JP2012235735A - Device for inspecting microorganism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for inspecting microorganisms, capable of reducing labor and cost in the inspection of the microorganisms by automating various kinds of operations required for the inspection of the microorganisms.SOLUTION: The device for inspecting the microorganisms includes an inspection object-sucking device (2) for sucking the inspection object from a container storing the inspection object and injecting the inspection object into a container for the inspection, a medium-injecting device (5) for injecting a medium to the container for the inspection into which the inspection object has been injected, and a pouring and mixing device (200) having a table (282) for carrying the container for the inspection, and mixing (pouring) the inspection object with the medium in the container for the inspection by moving the table (282).

Description

  In the present invention, for example, whether or not there are microorganisms that contaminate the product, such as Escherichia coli or yeast (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “contaminated microorganisms” in this specification), in products such as foods and drinks that are commercially available. The present invention relates to a microbe inspection apparatus for inspecting the above.

Commercially available foods and drinks, for example, beverages and the like, include products of a type including live bacteria beneficial to the human body, such as lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria.
In such a product manufacturing facility, it is inspected whether microorganisms that contaminate the product, for example, E. coli or yeast (contaminated microorganisms) are present.
When inspecting whether or not contaminating microorganisms are present, the object to be inspected (for example, commercially available food and drink) is mixed with a culture medium, and the contaminating microorganisms are cultured. At that time, a medium having a composition suitable for culturing contaminating microorganisms to be detected is selected, although the medium does not contribute to culturing viable bacteria beneficial to the human body.
Then, it is determined whether or not a colony of contaminating microorganisms has been formed within a predetermined stationary period. If such a colony is not formed, the test object is not contaminated with contaminating microorganisms.

Conventionally, such inspection has been performed manually.
However, the work of inhaling the specimen (test object), the work of dispensing the test object into the petri dish, the work of dispensing the medium into the petri dish into which the test object has been dispensed, and the work of mixing the test object and the medium are advanced. Skill and concentration are required.
It is not easy to train workers with such high skills and concentration (the applicant's experience requires a training period of at least 3 months).
In addition, a large amount of labor and cost are required for inspections performed by workers having such high skill and concentration.
Therefore, the technology that automatically processes the work of inhaling the test object, the work of dispensing the test object into the petri dish, the work of dispensing the medium into the petri dish into which the test object has been dispensed, and the work of mixing the test object and the medium are required. Has been.
However, there is no technology that can meet such a requirement at present.

As another conventional technique, a technique for determining the presence or absence of microbial colonies from a two-dimensional image over the entire medium has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
However, such a conventional technique is a technique for discriminating a microcolony without using a color former, and does not reduce labor and cost of various operations necessary for the inspection of microorganisms.

JP 2003-135095 A

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and automates various operations required for microbiological testing, for example, a dispensing operation for a test object, a medium dispensing operation, etc. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a microbiological testing apparatus that can reduce labor and cost in microbiological testing.

The microorganism testing apparatus of the present invention is a test object suction apparatus that sucks a test object from a container (test product container or test tube) in which the test object is stored and injects (dispenses) the test object into a test container (for example, a petri dish). (Dispensing machine 2), a medium injecting device (medium unit 5) for injecting a medium into an inspection container into which an inspection object has been injected, and a table (282) on which the inspection container is placed. 282) is moved to mix (mix) the test object and the medium in the test container, and the test container into which the test object and the medium are injected is transported to the pour apparatus (200). It has the conveyance apparatus (petrietary conveyance part 4).
In the present invention, it is possible to include a storage device (nozzle rack 62 of used nozzles) for storing the nozzle for inspection mounted on the inspection target suction device (2) after injecting the inspection target into the inspection container. is there. However, according to the present invention, microorganisms can be automatically inspected even if the storage device (62) is not provided.

In the present invention, the pour unit (200) generates a first single vibration that generates a single vibration in one direction (for example, the X direction) in two directions (X direction and Y direction) orthogonal to each other on a plane. A table (282) that includes a generating mechanism (260) and a second simple vibration generating mechanism (270) that generates a simple vibration in the other of the two directions (for example, the Y direction). ) Combines a single vibration (for example, a single vibration in the X direction) by the first single vibration generation mechanism (260) and a single vibration (for example, a single vibration in the Y direction) by the second single vibration generation mechanism (270). It is preferable to attach to the member (plate 261 shown in FIG. 8) which performs the exercise | movement (Lissajous exercise | movement) which performed.
Here, the moving speed of simple vibration in any one direction (for example, the X direction) in two directions (X direction and Y direction) orthogonal to each other on a plane is preferably 50 mm / second to 350 mm / second, more preferably 100 mm / second to 250 mm / second. Moreover, the moving speed of simple vibration in the other direction (for example, Y direction) of the two directions is preferably 50 mm / second to 350 mm / second, and more preferably 50 mm / second to 200 mm / second. The moving speeds in the two directions are preferably different from each other, and the difference between the moving speeds is more preferably 50 mm / second or more.
In addition, the viscosity of the test object is not particularly limited. However, when the test object having a viscosity of 0 mPa · s to 2000 mPa · s is subjected to the Lissajous motion at the moving speed described above and mixed, Can be mixed evenly. Therefore, the viscosity of the inspection object is preferably 0 mPa · s to 2000 mPa · s, and more preferably 1000 mPa · s to 1700 mPa · s. This viscosity is measured with a B-type viscometer (rotary viscometer), and the measurement temperature is 10 ° C. The rotational speed of the rotor (cylindrical measuring device in the rotary viscometer) and the rotor No. Measurement conditions such as (the number of the cylindrical measuring device in the rotary viscometer) may be appropriately determined according to the viscosity of the inspection object.
When measuring the viscosity with a rheometer, if the measurement temperature is 5 ° C., the load applied to the plunger (disc-shaped measuring device) in the rheometer is preferably 50 g to 200 g, and the load is 80 g to 160 g. More preferably.

According to the microorganism testing apparatus of the present invention having the above-described configuration, various operations required for the microorganism testing, for example, suction of a test object, dispensing work, medium dispensing work, mixing of a test object and a culture medium are performed. The work to interpret can be automated.
Therefore, it is possible to easily determine the presence or absence of microorganisms in the test object without securing a worker who has performed long-term training.
In addition, since multiple types of media can be dispensed for each detection target, select a suitable medium for the contaminating microorganism (eg, E. coli or yeast) to be detected, and viable bacteria beneficial to the human body Without forming, it is possible to allow only the contaminating microorganisms to be detected to form colonies.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, the storage device (use of the inspection object nozzle that sucks the inspection object and sucks the inspection object by sucking the inspection object with the inspection object suction device (dispensing machine 2) and injecting it into the inspection container (petriet). Since the nozzle rack 62 of the used nozzle is provided, the nozzle before sucking the inspection object (the sterilized nozzle before use) and the nozzle after the sucking (the nozzle after use) are stored separately. I can do it. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inspection object already sucked from being mixed into the nozzle before the inspection object is sucked (so-called “contamination”, “contamination”).

Here, in the conventional microorganism test, it was difficult to uniformly mix the test object and the culture medium. If the test object and the culture medium are mixed non-uniformly in the test container (for example, a petri dish), even if the test object contains a microorganism to be detected (contaminated microorganism), the contaminated microorganism is detected. Can not do it.
On the other hand, in the present invention, the pour device (200) generates a single vibration in any one direction (for example, the X direction) in two directions (X direction, Y direction) orthogonal to each other on a plane. 1 single vibration generating mechanism (260) and a second single vibration generating mechanism (270) for generating a single vibration in the other direction (for example, Y direction) of the two directions, and mounting the inspection container The table (282) to be operated is divided into a single vibration (for example, single vibration in the X direction) by the first single vibration generation mechanism (260) and a single vibration (for example, single vibration in the Y direction) by the second single vibration generation mechanism (270). If it is attached to a member (plate 261 shown in FIG. 8) that performs a motion (Lissajous motion) that combines vibration), the Lissajous motion can also be performed on the inspection container (petriet) placed on the pour device. . With this configuration, the magnitude of the vibration in the X direction and the magnitude of the vibration in the Y direction can be freely changed, and adjustment can be performed to perform an optimal Lissajous motion.
Here, unlike the eccentric motion, the Lissajous motion moves in various directions. The speed is high near the origin of the Lissajous figure, and the speed decreases as the distance from the origin is increased.
When the petri dish placed on the apparatus performs a Lissajous motion, the petri dish moves in various directions, so that the test object and the medium in the petri dish are uniformly mixed.

Here, if the direction of movement of the petri dish is rapidly changed, the liquid in the petri dish may be scattered outside the petri dish. However, in the Lissajous motion, the direction of motion changes in the region away from the origin, and the speed of motion decreases in the region away from the origin. Therefore, when the direction is changed, the test object and the culture medium in the petri dish are not scattered.
That is, when the petri dish placed on the pour device performs a Lissajous movement, the liquid in the petri dish (inspection target and culture medium) is not scattered outside the petri dish, and uniform mixing is possible.
Here, the moving speed of simple vibration in any one direction (for example, the X direction) in two directions (X direction and Y direction) orthogonal to each other on a plane is preferably 50 mm / second to 350 mm / second, more preferably 100 mm / second to 250 mm / second. Moreover, the moving speed of simple vibration in the other direction (for example, Y direction) of the two directions is preferably 50 mm / second to 350 mm / second, and more preferably 50 mm / second to 200 mm / second. The moving speeds in the two directions are preferably different from each other, and the difference between the moving speeds is more preferably 50 mm / second or more.
In addition, the viscosity of the test object is not particularly limited. However, when the test object having a viscosity of 0 mPa · s to 2000 mPa · s is subjected to the Lissajous motion at the moving speed described above and mixed, Can be mixed evenly. Therefore, the viscosity of the inspection object is preferably 0 mPa · s to 2000 mPa · s, and more preferably 1000 mPa · s to 1700 mPa · s. This viscosity is measured with a B-type viscometer (rotary viscometer), and the measurement temperature is 10 ° C. The rotational speed of the rotor and the rotor No. Such measurement conditions may be appropriately determined according to the viscosity of the inspection object.
When the viscosity is measured with a rheometer, if the measurement temperature is 5 ° C., the load applied to the plunger in the rheometer is preferably 50 g to 200 g, more preferably 80 g to 160 g.

It is a top view which shows embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of a Lissajous exercise. It is explanatory drawing explaining the principle of the pour apparatus used by embodiment. It is side surface sectional drawing of the pour apparatus used by embodiment of this invention. It is front sectional drawing of the pour apparatus used by embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the 1st plate used with the pour apparatus shown in FIG. 5, FIG. It is a top view which shows the 2nd plate used with the pour apparatus shown in FIG. 5, FIG. It is a top view which shows the 3rd plate used with the pour apparatus shown in FIG. 5, FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional side view which shows the modification of the pour apparatus used by embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional front view which shows the modification of the pour apparatus used by embodiment of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Initially, with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, the whole structure of the microorganisms test | inspection apparatus in embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.
1 and 2, a microbe inspection apparatus generally indicated by reference numeral 100 is in a product to be inspected (for example, a beverage containing a live lactic acid bacterium or bifidobacteria or a product in the middle of a manufacturing process). In addition, it has a function of inspecting whether or not microorganisms contaminating the product, such as Escherichia coli and yeast (contaminated microorganisms), are present.

In the microorganism testing apparatus 100 according to the illustrated embodiment, a test object (for example, a commercially available beverage or a product in the middle of a manufacturing process) is mixed (mixed) with a culture medium without being diluted, and left still. As a result of the culture, it is checked whether colonies of contaminating microorganisms have been formed.
In the microorganism testing apparatus 100, the test object is inhaled by a stainless steel nozzle (specimen nozzle N: see FIG. 2). Here, a resin nozzle (so-called “chip”) cannot penetrate an aluminum foil or the like (not shown) that covers a container opening of a product to be inspected. For this reason, in the illustrated embodiment, a nozzle made of stainless steel, which is a metal material having rigidity enough to penetrate aluminum foil or the like and having excellent rust prevention performance, is employed.

1 and 2, the microorganism testing apparatus 100 includes a laser printing unit 1, a dispenser 2, a hand 3, a petri dish transport unit 4, a medium unit 5, a nozzle rack 6, a petri dish supply unit 7, a petri dish storage unit 8, a pallet. A transport unit 9, a pallet 10, and a pour unit 200 are provided.
In FIG. 2, the microorganism testing apparatus 100 includes a medium moving mechanism 11, a medium bottle 12, a medium stirrer 121, a medium nozzle 122, a nozzle elevator 123, a medium shutter 124, a peristal pump 13, and a UV germicidal lamp 14.

The laser printing unit 1 prints various types of inspection information on the petri dish lid so that the information on the inspection object and the culture medium is not mistaken. The inspection information printed on the petri dish lid by the laser printing unit 1 includes, for example, the inspection date and time, the name of the inspection object, the inspection medium, the number of seeds, and the like.
The dispenser 2 has a function of inhaling a test object (specimen) from a product container to be inspected and a function of dispensing the inhaled test object into a petri dish. The dispenser 2 is configured to be movable in the arrow X direction of FIG. In other words, the dispenser 2 is configured to be movable between the position shown in FIG. 1 and the transport position by the pallet 10 in the X direction in FIG. 1 (the position of the pallet on the 9A side in FIG. 1).

The hand 3 is a pre-processing mechanism unit for a product to be inspected, reads product information from a pallet 10 (described later), and compares it with PC input (information input from a personal computer). When a product in the middle of the manufacturing process (for example, a product enclosed in a test tube) is an inspection target, the hand 3 executes a process of removing the silicon stopper enclosing the test tube.
The petri dish transport unit 4 has a function of transporting the petri dish in which the sample and the medium are uniformly mixed by the pour unit 200 to the petri dish storage unit.

The medium unit 5 is a medium supply source.
As shown in FIG. 2, the medium unit 5 includes a medium bottle 12, a medium stirrer 121, a medium nozzle 122, a nozzle elevator 123, and a medium shutter 124.
And it has a function which attracts | sucks a new culture medium from the culture medium bottle 12, and inject | pours the attracted culture medium into the petri dish for microorganism culture | cultivation by the culture medium nozzle 122. FIG.
The configuration of the culture medium unit 5 will be described later.

The nozzle rack 6 is provided with a sterilized nozzle rack 61 and a used nozzle rack 62.
In the sterilized nozzle rack 61, a sterilized nozzle N is set. In the used nozzle rack 62, the nozzles N used for inhalation of the inspection object are accommodated after use.
Before the inspection by the microorganism testing apparatus 100, the nozzle N (see FIG. 2) is not set in the used nozzle rack 62.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the sample nozzle N is mounted on the dispenser 2.
Regarding the attachment and detachment of the sample nozzle N to the dispenser 2, first, the sterilized nozzle N set in the sterilized nozzle rack 61 is attached to the dispenser 2 by a manipulator or a robot hand (not shown), and the object to be inspected Suction and discharge.
Then, the used nozzles (used nozzles) N are removed from the dispenser 2 by a manipulator or a robot hand (not shown) and placed in the used nozzle rack 62.
When the nozzle is mounted on or removed from the dispenser 2, the dispenser 2 moves in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 1, and the nozzle rack 6 moves in the direction of arrow Y in FIG.

The petri dish supply unit 7 has five racks in the illustrated example, and is configured such that a maximum of thirty unused petri dishes are stacked in each rack.
The petri dish storage unit 8 has a function of temporarily storing the petri dish in which the sample and the medium are uniformly mixed by the pour unit 200.

The pallet transport unit 9 is configured by a circulation path (including a path 9A and a path 9B) on which a plurality of pallets 10 are placed, and is provided with pallet moving means (for example, a chain drive conveyor). In FIG. 1, the route 9A moves to the left, and the route 9B moves to the right.
Further, the leftmost pallet 10 of the path 9A is moved from the path 9A to the path 9B by, for example, an air cylinder (not shown). Then, the rightmost pallet 10 in the path 9B is moved from the path 9B to the path 9A by, for example, an air cylinder (not shown).

On the pallet 10 on the pallet transport unit 9, a container of the product to be inspected is placed. This container is, for example, a commercially available container if the object to be inspected is a commercially available beverage, and is an experimental container filled with the intermediate product if the object to be inspected is an intermediate product in the middle of the manufacturing process. .
The operation of placing the product container to be inspected is an operation performed by an operator (manually).
For example, the detection target product container to be inspected first is placed on a stopped pallet indicated by reference numeral “No. 1” in FIG. Hereinafter, in FIG. The detection target product containers are sequentially placed from the pallet located on the right side of 1.
One product to be inspected is placed on each pallet 10 one by one, and for each predetermined operation, for example, each time the inspection object is inhaled from the product container to be inspected by the dispenser 2, the pallet 10 is one frame. 1 moves in the direction of the thick arrow (generally counterclockwise).

In the illustrated embodiment, the product container to be inspected by the dispenser 2 is not automatically discarded, but is left on the pallet 10 as it is.
After the inspection target is inhaled from all the inspection target product containers placed on the pallet 10, the operator removes the inspection target product container whose inspection target has been inhaled from the pallet 10.

In FIG. 2, the culture medium moving mechanism 11 is a mechanism that moves the petri dish by opening and closing the petri dish lid. That is, the petri dish lid is opened by the medium moving mechanism 11 and moved to the medium unit 5 side.
After the medium is discharged to the petri dish by the medium unit 5, the petri dish is returned to the position where the lid is opened, and the lid of the petri dish is closed by the medium moving mechanism 11.

  The culture unit 5 includes a heat-insulated closed space (chamber) SP. The heat-insulated closed space SP includes a medium bottle 12, a peristaltic pump (tube pump) 13, a medium stirrer 121, a medium nozzle 122, A nozzle elevator 123 and a nozzle shutter 124 are provided.

A plurality (three in the illustrated example) of medium bottles 12 are arranged, and medium bottles suitable for culturing microorganisms to be detected are prepared.
After the test object is discharged to the petri dish by the dispenser 2, the medium is dispensed to the petri dish by the medium unit 5.

  The medium stirrer 121 is a mechanism for stirring the inside of the medium bottle 12 so that components in the medium do not precipitate in the medium bottle 12. Although not clearly shown, the medium stirrer 121 is composed of a magnetic body provided in the medium bottle 12 and a stirrer body provided below the medium bottle 12. The stirrer body includes a magnetic body (a magnetic body separate from the magnetic body in the medium bottle: not shown) and a mechanism (not shown) for rotating the magnetic body. By rotating the body, the magnetic substance in the bottle rotates in the bottle and stirs the medium contained in the medium bottle so that the medium does not separate into precipitate and supernatant. Yes.

The medium is sucked from the medium bottle 12 by the peristaltic pump 13 and discharged from the medium nozzle 122 into the petri dish.
When the medium is discharged into the petri dish, the medium nozzle 122 is lowered by the nozzle elevator 123 from the heat-insulated closed space SP. Then, the medium is dispensed into a petri dish (a petri dish in which the test object has already been dispensed: not shown in FIG. 2) placed at a position directly below the medium nozzle 122.

The culture medium shutter 124 is provided at the bottom of the insulated closed space SP.
When the medium is poured into the petri dish from the medium nozzle 122, the medium shutter 124 is opened, and the opening through which the medium nozzle 122 passes (opening at the bottom of the closed space: not shown) is opened.
In a state where the medium is not injected from the medium nozzle 122 into the petri dish, the medium shutter 124 is closed to close the opening. This is to prevent the air temperature in the closed space SP from being lowered by the outside air entering through the opening through which the culture medium nozzle 122 passes.

The petri dish is moved in the microorganism testing apparatus in the following order (a) to (f).
(A) The petri dish is moved from the petri dish supply unit 7 to the laser printing unit 1 and printed on the petri dish by the laser printing unit 1.
(B) In the dispenser 2, one nozzle N is picked up from the sterilized nozzle rack 61 and the nozzle N is mounted on the dispenser 2. Then, based on the collation information from the hand 3, the inspection target is sucked from the inspection target product container on the pallet 10 of the pallet transport unit 9 through the nozzle N and discharged to the petri dish.
(C) Next, in the medium unit 5, the medium is sucked from the medium bottle 12 by the peristaltic pump 13, and the medium is discharged from the medium nozzle 122 into the petri dish.
(D) The petri dish into which the culture medium and the product to be inspected are dispensed by the petri dish transport unit 4 is transported to the pour unit 200.
(E) In the pour unit 200, the culture medium and the product to be inspected are uniformly mixed in the petri dish.
(F) The petri dish in which the culture medium and the product to be inspected are uniformly mixed moves to the petri dish storage unit 8 and is stored therein.

As described above, the microorganism testing apparatus according to the illustrated embodiment is an apparatus for testing whether or not contaminating microorganisms exist, and the number of contaminating microorganisms may not be tested.
However, depending on the type of contaminating microorganisms and the type of beverage being tested, if contaminated microorganisms exist, it is necessary to specify the quantity (how much contaminated microorganisms are present) .
In such a case, after mixing the culture medium and the test object, the number of colonies of the generated microorganisms can be determined, and the number of contaminating microorganisms present in the beverage product that is the test object can be determined from the mass of the test object. I can do it.

The pour device (shaker) used in the pour unit 200 in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The pour apparatus 200 used in the illustrated embodiment performs a Lissajous movement of the petri dish to be poured, without using a stirring bar or the like, and without scattering the medium and the test object in the petri dish. The object can be mixed uniformly.

Here, the Lissajous motion is a motion that moves on the trajectory of a point obtained by ordering two simple vibrations orthogonal to each other, and a simple pendulum in the X direction and the Y direction when a single XY plane is assumed. It is a movement that moves on a figure with a simple pendulum superimposed.
More specifically, a Lissajous figure, which is one of the curves described by the parameter equation, is expressed as a general expression as follows:
x (t) = Acos (ω _x t−δ _x )
y (t) = Bsin (ω _y t−δ _y )
Or
x (t) = Csin (ωt + δ)
y (t) = Dsin (t)
“Ω _x ”, “ω _y ”, and “ω” are angular velocities, “t” is time (for example, seconds), and “δ _x ”, “δ _y ”, and “δ” are constants.
Such an expression is in the form of a simple vibration formula in the X direction and the Y direction, and therefore the Lissajous figure corresponds to the superposition of the simple pendulum in the X direction and the simple pendulum in the Y direction. The Lissajous motion is a motion that moves on such a Lissajous figure, and is a motion that combines a simple vibration in the X direction and a simple vibration in the Y direction.
FIG. 3 shows an example of a Lissajous figure obtained by the Lissajous movement.

As described above, in the illustrated embodiment, the test object and the culture medium are mixed by the pour device.
Here, since commercially available beverages to be tested (for example, beverages containing lactic acid bacteria) often have higher viscosities than culture media, conventional pourers that perform mixing with a simple eccentric motion In many cases, the test object and the culture medium were not mixed uniformly.
Since the color of the test object and the culture medium are different, the color of the mixture will not be uniform unless it is mixed uniformly. In this case, the dark portion may be mistaken for a colony.
In addition, if the test object and the culture medium are not uniformly mixed, suppose that there are microorganisms (microorganisms that contaminate the product, such as E. coli and yeast) that are not presumed to be present in the beverage. Even if it exists, there is a possibility that colonies cannot be detected without being cultured in a petri dish.

On the other hand, in the pour device 200 used in the illustrated embodiment, when the specimen and medium in the petri dish are mixed, the movement trajectory of the petri dish (the movement trajectory of the center point of the petri dish) is a Lissajous figure. It is constituted so that.
In other words, in the pour device 200 used in the illustrated embodiment, the petri dish placed on the device performs a Lissajous movement.
Here, unlike the eccentric motion, the Lissajous motion moves in various directions as shown in FIG. The speed is high near the origin of the Lissajous figure, and the speed decreases as the distance from the origin is increased.

When the petri dish placed on the pour apparatus 200 performs a Lissajous movement, the petri dish moves in various directions, so that the test object and the medium in the petri dish are uniformly mixed.
Here, if the direction of movement of the petri dish is rapidly changed, the liquid in the petri dish may be scattered outside the petri dish. However, in Lissajous motion, the direction of motion changes in the region away from the origin, and the closer to the origin, the faster the motion speed, so the motion speed in the region away from the origin (region where the motion direction changes abruptly) is , Decrease and slow down. Therefore, when the direction of movement of the petri dish is changed, the moving speed of the petri dish is slow, and the test object and the medium in the petri dish are not scattered.
That is, when the petri dish placed on the pour device performs a Lissajous motion, the liquid (test object or culture medium) in the petri dish is uniformly mixed without being scattered outside the petri dish.

In the illustrated embodiment, since the petri dish is automatically transported by the transport unit 4, the position of the petri dish at the start of the pour in the pour device 200 and the position of the petri dish at the end of the pour are set to the same position. There is a demand to facilitate the process of moving the petri dish from the petri dish transport unit 4 to the pour unit 200 and the process of moving the petri dish from the pour unit 200 to the petri dish transport unit 4 (so-called “replacement”). .
The pour device 200 used in the illustrated embodiment is configured so that when the petri dish is poured, the trajectory drawn by the petri dish becomes a Lissajous figure. Since the position at the end of the pour coincides with the origin, the moving body (petre) performing the Lissajous movement always passes through the predetermined cycle, the position of the pour start of the pour unit 200 and the pour. The position at the end matches. Accordingly, the position of the petri dish at the start of the pour in the pour device 200 is the same as the position of the petri dish at the end of the pour.
Thereby, the process of moving the petri dish from the petri dish transport unit 4 to the pour unit 200 and the process of moving the petri dish from the pour unit 200 to the petri dish transport unit 4 (so-called “replacement”) are easily and reliably performed.

Here, if the container placed on the pour device 200 used in the illustrated embodiment is limited to a petri dish, the contour of the Lissajous curve is preferably close to a square.
However, if a non-circular container (a container other than a petri dish) is placed on the pour device 200 used in the illustrated embodiment and a plurality of types of substances (in the container) are mixed, the Lissajous curve The outer shape of may be rectangular.

The structure of the pour device 200 that causes the placed petri dish to perform the Lissajous movement will be described below.
First, the principle of operation of the pour device used in the illustrated embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 4, a pulley Pa (corresponding to the pulley 203 in FIG. 5) is a rotating mechanism for performing a single vibration motion in the X-axis direction, and a pulley Pb (corresponding to the pulley 204 in FIG. 5) is in the Y-axis direction. It is a rotation mechanism for performing a simple vibration motion.
A pin X (corresponding to the cam follower 267 in FIG. 5) protrudes from the pulley Pa, and the pin X is a member for causing a guide plate 261 (see FIG. 5) to be described later to perform a single vibration operation in the X direction. . A pin Y (corresponding to the cam follower 277 in FIG. 6) protrudes from the pulley Pb, and the pin Y is a member for operating a guide plate 271 (see FIG. 6) described later in a single vibration operation in the Y direction. .
The number of teeth Tx of the pulley Pa (toothed pulley) is smaller than the number of teeth Ty of the pulley Pb (toothed pulley). As a result, the rotation speed of the pin X is faster than the rotation speed of the pin Y.

In FIG. 4, in addition to pulleys Pa and Pb, tension pulleys (idler pulleys) Pt are provided, and belts B (for example, belts having teeth formed on the inner peripheral surface) are wound around all the pulleys. ing.
Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 4, any one of the pulleys Pa (Pb) and Pt (drive pulley) has an electric motor (drive source) disposed below it, and the other two via the belt. The pulley (driven pulley) is driven to rotate.
5 and 6, the pulley shaft of the pulley 203 corresponding to the pulley Pa is rotationally driven by the electric motor 201. That is, the pulley 203 is a drive pulley and the pulley 204 is a driven pulley.

In FIG. 4, the distance from the center of the pulley Pa to the center of the pin X is indicated by a symbol Rx, and the distance from the center of the pulley Pb to the center of the pin Y is indicated by a symbol Ry.
Considering the case where the pulley Pa rotates by a rotation angle r (radian), the distance in the X-axis direction from the center of the pulley Pa to the center of the pin X is expressed by the following equation: x = sin (r) · Rx
It is expressed by This expression is a mathematical expression showing simple vibration in the X-axis direction.
On the other hand, the distance in the Y-axis direction from the center of the pulley Pb to the center of the pin Y is expressed by the following equation: y = cos (Rt · r) · Ry
(However, Rt = Tx / Ty)
It is expressed by This expression is a mathematical expression showing simple vibration in the Y-axis direction.

That is, according to the mechanism shown in FIG. 4, simple vibration in the X-axis direction is performed by the pulley Pa and the pin X, and simple vibration in the Y-axis direction is performed by the pulley Pb and the pin Y. Therefore, if these two are combined, it is possible to make the pour device perform the Lissajous movement.
Here, a linear guide (corresponding to reference numerals 262 and 263 in FIG. 5) that can move only in the X-axis direction on the guide plate 261 (see FIG. 5) and a guide plate 271 (see FIG. 6) on the plane. Linear guides (corresponding to reference numerals 272 and 273 in FIG. 6) that can move only in the Y-axis direction are provided.
In FIG. 4, when the ratio of the number of teeth of the toothed pulley Pa to the number of teeth of the toothed pulley Pb is 10:12 and the pulley Pa rotates 6 times, the guide plate 271 passes through the same point (origin). In this way, the start point and end point of the motion trajectory are set as the points (origin). As a result, the motion trajectory becomes a Lissajous figure as shown in FIG.
In FIG. 4, when the eccentric amount δx of the pulley Pa in the X-axis direction is 7.5 mm, when the pulley Pa rotates halfway, the pulley Pa moves 15 mm (= 7.5 mm × 2) in the X-axis direction, and when the pulley Pa rotates once. The total distance of reciprocation in the X-axis direction is 30 mm (= 15 mm × 2). If the eccentric amount δy of the pulley Pb in the Y-axis direction is 5.0 mm, the pulley Pb moves 10 mm (= 5.0 mm × 2) in the Y-axis direction when the pulley Pb rotates halfway, and the pulley Pb rotates once in the Y-axis direction. The total distance of reciprocation in the direction is 20 mm (= 10 mm × 2).
Here, the amount of eccentricity in the X-axis direction is preferably 1 mm to 20 mm, more preferably 3 mm to 10 mm. Further, the amount of eccentricity in the Y-axis direction is preferably 1 mm to 10 mm, more preferably 3 mm to 10 mm.

If the pulley Pa is rotated six times in one step (from the origin until it reaches the next origin), the pulley Pb makes five rotations (= 6 rotations × 10/12) during that time. The movement distance in the X-axis direction (reciprocation) and the Y-axis direction (reciprocation) in
Movement distance in the X-axis direction: 30 mm x 6 = 180 mm
Y-axis direction travel distance: 20 mm x 5 = 100 mm
It becomes.
In FIG. 4, the moving speed in the X-axis direction is 200 mm / second, and the moving speed in the Y-axis direction is 130 mm / second.
Here, the moving speed in the X-axis direction is preferably 50 mm / second to 350 mm / second, more preferably 100 mm / second to 250 mm / second. Further, the moving speed in the Y-axis direction is preferably 50 mm / second to 350 mm / second, and more preferably 50 mm / second to 200 mm / second. The moving speeds in the two directions are preferably different from each other, and the difference between the moving speeds is more preferably 50 mm / second or more.
In addition, the viscosity of the test object is not particularly limited. However, when the test object having a viscosity of 0 mPa · s to 2000 mPa · s is subjected to the Lissajous motion at the moving speed described above and mixed, Can be mixed evenly. Therefore, the viscosity of the inspection object is preferably 0 mPa · s to 2000 mPa · s, and more preferably 1000 mPa · s to 1700 mPa · s. This viscosity is measured with a B-type viscometer, and the measurement temperature is 10 ° C. The rotational speed of the rotor and the rotor No. Such measurement conditions may be appropriately determined according to the viscosity of the inspection object.
When the viscosity is measured with a rheometer, if the measurement temperature is 5 ° C., the load applied to the plunger in the rheometer is preferably 50 g to 200 g, more preferably 80 g to 160 g.

In the motion trajectory shown in FIG. 3, the trajectory obtained by switching in the X-axis direction (direction change) and switching in the Y-axis direction (direction change) constitutes a Lissajous curve.
By moving the petri dish with the sample and medium dispensed along the movement trajectory as shown by the Lissajous figure or Lissajous curve as shown in FIG. 3, the traveling direction is changed by changing (changing direction) the movement speed. Thus, the specimen and the culture medium can be mixed uniformly.

A pour device 200 manufactured based on the principle described in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.
5 and 6, the pour device 200 includes an electric motor 201, an air cylinder 202, a first pulley 203, a second pulley 204, an idler pulley 205, a belt 206, and a coupling 207.
In the illustrated example, the three pulleys 203, 204, and 205 are all toothed pulleys, and the belt 206 is a belt that has teeth formed on the inner peripheral surface. A cylinder rod connecting part 240, a pulley attaching part 250, a first simple vibration generating mechanism 260, a second simple vibration generating mechanism 270, and a petri dish placing part 280 are provided.

The electric motor 201 is attached to the lower end of the pulley attachment portion 250 by the electric motor support portion 230 so as to be suspended.
The air cylinder 202 has a cylinder main body 202a, two rods 202b, and a rod tip connecting portion 202c. The lower end of the cylinder body 202a is fixed to the upper surface of the inspection apparatus base 211 by a known means.
A vertical member 212 is fixed to one end portion (the right end in FIG. 5) of the inspection apparatus base 211, and a corner portion of the fixed portion is reinforced by a reinforcing plate 213.
In FIG. 5, the idler pulley 205 is not shown to clearly show that the belt 206 is wound around the first pulley 203 and the second pulley 204. In FIG. 6, in order to clearly show that the belt 206 that is wound around the second pulley 204 is also hooked on the idler pulley 205, the position of the idler pulley 205 is outside the actual machine (in FIG. 6). (Right side). Therefore, the idler pulley 205 is shown in FIG. 6 as if a part thereof protrudes from the pulley mounting portion 250.

In FIG. 5, the electric motor support portion 230 is configured in a groove shape in cross section by a motor attachment portion 231 and two vertical members 232.
The motor attachment portion 231 directly attaches the electric motor 201, and a through-hole through which the rotation shaft 201a of the electric motor 201 passes is formed although it is not clear in the drawing.
The upper ends of the two vertical members 232 are fixed to the lower surface of the lower horizontal member 251 (see FIG. 6) of the pulley mounting portion 250 (see FIG. 6) by, for example, welding.

In FIG. 6, the cylinder rod connecting portion 240 includes a rectangular horizontal member 241 and two rectangular vertical members 242.
The horizontal member 241 and the two vertical members 242 have the same width-direction dimension (the left-right dimension in FIG. 5).
A rod tip connecting portion 202c (FIG. 5) of the air cylinder 202 (FIG. 5) is fixed to the lower surface side of the horizontal member 241 by known means. Further, the upper ends of the two vertical members 242 are fixed to the lower surface of the lower horizontal member 251 of the pulley mounting portion 250 by, for example, welding.

In FIG. 6, the pulley mounting portion 250 includes a rectangular lower horizontal member 251, two vertical members 252, and a rectangular upper horizontal member 253.
Although not clearly shown in the drawing, the bearing mounting holes (steps) are provided at two locations on the common projection plane of the lower horizontal member 251 and the upper horizontal member 253, that is, on the common projection plane as viewed from the upper side in FIGS. A through-hole (not shown) is formed.
A total of two pairs of ball bearings 268 (FIG. 5) and 278 (FIG. 6) are arranged in the bearing holes. The two pairs of ball bearings 268 and 278 rotatably support pulley shafts 264 and 274 described later.

In FIG. 5, the first simple vibration generating mechanism 260 includes a guide plate 261, a linear guide upper member 262, a linear guide lower rail 263, a first pulley shaft 264, a first crank cam 265, and a first cam follower. 266, a cam follower pin 267, and a pair of ball bearings 268.
The first pulley shaft 264 has the first pulley 203 fixed to the approximate center of the shaft, and the lower end of the shaft is connected to the rotating shaft 201 a of the electric motor 201 by a coupling 207.
A pair of ball bearings 268 are disposed above and below the first pulley shaft 264 in the vicinity of the first pulley 203 fixed thereto, and the first pulley shaft 264 is rotatably supported by the bearing 268. Yes.

In FIG. 5, a disc-shaped first crank cam 265 is fixed to the upper end of the first pulley shaft 264. In the first crank cam 265, a cam follower pin 266 is fitted and fixed at a position offset by a dimension δ2 from the center of the first pulley shaft 264.
A cam follower 267 is rotatably supported on the cam follower pin 266.
The cam follower 267 is inserted into a guide groove 2613 (see FIG. 8) formed in the guide plate 261, and is configured to freely move in the guide groove 2613.

In FIG. 5, an upper member 262 of a pair of linear guides is fixed to the lower surface of the guide plate 261 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface.
On the other hand, the lower rails 263 of the pair of linear guides are formed on the upper surface of the upper horizontal member 253 (see FIG. 6) of the pulley mounting portion 250 (see FIG. 6) so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. It is fixed.
As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of linear guide upper members 262 and a pair of linear guide lower rails 263 are engaged. The guide plate 261 to which the upper member 262 of the linear guide and the upper member 262 of the pair of linear guides are fixed is configured to move along the lower rail 263 in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. .

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the upper horizontal member 253 (see FIG. 6) of the pulley mounting portion 250 (see FIG. 6).
In FIG. 7, the upper horizontal member 253 is configured by cutting a steel plate having a thickness of 6 mm into a rectangular shape and chamfering four corners of the rectangle in the illustrated example.
As shown in FIG. 7, the upper horizontal member 253 is line symmetric (laterally symmetric) with respect to the center line Lc. Here, “upper” in FIG. 7 is “right” in FIG. 5, and “lower” in FIG. 7 is “left” in FIG.
The upper horizontal member 253 is formed with screw holes 2531 at six locations on both upper and lower ends in FIG. The screw hole 2531 is formed in order to connect the pair of vertical members 252 of the pulley mounting portion 250 by a connecting screw (not shown) (for example, a countersunk screw), and is tapered.
In addition, the upper horizontal member 253 is formed with a total of eight internal threads 2532. The female screw 2532 is arranged on the center side in the vertical direction in FIG. 7 with respect to the row of the screw holes 2531, and is formed to fix the lower rail 263 of the linear guide.

On the center line Lc of the upper horizontal member 253, through holes 2533 and 2534 for inserting ball bearings are formed.
The through hole 2534 is provided with a counterbore 2535 (for example, a depth of 2 mm) having a diameter larger than the diameter of the first crank cam 265 (see FIG. 5) on the front side in FIG. The counterbore 2535 is formed to avoid interference with the first crank cam 265.
A ball bearing 278 is fitted into the through hole 2533, and the ball bearing 278 is a component of the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270. On the other hand, a ball bearing 268 is fitted into the through hole 2534, and the ball bearing 268 is a component of the first simple vibration generating mechanism 260.

FIG. 8 shows the guide plate 261 in a plan view.
In FIG. 8, a guide plate 261 is formed by cutting a 6 mm thick steel plate into a rectangular shape and chamfering the four corners of the rectangle.
As shown in FIG. 8, the guide plate 261 is symmetrical with respect to the center line Lc. In FIG. 8, the “upper” is the right side of FIG. 5, and the “lower” is the left side of FIG.
In FIG. 8, the guide plate 261 is formed with a total of eight screw holes 2611 in the vicinity of the center line Lc and in the vicinity of both upper and lower ends in FIG. The screw hole 2611 is tapered.
The upper member 262 of the linear guide is connected to the eight screw holes 2611 by countersunk screws.

In the guide plate 261, in the vicinity of the left and right ends in FIG. A pair of linear guide lower rails 273 in the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270 are fixed to the eight internal threads 2612 in total.
In FIG. 8, a guide groove (long hole) 2613 and a long hole 2614 are formed on the center line Lc of the guide plate 261. The long axis of the guide groove (long hole) 2613 is disposed on the center line Lc, and the short axis of the long hole 2614 is disposed on the center line Lc.
The width W26 of the guide groove 2613 is set so that the first cam follower 267 can smoothly move in the long hole 2613.
The long hole 2614 allows the second pulley shaft 274 in the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270 to be operated when the pour device 200 is operated (when the first simple vibration and the second simple vibration are generated simultaneously). The opening area is set sufficiently large so as not to interfere with the edge of the long hole 2614.

In FIG. 6, the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270 includes a guide plate 271, a linear guide upper member 272, a linear guide lower rail 273, a second pulley shaft 274, a second crank cam 275, and a second cam follower. 276, a cam follower pin 277, and a pair of ball bearings 278.
The second pulley shaft 274 has the second pulley 204 fixed substantially at the center.
In the second pulley shaft 274, a pair of ball bearings 278 is disposed in the vicinity of the location where the second pulley 204 is fixed. The second pulley shaft 274 is rotatably supported by the bearing 278.

A disc-shaped second crank cam 275 is fixed to the upper end of the second pulley shaft 274. In the second crank cam 275, a cam follower pin 276 is fitted and fixed at a position offset by a dimension δ1 from the center of the second pulley shaft 274.
A cam follower 277 is rotatably supported on the cam follower pin 276.
The cam follower 277 is inserted into a guide groove 2713 (see FIG. 9) formed in the guide plate 271 and is configured to freely slide in the guide groove 2713.

In FIG. 6, an upper member 272 of a pair of linear guides is fixed to the lower surface of the guide plate 271 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6.
On the other hand, the lower rail 273 of the pair of linear guides extends in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6 and is fixed to the upper surface of the guide plate 261 (see FIG. 5) in the first simple vibration generating mechanism 260. ing.
In FIG. 6, a pair of linear guide upper members 272 and a pair of linear guide lower rails 273 are engaged. The upper member 272 of the linear guide and the guide plate 271 to which the upper member 272 is fixed are configured to move along the lower rail 273 in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

In the illustrated example, the guide plate 271 shown in FIG. 9 is formed by cutting a steel plate having a thickness of 6 mm into a rectangular shape and chamfering the four corners of the rectangle.
In FIG. 9, the guide plate 271 is symmetrical with respect to the center line Lc. Here, the lower side of FIG. 9 is the left side of FIG. 5, and the upper side of FIG. 9 is the right side of FIG.
In FIG. 9, a total of eight screw holes 2711 are formed at the center in the vertical direction of the guide plate 271 and at both ends in the left-right direction, and each of the screw holes 2711 is tapered countersunk. The eight screw holes 2711 are formed to fix the upper member 272 of the pair of linear guides (see FIG. 6) to the guide plate 271 with countersunk screws.

In FIG. 9, two screw holes 2712 with tapered counterbore are formed on the center line Lc in the vertical center of the guide plate 271. Here, the taper counterbore of the screw hole 2712 is formed on the back surface side of the guide plate 261 in FIG. The screw hole 2712 is formed to fix the vertical substrate 281 of the petri dish placement portion 280 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) with a countersunk screw (not shown).
In FIG. 9, a guide groove (long hole) 2713 is formed on the center line Lc of the guide plate 261. The long axis of the guide groove (long hole) 2713 is orthogonal to the center line Lc.
The width W27 of the guide groove 2713 is set so that the second cam follower 277 can smoothly move in the long hole 2713.

In FIG. 6, the petri dish placement unit 280 includes a vertical substrate 281, a horizontal member 282, and four pins 283.
The vertical substrate 281 and the horizontal member 282 are fixed in a T shape, and the lower end of the vertical substrate 281 is attached to the upper surface of the guide plate 271 of the second single vibration generating mechanism 270 by two countersunk screws.
The four pins 283 are made of, for example, resin, and are attached so that the lower ends of the pins are embedded on the upper surface of the horizontal member 282 and in the vicinity of the outer edge.
Since the petri dish (not shown) is held in contact with the four pins 283, the petri dish is not dropped from the petri dish placement unit 280 when the pour device 200 is operated.

In FIG. 5, the electric motor 201 is provided with a rotary encoder 208 that detects the rotation angle on the side of the rotating shaft 201 b (rotating shaft that is not for transmitting rotational force).
The rotary encoder 208 includes a rotation angle sensor 208a, a rotation angle recognition plate (cut plate) 208b, and a mounting boss 208c. The rotation angle recognition plate (cut plate) 208b is attached to a rotation shaft 201b that is not for transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor 201 via an attachment boss 208c.
The rotation angle sensor 208a is attached to the motor attachment portion 231 via the sensor attachment bracket 208B.
The rotation angle recognition plate (cut plate) 208b has a notch (or a notch having a different shape at a plurality of locations) at one location on the outer edge of the disk.
The rotation angle sensor 208a accurately detects the rotation speed (or rotation angle) of the electric motor 201 by detecting the (or these) notches.

In FIG. 5, a rotary encoder 209 that detects the rotation angle of the second pulley shaft 274 is interposed at the lower end of the second pulley shaft 274.
The rotary encoder 209 includes a rotation angle sensor 209a, a rotation angle recognition plate (cut plate) 209b, and a mounting boss 209c. The rotation angle recognition plate (cut plate) 209b is attached to the second pulley shaft 274 via the attachment boss 209c.
The rotation angle sensor 209a is attached to the lower horizontal member 251 of the pulley attachment portion 250 via the sensor attachment bracket 209B.
The rotation angle recognition plate (cut plate) 209b has notches (notches) formed at one location on the outer edge of the disk, or notches having different shapes at a plurality of locations on the outer edge of the disc.
The rotation angle sensor 209a accurately detects the rotation speed (or rotation angle) of the second pulley shaft 274 by detecting the notch.

The air cylinder 202 expands and contracts when the petri dish is placed or moved on the petri dish placing unit 280.
The cylinder body 202a of the air cylinder 202 is provided with an intake port and an exhaust port at each of the upper and lower portions, and a speed controller 291 is provided at the intake port and the exhaust port so as to increase or decrease the operating speed of the air cylinder 202. It is configured.

When mixing the sample and the medium by the pour device 200, the petri dish (target petri dish) into which the sample and the medium are dispensed in FIG. 2 is sent above the pour device 200 by the petri dish transport unit 4 (see FIG. 1). It will come.
When the target petri dish reaches a predetermined position above the pour device 200, the petri dish transport unit 4 stops. When the target petri dish reaches a predetermined position above the pour device 200, the air cylinder 202 of the pour device 200 is activated, and the petri dish placement unit 280 of the pour device 200 is a horizontal member of the petri dish placement unit 280. At 282, the height position is adjusted so that the target petri dish is placed.
When the petri dish is placed on the horizontal member 282 and a predetermined time has elapsed, the electric motor 201 starts to rotate.

When the electric motor 201 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted through the first pulley shaft 264, the first pulley 203, the belt 206, the second pulley 204, and the second pulley shaft 274 to the first single vibration generating mechanism. 260, the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270 is operated simultaneously.
The single vibration operation of the first simple vibration generating mechanism 260 and the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270 is performed by the Lissajous as shown in FIG. 3 on the petri dish placement unit 280 or the petri dish placed on the petri dish placement unit 280. Cause movement.
After a predetermined time has elapsed, the electric motor 201 stops. Further, after a predetermined time has passed, a manipulator (not shown) is operated to lift the petri dish after the prescribed pour, and place the petri dish at a predetermined location in the petri dish transport unit 4.
Thereby, the pour work of the target petri dish is completed.

According to the illustrated embodiment having the above-described configuration, various operations required for microbial testing, for example, suction of a test object, dispensing work, medium dispensing work, and mixing of a test object and a culture medium are performed. Work can be automated.
Therefore, it is possible to easily determine the presence or absence of microorganisms in the test object without securing a worker who has performed long-term training.
In addition, since multiple types of media can be dispensed for each detection target, select a suitable medium for the contaminating microorganism (eg, E. coli or yeast) to be detected, and viable bacteria beneficial to the human body Only the contaminating microorganisms to be detected can form colonies without forming them.

Further, according to the illustrated embodiment, the inspection object is sucked by the dispenser 2 and injected into the petri dish, and the nozzle rack 62 for used nozzles for storing the inspection object nozzle that sucks the inspection object is provided. The nozzle before sucking the object to be examined (sterilized nozzle before use) and the nozzle after sucking (nozzle after use) can be stored separately.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inspection object already sucked from being mixed into the nozzle before the inspection object is sucked (so-called “contamination”, “contamination”).

According to the illustrated embodiment, the pour device 200 causes the petri dish placement unit 280 and the petri dish placed thereon to perform a Lissajous exercise.
Unlike the eccentric motion, the Lissajous motion moves in various directions. The speed is high near the origin of the Lissajous figure, and the speed decreases as the distance from the origin is increased.
When the petri dish placed on the apparatus 200 performs the Lissajous movement, the petri dish moves in various directions, so that the test object and the medium in the petri dish are uniformly mixed.

Here, if the direction of movement of the petri dish is rapidly changed, the liquid in the petri dish may be scattered outside the petri dish. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the petri dish performs a Lissajous motion, and therefore, the direction of motion is rapidly changed in a region away from the origin, and the speed of motion decreases in a region away from the origin. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the test object and the culture medium in the petri dish are not scattered when the direction is changed.
That is, according to the illustrated embodiment, the petri dish placed on the pour device 200 performs a Lissajous movement, so that the liquid (inspection target or culture medium) in the petri dish is not scattered outside the petri dish. Mixing is possible.

5 to 9, the X-axis direction simple vibration and the Y-axis direction simple vibration are performed using the same electric motor as a drive source.
On the other hand, it is also possible to perform single vibration in the X-axis direction and single movement in the Y-axis direction by separate drive sources (electric motors).
In the modification shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the pour device (reference numeral 200 </ b> A as a whole) includes an electric motor that performs simple vibration in the X-axis direction and an electric motor that performs single movement in the Y-axis direction. .
Hereinafter, based on FIG. 10, FIG. 11, about the pour apparatus 200A of a modification, a different point from the content demonstrated in FIGS. 1-9 is demonstrated.

10 and 11, the pour device 200A includes two electric motors 201 and 201.
The two electric motors 201 and 201 are both directly attached to the electric motor mounting frame 220.
In FIG. 10, the electric motor mounting frame 220 has a lower horizontal member 221, a pair of vertical members 222, and an upper horizontal member 223, and the two electric motors 201 are directly attached to the lower horizontal member 221. Yes.

Although not clearly shown in the upper horizontal member 223 of the electric motor mounting frame 220, through holes are formed at two locations.
Bearings 268 (FIG. 10) and 278 (FIG. 11) are interposed in the through holes, respectively.
A crank cam shaft 264A of the first simple vibration generating mechanism 260A and a crank cam shaft 274A of the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270A are rotatably supported by the bearings 268 and 278, respectively.
Crank camshafts 264A and 274A are connected to separate electric motors 201 and 201 by coupling 207, respectively.

10 and 11, the first simple vibration generating mechanism 260A and the second simple vibration generating mechanism 270A are driven by separate electric motors 201, respectively, so that a belt and a tension pulley are not necessary.
The rotations of the two electric motors are detected by separate rotary encoders 208, respectively.
Other configurations and operational effects in the modification shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are substantially the same as those of the embodiment of FIGS.

  It should be noted that the illustrated embodiment is merely an example, and is not a description to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Laser printing unit 2 ... Dispensing machine 3 ... Hand 4 ... Petri dish conveyance part 5 ... Medium unit 6 ... Nozzle rack 7 ... Petri dish supply part 8 ... Petri dish Storage unit 9 ... Pallet transport unit 10 ... Pallet 11 ... Medium transfer mechanism 12 ... Medium bottle 13 ... Peristal pump 100 ... Microorganism testing apparatus 200 ... Pour unit

Claims (3)

  A test object suction device that sucks and injects (dispenses) a test object from a container in which the test object is stored, a medium injection device that injects a medium into the test container into which the test object is injected, and a test A pour device having a table for placing a container for use and moving the table to mix the test object and the medium in the test container, and a test container into which the test object and the medium are injected are transported to the pour device A microorganism testing apparatus characterized by having a transporting device.   The pouring device includes a first simple vibration generating mechanism that generates a single vibration in one direction in two directions orthogonal to each other on a plane, and a second single vibration generating a single vibration in the other direction in the two directions. A table that includes a vibration generating mechanism and on which the inspection container is placed is attached to a member that performs a motion combining a single vibration generated by the first single vibration generating mechanism and a single vibration generated by the second single vibration generating mechanism. The microorganism testing apparatus according to claim 1.   The moving speed of simple vibration in one direction in two directions orthogonal to each other on a plane is 100 mm / second to 250 mm / second, and the moving speed of simple vibration in the other direction in the two directions is 50 mm / second to 200 mm / second. The microorganism testing apparatus according to claim 2.

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