Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Apparatus – Inoculator – streaker – or sampler
Patent
1995-11-07
1997-11-25
Beisner, William H.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Apparatus
Inoculator, streaker, or sampler
4353093, 435809, 7386471, C12M 126, C12M 128
Patent
active
056911955
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hygiene control is a critical factor, especially in industrial and hospital environments. In this respect, various systems or devices have been developed for checking of air and of liquids. There may be mentioned, by way of example, the RCS germ collector, from the Biotest company, for determining the gem content of air, and the germ indicator, for determining the germ content in a liquid medium, marketed by this same company under the name Hycon.
Despite checking the quality of air and of liquids, there is still a major risk associated with the contamination of surfaces. In this respect, several companies have developed suitable culture media in dishes which ensure growth of the microorganisms taken directly from the contaminated surfaces and which permit a direct reading of the number of colonies in the dish. There may be mentioned, by Way of example, the Count-Tact medium or dish (reference 43501) marketed by the company BIO MERIEUX. The samples are taken, after the cover has been removed from the dish, by applying manual pressure to the bottom of the dish, for an unspecified period of time, in such a way that the agar medium comes into the closest possible contact with the surface from which the sample is to be taken.
Notwithstanding the optimization of the media in dishes for bacterial growth after taking samples from surfaces, the technique of manual application hitherto used suffers from various disadvantages.
One major disadvantage lies in a lack of reproducibility of the results--an important condition, particularly when monitoring the biocontamination of surfaces or checking sterility--principally due to variations in contact between the agar medium and the surface to be checked as a consequence of the differences in the manual force applied to the dish, which manual force can vary considerably from one operator to another, or even between different samples taken by one and the same operator.
This has therefore been the motivation for designing a device for applying media in dishes to surfaces which are to be checked, which device remedies the lack of reproducibility of the results by standardizing the pressure applied, irrespective of the surface to be tested and of its inclination, and which device furthermore permits control of the duration of application. Thus, the device according to the invention aims to standardize sampling from a surface by making it possible to obtain a predetermined bearing force for a controlled period of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a general manner, the present invention relates to an applicator device for any flat element for sampling of microorganisms, comprising at least one flat recess for containing and retaining a layered culture medium, and with at least one border arranged to the outside, for example around the said recess, below the free surface of the culture medium in the flat recess. This general definition covers a large number of different embodiments of the flat sampling element, particularly the one described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings.
In order to cooperate with a sampling element, such as has been defined hereinabove, the applicator device according to the invention comprises:
--a plate,
--a base for holding the plate at a distance from the contaminated surface from which the sample is to be taken or which is to be tested, defining a support surface, and forming an opening for introducing, and placing under the plate, the sampling element, in its position of contact with the contaminated surface, that is to say upside down, parallel to the support surface, and with the free surface of the culture medium directed downwards,
--a pusher mounted so as to be free in terms of translation on the plate, perpendicular with respect to the support surface, with a bearing head which protrudes inside the base,
--a means for returning the pusher towards the support surface,
--and at least one shoulder defining a bearing surface parallel to the support plane, for retaining the border of the sampling element, in
REFERENCES:
patent: 3066342 (1962-12-01), Jackson et al.
patent: 3074276 (1963-01-01), Moos
patent: 3897688 (1975-08-01), Meserol et al.
patent: 4103553 (1978-08-01), De Blasiis et al.
patent: 4717667 (1988-01-01), Provonchee
Baeyaert Sylvain
Bonnet Alain
Doleans Francis
Beisner William H.
Bio Merieux
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