Full-automatic culture dish coating mechanism

Abstract

The invention discloses a full-automatic culture dish coating mechanism, and relates to the technical field of laboratory automation equipment. Comprising a sterilization module, a coating module, a culture dish overturning module, a culture dish rotating module and a six-axis mechanical arm, the sterilization module is used for carrying out high-temperature heating sterilization on a coating head in the coating module and carrying out real-time detection on the temperature in the sterilization process; the coating module is arranged at the tail end of the six-axis mechanical arm, comprises a rotatable coating head and is used for automatically adjusting the coating posture or contact pressure according to the height change of the surface of the culture medium in the coating process; the culture dish rotating module is used for bearing a culture dish and is matched with the coating module to complete coating operation, and the culture dish overturning module is used for clamping the culture dish and completing automatic inversion operation after coating is completed. Through cooperation of multiple modules, automatic uncovering, coating, sterilization, rotary positioning and inversion operations of the culture dishes are realized, the coating consistency, the experiment repeatability and the system automation level are improved, and the pollution risk is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laboratory automation equipment technology, specifically to a fully automated petri dish coating mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Petri dish coating is a crucial operational step in experiments such as microbial detection, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, food safety monitoring, and medical testing. The process typically involves several steps, including opening the petri dish, sterilizing the coating tools, evenly coating the sample, and repositioning and inverting the petri dish. The quality of this operation directly affects the accuracy and reproducibility of the experimental results. Currently, petri dish coating is mostly performed manually, which presents the following prominent problems in practical applications: (1) Low level of automation and lack of integrated equipment: There is no mature automated petri dish coating equipment on the market at present. There are only some mechanisms that can achieve single functions, such as automatic opening or rotation positioning, which cannot achieve continuous automated operation from opening the lid, coating, sterilization to inversion. The overall level of automation is limited.

[0003] (2) Poor coating consistency affects the reliability of experimental results: During manual coating, it is difficult to unify factors such as operation method, coating pressure, and angle. In addition, there are micro-undulations on the surface of the culture medium, and the contact state between the coating tool and the culture medium is unstable, which can easily lead to uneven coating and affect the repeatability and reliability of experimental results.

[0004] (3) The sterilization process lacks quantitative monitoring and there is a risk of cross-contamination: The existing coating tools are mostly sterilized by fixed heating or alcohol lamp burning, which lacks a real-time monitoring and feedback mechanism for sterilization temperature. It is difficult to determine whether the effective sterilization temperature has been reached, which increases the potential risk of cross-contamination during the experiment.

[0005] (4) Complex operation process and low space utilization: The rotation positioning, station switching and inversion operation of petri dishes often require multiple independent mechanisms or manual intervention, which not only increases the size of the equipment and the complexity of the system, but also reduces the operating efficiency and experimental stability.

[0006] Therefore, it is evident that existing petri dish coating methods have significant shortcomings in terms of automation, coating consistency, sterilization controllability, and system integration. Consequently, there is an urgent need to provide a fully automated petri dish coating mechanism with high structural integration, high automation, high coating precision, and monitorable sterilization effect. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The main objective of this invention is to provide a fully automated petri dish coating mechanism. Through the coordinated operation of multiple modules, it realizes the automatic opening, coating, sterilization, rotation positioning and inversion of petri dishes, thereby improving coating consistency, experimental repeatability and system automation level, and effectively reducing the risk of contamination, thus overcoming the problems existing in the prior art.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A fully automated petri dish coating mechanism includes a sterilization module, a coating module, a petri dish flipping module, a petri dish rotating module, and a six-axis robotic arm; The sterilization module includes a thermal sterilization device and a temperature probe. The thermal sterilization device is used to sterilize the coating head in the coating module by high-temperature heating, and the temperature probe is used to detect the temperature in real time during the sterilization process. The coating module is located at the end of the six-axis robotic arm. It includes a rotatable coating head, which is used to automatically adjust the coating posture or contact pressure according to the height change of the culture medium surface during the coating process. The coating head is integrated with a temperature sensor, which is used to collect temperature data of the coating plane or the coating head in real time. The petri dish rotation module is used to carry the petri dish and cooperate with the coating module to complete the coating operation. The petri dish flipping module is used to clamp the petri dish after coating and complete the automatic inversion operation.

[0009] Furthermore, the coating module is mounted to the end of the six-axis robotic arm via a connector, and the other end of the six-axis robotic arm is mounted on a robotic arm mounting base, which is located on a mechanism mounting base. The six-axis robotic arm is capable of multi-degree-of-freedom motion in three-dimensional space, used to accurately position and control the motion of the coating module, and to perform the opening and closing of the petri dish lid. It also works with the sterilization module to perform the heating and sterilization of the coating head.

[0010] Furthermore, the coating module also includes a support component, a docking mechanism, a placement guide column, a temperature measurement and communication main control board, and a coating rod. The support component is connected to the connector via the docking mechanism. The temperature measurement and communication main control board is mounted on the support component and electrically connected to the temperature sensor. One end of the coating rod is mounted to the end of the support component via a connecting shaft and an adaptive spring. The coating head is connected to the other end of the coating rod.

[0011] Furthermore, a first coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor and a second coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor are respectively provided on both sides of the end of the support member. A first trigger baffle is provided at the first coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor and a second trigger baffle is provided at the second coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor.

[0012] Furthermore, the docking mechanism has a connection contact point at one end near the connector.

[0013] Furthermore, the petri dish rotation module is mounted on a support base, which is fixedly mounted on a mechanism mounting base. The petri dish rotation module includes a rotary motor, a first photoelectric sensor, a second photoelectric sensor, and a petri dish tray. The rotary motor is connected to the support base via a motor mounting bracket. The petri dish tray is located at the top of the support base and connected to the output end of the rotary motor. The first photoelectric sensor and the second photoelectric sensor are respectively mounted on both sides of the support base and are used to determine the presence or absence of the petri dish and the petri dish cover.

[0014] Furthermore, a tray zero-point metal sensing sensor and a tray zero-point trigger plate are provided on the support base near the petri dish tray.

[0015] Furthermore, the culture dish flipping module is located downstream or to the side of the coating station, and includes a culture dish gripper, a rotary gripper motor and a lifting mechanism. The culture dish gripper is connected to the output end of the rotary gripper motor and is located on the outside of the culture dish tray. The rotary gripper motor is fixedly installed on the lifting mechanism. The culture dish gripper is used to hold the culture dish, the rotating gripper motor is used to drive the culture dish to flip, and the lifting mechanism is used to adjust the height of the culture dish.

[0016] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes a vertical drive motor and a fixed plate, the vertical drive motor being mounted on the fixed plate, and the fixed plate being mounted on the mechanism mounting base.

[0017] Furthermore, the fixed plate is provided with a bottom photoelectric sensor, a middle photoelectric sensor and a top photoelectric sensor along the height direction.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) A highly integrated fully automated operation process has been achieved, which significantly improves experimental efficiency: Through the coordinated operation of the six-axis robotic arm with the sterilization module, coating module, petri dish rotation module and petri dish flipping module, the entire process of petri dish from opening the lid, coating, sterilization to inversion is automated. The modules are closely connected, reducing manual intervention. It is suitable for high-throughput experimental scenarios and effectively improves experimental efficiency and overall system stability.

[0019] (2) Improved coating uniformity and reliability: The coating module has the ability to adapt to the undulation of the coating plane. By automatically adjusting the coating posture or contact pressure through the rotatable coating head, it can effectively compensate for the microscopic height changes on the surface of the culture medium, effectively ensure the contact stability during the coating process, and improve the coating consistency.

[0020] (3) The sterilization effect is quantifiable and traceable: the sterilization temperature is monitored in real time by temperature measurement module and temperature measurement probe, which can accurately determine whether the sterilization meets the standard and reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

[0021] (4) Improved system operating efficiency and experimental stability: The petri dish rotation module has a position zeroing function, which can automatically calibrate the position before each coating operation to ensure the accuracy of the coating trajectory; the petri dish flipping module integrates grippers, rotation mechanism and lifting function, which can automatically complete the inversion operation of the petri dish after coating, making the petri dish operation more precise and efficient. The two work together to not only improve the operation accuracy, but also optimize the equipment space layout and reduce the system complexity. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the coating module structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the coating module of the present invention from another angle.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the petri dish flipping module and the petri dish rotating module of the present invention.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Thermal sterilization device; 2. Connector; 3. Coating module; 4. Temperature probe; 5. Petri dish flipping module; 6. Petri dish rotating module; 7. Rotary motor; 8. First photoelectric sensor; 10. Robotic arm mounting base; 9. Second photoelectric sensor; 12. Six-axis robotic arm; 13. Petri dish gripper; 14. Coating head; 15. Connecting shaft; 16. Support component; 17. Docking mechanism; 18. Placement guide column; 19. Temperature measurement and communication main control board; 20. Coating rod; 21. First coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor. 22. First trigger baffle; 23. Second coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor; 24. Second trigger baffle; 25. Temperature sensor; 26. Connecting contact point; 27. Mechanism mounting base; 28. Adaptive spring; 29. ​​Support base; 30. Vertical drive motor; 31. Fixing plate; 32. Bottom photoelectric sensor; 33. Middle photoelectric sensor; 34. Top photoelectric sensor; 35. Rotary gripper motor; 36. Tray zero-point metal induction sensor; 37. Tray zero-point trigger plate; 38. Motor mounting base; 39. Culture dish tray. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] Combination Figures 1 to 4 This embodiment provides a fully automated petri dish coating mechanism, including a sterilization module, a coating module 3, a petri dish flipping module 5, a petri dish rotating module 6, and a six-axis robotic arm 12.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the six-axis robotic arm 12, as the main motion execution component of the system, is capable of multi-degree-of-freedom motion in three-dimensional space. It is used to precisely position and control the motion of the coating module 3, and to perform the opening and closing operations of the petri dish lid. Simultaneously, it works with the sterilization module to complete the heating and sterilization of the coating head 14. The coating module 3 is mounted to the end of the six-axis robotic arm 12 via connector 2. The other end of the six-axis robotic arm 12 is mounted on the robotic arm mounting base 10, which is located on the mechanism mounting base 27.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the sterilization module includes a thermal sterilization device 1 and a temperature probe 4. The thermal sterilization device 1 is used to sterilize the coating head 14 in the coating module 3 by high-temperature heating. The temperature probe 4 is used to detect the temperature in real time during the sterilization process, thereby realizing the monitoring and control of the sterilization effect. Through the temperature feedback mechanism, cross-contamination problems caused by insufficient sterilization temperature can be avoided.

[0031] like Figure 1-3As shown, the coating module 3 is located at the end of the six-axis robotic arm 12. It serves as the direct execution component for the coating action and includes a rotatable coating head 14, a support 16, a docking mechanism 17, a placement guide post 18, a temperature measurement and communication main control board 19, and a coating rod 20.

[0032] The coating head 14 is used to automatically adjust the coating posture or contact pressure according to the height change of the culture medium surface during the coating process. The coating head 14 is integrated with a temperature sensor 25 for real-time acquisition of temperature data of the coating plane or the coating head 14. The support 16 is connected to the connector 2 through the docking mechanism 17. The temperature measurement and communication main control board 19 is installed on the support 16 and electrically connected to the temperature sensor 25. One end of the coating rod 20 is installed at the end of the support 16 through the connecting shaft 15 and the adaptive spring 28. The coating head 14 is connected to the other end of the coating rod 20.

[0033] Specifically, one end of the coating rod 20 is mounted to the end of the support member 16 via a connecting shaft 15, allowing the coating rod 20 to rotate relative to the support member 16. An adaptive spring 28 connects the coating rod 20 to the connecting shaft 15, ensuring that the end of the coating rod 20 closest to the support member 16 remains in contact with the first coating head's initial contact photoelectric sensor 21. The coating head 14 is connected to the other end of the coating rod 20, and therefore can also rotate relative to it, automatically adjusting the coating posture or contact pressure according to changes in the height of the culture medium surface during the coating process.

[0034] In this embodiment, a first coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor 21 and a second coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor 23 are respectively provided on both sides of the end of the support member 16. A first trigger baffle 22 is provided at the first coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor 21, and a second trigger baffle 24 is provided at the second coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor 23. This scheme is used to detect the initial contact state between the coating head and the culture medium surface, ensuring the accuracy of the coating start position.

[0035] In a further embodiment, the docking mechanism 17 has a connection contact point 26 at one end near the connector 2.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the petri dish rotation module 6 is used to support the petri dishes and cooperate with the coating module 3 to complete the coating operation. The petri dish rotation module 6 is mounted on the support base 29, which is fixedly mounted on the mechanism mounting base 27. The petri dish rotation module 6 includes a rotary motor 7, a first photoelectric sensor 8, a second photoelectric sensor 9, and a petri dish tray 39. The rotary motor 7 is connected to the support base 29 through a motor mounting bracket 38. The petri dish tray 39 is located at the top of the support base 29 and is connected to the output end of the rotary motor 7. During operation, the rotary motor 7 can drive the petri dish tray 39 to rotate, thereby driving the petri dishes located on the petri dish tray 39 to rotate.

[0037] The first photoelectric sensor 8 and the second photoelectric sensor 9 are respectively installed on both sides of the support base 29 to determine the presence or absence of the petri dish and the petri dish cover plate. The support base 29 is provided with a tray zero-point metal induction sensor 36 and a tray zero-point trigger piece 37 near the petri dish tray 39 to realize the zero-point calibration of the position of the petri dish tray and ensure that the petri dish is in the predetermined reference position before each coating operation.

[0038] The petri dish flipping module 5 is used to clamp the petri dishes and automatically invert them after coating. Located downstream or to the side of the coating station, the petri dish flipping module 5 includes a petri dish gripper 13, a rotary gripper motor 35, and a lifting mechanism. The petri dish gripper 13 is connected to the output end of the rotary gripper motor 35 and is located outside the petri dish tray 39. The rotary gripper motor 35 is fixedly mounted on the lifting mechanism. The petri dish gripper 13 is used to hold the petri dishes, the rotary gripper motor 35 is used to drive the petri dishes to flip and achieve the inversion operation, and the lifting mechanism is used to adjust the height of the petri dishes.

[0039] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism includes a vertical drive motor 30 and a fixed plate 31. The vertical drive motor 30 is mounted on the fixed plate 31, and the fixed plate 31 is mounted on the mechanism mounting base 27. During operation, the vertical drive motor 30 drives the petri dish gripper 13 and the rotary gripper motor 35 to move up and down, thereby adjusting the height of the petri dish.

[0040] In a further embodiment, the fixing plate 31 is provided with a bottom photoelectric sensor 32, a middle photoelectric sensor 33 and a top photoelectric sensor 34 along the height direction, which are used to monitor the position of the petri dish in real time to ensure the accuracy and safety of the inversion operation.

[0041] Working principle: In practical use, the petri dish rotation module 5 first transports the petri dish to the coating operation position and zeroes its position; then the six-axis robotic arm 12 docks with the coating control module 3 to perform the coating operation on the petri dish, and the coating head 14 is heated and sterilized under the action of the sterilization module; when the temperature measuring module detects that the sterilization temperature has reached the preset threshold, the six-axis robotic arm 12 drives the coating module 3 to perform the coating operation on the surface of the culture medium, and the petri dish rotation module 5 rotates in coordination to achieve uniform coating; after the coating is completed, the six-axis robotic arm 12 resets the petri dish lid, and then the petri dish flipping module 5 clamps the petri dish and completes the inversion action.

[0042] Through the above process, the entire operation of the petri dish, from opening the lid, sterilization, coating to inverting, is fully automated.

[0043] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any limitation on the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, any minor modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated petri dish coating mechanism, characterized in that, It includes a sterilization module, a coating module (3), a petri dish flipping module (5), a petri dish rotating module (6), and a six-axis robotic arm (12). The sterilization module includes a thermal sterilization device (1) and a temperature probe (4). The thermal sterilization device (1) is used to sterilize the coating head (14) in the coating module (3) by high-temperature heating. The temperature probe (4) is used to detect the temperature in real time during the sterilization process. The coating module (3) is located at the end of the six-axis robotic arm (12). It includes a rotatable coating head (14) for automatically adjusting the coating posture or contact pressure according to the height change of the culture medium surface during the coating process. The coating head (14) is equipped with a temperature sensor (25) for real-time acquisition of temperature data of the coating plane or the coating head (14). The petri dish rotation module (6) is used to carry the petri dish and cooperate with the coating module (3) to complete the coating operation. The petri dish flipping module (5) is used to clamp the petri dish after coating and complete the automatic inversion operation.

2. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coating module (3) is installed at the end of the six-axis robotic arm (12) via a connector (2), and the other end of the six-axis robotic arm (12) is installed on the robotic arm mounting base (10), which is located on the mechanism mounting base (27). The six-axis robotic arm (12) is capable of multi-degree-of-freedom motion in three-dimensional space, used to complete the precise positioning and motion control of the coating module (3), and to perform the opening and closing operation of the petri dish lid. At the same time, it cooperates with the sterilization module to complete the heating and sterilization action of the coating head (14).

3. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The coating module (3) also includes a support (16), a docking mechanism (17), a placement guide post (18), a temperature measurement and communication main control board (19), and a coating rod (20). The support (16) is connected to the connector (2) through the docking mechanism (17). The temperature measurement and communication main control board (19) is installed inside the support (16) and electrically connected to the temperature sensor (25). One end of the coating rod (20) is installed at the end of the support (16) through a connecting shaft (15) and an adaptive spring (28). The coating head (14) is connected to the other end of the coating rod (20).

4. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The support member (16) has a first coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor (21) and a second coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor (23) on both sides of its end. The first coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor (21) has a first trigger baffle (22) and the second coating head initial contact photoelectric sensor (23) has a second trigger baffle (24).

5. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The docking mechanism (17) has a connection contact point (26) at one end near the connector (2).

6. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The petri dish rotation module (6) is mounted on a support base (29), which is fixedly mounted on a mechanism mounting base (27). The petri dish rotation module (6) includes a rotary motor (7), a first photoelectric sensor (8), a second photoelectric sensor (9), and a petri dish tray (39). The rotary motor (7) is connected to the support base (29) via a motor mounting bracket (38). The petri dish tray (39) is located at the top of the support base (29) and connected to the output end of the rotary motor (7). The first photoelectric sensor (8) and the second photoelectric sensor (9) are respectively mounted on both sides of the support base (29) and are used to determine the presence or absence of the petri dish and the petri dish cover.

7. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The support base (29) is provided with a tray zero-point metal induction sensor (36) and a tray zero-point trigger plate (37) near the petri dish tray (39).

8. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The petri dish flipping module (5) is located downstream or to the side of the coating station. It includes a petri dish gripper (13), a rotary gripper motor (35), and a lifting mechanism. The petri dish gripper (13) is connected to the output end of the rotary gripper motor (35) and is located on the outside of the petri dish tray (39). The rotary gripper motor (35) is fixedly installed on the lifting mechanism. The culture dish gripper (13) is used to hold the culture dish, the rotating gripper motor (35) is used to drive the culture dish to flip, and the lifting mechanism is used to adjust the height of the culture dish.

9. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism includes a vertical drive motor (30) and a fixed plate (31). The vertical drive motor (30) is mounted on the fixed plate (31), and the fixed plate (31) is mounted on the mechanism mounting base (27).

10. The fully automated petri dish coating mechanism as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The fixed plate (31) is provided with a bottom photoelectric sensor (32), a middle photoelectric sensor (33) and a top photoelectric sensor (34) along the height direction.

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