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US 4,232,120 AGranted
Instrument and method for transferring microbiological samples in a predeterminated gaseous environment
OwnerEduard Engelbrechtinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
While transferring a portion of a microbiological culture medium from one receptacle to another by means of a needle disposed on a base, a flow of gas is directed from the base towards the needle to form a protective gaseous environment around the transferred culture medium portion.
Claims9
An apparatus for transferring or inoculating microbiological cultures requiring a protective gaseous environment during handling and incubation, which comprises
- (a) a needle arranged to be successively introduced into different receptacles to transfer a portion of microbiological culture carried by the needle from one receptacle to another receptacle;
- (b) a hollow base means on which the needle is disposed;
- and
- (d) gas distributing means comprising a nozzle carried by the base and operable to direct a flow of gas substantially parallel to, and around, the needle to form the gaseous environment as a protective shield between the portion of the microbiological culture carried by the needle and the ambient atmosphere.
1 more element
A method for transferring or inoculating microbiological cultures requiring a protective gaseous environment during handling and incubation, which consists essentially of the steps of
- (a) removing a portion of a microbiological culture from a receptacle by a needle carrying the culture portion mounted on a hollow base, the needle carrying the culture portion being retracted from the receptacle to remove the portion;
- (b) isolating the removed microbiological culture portion carried by the needle from the ambient atmosphere by causing a protective gas to flow from the hollow base substantially parallel to, and around, the needle to form a protective gaseous environment between the culture portion and the ambient atmosphere, the gas flow being controlled to avoid any direct pressure on the culture portion sufficient to dislodge the culture portion from the needle;
- (c) moving the needle to another receptacle while maintaining the gas flow as a protective shield;
- (d) introducing the needle into the other receptacle and inoculating a culture medium in the other receptacle with the removed culture portion carried by the needle;
- (e) simultaneously establishing the protective gaseous environment in the other receptacle by causing the gas flow to expel the air initially present in the other receptacle therefrom;
- (f) retracting the needle from the other receptacle;
- and
- (g) hermetically sealing the other receptacle from the ambient atmosphere so as to maintain the gaseous environment in the other receptacle whereby continuous shielding of the inoculating microbiological culture from the ambient atmosphere is obtained.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.