JPH04148670A - Production of small piece group of agar-like parent material and production device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To peel an unnecessary agar-like parent material existing outside cylinders, to make the parent material readily removable and to form an agar- like small piece group by sending compressed air to the interior of the cylinders (chip) thrust into the agar-like parent material. CONSTITUTION:Plural cylinders are thrust into an agar-like parent material in a dish-like container until the cylinders are brought into contact with the bottom of the dish-like container. Compressed air is sent to the cylinders and permeated through gaps between the cylinders and small pieces of the agar-like parent material taken in the interior of the cylinders. The compressed air is passed through the gaps between the cylinders and the bottom of the dish-like container, further forcibly penetrated into between the bottom of the agar-like parent material existing outside of the cylinders and the bottom of the dish-like container to raise the outside agar parent material. The dish-like container is isolated from the cylinders to give a small piece group of agar-like parent material.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is directed to the production of a large number of agar media (agar mixed with nutrients poured into a Petri dish and solidified) used for, for example, bacterial culture tests, which are separated from each other. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing agar-like base material small pieces for forming culture base material small pieces.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in order to form a group of small culture base material pieces each having a unit area of small cylindrical pieces with a diameter of about 5 mm (hereinafter referred to as agar pieces) from a plate-shaped agar medium, a cylindrical treatment was used. The process involved repeating the manual process of molding and removing agar pieces one by one from the agar medium using a tool, and then transferring them to another petri dish. In this case, the two petri dishes are placed close to each other, and the operator carefully arranges the removed agar pieces in their respective predetermined positions.

Further, as a conventional apparatus for producing agar-like base material small pieces, for example, an apparatus described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 155397/1983 is known. This involves lowering a portion of the cutter on which pipe blades for the required number of agar pieces are installed, punching the agar with the pipe blades to secure a predetermined number of agar pieces, and then raising the pipe blades. At this time, the device mechanically lifts unnecessary agar parts other than the agar pieces to be removed using the outer circumference of the pipe blade and other agar lifting means, leaving only the desired group of agar pieces on the petri dish.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] When creating a group of agar pieces by hand as in the former case above, it is necessary to carefully and carefully take out each piece one by one and arrange them, so the agar pieces for one Petri dish (for example, 50 pieces) are required.
The problem was that it took a long time to complete the arrangement, resulting in poor production efficiency.

On the other hand, although the latter device eliminates the low production efficiency caused by manual labor and achieves high efficiency, in reality, the unnecessary parts of the agar are not lifted as designed, and the lifting fails. There were also problems in that the part that should be lifted would partially stick to the petri dish and remain.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a group of agar-like base material pieces that can reliably form a desired group of agar pieces in a short time. do.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The method for manufacturing a group of agar-like base material pieces according to the present invention includes the steps of: agar-like base material in a planar container until a plurality of cylinders are brought into contact with the bottom surface of the dish-like container; a first step of stabbing; a second step of supplying compressed air into the body to aerate the gap between the cylinder and the small piece of agar-like base material taken into the cylinder; The agar-like base material on the outside is passed through the gap between the body and the bottom surface of the dish-shaped container, and is forced to enter between the bottom surface of the agar-like base material on the outside of the cylindrical body and the bottom surface of the dish-like container. The method includes a third step of lifting the material, and a fourth step of separating the dish-shaped container and the cylindrical body. In addition, when viewed as a manufacturing device for a group of small pieces of agar-like base material, a dish-shaped container containing the agar-like base material, which is installed perpendicularly to the agar-like base material, and has one end that is to be pierced into the agar-like base material; A plurality of cylindrical bodies each having a four-part space having a predetermined shape and having a vent opening at the other end that communicates with the concave space and is to be supplied with compressed air, and the dish-shaped container and the plurality of cylindrical bodies. A driving means for bringing the parts into and out of contact with each other.

[Operation] In this invention, the compressed air supplied to the cylinder passes through the gap between the cylinder and the agar-like base material taken into the cylinder,
It forcibly enters between the bottom surface of the unnecessary agar-like base material outside the cylinder and the dish-shaped container, and peels off the unnecessary agar-like base material. By subsequently separating the dish-shaped container and the cylindrical body, unnecessary agar-like base material is removed from the dish-shaped container, leaving a desired group of agar-like base material pieces on the dish-shaped container.

[Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a petri dish stand (4) is attached via a compression spring (3) to a vertically movable part (2a) of a cylinder (2) fixed to a frame (1). Petri dish stand (4)
A Petri dish (5) containing an agar medium is placed on top and fixed with a Petri dish holder (6). Petri dish (
5) is raised and lowered by controlling the compressed air supplied to the cylinder (2). FIG. 2 shows the petri dish (5) at the lower end. At the upper end of the frame (1), a large number (for example, 50) of approximately cylindrical chips (7
) is fixed.

The tip holder (8) is configured to be supplied with compressed air (preferably through a sterilizer) from a compressed air supply port (log) at the top and exhausted from the bottom end of the tip (7). This chip holder (8) and chip (7)
), and FIG. 4 is a view of them from below. In FIG. 3 or 4, the chip holder (8) is a combination of a disc-shaped chip holding plate (9) that directly holds the chip (7), and a lid (10) that is placed over the disc-shaped chip holding plate (9). . A substantially disc-shaped ventilation adapter (11) is fixed on the chip holding plate (9) and has a concave portion formed in the bottom surface to cover the upper ends of all the chips (7). Ventilation hole (lla) of ventilation adapter (11)
are provided in the same number as the chip (7) at positions whose centers exactly coincide with the vertical center line of the chip (7). An O-ring (13) is fitted into the upper end of the chip (7), and this O-ring (13) connects to the ventilation adapter (
11) by pressing against the bottom surface of the ventilation adapter (
11) to form an airtight passage communicating with the chip (7). In addition, an O-ring (12) is fitted into the groove (Ilb) formed on the outer circumference of the ventilation adapter (11), and by pressing against the inner circumference of the lid (lO),
Compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply port (10a) flows through the lid (
1O) and the ventilation adapter (11) to prevent leakage. Returning to FIG. 2, the cylinder (14) is fixed to the frame (1). Culture medium removal net (1
5) is held horizontally by the vertical movable part (14a) of the cylinder (4), and can be lowered and raised by controlling the supply of compressed air to the cylinder (14). In the state shown in FIG. 2, the culture medium removal net (15) is at the rising end.

The culture medium removal net (15) is a thin plate in the form of a punched steel plate with holes (not shown) that pass through each chip (7) in the same arrangement as the chips (7), or a thin plate in the form of a punched steel plate with holes (not shown) that pass through each chip (7). Use a metal mesh, etc. with a mesh pattern that looks like it is sewn together.

FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the positional relationship with the chip (7) when the petri dish (5) is pushed up to the rising end by the cylinder (2). However, illustrations of the culture medium removal net (15), petri dish holder (6), etc. are omitted. The chip ()) is provided with a recess (7b) at its bottom to form a cylindrical space, and this space is filled with a ventilation hole (7c).
) and the ventilation hole (lla) of the ventilation adapter (11) to communicate with the space inside the lid (lO). Petri dish (
At the rising end of 5), the lower end (7a) of the chip (7), which has a tapered outer periphery, is connected to the agar medium (16).
), it pierces it and comes into contact with the bottom of the Petri dish (5), and a small piece of cylindrical agar, that is, an agar piece (16a) is incorporated into the fourth part (7b). Petri dish (5) is stopped.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained based on FIG. 2 and FIGS. 5 to 12. 5 to 9 are front views including a partial cross section showing only the vicinity of the chip (7) of the device shown in FIG. 2.

First, the apparatus is equipped with a petri dish (5) containing an agar medium (16).
) in the state shown in Figure 2. When compressed air is supplied to the cylinder (2), the petri dish (5) rises. At this time, compressed air is also supplied from the compressed air supply port (10a),
It is blowing out from the bottom end of the chip (7).

When the Petri dish (5) reaches the rising end, the lower end of the chip (7) bites into the agar medium (16) and the Petri dish (5)
(Fig. 5). The compression spring shown in Figure 2 (
3) absorbs the error when the virtual plane formed by the aggregate of the lower end surfaces of the plurality of chips (7) is not parallel to the bottom surface of the petri dish (5). In addition, by compressing the O-rings (13) provided at the upper end of each tip (7), manufacturing variations in the length of each tip (7) are absorbed, and as a result, all tenochiffs ( 7) Pressed accurately against the bottom of the caschere (5). Chip (7)
When the chip (
The air blown out from the bottom of the chip (7) passes through the small gap between the chip (7) and the bottom of the petri dish (5).
7) Go outside.

The air released to the outside lifts up the unnecessary agar culture medium (16b) (the removed residue) around the chip (7) (Figure 6). First, about lifting unnecessary parts using compressed air.
This will be explained in more detail based on Figures 0 to 12.

1O to 12 are partially enlarged sectional views focusing on one chip (7). FIG. 10 shows the state immediately after the tip of the tip (7) begins to bite into the surface of the agar medium (16). At this time, the outlet of the compressed air is blocked, and hardly any leaks to the outside. Next, number one! In the state shown in the figure, compressed air is applied to the inner peripheral surface of the recess (7b) of the chip (7) and the agar that has been taken in, that is, the agar piece (16a).
), and then passes through the tiny gear knob between the bottom edge of the chip (7) and the bottom of the Petri dish (5) as shown by the arrow. leak outside. Due to the pressure of the air leaking outside, the bottom of the unnecessary culture medium (16b) in the form of scraps of surrounding agar and the petri dish (
5) and the bottom surface of the petri dish (5), thereby peeling off the unnecessary culture medium (16b) from the bottom of the petri dish (5) at once and lifting it up, separating the inner wall surface of the petri dish (5) and the unnecessary culture medium (16b) from the bottom surface of the petri dish (5).
16b) to release the pressure (12th
figure). In this way, the necessary agar pieces (tea) remain on the petri dish (5), and the unnecessary culture medium (16b) is completely lifted up.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the petri dish (5) begins to descend. Since the unnecessary culture medium (16b) is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of many chips (7), the friction between them is large (on the other hand, the friction between the outer peripheral surface of the unnecessary culture medium (16b) and the side inner wall surface of the petri dish (5) is large. Because the compressed air is passing through the gap, the friction is small, so it does not follow the descent of the Petri dish (5) and sticks to the chi knob (7).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, the agar piece (16a) has a small friction with the recess (7b) of the chip (7) because compressed air passes over its top and side surfaces. Since it is in close contact with the bottom of the petri dish (5) and receives wind pressure from the flow of compressed air from above, it descends while remaining attached to the petri dish (5).

When the Petri dish (5) further descends, the unnecessary culture medium (16b) is taken out of the Petri dish (5), and the necessary agar pieces (16a) are placed on the Petri dish (5), as shown in Figure 8. The array of chips (7) remains intact.

After taking out the petri dish (5), the medium removing net (15) is lowered by the cylinder (14) to remove the unnecessary medium (16b) adhering to the lower end of the chip (7). Collect into can (31) (Figure 9).

When this receiver can (31) is taken out, the series of steps for making agar pieces is completed. Next, a new agar medium is placed and the above series of operations is repeated. In this way, petri dishes in which a predetermined number of agar pieces (16a) are arranged in a predetermined shape are continuously created. Since the agar pieces (16a) have been in close contact with the bottom of the petri dish (5) since it was a flat medium and are never peeled off, the agar pieces (16a) are formed without being peeled off once.
) has great adhesion to the bottom surface.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the invention. The difference from the first embodiment lies in the structure of the chip, and the other overall configuration is the same as the first embodiment. In the figure, the tip (27) includes a substantially cylindrical outer tube (29) and a first
It is combined with an inner cylinder (28) whose perspective view is shown in Figure 4. The outer cylinder (29) is provided with a groove (29b) on the outer peripheral surface near the lower end. The inner cylinder (28) has a flange (28f) at its upper end that engages with the top surface of the outer cylinder (29) and serves as a downward stopper.
A vertical hole (28h) is formed vertically through the center of the small diameter portion (28a).

This vertical hole (28h) communicates with a horizontal hole (28g) provided vertically apart from each other in directions orthogonal to each other.

The large diameter portion (28b) and the grooved large diameter portion (28c) have the function of tightly fitting and holding the entire inner cylinder (28) onto the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder (29). The grooved large diameter portion (28c) has a plurality of (for example four) longitudinal holes (28e) on the outer periphery.
This groove (28e) serves as an air passage.

The lower end (28d) of the inner tube (28) has a cylindrical shape, and its diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube (29), so that a thin cylindrical shape is formed between the inner tube (28) and the outer tube (29). A gap space (A) is formed. The lower end of the outer cylinder (29) (
29a) The inside is a recessed space (27b) for forming an agar piece (16a).

When compressed air is supplied to the chip (27) configured as described above, the compressed air flows through the vertical hole (28h) and the horizontal hole (28g).
), the groove <28e) and the cylindrical gap space (A) in turn to the periphery of the agar piece (16a) taken up by the lower end of the tip (27), i.e. the agar piece (1
6a) and the inner peripheral surface of the tip (27). As a result, as in FIGS. 11 and 12 shown in the first embodiment, the compressed air flows between the outer peripheral surface of the agar piece (16a) and the tip (27).
After breaking the contact with the inner wall surface of the chip (27) and leaking out of the chip (27), it sinks into the bottom of the unnecessary culture medium (16b) and lifts it all at once. The subsequent operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and will therefore be omitted. Since the groove (29b) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder (29) digs into the unnecessary medium (16b), the unnecessary medium (16b) is removed more reliably than in the first embodiment when the Petri dish (5) is lowered. 16b) and prevents it from remaining on the petri dish (5).

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, by supplying compressed air to the inside of the cylinder (chip) that pierces the agar-like base material, unnecessary agar-like particles outside the cylinder are removed. Since the base material can be spliced and removed easily, it is possible to reliably remove unnecessary agar-like base material in a short time and form a desired group of agar-like pieces.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1st rl! J is a sectional view showing the main parts of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing the whole, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing only the tip holder (8) and tip (7) in FIG. Figure 4 is a bottom view of the chip holder (8) and the chip (7), and Figures 5 to 9 are the chip holder (8) and the agar (
16) Operation explanatory diagram showing the relative positional relationship with
12 is a detailed sectional view of a part thereof, FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing the main part of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
Perspective view showing only the inner cylinder (28) of Figure 13, Figure 15
The figure is a perspective view showing the flat medium of agar (!6) formed in the Petri dish (5), and Figure 16 shows the agar pieces (!6) from the flat medium.
16a) is a perspective view showing a state in which it is formed. In the figure, (2) is a cylinder, (5) is a petri dish, (
7) is the chip, (7b) is the recess, (7c) is the ventilation hole, (
16) is agar, (16a) is agar piece, (16b)
(2)) is the chip, (28e) is the groove, (2) is the unnecessary medium, (2) is the chip, (28e) is the groove, (2)
8g) is a horizontal hole, (28h) is a vertical hole, and (A) is a gap. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts. Representative Patent Attorney Takaharu Higashishima Figure 2: Cylindrical Figure 4 Figure 9 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 'IQ Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 27: Thousand... Nof. 28e: Hawk 289; Rei JL 28h: Souken J Shi A Nikki deception/nofu. Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A first step of piercing a plurality of cylinders into the agar-like base material in the dish-shaped container until they come into contact with the bottom surface of the dish-shaped container, and supplying compressed air into the cylinders so that the cylinders and A second step of ventilating the gap between the small pieces of agar-like base material taken inside, passing the compressed air through the gap between the cylindrical body and the bottom of the dish-shaped container, and then passing the compressed air to the outside of the cylindrical body. a third step of lifting the outer agar-like base material by forcibly intruding between the bottom surface of the agar-like base material in the container and the bottom surface of the dish-like container, and isolating the dish-like container and the cylinder body. A method for producing a group of agar-like base material pieces, comprising a fourth step. (2) A dish-shaped container for accommodating an agar-like base material, which is provided perpendicularly to the agar-like base material and has a recess space of a predetermined shape at one end to be penetrated into the agar-like base material, and this recess An agar-like structure comprising: a plurality of cylindrical bodies each having a plurality of cylindrical bodies communicating with a space and having a vent opening at the other end to be supplied with compressed air; and a driving means for bringing the dish-shaped container into contact with and separating the plurality of cylindrical bodies. Equipment for manufacturing small pieces of base material.