a container accommodating a material to be cultivated, the container being openable and closable, wherein the container includes a first part where the material to be cultivated is accommodated and a second part where a culture fluid supplied to the material to be cultivated is introduced and discharged, the culture unit has a fixing member that fixes the container, and the container is hermetically sealed by the cover when the material to be cultivated is cultivated; a circular port that is formed on a wall part of the second part where the culture fluid of the container is introduced, the circular port allowing the culture fluid to flow into the container and allowing the culture fluid supplied to the material to be cultivated to discharge from the container, the circular port having a first port for introducing the culture fluid from the wall part to the second part and a second port for discharging the culture fluid, which is introduced from the first port into the container, from the second part; stress generation means that causes a tensile stress from an outside of the chamber to act on the material to be cultivated at one end of the material to be cultivated, the other end of the material to be cultivated being fixed to an interior of the container, the material to be cultivated being held in a direction perpendicular to a flow of the culture fluid flowing in from the circular port, the stress generation means being disposed at the fixing member, where the container is fixed, so as to be located in a direction where the tensile stress for the material to be cultivated acts; control means that causes the tensile stress generated by the stress generation means to intermit, and causes the tensile stress to undergo gradual increase or gradual decrease in magnitude; and detecting means that detects an anomaly of the stress generation means; wherein the culture fluid introduced from the circular port to the second part of the container flows into the first part where the material to be cultivated is accommodated, the tensile stress is applied from the stress generation means to the material to be cultivated that receives supply of the culture fluid, the control means makes the tensile stress applied to the material to be cultivated intermit as well as undergo the gradual increase or gradual decrease in magnitude over time to cultivate the material to be cultivated, and in the cultivation, stops the stress generation means when the detecting means detects an anomaly of the stress generation means.