Multifunctional agar pouring bottle

Abstract

The application discloses a multifunctional agar pouring bottle, and relates to the technical field of laboratory equipment, comprising a storage bottle, a support, a temperature control sleeve, a pH probe, a temperature sensor, a quantitative pouring device, a magnetic stirring assembly and a gravity ball; the storage bottle is arranged on the support and can move up and down relative to the support; the pH probe is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the storage bottle and located close to the bottom, can measure the pH value of agar medium in the storage bottle, and is made of high-temperature and high-pressure resistant material and can be sterilized together with the storage bottle; the application integrates seven functions of storage, heating, refrigeration, stirring, quantitative pouring, pH sterile measurement and high adjustment, and can complete the whole process operation of agar medium from preparation, sterilization, constant temperature, pH detection to quantitative pouring by using one device, and is perfect in function and high in practicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laboratory equipment technology, specifically to a multifunctional agar pouring bottle. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as biology, medicine, food, and environmental monitoring, it is often necessary to pour agar medium at a specific temperature into petri dishes containing bacterial samples, mix thoroughly, and then incubate for testing, or to mix working bacterial suspensions with culture medium before subsequent experiments. Temperature control of the agar medium, the accuracy of quantitative pouring, and the accuracy of pH measurement are three key factors affecting the success or failure of experiments.

[0003] The pouring temperature of agar medium is a critical parameter in experiments. Excessive temperature leads to prolonged solidification time, resulting in excessive condensation on the petri dish lid, which is detrimental to subsequent colony observation and counting. More seriously, when the temperature exceeds the optimal range, bacterial proteins denature, causing cell function loss or even death. Conversely, excessively low temperature may cause partial solidification of the medium during pouring, affecting the uniform mixing of the medium and bacterial sample, thus impacting the accuracy of experimental results.

[0004] Currently, the conventional method for maintaining agar medium at a constant temperature is to place the Erlenmeyer flasks containing the medium in a water bath set to a predetermined temperature, and then remove them from the water bath when needed. This method has the following drawbacks: First, if a high-temperature medium is placed in a slightly lower-temperature water bath, the medium may experience uneven temperature distribution or even premature solidification, requiring manual cooling. Second, water baths are relatively large and inconvenient to move into a clean bench; the medium temperature can easily change during the transfer process. Third, water baths rely on water for heat transfer; when Erlenmeyer flasks containing agar medium are placed in the water bath and then removed, the outer wall of the flask is easily contaminated by the water from the bath, which can contaminate experimental samples when the medium is poured out.

[0005] There are two main existing methods for pouring agar into petri dishes: one is for operators to pour about 15-20 mL of agar culture medium according to experience. This method results in a large variation in the amount of agar in each petri dish, affecting the repeatability and comparability of the experiment; the other is to use a pipette to quantitatively aspirate the agar before pouring it. This method is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the pipette tip has a small orifice, making it easy for the agar culture medium to solidify and clog during aspiration, which makes it difficult to achieve rapid and stable quantitative pouring.

[0006] The pH value of a culture medium is a crucial indicator of its quality. Culture media can be categorized into liquid and solid media based on their form. Liquid media can be measured using a standard liquid pH electrode, while solid media require a flat-tipped electrode designed for gel surfaces. Regardless of the electrode used, calibration is necessary before measuring the pH of a culture medium. After measurement, the bottle of medium is opened and at risk of microbial contamination, rendering it unusable for subsequent aseptic experiments. Therefore, finding a simple and rapid method to measure the pH of culture media under aseptic conditions, while ensuring the media remains usable after measurement, is a pressing technical challenge in this field.

[0007] A search revealed Chinese invention patent CN106622439A, which discloses a "quantitative constant-temperature agar pourer." The pourer has a constant-temperature water bath on the left and a control box on the right. The water bath has an outer insulation layer and a heating plate at the bottom for water-insulated heating of the agar in the storage bottle. The storage bottle contains a return spring, plunger, one-way valve, and metering valve to quantitatively pour the agar into the petri dish. The control box on the right controls the temperature of the constant-temperature water bath via a temperature sensor and is powered by a battery. This device can store agar and maintain it at a constant temperature, can be moved to a sterile workbench for use, and enables quantitative pouring.

[0008] However, the existing technology still has the following shortcomings: First, the device does not have a pH measurement function for culture media, and cannot meet the online monitoring requirements for culture media quality control; second, the device does not have a culture media stirring function, and cannot achieve rapid mixing during culture media preparation or pH adjustment; third, the device uses a water-insulated heating method, the control box is large, and the overall structure is not compact enough; fourth, the sample dispensing platform of the device is high and fixed, and the culture media is easy to spill when tilted; fifth, the device only has a heating function and cannot rapidly cool down overheated culture media.

[0009] In summary, the existing technology lacks a multifunctional integrated device that can simultaneously achieve constant temperature maintenance (including heating and cooling), quantitative pouring, pH measurement under aseptic conditions, and culture medium stirring. Moreover, existing devices generally suffer from drawbacks such as large size, inconvenient operation, and limited functionality. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a multifunctional agar pouring bottle to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: a multifunctional agar pouring bottle, comprising a storage bottle, a support, a temperature control sleeve, a pH probe, a temperature sensor, a quantitative pouring device, a magnetic stirring assembly, and a gravity ball; The storage bottle is mounted on a support, and the storage bottle can move up and down relative to the support. The pH probe is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the storage bottle and near the bottom. It can measure the pH value of the agar medium in the storage bottle. The pH probe is made of high temperature and high pressure resistant material and can be sterilized together with the storage bottle. The temperature sensor is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the storage bottle and near the bottom, and can measure the temperature of the agar culture medium inside the storage bottle. The temperature control sleeve is wrapped around the body of the storage bottle and can heat or cool the agar culture medium inside the storage bottle. The quantitative pouring device is fixedly installed at the mouth of the storage bottle and connects the inside and outside of the storage bottle, enabling it to quantitatively pour the agar culture medium inside the storage bottle into the petri dish according to a preset volume. The magnetic stirring assembly includes a magnetic rotor and a magnetic stirring power device. The magnetic rotor is located at the center of the bottom inside the storage bottle, and the magnetic stirring power device is located at the bottom outside the storage bottle. The magnetic stirring power device can drive the magnetic rotor to rotate, thereby stirring the agar culture medium. The gravity ball is located inside the storage bottle and is connected to the inlet of the metering pouring device via a hose.

[0012] Preferably, the temperature control sleeve is a flexible composite sleeve, which includes, from the inside out, a thermally conductive insulating layer, a core heating / cooling layer, and a heat insulation layer; the core heating / cooling layer is a semiconductor refrigeration chip.

[0013] Preferably, the pH probe is a pre-calibrated, calibration-free probe. The storage bottle has a mounting hole, through which the pH probe is inserted and installed, and the mounting hole is sealed. The temperature sensor is installed in the same way as the pH probe.

[0014] Preferably, the support includes a base, a sample loading platform, and a pair of uprights; the sample loading platform is located on the right side of the base; the pair of uprights are fixedly located on the left side of the base, and the uprights are provided with vertical grooves. The side wall of the storage bottle is provided with a slider, which is slidably connected to the groove. The slider is provided with a bolt, and tightening the bolt can fix the slider and the uprights.

[0015] Preferably, the metering device includes an outer tube, a stopper cap, a plunger, a return spring, and a metering knob. The stopper cap is located at the mouth of the storage bottle and has a vent hole. The outer tube is fixedly located at the center of the stopper cap. The plunger is vertically slidably located inside the outer tube. The lower end of the outer tube has an inlet pipe connected to the end of the flexible tube away from the gravity ball. The inlet pipe has a second one-way valve that allows liquid to flow only into the outer tube. The return spring is located at the lower end of the plunger. The upper end of the plunger is connected to an outlet pipe. The plunger has a first one-way valve that allows liquid to flow only into the outlet pipe. The metering knob is screwed onto the plunger, and the plunger has a scale.

[0016] Preferably, a filter membrane is provided inside the vent hole.

[0017] Preferably, the outer wall of the temperature control sleeve is provided with a display screen and an operation panel; the temperature sensor, pH probe, magnetic stirring power device, and temperature control sleeve are electrically connected to the operation panel and the display screen, and the magnetic stirring power device has an internal power supply or can be connected to an external power supply.

[0018] Preferably, the temperature control sleeve has a graduated viewing window.

[0019] Preferably, the temperature control sleeve is detachably connected to the storage bottle, and the magnetic stirring power device is detachably connected to the storage bottle, allowing the storage bottle to be cleaned independently or sterilized under high temperature and high pressure.

[0020] This invention provides a multifunctional agar pouring bottle, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention involves installing a high-temperature and high-pressure resistant pH probe on the inner wall of a storage bottle. This probe can be sterilized along with the storage bottle using high temperature and high pressure. After sterilization, in a completely closed aseptic environment, the pH probe can measure the pH value of the culture medium in real time, and the measurement result can be directly read through the display screen. Throughout the entire measurement process, the culture medium has zero contact with the external environment, eliminating any risk of contamination. Therefore, the culture medium can still be used for subsequent aseptic experiments after the measurement is completed. 2. This invention integrates a temperature control sleeve around the storage bottle, which, together with a temperature sensor and a closed-loop control circuit, enables precise heating or cooling of the culture medium. Compared to existing technologies that can only heat and rely on a water bath for insulation, this invention can rapidly cool overheated culture medium to the set temperature, and also heat underheated culture medium, ensuring that the culture medium is always within the optimal pouring temperature range. 3. The present invention has a magnetic rotor at the bottom of the storage bottle, which, together with an external magnetic stirring power device, can accelerate the dissolution of powder when preparing culture medium and make the acid-base regulator disperse quickly and evenly when adjusting the pH value; 4. The support of the present invention is equipped with a vertical groove and a slider, and the vertical distance between the liquid outlet tube and the sample application stage can be adjusted. During operation, the height of the liquid outlet tube is adjusted according to the height of the stacked culture dishes, so as to be close to the upper edge of the culture dishes to avoid spillage outside the surface during pouring; 5. This invention integrates seven functions, including storage, heating, cooling, stirring, quantitative pouring, aseptic pH measurement, and height adjustment, changing the cumbersome traditional experimental process that requires the use of multiple independent devices such as water baths, pipettes, pH meters, glass rods, and Erlenmeyer flasks. One device can complete the entire process of agar culture medium from preparation, sterilization, constant temperature, pH testing to quantitative pouring. It has complete functions and strong practicality. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a left sectional view of a multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a left view of a multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a front view of a multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Base; 2. Column; 3. Gravity ball; 4. Temperature sensor; 5. Mounting hole; 6. Hoses; 7. Slide groove; 8. Second check valve; 9. Bolt; 10. Outer tube; 11. Vent; 12. First check valve; 13. Plunger; 14. Discharge tube; 15. Metering knob; 16. Cap; 17. Return spring; 18. Slider; 19. Inlet tube; 20. Thermally conductive insulation layer; 21. Core heating / cooling layer; 22. Insulation layer; 23. Storage bottle; 24. pH probe; 25. Magnetic rotor; 26. Magnetic stirring power unit; 27. Sample dispensing stage; 28. Scale viewing window; 29. ​​Operation panel; 30. Display screen. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] The present invention will now be described in detail through specific embodiments, as follows: According to the instruction manual Figures 1-3 As can be seen, the present invention provides a multifunctional agar pouring bottle, which includes a storage bottle 23, a support, a temperature control sleeve, a pH probe 24, a temperature sensor 4, a quantitative pouring device, a magnetic stirring assembly, and a gravity ball 3.

[0025] Storage bottle 23, used to store agar culture medium, is mounted on a support. Storage bottle 23 is made of borosilicate glass. The support includes a base 1, a sample loading platform 27, and a pair of columns 2. The sample loading platform 27 is located on the right side of the base 1; the pair of columns 2 are fixedly mounted on the left side of the base 1. Each column 2 has a vertical groove 7. A slider 18 is provided on the side wall of storage bottle 23, and the slider 18 is slidably connected to the groove 7, thereby adjusting the height of storage bottle 23. During operation, the height of the dispensing tube 14 is adjusted according to the height of the stacked culture dishes, bringing it close to the top edge of the culture dishes to prevent spillage during pouring. A bolt 9 is provided on the slider 18; after adjustment, tightening the bolt 9 secures the slider 18 and the columns 2, making operation convenient.

[0026] The pH probe 24 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the storage bottle 23 near the bottom, and can measure the pH value of the agar culture medium inside the storage bottle 23. Specifically, the storage bottle 23 has a mounting hole 5. The pH probe 24 is inserted into the mounting hole 5 and sealed. The sealing material is high-temperature and high-pressure resistant fluoropolymer. The mounting hole 5 can be fitted with a threaded metal sleeve, with sealing gaskets inside and outside. The pH probe 24 is inserted into the metal sleeve and installed by screwing on a nut, and sealed by an O-ring or ferrule. The pH probe 24 is made of high-temperature and high-pressure resistant material and can be sterilized at 130℃-150℃ and 1.5MPa. Conventional laboratories generally use high-temperature and high-pressure conditions of 115℃ or 121℃ and 0.15MPa for 10-30 minutes to achieve sterilization. It can be sterilized together with the storage bottle 23. Specifically, the core sensitive measuring element of the pH probe 24 is high borosilicate / aluminosilicate glass, and the electrode rod housing is made of 316 stainless steel or titanium alloy pressure-resistant and corrosion-resistant material. The pH probe 24 is a pre-calibrated, calibration-free probe. After sterilization, the pH probe 24 can measure the pH value of the culture medium in real time under a completely closed aseptic environment, and the measurement result can be directly read from the display screen 30. Throughout the measurement process, the culture medium has zero contact with the external environment, eliminating any risk of contamination. Therefore, the culture medium can still be used for subsequent aseptic experiments after the measurement is completed.

[0027] Temperature sensor 4 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of storage bottle 23 near the bottom, and can measure the temperature of the agar medium inside storage bottle 23. Temperature sensor 4 is installed in the same way as pH probe 24.

[0028] The temperature control sleeve, wrapped around the storage bottle 23, can heat or cool the agar culture medium inside the storage bottle 23. Specifically, the temperature control sleeve is a flexible composite sleeve, consisting of a thermally conductive insulating layer 20, a core heating / cooling layer 21, and a heat insulation layer 22 from the inside out. The core heating / cooling layer 21 is a semiconductor cooling chip, with a core of bismuth telluride thermoelectric material encapsulated in an alumina / aluminum nitride ceramic substrate. The thermally conductive insulating layer 20 can be made of materials such as a silicone thermal pad, and the heat insulation layer 22 is a glass fiber / silicone composite material. The temperature control sleeve is removable for easy cleaning and sterilization. Positions for the temperature sensor 4 and pH probe 24 are provided during installation. The temperature sensor 4 and pH probe 24 are connected by a plug-in electrical connection, which does not affect the removal of the temperature control sleeve. The temperature control sleeve, in conjunction with the temperature sensor 4 and a closed-loop control circuit, can achieve precise heating or cooling of the culture medium, or it can automatically control heating or cooling by setting a temperature. Compared to existing technologies that can only heat and rely on water baths for heat preservation, this invention can both rapidly cool overheated culture media to a set temperature and heat underheated culture media, ensuring that the culture media is always within the optimal pouring temperature range.

[0029] In addition, the outer wall of the temperature control sleeve is equipped with a display screen 30 and an operation panel 29. The temperature sensor 4, pH probe 24, magnetic stirring power unit 26, and temperature control sleeve are electrically connected to the operation panel 29 and display screen 30. The magnetic stirring power unit 26 has an internal power supply, such as a rechargeable battery, for convenient pouring of agar medium. The display screen 30 can display the pH value, set temperature, real-time temperature, stirring speed of the magnetic rotor 25, and stirring time. The operation panel 29 includes a mode switch key, an increase key, a decrease key, a stirring switch button, and a temperature control sleeve switch button. The increase and decrease keys on the operation panel 29 can be used to adjust the set temperature value, stirring speed of the magnetic rotor 25, and stirring time. A graduated viewing window 28 can also be provided on the temperature control sleeve to facilitate observation of the remaining agar medium in the storage bottle 23.

[0030] A quantitative pouring device is fixedly installed at the mouth of the storage bottle 23 and connects the inside and outside of the storage bottle 23. It can quantitatively pour the agar culture medium inside the storage bottle 23 into the petri dish according to a preset volume. Specifically, the quantitative pouring device includes an outer tube 10, a stopper 16, a plunger 13, a return spring 17, and a quantitative knob 15. The stopper 16 is located at the mouth of the storage bottle 23 and has a vent 11. A filter membrane is installed inside the vent 11 to filter microorganisms from the air. The outer tube 10 is fixedly installed at the center of the stopper 16. The plunger 13 is vertically slidable inside the outer tube 10. An inlet tube 19 is provided at the lower end of the outer tube 10, and the inlet tube 19 is connected to the flexible tube 6. The end away from the gravity ball 3 is connected to a second one-way valve 8 inside the inlet pipe 19, which allows liquid to flow only into the outer pipe 10. A return spring 17 is located at the lower end of the plunger 13, and the upper end of the plunger 13 is connected to an outlet pipe 14. A first one-way valve 12 inside the plunger 13 allows liquid to flow only into the outlet pipe 14. A metering knob 15 is screwed onto the plunger 13, and the plunger 13 has a scale. In use, the metering knob 15 can be turned to the desired scale by rotation and then pressed down. The metering knob 15 can also be a metering valve. The metering pouring device is existing technology and will not be described in detail.

[0031] The magnetic stirring assembly includes a magnetic rotor 25 and a magnetic stirring power unit 26. The magnetic rotor 25 is located at the center of the bottom inside the storage bottle 23, and the magnetic stirring power unit 26 is located at the bottom outside the storage bottle 23. The magnetic stirring power unit 26 drives the magnetic rotor 25 to rotate, thereby stirring the agar culture medium. This can accelerate the dissolution of powders when preparing the culture medium and ensure the rapid and uniform dispersion of acid-base adjusters when adjusting the pH value. The magnetic stirring power unit 26 is detachably connected to the storage bottle 23, which can be achieved by interference fit or snap-fit ​​installation. Disassembly facilitates subsequent cleaning and sterilization.

[0032] The gravity ball 3 is located inside the storage bottle 23 and is connected to the inlet of the quantitative pouring device via the hose 6, i.e., connected to the lower end of the liquid inlet pipe 19. The gravity ball 3 has a hole that can communicate with the hose 6. When the operator shakes the storage bottle 23, the gravity ball 3 can move to any position at the bottom of the storage bottle 23, thereby discharging all the agar culture medium and avoiding waste.

[0033] This invention integrates seven functions, including storage, heating, cooling, stirring, quantitative pouring, aseptic pH measurement, and height adjustment, changing the cumbersome traditional experimental process that requires the use of multiple independent devices such as water baths, pipettes, pH meters, glass rods, and Erlenmeyer flasks. A single device can complete the entire process of agar culture medium from preparation, sterilization, temperature control, pH measurement, and quantitative pouring. It is feature-rich and highly practical.

[0034] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle, characterized in that, Includes storage bottle (23), bracket, temperature control sleeve, pH probe (24), temperature sensor (4), quantitative pouring device, magnetic stirring assembly and gravity ball (3); The storage bottle (23) is mounted on the support and can move up and down relative to the support; The pH probe (24) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the storage bottle (23) and near the bottom. It can measure the pH value of the agar medium in the storage bottle (23). The pH probe (24) is made of high temperature and high pressure resistant material and can be sterilized together with the storage bottle (23). The temperature sensor (4) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the storage bottle (23) near the bottom, and can measure the temperature of the agar medium inside the storage bottle (23); The temperature control sleeve is wrapped around the body of the storage bottle (23) and can heat or cool the agar culture medium inside the storage bottle (23); The quantitative pouring device is fixedly installed at the mouth of the storage bottle (23) and connects the inside and outside of the storage bottle (23), and can quantitatively pour the agar culture medium in the storage bottle (23) into the petri dish according to a preset volume; The magnetic stirring assembly includes a magnetic rotor (25) and a magnetic stirring power device (26). The magnetic rotor (25) is located at the center of the bottom inside the storage bottle (23), and the magnetic stirring power device (26) is located at the bottom outside the storage bottle (23). The magnetic stirring power device (26) can drive the magnetic rotor (25) to rotate, thereby stirring the agar medium. The gravity ball (3) is located inside the storage bottle (23) and is connected to the inlet of the metering pouring device via a hose (6).

2. The multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control sleeve is a flexible composite sleeve, which includes a thermally conductive insulating layer (20), a core heating / cooling layer (21) and a heat insulation layer (22) from the inside out; the core heating / cooling layer (21) is a semiconductor cooling chip.

3. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pH probe (24) is a calibration-free probe that has been calibrated before leaving the factory. The storage bottle (23) has a mounting hole (5) on its body. The pH probe (24) is inserted and installed through the mounting hole (5), and the mounting hole (5) is sealed. The temperature sensor (4) is installed in the same way as the pH probe (24).

4. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support includes a base (1), a sample loading platform (27), and a pair of columns (2); the sample loading platform (27) is located on the right side of the base (1); the pair of columns (2) are fixedly located on the left side of the base (1), and the columns (2) are provided with vertical grooves (7); the side wall of the storage bottle (23) is provided with a slider (18), the slider (18) is slidably connected to the groove (7), and the slider (18) is provided with a bolt (9); tightening the bolt (9) can fix the slider (18) and the column (2).

5. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metering pouring device includes an outer tube (10), a stopper (16), a plunger (13), a return spring (17), and a metering knob (15). The stopper (16) is located at the mouth of the storage bottle (23) and has a vent hole (11). The outer tube (10) is fixedly located at the center of the stopper (16). The plunger (13) is vertically slidably located inside the outer tube (10). An inlet pipe (19) is located at the lower end of the outer tube (10). The end of the hose (6) away from the gravity ball (3) is connected to the inlet pipe (19), and a second one-way valve (8) is provided in the inlet pipe (19) that can only allow liquid to enter the outer pipe (10). The return spring (17) is provided at the lower end of the plunger (13). The upper end of the plunger (13) is connected to the outlet pipe (14). A first one-way valve (12) is provided in the plunger (13) that can only allow liquid to enter the outlet pipe (14). The quantitative knob (15) is screwed onto the plunger (13) and the plunger (13) is provided with a scale.

6. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 5, characterized in that, A filter membrane is provided inside the vent (11).

7. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the temperature control sleeve is provided with a display screen (30) and an operation panel (29); the temperature sensor (4), pH probe (24), magnetic stirring power device (26), and temperature control sleeve are electrically connected to the operation panel (29) and the display screen (30), and the magnetic stirring power device (26) is equipped with a power supply or can be connected to an external power supply.

8. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control sleeve has a graduated viewing window (28).

9. A multifunctional agar pouring bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control sleeve is detachably connected to the storage bottle (23), and the magnetic stirring power device (26) is detachably connected to the storage bottle (23). The storage bottle (23) is independently cleaned or sterilized under high temperature and high pressure.

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