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AssigneeJan-Gerd Frerichs
InventorsWilhelm Behnsen, Thomas Scheper, Klaus Joeris, Jorg Schaper, Jan-Gerd Frerichs
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The invention relates to an in-situ microscope device for reactors, in particular bioreactors, with a dip tube in a reactor connection port which in the inside of the reactor has an inlet for a specimen zone, and with a microscope external tube, arranged coaxially in the dip tube, which at the inner end is directed with a lens towards the specimen zone which lies between a lens cover glass and a slide glass body lying opposite, and is coupled outside with a camera for photographing the image of the specimen zone, the lens cover glass and the slide glass body being movable relative to each other, in order to be able to open and close the specimen zone. According to the invention, it is provided that there is connected outside to the reactor connection port (6) a rinsing chamber (7) with sealable openings (8) through which cleaning agents can be fed in, and the dip tube (2) is movable in axial direction in the connection port (6) and can be pulled back until the inlet (4) communicates with the rinsing chamber (7) in order to be able to clean the specimen zone, sealing means (9, 9′) being provided at the dip tube in order to keep the internal space of the reactor sealed off from the rinsing chamber (7) if the dip tube is pulled back to the rinsing chamber.
In-situ microscope device for reactors, with a dip tube which is insertable into a reactor connection port and has an inlet, in the end-section pointing to the inside of the reactor, for a specimen zone, and a microscope external tube, arranged coaxially in the dip tube, which at the inner end is directed with a lens towards the specimen zone which lies between a lens cover glass and a slide glass body lying opposite in the dip tube, and at the opposite end is coupled with a camera, lying outside the dip tube, for photographing the image of the specimen zone, the lens cover glass and the slide glass body being movable relative to each other, in order to be able to open and close the specimen zone, characterized in that connected outside to the reactor connection port (6) is a rinsing chamber (7) with sealable openings (8) through which cleaning agents can be fed in, and the dip tube (2) is movable in axial direction in the connection port (6) and can be pulled back until the inlet (4) communicates with the rinsing chamber (7) in order to be able to clean the specimen zone, sealing means (9, 9′) being provided at the dip tube in order to keep the internal space of the reactor sealed off from the rinsing chamber (7) if the dip tube is pulled back to the rinsing chamber.
In-situ microscope device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a microscope tube is housed movable in the microscope external tube (10) and a drive means is provided in order to move the microscope tube in longitudinal direction in a controlled manner, in order to be able to set the lens against the microscope tube relative to the specimen zone for focusing.
In-situ microscope device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide glass body (16) has a sapphire glass plate (33) with a level outer surface on which on the circumference an annular rim (32) of a predefined thickness is formed, which serves as a spacer if the lens cover glass (14) is moved up against the slide glass body (16) until it rests against the annular rim (32), in order to close the specimen zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.