JPH10211193A - Specimen container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily deform a bag corresponding to the amount of specimen and the amount of generated gas and to eliminate the need of negative pressure adjustment or the like inside the bag by providing an opening and closing means on the opening part end edge of the bag composed of a flexible material for not passing through bacteria integrally with the bag and providing a means for controlling the passing of fluid to an opening part inside the bag. SOLUTION: This specimen container 1 is composed of the bag 2 and a check valve 3 and the bag 2 is formed by adhering two colorless and transparent rectangular films 2a and 2b made of polyethylene with each other at a peripheral part 2c by thermocompression bonding or the like. On the opening part formed on one side of the bag 2, a fastener 4 composed of a recessed part 41 and a projected part 42 complementing each other whose cross section is circular as the opening and closing means is integrally provided along the end edge. Also, on the bottom side from the fastener 4 of the bag 2, a membrane filter 7 made of fluorocarbon is provided so as to pass through gas but to interrupt liquid. The check valve 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape by piling up two rectangular ribbon-like films 3a and 3b and a film 3c shorter than that.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container for holding a specimen such as food, blood, and bacteria. This container can be suitably used for the culture medium, transportation, and inspection of the specimen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional containers used for culturing bacteria, testing bacteria, and transporting specimens are fixed petri dishes, bottles or test tubes made of a rigid material such as glass or hard resin. The method of using each container is, for example, as follows.

[0003] When culturing in a petri dish, a specimen (usually an aerobic bacterium) is pipetted into a sterile petri dish, and then an agar medium is added. Pour enough. Thereafter, the cells are cultured in a thermostat under aerobic conditions.

When culturing in a test tube, a test tube T is filled with a liquid medium M that generates gas with the growth of bacteria,
Desirably, a Durham tube D, which is much smaller than the test tube T, is evacuated and submerged in the medium M upside down. When bacteria are present, the gas G generated during the culture accumulates in the Durham tube D. Thus, the presence or absence of bacteria is confirmed by the presence or absence of gas generation. Careful observation of gas evolution may be made without distracting the Durham tube, instead of looking away from the medium.

[0005] On the other hand, when culturing in a bottle, the durham tube is sunk upside down to observe the state of gas generation as in the case of test tube culture, or a medium that changes color with the growth of bacteria is filled, and depending on the degree of color change. Check for the presence of bacteria.

[0006]

However, since the volume and shape of a petri dish, a test tube, or a bottle cannot be changed, a large amount of storage space is required irrespective of use or non-use. It is inconvenient to carry. In addition, in the case of a medium in which gas is generated by the growth of bacteria, the pressure inside the container increases with the gas generation.To prevent damage to the container, loosen the cap slightly in the case of a screw-type cap. In such a case, an escape route for gas must be secured during culturing, such as by piercing a syringe needle into the cap, and there is a risk of infection.

[0007] Furthermore, there is also a specific problem when performing a bacterial test on blood using a bottle. In other words, the collected blood must be immediately inoculated into the culture medium.However, opening the mouth of the bottle at the medical site and putting blood into the culture medium may contaminate the culture medium. Then, the needle of the syringe from which the blood was collected is pierced into the rubber stopper, and the blood is put into the bottle. At this time, if the inside of the bottle is at a positive pressure, the syringe and the injection needle will come off and not only will not be able to inoculate the prescribed amount of blood into the bottle, but the blood in the syringe and the contents of the bottle will be scattered and the secondary There is even a risk of infection. Therefore,
An expensive device such as a decompressor for adjusting the inside of the bottle to a negative pressure in advance is required, and the operation is troublesome.

[0008] Further, as a particular problem when culturing in a petri dish, it is necessary to keep the inside of the thermostat in a wet state so that the culture medium does not dry out. Since the opening area of the petri dish is large, there is a danger of contamination by bacteria during operation. , Etc. Further, when transporting, any of petri dishes, test tubes, and bottles must be sealed to prevent breakage and secondary infection, and then individually packaged with a shock absorbing material such as styrene foam.

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide a sample container which occupies a small volume and is deformable according to the purpose. A second object of the present invention is to provide a sample container which is extremely unlikely to be damaged during loading and unloading and transport of the sample and to have a secondary infection.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a sample container according to the present invention is made of a flexible material that does not allow bacteria to pass through, and has a bag having an opening, and a bag integrated with an edge of the opening. And opening / closing means provided in the bag, and means for restricting passage of the fluid toward the opening, which is fixed in the bag.

According to the present invention, since the sample is placed in the bag made of the flexible material, the bag is deformed according to the amount of the sample and the amount of gas generated. Therefore, it is not necessary to adjust the inside of the bag to a negative pressure or to provide a gas escape route. In addition, it can be deformed according to the storage space and transportation convenience. Further, the bag can be folded down when not in use.

In the container of the present invention, the opening is double-closed by the opening / closing means and the fluid passage restricting means after the sample is stored, so that the possibility of secondary infection due to sample leakage is extremely small.
Further, even if the sample adheres to the fluid passage restricting means when the sample is introduced from the opening, the fluid passage restricting means is located inside the opening and closing means. Pollution can be prevented. Furthermore, since the opening is closed twice,
Even if the opening / closing means is contaminated for some reason, the presence of the fluid passage restricting means, which is the second inlet, prevents entry of various bacteria. The container of the present invention can also be applied to a bacterial test. In this case, the presence or absence of bacteria can be tested by seeing through the cultured medium through the bag.

A sample container of another configuration according to the present invention is made of a flexible material that does not allow bacteria to pass through, and has a plurality of compartments partitioned from each other and an opening communicating with each compartment.
An opening / closing means provided integrally with the bag at the edge of the opening, and means for restricting passage of a fluid toward the opening, which is fixed to the mouth of each accommodation part, are provided.

[0014] Using the sample container having this configuration, when different types of bacteria are individually accommodated and cultured from one sample, when the same bacteria are cultured in media having different compositions, when serial dilution is performed, etc. Can be associated with each other, so that confusion with other samples can be prevented.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As a means for restricting the passage of a fluid, a check valve for preventing a backflow of a fluid is preferable, but a simple passage may be used. Regardless of the check valve or the narrow passage, the outer periphery and the inner surface of the bag are sealed so that the fluid can pass only through them.

The flexible material constituting the bag may be appropriately selected depending on the bacteria to be cultured. For example, for cultivation of aerobic bacteria, a breathable synthetic resin film such as polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene is preferable, and for cultivation of anaerobic bacteria, a film exhibiting gas impermeability alone or a multilayer film is preferable. . The opening / closing means includes, for example, a flexible concave portion formed along one side of the opening edge and a flexible convex portion formed along the opposing side. Is closed by

In the case of using a culture medium that generates gas with the growth of bacteria, when a gas is generated in the culture medium, a gas trapper for storing the gas is integrally provided inside the sample container of the present invention, thereby facilitating the gas generation. You can check. The gas trapper may be formed of a space narrowing toward the opening.

It is preferable that a guide exists between the gas trapper and the opening / closing means for guiding the gas accumulated in the gas trapper to the position of the opening / closing means. When the specimen is inoculated into the culture medium in the bag, air is mixed in from the opening / closing means, but if the culture is performed as it is, it cannot be distinguished whether the gas accumulated in the gas trapper is derived from bacterial growth or air. This is because if the guide exists, the mixed air can be quickly discharged along the guide.

Although the shape of the bag is not limited, if the shape of the bag is the same as the front of the flask in plan view, the number of bacteria can be counted in a circular visual field as in the case of a petri dish, for example, when testing for Welsh bacteria by the pouch method. it can.

[0020]

【Example】

-Embodiment 1- A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the sample container, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a state where the sample is inserted, and FIG.

The sample container 1 comprises a bag 2 and a check valve 3. The bag 2 is obtained by bonding two colorless and transparent polyethylene square films 2a and 2b to each other at a peripheral portion 2c by thermocompression bonding or the like. The bag 2 is open on one side, and has a fastener 4 as opening and closing means integrally with the bag at the edge of the opening. The fastener 4 includes a pair of flexible concave portions 41 and convex portions 42 formed along the edge of the opening. The concave portion 41 and the convex portion 42 are circular in cross section and have mutually complementary shapes, and are elastically closed by meshing. Bag 2
A fluorocarbon membrane filter 7 is provided on the bottom side of the fastener 4 to allow gas to pass therethrough but block liquid.

The valve 3 comprises two ribbon-like films 3a, 3b of the same quality as the bag 2 and a film 3c shorter than them.
And are bonded to each other at the positions of edges along two opposing sides in a direction intersecting with the fastener 4 to form a cylindrical shape. However, the film 3c is a fastener 4
Is adhered to the center of the film 3b to form a bag-shaped space 3d together with the film 3b. Then, one side of each of the films 3a and 3b is
The valve 3 is fixed to the bag 2 by bonding to the bag 2b. When the rectangular films 2a and 2b are bonded to each other, the valve 3 sandwiches the films 3a, 3b and 3c which have been bonded in advance between the films 2a and 2b, thereby forming the films 2a and 2b.
2b is fixed to the films 2a and 2b simultaneously with the mutual adhesion. However, of the peripheral portion 2c of the bag 2, the bottom portion 2d facing the valve 3 may be adhered after filling the medium P described later.

Since the whole container 1 is made of polyethylene, when not in use, many containers can be bundled or folded flat and stored in an appropriate form according to the storage location, and transport is easy. . In addition, there is no risk of breakage during transportation, and it is lightweight. A method for testing a sample such as food using the container 1 is as follows.

The medium P is filled from the bottom side of the bag 2 before bonding the bottom 2d. The bottom 2d may be first adhered and the medium may be filled from the valve 3, but in this example, the medium 2 is filled from the bottom side in order to maintain the sterility of the valve 3, and then the bottom 2d is removed. Glue. Apply pressure to bag 2
Excess air that has entered inside is exhausted from the filter 7. When the specimen or the culture medium is a liquid, the liquid comes into contact with the filter 7 and closes the filter 7, so that the intrusion of a fluid from the outside is prevented. The medium P may be any of a liquid medium, an agar medium, and a powder medium. Thereafter, samples such as blood, food, and reagents are added, and the cells are cultured in an appropriate environment. When the fluid pressure in the bag 2 increases, the space 3d expands due to the infiltration of the fluid, and the films 3a and 3b are brought into close contact. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the container 1 during the culture, the valve 3 does not open.

When inspecting the presence or absence of coliform bacteria in tap water, well water, pools, rivers, beaches, water storage tanks, etc., BGL which generates gas only when coliform bacteria are present.
If the bag 2 is filled with the B (liquid) medium or the MMO-MUG (powder) medium that changes color, the medium P
, The bubbles Q or discoloration (not shown) can be easily observed. When using powdered media,
Since the bag 2 expands in accordance with the amount of the filling substance, it is not necessary to secure the volume of the container in advance unlike a conventional fixed container.

In order to test for bacteria in food, it is necessary to uniformly disperse the food throughout the medium. When using a conventional shaped container, mix the heated and dissolved agar medium with the sample, fill the container, coagulate, and adapt to the properties of bacteria such as aerobic bacteria or anaerobic bacteria. The culture was carried out in a thermostat having a humid atmosphere so as not to dry the medium. When the container 1 of this example is used, the bag 2 is made of a gas-permeable material such as polyethylene for aerobic bacteria. On the other hand, gas-impermeable ones are selected for anaerobic bacteria. Then, the bag 2 is filled with the agar medium in advance, and put in a microwave oven together with the container 1 to dissolve in a few seconds. Then, the sample is put in the bag 2 and gently rubbed through the bag 2 or the whole container 1 is repeatedly used several times. It is possible to uniformly disperse and culture only by inverting or stirring. During the culture, since the bag 2 is sealed, the medium P does not dry. Therefore, wetting of the thermostat is not required.

In the transport of clinical specimens, some specimens have a strong bioparasitic property, and there are bacteria that die in a short time outside the body.
Others, such as spore-free anaerobic bacteria, die quickly when exposed to air. Specimens intended to detect these bacteria must be transported to a culture medium (e.g., Carey Blair Carry-Bair medium supplemented with a reducing agent and agar) or a laboratory provided with conditions that help them survive. Therefore, conventionally, the air in the container has been reduced as much as possible by using a container with a screw stopper capable of ensuring airtightness and dispensing the culture medium to the vicinity of the neck of the container. On the other hand, the container of the present invention is made of a material having a particularly high barrier property (such as polyethylene), and the upper part 2e is adhered to the fastener 4 with a margin. A reducing agent or a culture medium containing the reducing agent is dispensed from the bottom of the bag 2 and the air is expelled to perform thermocompression bonding. Thus, the contents of the bag can be completely sealed until the specimen is inserted, and can be stably stored for a long period of time. When inserting the sample, the sample can be easily inserted by cutting the space between the upper portion 2e and the fastener 4 with scissors or the like and opening the fastener 4. In addition, fastener 4
When closed, unlike a glass bottle which is a conventional container, there is no air phase, and the specimen can be transported without being exposed to air.

When storing a sample of an anaerobic bacterium, it is preferable to put a deoxygenating agent and an oxygen detecting agent in the bag 2 in advance, and to evacuate the air in the bag 2 with a vacuum suction machine. The air mixed at the same time as the insertion of the sample is removed from the filter 7. Unlike a glass bottle which is a conventional container, there is no need to substitute a non-oxidizing gas.

In the case of a blood test, the sample (blood) is opaque, so that a conventional Durham tube cannot be used. In addition, in order to prevent the sample from scattering, the inside of the bottle is previously adjusted to a negative pressure with a pressure reducer. Had to be cultured. On the other hand, if the container 1 of the present example is used, the bag 2 expands according to the filling amount of the sample, so there is no need to adjust the internal pressure, and the syringe is inserted into the valve 3 and the collected sample is pushed in. Just need. In addition, gas generation can be confirmed not only by the presence or absence of air bubbles but also by the swelling of the bag 2.

Further, the sample container of the present embodiment exhibits a function superior to that of the conventional container even when it is used only for transporting or diluting the sample and another container is used for the test. After the container of this example and the sample are stored, the opening is
And the check valve 3 are doubly closed, so that the possibility of secondary infection due to sample leakage is extremely small. Therefore, there is little need to consider packaging. Further, even if the sample adheres to the check valve 3 when the sample is introduced through the opening, the check valve 3 is located inside the fastener 4 so that the fastener is closed so that the sample is transported or homogenized by a stomacher or the like. Thus, contamination of surrounding objects can be prevented.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a container according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which is a further development of the sample container according to Embodiment 1.

The sample container 1 of the present embodiment is composed of films 2a, 2b
Are adhered to each other along the line 61 extending from one side of the outer periphery of the two films toward the center when they are adhered to each other. The container 1 of this example has a space at an acute angle in a plan view inside the bag 2 with one side thereof and the extension line 61, and the space becomes the gas trapper 6. Therefore, if the container 1 is erected and cultured,
Since the gas generated in the culture medium P becomes bubbles Q and moves in the direction of the arrow in the figure and accumulates in the gas trapper 6, it is easy to confirm the gas generation.

When the extension line 61 reaches the extension of the valve 3, the direction is changed to the valve 3, and the guide 6 guides the gas accumulated in the gas trapper 6 to the position of the valve 3.
Connect to 2. Therefore, even if air enters from the valve 3 when the sample is inoculated into the culture medium in the bag 2, the mixed air can be quickly discharged along the guide before starting the culture. As a result, it can be confirmed that the gas accumulated in the gas trapper 6 after the culturing is derived from bacterial growth.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the sample container of the present invention. The sample container 11 has a bag 12, 5 of the same structure as in the first embodiment.
, 13, and 13. The bag 12 is made of two colorless and transparent polyethylene square films 12a and 12b.
Are bonded to each other by a peripheral portion 12c and four partition portions 12d parallel to two opposing sides by thermocompression bonding or the like. Therefore, the bag 12 has five storage sections 12e separated by the partition section 12d. And each accommodation part 12
The valve 13 is fixed to the port of e. However, the fastener 14 is common to each of the housing portions 12e.

As in the case of the sample container of the first embodiment, this sample container 11 can be deformed into an appropriate form when not in use according to the storage place and the convenience of transportation. Also, as in the case of the first embodiment, the medium (not shown) is filled into the storage portion 12e from the bottom side of the bag 12, and the bottom is adhered. It can be used for culture while maintaining its properties. Moreover, one sample container 1
Since 1 has five accommodation portions 12e, the separated medium is cultured in five types of media to confirm and identify the biochemical properties, and is diluted in five steps to determine the relevant media. It can always be centralized in one place, helping to prevent loss and confusion with other media.

A fastener 14 may be provided for each storage section, and a perforation (not shown) may be formed in the partition section 12d so that adjacent storage sections can be separated. After the separation, each set of the accommodating portion 12e, the valve 13, and the fastener 14 functions as a sample container. In other words, the sample container 1 of this example
Reference numeral 1 denotes a sample container having a single storage unit,
It can be said that it is an aggregate connected by a plurality.

Embodiment 4 FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a use state of a sample container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the upper and lower films 3a and 3c of the check valve 3 are also fixed at the bottom end of the bag 2. By doing so, when the fluid pressure in the bag 2 increases, the space 3d can be easily opened and the valve 3 can be reliably closed.

Embodiment 5 FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of the sample container of the present invention. When both the specimen and the culture medium are solid, if they are contained in the specimen container of Example 1, air may possibly enter from the outside through the filter 7.

Therefore, another check valve 8 was fixed in the bag so that the flow direction of the fluid was opposite to that of the check valve 3 of the first embodiment. Then, the filter 81 was disposed in the passage of the check valve 8. Thus, after the sample is introduced from the check valve 3, only the excess air can be removed from the check valve 8.

Embodiment 6 FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a sixth embodiment of the sample container of the present invention. In the sample container of this example, a narrow passage 9 is simply provided at a position corresponding to the check valve 3 of the first embodiment instead of the check valve. The bag 2 is divided into two zones, a space on the bottom side and a space on the opening side, with the passage 9 interposed therebetween, and a medium and a specimen are accommodated in the space on the bottom side. When the fastener is closed, there is no escape path for gas in the space on the opening side, so that the contents in the bottom space do not easily pass through the passage 9. Therefore, as long as the bag 2 is not used under such a condition that a large external pressure is suddenly applied thereto, the bag 2 functions sufficiently as a sample container.

[0041]

As described above, the sample container of the present invention
Because it is deformable and occupies a small volume, it can be easily handled and transported at the site where the specimen is collected. In addition, the possibility of secondary infection is extremely low and it is safe.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sample container of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an XY cross-sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view of the sample container according to the first embodiment with the opening of the sample container opened, as viewed from the outside.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a sample is stored in a sample container of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a sample container of a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a sample container of a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a sample is stored in a sample container according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a sample container of a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a sample container of a sixth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,11 sample container 2,12 bags 2c, 12c peripheral part 2d bottom 12e
Storage part 3,13 Check valve 4,14 Fastener (opening / closing means) 6 Gas trapper 61 Extension line 62 Guide 7 Filter 8 Check valve 9 Narrow passage P Sample Q Air bubble

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A flexible material which does not allow bacteria to pass through,
A bag having an opening; opening and closing means provided integrally with the bag at the edge of the opening; and means for restricting passage of fluid toward the opening, which is fixed in the bag. Sample container. 2. An opening / closing means comprising a flexible concave portion formed along one side of an edge of an opening and a flexible convex portion formed along an opposite side. The sample container according to claim 1, wherein the sample container is closed by meshing. 3. The sample container according to claim 1, wherein the means for regulating the passage of the fluid is a check valve. 4. The sample container according to claim 1, wherein the bag is provided with a filter communicating with the inside and outside of the bag. 5. The sample container according to claim 3, wherein the check valve has a cylindrical shape. 6. The sample container according to claim 3, wherein a further non-return valve is fixed in the bag so that a flow direction of the fluid is opposite to that of the non-return valve. 7. The sample container according to claim 1, wherein the means for restricting passage of the fluid is a narrow passage. 8. The sample container according to claim 1, wherein the flexible material is a synthetic resin film such as polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. 9. The sample container according to claim 1, wherein a gas trapper comprising a space narrowing toward the opening is provided inside the bag. 10. A bag made of a flexible material that does not allow bacteria to pass therethrough and having a plurality of compartments separated from each other and an opening communicating with each of the compartments, and an opening / closing unit provided integrally with the bag at an edge of the opening. A sample container comprising: means; and means for restricting passage of a fluid toward an opening / closing means, the sample container being fixed to an opening of each storage section. 11. The sample container according to claim 9, wherein the means for regulating the passage of the fluid is a check valve.