Method and apparatus for automatically inoculating culture media with bacterial specimens from specimen containers
AssigneeCanadian Space Agency
InventorsFrank Naccarato, Anne M. C. Bornath, Georgeta Mazilu
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Abstract
A method and system are provided for automatically positioning specimen containers and culture medium containers and transferring specimen samples from the containers to the culture medium. The samples are positioned at predetermined locations, and a sample is automatically streaked in a pattern on the culture medium after deposition of the sample. A means is also provided for establishing the predetermined locations by recording a position of a deposit location in a memory as deposit location data. Biological specimens such as a sample of bacteria are used in the method and system.
Claims27
An automated specimen container transport, handling and inoculating system for transferring a sample of a bacteria specimen from specimen containers to a culture medium, followed by streaking of said sample bacteria specimen over said culture medium comprising:
- (a) a specimen delivery system to convey a sample of the specimen from its original specimen container to a deposit location on a culture medium;
- (b) means for recording a position of said deposit location in a memory as deposit location data;
- (c) a streaking tool carried by a streaking mechanism;
- and
- (d) a controller for said streaking mechanism wherein said controller, using the recorded deposit location data to guide the streaking tool, directs the streaking tool to move to said culture medium and effect a streaking pattern over said culture medium.
A method of automated deposition of a specimen sample on a culture medium, comprising:
- (a) providing a culture medium container delivery system and controllably delivering a culture medium container with culture medium present therein to a predetermined position constituting a streaking station;
- (b) providing a specimen container delivery system and controllably delivering a specimen container with a biological specimen contained therein to a specimen retrieval station;
- (c) providing a specimen transfer mechanism and controllably moving said specimen transfer mechanism to remove a specimen sample from a specimen container at the specimen retrieval station, convey the specimen sample to the streaking station and deposit said speciment sample onto the surface of the culture medium in said culture medium container at a deposit location on said surface of said culture medium;
- (d) recording the deposit location of the specimen sample on said surface of said culture medium in a memory as location data, and
- (e) providing a streaking tool and controllably moving said streaking tool, using the recorded location data to guide the streaking tool to the specimen sample, to move said streaking tool in a predetermined streaking pattern over said surface of said culture medium.
An automated culture inoculation system for transferring a sample of a bacterial specimen from specimen containers to a culture medium, followed by streaking of such sample bacteria specimen over said culture medium comprising:
- (a) a culture medium container delivery system to controllably deliver a culture medium container with culture medium having an exposed surface present therein to a predetermined position constituting a streaking station;
- (b) a specimen container delivery system to controllably deliver a specimen container with a biological specimen contained therein to a specimen retrieval station;
- (c) a specimen transfer mechanism positioned to controllably remove a specimen sample from a specimen container at the specimen retrieval station, convey the specimen sample to the streaking station and deposit said specimen sample onto the surface of the culture medium in said culture medium container at a deposit location on the surface of said culture medium;
- (d) data recording means for recording the deposit location of the specimen sample on said surface of said culture medium in a memory as location data;
- (e) a streaking tool;
- and
- (f) control means for controllably moving said streaking tool, using the recorded location data, to guide the streaking tool to engage with the specimen sample present on the surface of said culture medium, and move said streaking tool in a predetermined streaking pattern over said surface of said culture medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.