JP2003014590A - Implement and method for sampling microorganism inspection sample - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a microorganism inspection sample sampling implement with which a sample solution can be sampled without misconception in the existence of a microorganism from a dispersion suspension which is made by homogenizing specimen, and which is low in cost, and to provide a microorganism inspection sample sampling method. SOLUTION: The microorganism inspection sample sampling implement 10 is formed in such a way that a cap 2 comprising a circulation port 2a with a detachable filter 3 for filtration is mounted on the tip part 1a of a hollow barrel body 1 comprising a hollow passage 1b in a diameter by which a pipette used to sample the inspection sample solution can come in and out. In the sampling implement 10, the cap 2 on which the filter 3 is mounted is arranged so as to be immersed in the dispersion suspension with the homogenized specimen, the pipette is inserted into the hollow passage 1b, and a liquid which has leaked from the filter 3 so as to be filtered is sampled as the sample solution.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microbial test sample collecting tool suitable for collecting a sample for testing microorganisms such as bacteria in foods, particularly solid foods, and a microbial test sample collecting method using the same. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When inspecting microorganisms in food containing solids, the food to be inspected (hereinafter referred to as "sample") is homogenized in a sterile dispersion medium to prepare a dispersion suspension, This is used as a microorganism culture sample to be used for inspection. When performing a microbial culture test using such a microbial culture sample, there are fine residues of food solids on the medium,
There was a possibility that it might be mistaken for a microbial community that had grown on the medium. Further, in the extreme case, there is a problem that when the microorganism culture sample is sucked with a pipette, the pipette is clogged with a residue and the pipette is blocked.

In order to solve this problem, a bag for a stomacher, which has been conventionally used for homogenizing a sample, having a non-woven fabric inside is used. FIG. 3 shows such a bag for stomacher 50. In this bag for stomacher 50, a non-woven fabric 52 functioning as a filter is attached inside a bag body 51 made of a plastic film such as polyethylene film. It has a structure that divides the interior space into two parts.

According to the method of using the bag for stomacher 50, the dispersion suspension is poured into one space A of the bag for stomacher 50, and the liquid component in the dispersion suspension which has passed through the nonwoven fabric 52 is filled in the other space B. The sample is stored in the space B and a pipette or the like is inserted into the space B to collect this liquid as a sample liquid for use in the microbial culture inspection. In addition, a sample and a sterile dispersion medium are put into one space A of the stocker bag 50, attached to the stomacher, and homogenized in the space A of the stocker bag 50 to form a dispersion suspension. At the same time, there is also a method of collecting as a sample liquid a liquid component that has permeated the space B through the nonwoven fabric 52.

However, this bag for stomacher 50
In the above, since the non-woven fabric 52 is incorporated, it is more expensive than a normal bag for stomachers, cannot be sterilized and reused, and a new bag for stomacher must be used for each sample. There were inconveniences such as having to do it.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in collecting a microorganism test sample such as food, a sample liquid containing no solid residue is dispersed from a homogenized dispersion suspension of the sample. (EN) Provided are a device for collecting a microorganism test sample that can be collected, does not cause misidentification in the confirmation of the presence of microorganisms, is inexpensive, and can be repeatedly used, and a method for collecting a microorganism test sample using the device. This is an issue.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides a device for collecting a microorganism test sample in which a filter for filtration is provided at the tip of a hollow cylinder having a hollow passage. Is. The invention according to claim 2 is
The filter is replaceably mounted.
The described microbiological test sample collecting device.

The invention according to claim 3 is the device for collecting a microorganism test sample according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter is a filter of 50 to 200 mesh. The invention according to claim 4 is the device for collecting a microorganism test sample according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hollow cylindrical body and the filter for filtration are made of a material having no bactericidal action.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the tip portion of the device for collecting a microorganism test sample according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is dipped in a dispersion suspension, and the hollow passage of the hollow cylindrical body is passed through. It is a method for collecting a microbiological test sample for collecting a test sample solution. The invention according to claim 6 is the method for collecting a microorganism test sample according to claim 5, wherein the dispersion suspension is a dispersion suspension obtained by the Stomker method.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As an embodiment of the present invention, an instrument for collecting a microorganism test sample of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the microbiological test sample collecting device 10 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the microbiological test sample collecting device 10 has a hollow cylindrical body 1 at one end of which a cap 2 having a through hole 2a at its center is detachably attached, for example, by airtight attachment by screwing. A filter 3 formed by knitting a stainless steel thin wire is provided at the tip portion 1a of the hollow cylindrical body 1 with the cap 2
Are pressed against each other by screwing and are closely arranged. The hollow passage 1b of the hollow cylindrical body 1 communicates with the flow port 2a of the cap 2 via the filter 3.

The hollow passage 1b of the hollow cylindrical body 1 of the microbiological test sample-collecting device 10 thus constructed has a diameter such that a sample liquid-collecting pipette can be inserted therein. In this case, the diameter (inner diameter) of the passage 1b is preferably in the range of 6 to 20 mm in general, considering that a commercially available pipette can be easily inserted and handled. Further, the opening size of the mesh of the attached filter 3 needs to be a size that can sufficiently collect the solid residue generated by the homogenization treatment of the sample, and it varies depending on the size of the generated residue, but it is generally 50 to 200 mesh. The opening size is desirable, and a filter having an appropriate mesh size may be appropriately selected and used depending on the size of the residue.

Further, it is necessary that the hollow cylindrical body 1, the cap 2 and the filter 3 are all sterilizable and made of metal or plastic which does not have a sterilizing action. For example, as the metal material, aluminum or stainless steel is preferable, and copper, silver and alloys thereof have a bactericidal action, which is not preferable. Nonwoven fabric can also be effectively used as the filter 3. Further, the detachable cap 2 is not limited to being attached by screwing, and various attachment methods such as fitting may be used as long as the filter 3 can be attached airtightly.

Thus, in using the microbiological test sample-collecting device 10 of this example, an appropriate mesh opening size is set according to the size of the residue generated in the dispersion suspension obtained by homogenizing the sample in the dispersion medium. A filter is selected, this is placed on the tip 1a of the hollow cylinder 1, and the cap 2 is screwed and tightened to press the tip 1a of the hollow cylinder for tight attachment. In addition,
Before and after mounting the filter 3, it goes without saying that the above-mentioned respective parts are sterilized, and any sterilization method may be used in this case. Examples of such sterilization methods include dry heat sterilization method, wet heat sterilization method (autoclave etc.), electron beam irradiation sterilization method, gas sterilization method, etc. Sterilization is convenient and recommended.

Then, the cap 2 is sufficiently dipped into a dispersion suspension obtained by homogenizing the sample in a dispersion medium, and the liquid in the dispersion suspension is passed through the filter 3 in the hollow passage 1b of the hollow cylindrical body 1. After confirming that the components have been filtered and infiltrated, a sampling tool such as a pipette is inserted into the hollow passage 1b, and a certain amount of the liquid component is sucked and collected as a sample liquid.

Next, the above-mentioned microbiological test sampling device 1
2 is used to collect a microorganism test sample liquid from a dispersion suspension obtained by homogenizing a solid sample in a sterile dispersion medium.
It will be specifically described with reference to. FIG. 2 shows a dispersion suspension S in which a solid sample M is homogenized in a dispersion medium D by the Stomker method.
It is explanatory drawing of the method of collecting a sample liquid more.

First, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), a fixed amount of a solid sample M is quantitatively and aseptically dispersed in a bag 11 for a stomacher made of a normal polyethylene film without a non-woven fabric. It is housed together with the medium D, air in the bag 11 is removed, and then the bag 11 is hermetically sealed, and the solid sample M is homogenized in the dispersion medium D by being put on a stomacher that performs a periodic physical compression operation in the form of gastric movement. A dispersion suspension S (M + D) is obtained.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, a device 10 for collecting a microorganism test sample which has been sterilized in advance.
Is immersed in the dispersion suspension S from the cap 2 having the flow port 2a in which the filter 3 is tightly attached to the tip of the hollow cylindrical body 1. Then, after confirming that the liquid T has infiltrated into the hollow passage 1b of the hollow cylindrical body 1 through the filter, the pipette 12 is inserted into the hollow passage 1b, and the fixed amount of the pipette 12 required for the inspection is measured. The liquid is collected as a sample liquid T.

The sample liquid T thus collected contains
The filter 3 removes the residues and foreign substances floating in the dispersion suspension S, so that the microorganisms can be inspected accurately without any error. Also, wash the filter 3,
The instrument 10 can be sterilized or simply replaced.
Can be repeatedly used, and since the required area of the filter 3 to be used can be small, the cost for inspection can be reduced. Further, since the filter 3 can be appropriately selected and mounted, by selecting and mounting the filter 3 having an appropriate mesh opening size depending on the sample to be inspected, it is possible to appropriately remove the residue and the foreign matter.

In the above example, the sampler is sampled from the dispersion suspension obtained by homogenizing and dispersing the sample in the dispersion medium in the bag for the stomacher using the Stomker method. The microbiological test sample collecting device of the present invention is not limited to being used for collecting a sample solution from a dispersion suspension in a bag for a stomacher obtained by such a stomacher method, and is not limited to a homogenizer. It can also be used in the same manner for collecting a sample from a dispersion suspension homogenized in a beaker or a metal container.

[0020]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The microbiological test sample collecting tool and the microbiological test sample collecting method using the same according to the present invention have the following effects. That is, when a sample solution is collected using the microbiological test sample collecting device of the present invention, solid residue and foreign matter floating in a dispersion suspension obtained by homogenizing a sample in a dispersion medium are extremely effectively removed. Since it is possible to collect a sample liquid, when this is used as a medium for culturing and inspecting microorganisms, misidentification of microbial colonies due to this can be eliminated, and correct and reliable determination can be quickly performed. In particular, it is extremely effective for microbiological examination of a sample in which solid matter such as curd such as yogurt is mixed, and has a great effect.

The microbiological test sample collecting device of the present invention can be repeatedly used by washing, sterilizing the filter or simply replacing the filter, and since the filter to be used has a small area, its cost is low. It is cheap, and as a result, the cost required for microbiological examination can be greatly reduced.

Further, in the microbiological test sample collecting device of the present invention, since the filter to be used can be selected and attached appropriately according to the sample to be inspected, it is caused by the difference in solid sample. It is possible to properly remove debris and foreign matter of different sizes.
Therefore, even when collecting a sample liquid for microbiological testing of a wide variety of specimens, an appropriate sample liquid can be collected immediately by simply changing the filter, and the workability can be significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a device for collecting a microorganism test sample of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a solid sample M dispersed in a dispersion medium D by the stomacher method.
It is explanatory drawing of the method of collecting a sample liquid from the dispersion suspension S homogenized to the above.

FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway view of a bag for a stomacher used in a method of collecting a sample liquid from a dispersion suspension homogenized by a conventional stomacher method.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Microbiology test sample collecting instrument of the present invention, 1 ... Hollow cylinder, 1a ... Tip of hollow cylinder, 1b ... Hollow passage,
2 ... Cap, 2a ... Circulation port, 3 ... Filter

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kenji Kiyotaki             Morinaga 5-83 Higashihara 5-chome, Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Dairy Co., Ltd. Food Research Institute (72) Inventor Kenichiro Kano             Morinaga 5-83 Higashihara 5-chome, Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Dairy Co., Ltd. Food Research Institute (72) Inventor Kazue Sasaki             Morinaga 5-83 Higashihara 5-chome, Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Dairy Co., Ltd. Food Research Institute F term (reference) 2G052 AA24 AA36 AD09 AD46 BA14                       CA11 CA28 EA03 JA08 JA23

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A distal end portion of a hollow cylindrical body having a hollow passage,
An instrument for collecting a microorganism test sample, characterized in that a filter for filtration is provided. 2. The microbiological test sample collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the filter is mounted so as to be replaceable. 3. The device for collecting a microorganism test sample according to claim 1, wherein the filter is a filter of 50 to 200 mesh. 4. The microbiological test sample collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the hollow cylinder and the filter are made of a material having no bactericidal action. 5. The microorganism test sample collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the tip portion is immersed in a dispersion suspension in which a sample is dispersed, and dispersed from a hollow passage of a hollow cylindrical body. A method for sampling a microorganism test sample, which comprises collecting a liquid component in a suspension. 6. The method for collecting a microorganism test sample according to claim 5, wherein the dispersion suspension is a dispersion suspension obtained by the Stomker method.