Culture dish shooting box

Abstract

The invention discloses a culture dish shooting box, and belongs to the technical field of biological experiment equipment, and the culture dish shooting box comprises a base used for placing a culture dish; the cylinder wall is detachably connected to the upper portion of the base, and the cylinder wall and the base jointly define a shooting cavity used for containing a culture dish; the lighting assembly is arranged in the cylinder wall; and the upper cover is detachably connected with the cylinder wall, and a main shooting hole is formed in the upper cover. According to the culture dish shooting box, a standardized and closed shooting environment is provided, environment light source interference and equipment shadow are effectively eliminated, the definition and consistency of culture dish images are remarkably improved, and meanwhile efficient and repeatable standardized image collection is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of biological experimental equipment technology, and in particular to a petri dish imaging box. Background Technology

[0002] In biological experiments such as microbiology, clinical testing, and food safety monitoring, acquiring clear and accurate images of petri dishes is a routine and crucial task. Currently, the commonly used methods for photographing petri dishes in laboratories mainly rely on existing experimental environments such as biosafety cabinets or laminar flow hoods. These methods can be specifically divided into the following two categories: Direct imaging of petri dishes while stationary inside the biosafety cabinet: The operator places the petri dishes on the work surface of the biosafety cabinet and uses an imaging device to take pictures from the outside through the observation window or by directly inserting it. This method has obvious drawbacks: First, the built-in lighting of the biosafety cabinet will create strong reflections or light spots on the surface or lid of the petri dishes, interfering with the appearance of colony details; second, the imaging device itself, as well as the operator's arm and shadow, can easily be projected onto the petri dishes or background, resulting in unnecessary shadows in the image, affecting contrast and uniformity; third, the various equipment and pipelines inside the biosafety cabinet make the image background cluttered, which is not conducive to subsequent image segmentation, recognition, and analysis.

[0003] Hand-held petri dishes are used to adjust the angle for photography within a biosafety cabinet: To avoid direct reflections from a fixed light source, operators sometimes hold the petri dishes by hand to find the optimal shooting position. While this method can mitigate the influence of fixed light spots to some extent, it introduces more unstable factors: hand-held operation easily leads to blurred focus and image shake; the angle, height, and distance of each shot are difficult to precisely repeat, resulting in significant differences in shooting conditions at different times, by different personnel, and even for different samples in the same experiment, leading to inconsistent image quality and making standardization difficult. Furthermore, hand-held operation increases the risk of contamination and sample exposure time, which does not comply with strict biosafety operating procedures. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a petri dish imaging box that, by providing a standardized and enclosed imaging environment, effectively eliminates interference from ambient light sources and equipment shadows, significantly improves the clarity and consistency of petri dish images, and simultaneously achieves efficient and repeatable standardized image acquisition.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: A petri dish photography box is provided, comprising: The base, which is used to hold the petri dish; The cylindrical wall is detachably connected to the upper part of the base, and together with the base, they form a imaging chamber for accommodating the culture dish; A lighting assembly is disposed inside the cylinder wall; The top cover is detachably connected to the cylinder wall, and the top cover has a main shooting hole.

[0006] Furthermore, the base is provided with a petri dish fixing seat and a cylinder wall fixing seat. The petri dish fixing seat is used to fix the petri dish, and the cylinder wall fixing seat is used to connect the cylinder wall.

[0007] Furthermore, the base is available in a variety of colors, including white, blue, and black.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a shooting converter, which is installed on the cylinder wall or the top cover, and the shooting converter is provided with an adapter hole, the diameter of which is different from that of the main shooting hole.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a bracket for supporting the base, for supporting the entire shooting box at an angle to the horizontal plane.

[0010] Furthermore, the bracket includes at least two support rods and a connecting crossbar. The support rods are connected to each other by the connecting crossbar. The top of the support rod is used to support the base, so that the entire shooting box is tilted relative to the horizontal plane.

[0011] Furthermore, the base is provided with bracket fixing holes, which allow the support rod to be hooked, thereby connecting the base to the bracket.

[0012] Furthermore, the tilt angle is 45°.

[0013] Furthermore, the lighting component is a ring light source, which is arranged around the inner wall of the imaging chamber; The ring light source is a COB ring light strip with a color temperature of 6000k.

[0014] Furthermore, the base, cylinder wall, top cover, and shooting converter are all detachable, facilitating disinfection and replacement.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. The petri dish photography box of this invention isolates the photography equipment from the operating environment through a closed box structure. During photography, the shadows of the camera / phone and the operator will not be projected onto the petri dish or the shooting background, thereby obtaining images with a clean background, prominent subject, and high contrast. This is beneficial for the use of later images, such as using AI image recognition for total colony count determination and pathogen identification. Furthermore, the built-in dedicated ring light source with fixed position and brightness replaces the unstable ambient light in the biosafety cabinet, providing uniform and shadowless illumination for the petri dish and avoiding the problems of light spots, glare, and reflections caused by direct external light sources. 2. The petri dish imaging box of this invention establishes a strictly reproducible imaging standard by using a fixed shooting angle, fixed lighting conditions, and a fixed solid color background. No matter when, who, or how many samples are photographed, as long as this device is used, images with consistent lighting, angle, and background can be obtained. The standardized images provide a high-quality and uniform data foundation for subsequent image analysis, colony counting, morphology recognition, etc., which greatly improves the scientificity, comparability, and traceability of experimental data. 3. The petri dish photography box of the present invention eliminates the need for operators to repeatedly adjust the position and angle of the photography equipment to avoid light spots or find the best lighting. They can simply place the petri dish on the fixed base and close the lid to take pictures, which greatly simplifies the operation process and saves time per shooting. 4. The petri dish imaging box of the present invention is used to complete the imaging process in a basically sealed box, which reduces the exposure time of the petri dishes in the open environment and reduces the risk of sample contamination. In addition, each component adopts a detachable modular design, and all components can be thoroughly chemically or physically sterilized individually, which meets the strict biosafety and cleanliness requirements of microbiology laboratories. 5. The petri dish imaging box of the present invention can flexibly optimize the imaging contrast of different culture media by using bases of different colors. It is suitable for various experimental scenarios such as bacterial identification, purification culture, and total colony counting. With the optional bracket, the entire device can be tilted to a specific angle, which is convenient for non-vertical observation and imaging of petri dishes, and meets the imaging needs of certain special samples. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 1; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the base structure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cylinder wall structure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the converter structure for Example 2; Figure 5 Comparison of images taken directly inside a biosafety cabinet and images taken in Example 2; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 3; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the base structure in Example 3; Figure 8 This is the front view of the bracket; Figure 9The images show a comparison between direct imaging in a biosafety cabinet and imaging results from Example 3.

[0017] In the diagram: 1-base, 11-plate holder, 12-cylinder wall holder, 13-bracket fixing hole, 2-cylinder wall, 21-power opening, 3-lighting assembly, 4-top cover, 41-main shooting hole, 5-shooting converter, 51-adapter hole, 6-bracket, 61-support rod, 611-thin rod section, 612-wide rod section, 62-connecting crossbar, 63-support base plate. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0019] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Example 1

[0020] like Figure 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a petri dish photography box, which mainly consists of three parts: a base 1, a cylindrical wall 2, and a top cover 4.

[0021] Specifically, the base 1 serves as a supporting foundation, upon which the petri dish can be placed. The surface color of the base 1 can be selected as white, blue, or black to provide different background contrasts depending on the shooting requirements. The cylindrical wall 2 is a vertically arranged cylindrical structure, with its lower end detachably connected to the base 1, for example, by snap-fit ​​or threaded connection, and its upper end detachably connected to the top cover 4. The top cover 4 has a main shooting hole 41 at its center, preferably with a diameter of 80mm, suitable for shooting with most SLR or mirrorless camera lenses.

[0022] An illumination unit is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the cylinder wall 2. In this embodiment, the illumination unit is a COB ring-shaped light strip, which is installed at a height of approximately 70mm from the upper surface of the base 1. The light strip is preferably a pure white light with a temperature of around 6000K to provide uniform, flicker-free illumination. The power cord of the light strip can be led out through the power opening 21 reserved on the cylinder wall 2 and connected to an external 5V DC power supply.

[0023] When photographing the petri dish, the cylinder wall 2 is mounted on the base 1 and connected to the LED light source. Then, the petri dish to be photographed is placed stably on the flat dish holder 11 in the center of the base 1, and the top cover 4 is closed, ensuring the petri dish is sealed within the photographing cavity formed by the base 1, cylinder wall 2, and top cover 4. The power to the ring light strip is turned on, and the interior is evenly illuminated. The operator aims the camera lens through the main shooting hole 41 of the top cover 4 at the petri dish below to focus and take the picture. Throughout the process, external ambient light is blocked, and the internal lighting is constant, effectively avoiding reflections and shadows. Example 2

[0024] This embodiment is based on embodiment 1, such as... Figure 4 As shown, to accommodate shooting devices with smaller lenses, such as smartphones, this device is equipped with an optional shooting converter 5. The shooting converter 5 is a short cylindrical component, one end of which has a connecting part that matches the structure of the main shooting hole 41 of the top cover 4 for detachable fixation to the top cover 4. The other end of which has an adapter hole 51. The diameter of the adapter hole 51 is significantly smaller than that of the main shooting hole 41, preferably about 15mm. Its size is just enough to accommodate the camera module of most smartphones and limit the entry of ambient light.

[0025] When it is necessary to use a mobile phone for shooting, after completing the basic assembly and sample placement in Example 1, do not directly cover the top cover 4. Instead, first install the shooting converter 5 at the main shooting hole 41 position of the top cover 4. After installation, place the top cover 4 with the converter onto the cylinder wall 2. At this time, the main shooting hole 41 is occupied by the cylinder body of the converter, leaving only the top adapter hole 51 as the new shooting hole. The operator holds the mobile phone camera close to and aligns it with the adapter hole 51 to achieve a shooting effect similar to that of a microscope. This structure solves the problem that mobile phone lenses are small and are prone to edge vignetting or inaccurate focusing when directly focusing on a large-aperture shooting hole, while ensuring the sealing of the shooting light path.

[0026] like Figure 5 The image shows a comparison of the imaging effects of a Salmonella chromogenic plate in bacterial identification. The left image was taken directly in a biosafety cabinet, while the right image was taken using the imaging box described in this embodiment. The comparison shows that using the imaging box avoids problems such as light spots, glare, and reflections caused by direct external light sources, resulting in images with clean backgrounds, prominent subjects, and high contrast. Example 3

[0027] like Figure 6-7As shown, this embodiment, based on embodiment 1, is equipped with a bracket 6 for supporting the base 1, used to support the entire shooting box at an angle to the horizontal plane. Specifically, the bracket 6 includes at least two support rods 61 and a connecting crossbar 62. The support rods 61 are connected by the connecting crossbar 62, and the top of the support rods 61 supports the base 1, so that the entire shooting box is tilted relative to the horizontal plane. The base 1 is provided with bracket fixing holes 13, which allow the support rods 61 to be hooked, thereby connecting the base 1 to the bracket 6. In addition, to further improve the stability of the structure, a support base plate 63 is provided below the support rods 61 to ensure that the entire bracket 6 can stably support the shooting box.

[0028] like Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the top of the support rod 61 is formed as a thin rod portion 611, and below it is a thicker wide rod portion 612. A stepped surface is formed at the connection between the thin rod portion 611 and the wide rod portion 612. The diameter of the bracket fixing hole 13 of the base 1 matches the diameter of the thin rod portion 611. During installation, the thin rod portion 611 is inserted into the bracket fixing hole 13 until the stepped surface abuts against the lower surface or side mounting platform of the base 1, thereby achieving hooking and support of the base 1. The lower end of the base 1 can be directly supported on a tabletop.

[0029] When tilted imaging is required, first ensure that the base 1, cylinder wall 2, top cover 4 (and converter, if used) are correctly assembled, and the petri dish is properly placed. Then, hang the bracket fixing hole 13 on the base 1 onto the thin rod 611, raising one end of the entire imaging box so that the axis of the imaging box forms a stable tilt angle with the horizontal table. This tilt angle is preferably 45°, a commonly used angle that balances observation effect and equipment stability. After adjusting and locking the bracket 6, the ring light strip remains in its fixed position relative to the base 1 (i.e., relative to the petri dish), so the lighting effect is not affected by tilt. The operator can take pictures through the imaging hole of the tilted top cover 4 to obtain side or oblique images of the petri dish. After imaging is complete, the bracket 6 can be removed to restore the horizontal imaging state.

[0030] like Figure 9 The image shows a comparison of the imaging results of PCA culture medium for total bacterial count detection. The left side shows the image taken directly in a biosafety cabinet, while the right side shows the image taken using the imaging box described in this embodiment. As can be seen from the images, the colonies captured by this imaging box are clearer, and the image quality is higher.

[0031] Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-mentioned technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-mentioned technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above-mentioned features with technical features disclosed in this application (but not limited to) that have similar functions.

Claims

1. A petri dish photography box, characterized in that, include: Base (1), which is used to place the petri dish; The cylindrical wall (2) is detachably connected to the upper part of the base (1) and together with the base (1) forms a photographing chamber for accommodating the culture dish; Lighting assembly (3), which is disposed inside the cylindrical wall (2); The upper cover (4) is detachably connected to the cylinder wall (2), and the upper cover (4) is provided with a main shooting hole (41).

2. The petri dish imaging box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (1) is provided with a petri dish fixing seat (11) and a cylinder wall (2) fixing seat (12). The petri dish fixing seat (11) is used to fix the petri dish, and the cylinder wall (2) fixing seat (12) is used to connect the cylinder wall (2).

3. The petri dish imaging box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (1) is available in a variety of colors, including white, blue and black.

4. The petri dish imaging box according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a shooting converter (5), which is installed on the cylinder wall (2) or the top cover (4), and the shooting converter (5) is provided with an adapter hole (51), the diameter of which is different from that of the main shooting hole (41).

5. A petri dish imaging box according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a bracket (6) for supporting the base (1) and for supporting the entire shooting box at an angle to the horizontal plane.

6. A petri dish imaging box according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bracket (6) includes at least two support rods (61) and a connecting crossbar (62). The support rods (61) are connected to each other by the connecting crossbar (62). The top of the support rod (61) is used to support the base (1), so that the entire shooting box is tilted relative to the horizontal plane.

7. A petri dish imaging box according to claim 6, characterized in that, The base (1) is provided with a bracket fixing hole (13), which allows the support rod (61) to be hooked, thereby connecting the base (1) and the bracket (6).

8. A petri dish imaging box according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The tilt angle is 45°.

9. A petri dish imaging box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lighting component (3) is a ring light source, which is arranged around the inner wall of the imaging chamber; The ring light source is a COB ring light strip with a color temperature of 6000k.

10. A petri dish imaging box according to claim 4, characterized in that, The base (1), cylinder wall (2), top cover (4) and shooting converter (5) are all detachable, making them easy to disinfect and replace.

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