JPS6022908B2 - Inoculator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a partially automated instrument for simultaneously transferring a small amount of inoculum, such as a bacterial suspension, into an area pattern, such as all the wells of a multiwell test tray, In particular, it relates to associated parts and systems for effecting the necessary movements of the head of an inoculator in a desired sequence.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is disclosed for the simultaneous inoculation of all wells of a test tray having a number of wells, e.g. 9 wells, with infectious pathogens; , filled with a small amount of nutrient soup containing different concentrations of a stagnant substance that is effective against infectious germs.
As the test trays are incubated, growth is examined in wells containing each concentration of antimonopathic agent to which the infectious agent is not sensitive. A dispensing device for filling test trays with different concentrations of soup and antibiotics is disclosed in pending U.S. Patent Application No. 505,0 of Citrine (Cmin), filed July 11, 1973.
No. 05, the device of the present invention is particularly intended for properly inoculating all wells of a filled test tray as in one simple operating cycle, for example in the Citrin patent application. Another use of the invention is for injecting small quantities of one or more inoculum, such as infectious disease bacteria, onto the surface of a nutrient agar medium in a petri dish or the like.

The agar medium contains a known concentration of specific antibiotics on its entire surface, stopping the growth of susceptible bacteria. Another application is to analyze the viability of bacteria in each well of a completed test tray, thus selecting the effective concentration of antibiotic needed to arrest bacterial growth rather than the concentration needed to actually kill the bacteria. do. Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a new system for the simultaneous inoculation of all wells or other areas of a multi-well test tray containing different known concentrations of anti-I substances, etc. .

Another object of the invention is that an inoculator head having a number of ejection elements, such as pins, is driven sequentially in a combination of controlled linear motions to remove a large number of small quantities of inoculum from a container and then The objective is to provide a novel device that simultaneously injects each well of a test tray or predetermined area pattern on the surface of an agar medium.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new instrument in which the head of the inoculator can be moved horizontally between successive inoculum pick-up and injection stations, giving a controlled vertical movement at each station. be.

In connection with this purpose, the instrument includes a sterilization station having a furnace, the head of which is horizontally movable and vertically reciprocatable. Another object of the invention is that the head of the inoculator is mounted on a vertically reciprocating part which is further supported by a horizontally displaceable support, said vertically reciprocating part and the support. A control system having separate drive motors for the heads in the circuit and a sensing device for signaling the sequential positions of the heads allows for the provision of new instruments in which operations are carried out in a desired sequence. be.

Another object of the invention is to have a table on which the inoculum and the containers containing the material to be inoculated are placed in a predetermined spacing relationship, and the head of the inoculator is moved sequentially to inoculate a large number of small quantities of the inoculum. A novel inoculator is provided in which a mechanism is provided for injecting the inoculum into each well in a predetermined pattern or into the area of the material to be inoculated.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel control system for automatic operation of the inoculator head within one cycle.

Other objectives will become apparent with reference to the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the vertical rear wall (
enclosed in a metal plate casing 10 with a flat horizontal table 11 extending to the bottom of a vertical panel 13 forming a space 14 of the mechanism accommodating the working part (not shown) and described below. The entire printing device is shown. The top surface of the table 11 is preferably smooth and the tray holder 15 and furnace cover 16 are mounted on this table.

The tray holder 15 has two longitudinally spaced rectangular recesses 17 and 18 and positioning buttons 19, 20 extending into a threaded socket in the table 11 to position the tray holder in an azimuth position on the table. A flat stamped sheet metal element with fixed end closures.

Once set, the positioning button will properly position any other tray holder configuration.
Since the flat tray holder is made of thin metal, it lies flat against the table surface, thus providing shallow rectangular upwardly closing pockets in recesses 17 and 18.

Two upturned end tabs 22 and 23 are provided to raise the tray holder from the table for removal.

In the configuration shown in FIG.
It is designed to accept spaced containers such as

As shown, the container 24 may be a closed-top reservoir for the inoculum to be transferred, and the container 25 is a ramp-type test having multiple top wells 26, each of which is injected with a small amount of inoculum simultaneously. A tray is fine. A tab 27 extends on one side of the recess 17, and the test tray 25 is formed with a notch 28 for mating with said tab at the only position of the test tray on the table. If the material to be inoculated is in an agar plate, the gate 17 can be adapted in the form of this plate. The test tray holder thus acts as a template for accurately positioning the containers 24, 25 relative to each other and relative to the furnace 16, which is in a fixed position on the table for exposure.

As also shown in FIG. 1, the top wall 29 of the furnace is provided with a number of small ports 31 having substantially the same placement, spacing and orientation as the openings 26 of the installed tray 25.

The vertical panel 13 has a gate 32 extending in the horizontal direction, and leg gates 33, 34, 35 spaced apart in the horizontal direction.
extends downwardly from opening 32.

The vertical closures 34 and 35 are dimensioned to control the downward movement of the inoculation head 36 to prevent the control circuitry from inadvertently initiating a furnace cycle. The furnace cycle is initiated by a shutter element that turns on the lower sensor 73. The inoculation head 36 is mounted on a post 37 extending horizontally through the gates for controlled movement along the gates as shown in FIG.

The post 37 initially connects the top of the depending leg entrance 33 and the exit 3 of the furnace 16 at the beginning of each working cycle.
2, the table is centered in the longitudinal direction. It is preferable that the post 37 has a rectangular cross section, and a roughly U-shaped angular socket 38 fixed to the head 36 with a screw 39 or the like (FIG. 5) is firmly attached to the post 37 by friction in all directions. Tetsuai.

In the weave of the post 37 there is a longitudinally adjustable element 41 in the form of a screw screwed into the post, which allows its flat outer end 42 to move inwardly towards the panel 13 of the head. Adjustments are made so as to form a head positioning stop which is abutted by the bottom of the socket to limit the position.

This adjustment action ensures proper positioning of the head on the furnace, as described below, and the friction mount coupled with the adjustable stop allows even an inexperienced operator to properly position the head on the post 37 initially and clean it. It is removed for repairs, etc., and replaced quickly and accurately. Test tray 25
is a monolithic synthetic plastic member having 9 upwardly closing identical wells consisting of 8 straight rows of 12 in each row.

Tray 25 is similar to the Cooke et al.
, 350 462' is preferably of the type disclosed. Similarly, the furnace covers 29 each have 9
There is a Sekiguchi corresponding to the needle.

The longitudinal rows of trays 25 are aligned with the longitudinal rows of the top of the furnace for stationary action of the holder 15. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the head 36 has a large number of hanging inoculator pins 43 arranged in eight rows with IZ pins in each row. Adjustable mounting of the head on the post 37 ensures that each pin 43 is initially aligned with the entrance 31 of the furnace cover. Bottom wall surface 42 of box-shaped head
is removable and acts as a pin stationary action plate, each pin 4
3 extends through the aperture of said working plate and terminates in an enlarged upper end 44. An index pin 45 may also be supported by the head for certain reasons discussed below and extends from an enlarged upper end slidably through plate 42.

As shown, the pin 43 is loosely supported generally axially in the head, and the index pin extends for positive contact with the top wall during use. By making the plate 42 removable, any number and arrangement of inocular pins 43 in a nine-needle Sekiguchi pattern can easily provide different test pattern effects.

Within the space 14, a support structure 15 is slidably mounted on a rod 52 or the like for movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of the table.

The upper legs 53 of the support support depending guide structures that provide side guides 54 that slidably support the parallel surfaces of the post 37, thereby guiding the post 37 in vertical reciprocating motion. I can do it. At the inner end, the post 37
It is pivoted on a horizontal axis at 56 on a cam or link member 57 which is pivoted at 58 on an eccentric 59 driven by an output shaft 60 of an electric motor 61 on the support 51 .

When the motor device 61 is actuated, the post 37 thereby causes the guide 54 to reciprocate vertically. rod 52
Extending parallel to is a gear 64 on the output shaft 65 of a second electric motor 66 mounted on the lower support arm 67.
This is a fixed rack rod 62 that engages the tooth row 63. When the motor 66 is activated, the support 53 is moved horizontally and longitudinally of the table 11. FIG. 3 shows the operating cycle for a typical test operation. The post 37 is initially located at the left end of the entrance 32 and above the opening 33.

This position positions the head 36 above the furnace and the pin 43 is aligned with the opening 31 in the furnace. This alignment can be ensured by adjusting the screw 41. Well 2
A test tray 25 containing the material to be inoculated 6 and a container 24 containing the inoculum are calibrated on the table of the holder 15. The furnace may be of the type that uses a quartz heater so that it can be activated with a single switch.

Start the motor device 61 and move the post 37 to position 1 in FIG.
It makes a reciprocating motion between and 2.

Due to the eccentric force linkage at 59 and 57, one revolution of the eccentric 59 causes a downward movement of the post 37 until at the bottom of the stroke the linkage reverses and rises to the open □ 32 position.

In this action, the lower end of the pin 43 descends along the opening 23 until it reaches the interior of the furnace during the sterilization process and then returns to position 1, at which time the motor arrangement 61 is stopped.
When the motor 66 is actuated, the post 37 is moved along the entrance 32 and the head 36 is moved longitudinally of the table 11 to position 3, where it is aligned with the inoculum pick-up container 24.

At this time, the motor 66 is stopped and the motor device 61 is activated again to reciprocate the post 37 between positions 3 and 4,
The head 36 is lowered until the tip of the pin 42 is completely immersed in the inoculum and then returned to position 3, at which time the motor device 61 is stopped. At this time, the motor 66 is activated again, but the post 37 is moved in the opposite direction along the entrance 32 to position 5, at which point the motor 66 is stopped.

At this time, the head 36 is displaced in the horizontal direction until the pin 43 is aligned with each well 26 of the test tray 25. The motor device 61 is then actuated to vertically reciprocate the post 37 into the entrance 34 between positions 5 and 6, where there is a short dowel to ensure transfer of the inoculum. At this time, the motor 66 is activated again to move the post 37 back along the closure 32 to position 1, and at this point the motor 66 is stopped.

The cycle ends by activating the motor device 61 once more to reciprocate the head between positions 1 and 2 to repeat the sterilization process, and then returning the head to the initial position of position 1. The gear deceleration in the motor device 61 results in a relatively slow vertical reciprocating movement of the head compared to the faster longitudinal movement of the head.

This is important in allowing for sufficiently long pick-up, inoculation and sterilization times. Referring again to FIG. 3, the shirtter element 71 is shown mounted on the post 37 for entry between the upper and lower pairs of sensors 72 and 73 in the two vertically limiting positions of the head 36.

In effect, the post 37 itself acts as a shield that passes between the upper and lower pairs of sensors supported by the guide 54. 4 and 5, a shirtter element 74 is shown supported by a printed circuit board 78 and supported by support 51 to extend between sensors 75, 76, 77 located at each longitudinally active position of post 37. It is shown. The printed circuit board 78 is also reconstituted with logic circuitry for operation and control, shown schematically in FIG. 6 and described below in connection with the operation of the apparatus.

The Inorculator's logic circuitry The Inorculator control system determines the proper sequence of the Inorculator's functions.

The circuit board 78 provides three longitudinal stops in the inoculator, namely a dwell station, two vertical position sensors 72, 73 for the upper and lower ends of the vertical movement of the inoculating head, and a cycle switch 81. It has six input terminals including. Logic circuits mainly have three functions:
Controls vertical drive, horizontal drive and furnace. When the inoculator is powered on, such as by switch 80, the starter circuit turns on drive power and selects vertical drive, and the inoculating head 36 descends to immerse the end of the pin into the furnace. . When the head reaches its lowest position, the down position signal from sensor 73 cuts off the drive power and sets the direction selection to the right, once to control the furnace and once to control the pin cooling fan (not shown). 2) control is activated twice. The down position signal also operates the furnace to sterilize the pins on the inoculation head. After a delay of approximately 2 horse chestnuts, sterilization timer 82 reenergizes vertical drive 61 via NOR-7. In this way, the lower position signal disappears, so that the head 36 moves upward toward the uppermost layer 1 in FIG. Switch to section.
The horizontal drive does not work at all since no drive power is applied to it. The cooling timer is a sterile pin 4
3. Let it cool down with a fan for a short time. This device typically remains inactive for about 25 minutes while the head cools. Cooling timer 8
4 then enables the cycle switch via NAND-4 and lights up the indicator lamp (not shown) of the cycle switch. At this time, the vehicle is conditioned to an automatic cycle outside the vehicle. To initiate automatic operation of the inoculator, press the cycle switch 81 to activate the drive power source 82. Since the drive selection is already set to horizontal drive, the inoculation head moves to the right along the entrance 32 in FIGS. 1 and 3. When the head reaches position 5 in FIG. 3, a signal is generated to sensor 76 but inhibited at NAND-3 and head 36 continues to move to the right. When reaching the inoculum pick-up position 6 in FIG.
3 to vertical drive and reset direction selection to the left. At this time, the head descends to immerse the pin 43 in the inoculum and then reverses direction until the head is raised to the highest position at 3 in FIG. The upper position signal from this sensor 77 switches the drive operation section 83 to horizontal drive. Since the direction selection is already set to the left, the inoculation head is closed 3.
Retreat to the left along 2. When the head reaches position 5 in FIG. 3, a signal is generated by sensor 76 which passes through direction selector 84 to enable NAND-3 and switch it to vertical drive. At this time, the head descends and immerses the pin end into the well of the tray.
The head reverses direction and rises until the highest position at 5 is reached and an upper position signal is generated. As a result, the drive selection section is switched to horizontal drive, and the head continues to move to the left. When the head reaches furnace position 1 of FIG. 3, the furnace position signal from sensor 75 switches the drive selection to vertical drive and the head lowers into the furnace.

From this point until the cycle switch can be operated again, the operation of the logic circuit is the same as that described for the initiation of sterilization. It will be seen that the signal from sensor 73 is not used in lower positions 4 and 6 of FIG.

This is because the length of the pin to submerge the end of the pin into the inoculum and traywell, respectively, is sufficient for an effective pick-up and inoculation process. Also, in some cases, a sterilization operation is not necessary and therefore the lower sensor 73 has no function. The sensors 72-77 may be of any type, such as a combination of photovoltaic cells and light beams, or capacitor switches.

Any electrical or mechanical control for effecting the above sequential movements of head 36 is within the scope of the present invention.

The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics.

The Examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive, with the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing detailed description. All changes that come within the scope and scope of the invention are therefore intended to be embraced within the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing the device according to a preferred embodiment; FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away plan view with a tilted tray holder and a mechanism for moving the inoculation head; and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram. 4 is a partial view showing details; FIG. 5 is a general view through the left vertical panel closure of FIG. 3 mainly showing the head of the inoculator and its drive. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of a section taken along a vertical plane, and a schematic diagram of the circuit for explaining the operation. 10...Casing, 11...Tefle, 12...
Front wall section, 13... Vertical panel, 14... Space, 15...
Tray holder, 16...Furnace cover, 17, 18
...Recess, 19,20...Fixed button, 22,23...Tab, 24,25...Tray, 26...
...Top Sekiguchi well, 27...Evening tube, 28...Notch, 29...Next wall, 31, 32, 33, 34,
35... Sekiguchi, 36... Inoculation head,
37...post, 38...socket, 41 skin...axial adjustment element, 43...pin, 45...index pin, 51...support structure, 52...・・・・・・
Rod, 54... Side guide, 57... Cam (link member), 59... Eccentric, 60... Output shaft, 61
...Motor device, 62...Rack, 63.
...Tooth row, 64...Gear, 65...Output shaft,
66...Motor, 72, 73...Sensor, 74...
...shutter element, 75, 76, 77...sensor,
78...Printed circuit board, 81...Cycle switch. f.G.・FIG. 2 FIG. 3 FIG. 5 FIG. 4 FIG. 6

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An inoculator comprising: (1) a support device constituting a substantially horizontal table;
2) a first container mounted on said table containing an inoculum and a second container spaced from said first container and adapted to inject said inoculum in a predetermined area pattern; a container holder on which a container is placed;
(3) sterilization means mounted on said table and spaced from said two containers; (4) an inoculation head arranged in said pattern and having a number of inoculum removal elements depending thereon; (5) means for horizontally moving said head through three positions, each one above a sterilizing means, a first container, and a second container; and (6) said head. means for vertically reciprocating the head to position it in each of the dwell positions when the head is in each of said respective positions, whereby said depending removal element is simultaneously sterilized and then inoculated. Inoculator adapted to be disposed for material removal and injection. 2. In the inoculator according to claim 1,
An inoculator, wherein said sterilization means includes a furnace designed to simultaneously and pyrothermally sterilize said depending extraction element. 3 In the inoculator according to claim 2,
An inoculator in which a cooling means is attached to the above-mentioned furnace.