Biological culture medium automatic sterilization device and method

Abstract

This invention relates to an automated sterilization device and method for biological culture media, and to the technical field of biomedical equipment. It includes a support frame, a sterilization tank mounted on the support frame, an internal sterilization chamber for simultaneously sterilizing multiple culture dishes, a top cover at the top of the tank, a support shaft slidably mounted on the top cover along the height of the tank, and a support assembly for placing the culture dishes mounted on the support shaft. The support assembly includes multiple sets of receiving plates arranged longitudinally along the support shaft, with mating parts on the receiving plates. This invention solves the following problems existing in the prior art for automated sterilization of culture media: the mating parts automatically lift the dish cover during sterilization, allowing high-temperature steam to directly contact the surface of the culture media and the interior of the culture dishes. Combined with the multi-directional air supply holes of the annular pipe, the circumferentially equidistant layout of the support assembly, and the rotation function driven by the motor, the steam evenly washes the inside and outside of each culture dish.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of biomedical devices, and in particular to an automated sterilization device and method for biological culture media. Background Technology

[0002] In biological laboratories and medical production, the sterilization of biological culture media is a key step in ensuring the accuracy and sterility of subsequent culture results. Currently, the common method for sterilizing culture media is to place the entire culture dish containing the culture media into a sterilization tank and sterilize it through high-temperature saturated steam.

[0003] However, in traditional sterilization devices, residual cold air mixes with steam, creating a low-temperature steam environment in localized areas. This results in uneven temperature distribution within the sterilization chamber. When cold air accumulates around the petri dish, the sterilization temperature in that area often fails to reach the set value, causing incomplete sterilization of certain parts of the culture medium within the petri dish and severely reducing sterilization uniformity and reliability.

[0004] For example, Chinese patent CN113462569A discloses a fully automated fermenter for sterilizing and uniformly fermenting immune cell culture medium. It has a fermentation tank body for placing immune cell culture medium at the upper end of the base. The outer periphery of the fermentation tank body is equipped with a heating sleeve for heating the fermentation tank body, avoiding direct heating of the fermentation tank body. The humidity control pipe input humidity gas is controlled by a pressure valve to ensure stable humidity control throughout the process, effectively ensuring the stable sterilization and fermentation of immune cell culture medium in the fermenter.

[0005] The above-mentioned device still has some shortcomings in actual use: 1. The above device does not have an exhaust or condensate drain. If the cold air inside the tank cannot be completely exhausted during high-pressure steam sterilization, the actual sterilization temperature will be much lower than the temperature displayed on the instrument, resulting in sterilization failure. It may also cause the entire batch of cultures to be scrapped due to contamination.

[0006] 2. The above-mentioned device relies solely on external heating sleeves for indirect heat sterilization. It lacks dedicated structures for independent steam sterilization and high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization. It relies solely on heat conduction to raise the temperature, resulting in a low sterilization limit. It is difficult to achieve the high-standard high-pressure steam sterilization required for immune cell culture media, and its ability to kill spores and stubborn microorganisms is insufficient. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the issue of a time difference between the actual sterilization temperature and the temperature displayed on the instrument, this invention provides an automatic sterilization device and method for biological culture media.

[0008] On one hand, the automatic sterilization device for biological culture media includes a support frame, a sterilization tank mounted on the support frame, and a sterilization chamber inside the sterilization tank for sterilizing multiple culture dishes simultaneously. A top cover is provided at the top of the sterilization tank, and a support shaft is slidably mounted on the top cover along the height of the sterilization tank. A support assembly for placing the culture dishes is mounted on the support shaft. The support assembly includes multiple sets of receiving plates arranged longitudinally along the support shaft, each set having multiple receiving plates and equidistantly connected circumferentially along the support shaft. The receiving plates support the culture dishes, and a telescopic rod is mounted on one end of the receiving plate near the support shaft. The telescopic end of the telescopic rod is connected to a fitting for clamping the dish lid, separating the dish bottom from the lid and closing it. The sterilization tank is also equipped with an exhaust assembly for discharging cold air and an air supply assembly for introducing hot steam into the sterilization tank.

[0009] Preferably, the receiving plate has multiple placement slots equidistantly spaced along its length, and suction cups for fixing the bottom of the dish are installed in the placement slots.

[0010] Preferably, the mating component includes a mating plate, which is disposed above the receiving plate and connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic rod. The mating plate has multiple through slots corresponding to the placement slots. The bottom of the mating plate is symmetrically provided with movable clamping plates and fixed clamping plates on both sides of the through slots along its length direction. The movable clamping plate and the fixed clamping plate have grooves adapted to the culture dish on the opposite side.

[0011] Preferably, a connecting rod is slidably mounted on the bottom of the mating plate via a first spring, and multiple movable clamping plates are connected to the connecting rod; a triangular block is mounted on the receiving plate, and an inclined surface that abuts against the triangular block is opened at the end of the connecting rod near the support shaft.

[0012] Preferably, multiple sets of support rings are slidably sleeved on the outside of the support shaft. Each support ring is located below the corresponding receiving plate. The mating plate is connected to the support rings through a connecting rod. The multiple support rings are connected to each other through a synchronous shaft. An adjusting ring is connected to the upper end of the synchronous shaft. A docking plate is installed on the adjusting ring. A limiting ring is installed at the upper end of the sterilization tank. The limiting ring is located below the docking plate and moves in contact with the docking plate.

[0013] Preferably, electric push rods are symmetrically installed on the outside of the sterilization tank via a support platform, and a lifting plate is connected to the top cover through the support shaft. The lifting plate is connected to the telescopic end of the electric push rod.

[0014] Preferably, the bottom of the sterilization tank is designed as a cone shape to facilitate the collection of condensate, and an inverted cone block is installed at the bottom of the sterilization chamber.

[0015] Preferably, the exhaust assembly includes a primary exhaust valve disposed at the upper end of the sterilization tank and a secondary exhaust valve disposed at the lower end of the sterilization tank.

[0016] Preferably, the air supply assembly includes an annular pipe disposed at the bottom of the sterilization chamber, the annular pipe being connected to an external steam generator via a connecting pipe; the annular pipe is provided with multiple air supply holes.

[0017] On the other hand, an automated sterilization method for biological culture media includes the following steps: S1. The electric push rod drives the support shaft to lift, and the triangular block pushes the connecting rod to open the moving clamp and the fixed clamp. Then the support assembly is removed from the sterilization tank. Place the petri dish with the lid into the placement tank through the through groove and fix it in place; the support shaft falls back, the movable clamp clamps the lid and separates it from the bottom of the dish, and the top seal seals the sterilization tank. S2. Open the first-stage exhaust valve to quickly expel the air in the sterilization chamber, then close the first-stage exhaust valve and open the second-stage exhaust valve to expel the residual cold air at the bottom of the sterilization chamber. S3. Start the steam generator. High-temperature steam is evenly sent into the sterilization chamber through the ring pipe and air outlet to sterilize the petri dishes at high temperature. S4. After sterilization, raise the support shaft, loosen the plate by moving the clamp, and allow the plate to close automatically. Continue raising the support shaft, remove all the receiving plates, release the suction cups, and remove the culture dish.

[0018] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: I. This invention automatically lifts the dish lid during the sterilization process using a mating component, allowing high-temperature steam to directly contact the surface of the culture medium and the inside of the culture dish. Combined with the multi-directional air supply holes of the annular pipe, the circumferentially equidistant layout of the support components, and the rotation function driven by the motor, the steam evenly washes the inside and outside of each culture dish, eliminating sterilization dead corners.

[0019] Second, this invention employs a primary exhaust valve and a secondary exhaust valve working in tandem to first quickly exhaust the cold air from the main body of the chamber, and then remove the residual cold air layer deposited at the bottom, thereby reducing steam waste and improving temperature uniformity and pressurization efficiency.

[0020] Third, the bottom of the sterilization tank of the present invention has a conical structure, combined with an inverted conical block, which guides the condensate to collect along the tank wall to the lowest point; the convex inclined surface of the inverted conical block can prevent the airflow from directly sucking the condensate liquid surface during exhaust, thus avoiding the condensate from being drawn into the exhaust pipe or splashing back onto the petri dish, keeping the cavity dry. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[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 internal structure of the sterilization tank of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure on the support shaft of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention, showing the synchronous lifting and lowering of multiple moving clamps.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mating component of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a bottom view of the mating plate of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention that drives the support shaft to rotate.

[0029] In the diagram, 1. Support; 10. Sterilization tank; 11. Sterilization chamber; 12. Top cover; 13. Support shaft; 2. Support assembly; 20. Receiving plate; 21. Telescopic rod; 22. Mating part; 220. Mating plate; 221. Through groove; 222. Moving clamp; 223. Fixed clamp; 224. Groove; 3. Exhaust assembly; 30. Primary exhaust valve; 31. Secondary exhaust valve; 4. Air supply assembly; 40. Annular pipe; 41. Air supply hole; 50. Placement groove; 51. Suction cup; 60. Connecting rod; 61. Triangular block; 70. Support ring; 71. Connecting rod; 72. Synchronous shaft; 73. Adjusting ring; 74. Connecting plate; 75. Limiting ring; 76. Electric push rod; 77. Lifting plate; 8. Conical block; 90. Transmission plug; 91. Transmission docking groove. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following combination Figures 1-7 The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0031] This application discloses an automatic sterilization device and method for biological culture media. The invention is mainly applied in the batch sterilization process of multiple culture dishes containing biological culture media. The invention can solve the problems of incomplete exhaust of cold air in the sterilization chamber and the re-entry of bottom condensate into the chamber due to airflow. In terms of technical effect, it can also avoid the problem of incomplete sterilization caused by steam not being able to directly contact the surface of the culture medium when the dish lid is not opened in the traditional sterilization process. In particular, in the automatic lifting and closing of the dish lid, the automatic operation of opening the lid during sterilization and closing the lid after sterilization is realized, avoiding the risk of secondary contamination caused by manual opening of the lid.

[0032] Example 1: Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the automatic sterilization device for biological culture media includes a support 1 and a sterilization tank 10 mounted on the support 1. The sterilization tank 10 has a sterilization chamber 11 inside for sterilizing multiple culture dishes simultaneously, thereby completing the sterilization of a large batch of culture dishes containing biological culture media in one go. The sterilization tank 10 is provided with a top cover 12, which can be opened to allow for the placement and removal of culture dishes and to ensure the airtightness of the sterilization chamber 11 during the sterilization process.

[0033] A support shaft 13 is slidably installed on the top cover 12 along the height direction of the sterilization tank 10. A support component 2 for placing the petri dish is installed on the support shaft 13. The support shaft 13 can move up and down relative to the top cover 12 under the action of external drive, so as to send the support component 2 into or out of the sterilization chamber 11, thereby realizing convenient loading and unloading of the petri dish.

[0034] The support assembly 2 includes multiple sets of support plates 20 arranged longitudinally along the support shaft 13. Each set has multiple support plates 20 and is fixedly connected at equal intervals around the support shaft 13. The support plates 20 are used to stably support the bottom of the dish, ensuring that each culture dish remains horizontal and does not interfere with each other during sterilization. A telescopic rod 21 is installed at one end of the support plate 20 near the support shaft 13. The telescopic end of the telescopic rod 21 is connected to a mating part 22 that clamps the dish lid. The telescopic rod 21 is arranged vertically with its telescopic end facing upward. The mating part 22 has a clamping function. After the culture dish is placed on the support plate 20, the clamping function of the mating part 22 clamps the lid of the culture dish and moves it upward to remove the lid, opening the upper part of the dish bottom so that it can be sterilized in the sterilization tank 10. After the petri dishes are placed on the receiving plate 20, the top cover 12 covers the top of the sterilization tank 10, and the sterilization tank 10 is in a closed environment. After that, the lid of the dish is opened, which effectively prevents microorganisms or particulate matter in the outside air from contaminating the sterilized culture medium and ensures the sterility of the petri dishes in the subsequent storage or transfer process.

[0035] The sterilization tank 10 is also equipped with an exhaust assembly 3 to expel cold air. The exhaust assembly 3 is opened at the beginning of the air supply to quickly expel the original cold air in the sterilization chamber 11, so as to avoid the accumulation of cold air and uneven steam condensation, thereby improving the uniformity of sterilization temperature and pressurization efficiency.

[0036] The sterilization chamber 11 is also equipped with an air supply component 4 that delivers hot steam into the sterilization tank 10. The air supply component 4 continuously supplies high-temperature saturated steam into the sterilization chamber 11, so that the steam fully covers each group of culture dishes. With the support plate 20 of the support component 2 arranged circumferentially at equal intervals, the steam can circulate evenly between the culture dishes without sterilization dead corners, and finally achieve efficient and safe automatic sterilization of multiple culture dishes.

[0037] Reference Figure 2As shown, electric push rods 76 are symmetrically mounted on the outside of the sterilization tank 10 via a support platform. A support shaft 13 passes through the top cover 12 and is connected to a lifting plate 77. The lifting plate 77 is connected to the telescopic end of the electric push rods 76. The support platform provides a stable mounting base for the electric push rods 76, and the symmetrical layout ensures that the thrust of the electric push rods 76 on the lifting plate 77 is evenly distributed. When the electric push rods 76 extend and retract synchronously, the lifting plate 77 drives the support shaft 13 to slide smoothly along the height direction of the top cover 12, thereby controlling the lifting position and speed of the support assembly 2 within the sterilization chamber 11.

[0038] Reference Figure 2 As shown, the air supply assembly 4 includes an annular pipe 40 located at the bottom of the sterilization chamber 11. The annular pipe 40 is connected to an external steam generator via a connecting pipe. Multiple air supply holes 41 are provided on the annular pipe 40, evenly distributed along the circumference and vertical direction of the annular pipe 40, allowing steam to be ejected simultaneously from multiple directions. The openings of the air supply holes 41 are angled upwards towards the center and upper part of the sterilization chamber 11, preventing direct downward impact on the condensate at the bottom of the chamber and causing splashing.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the exhaust assembly 3 includes a primary exhaust valve 30 located at the upper end of the sterilization tank 10 and a secondary exhaust valve 31 located at the lower end of the sterilization tank 10. In the initial stage when the air supply assembly 4 begins to supply hot steam into the sterilization chamber 11, the primary exhaust valve 30 quickly opens and rapidly discharges a large amount of existing cold air from the top of the sterilization chamber 11 at a high flow rate, thereby establishing a positive steam pressure environment in a short time and reducing energy loss caused by the mixing of steam and cold air.

[0040] The secondary exhaust valve 31 is positioned low, adjacent to the conical condensate collection area at the bottom of the sterilization tank 10. After a certain amount of steam is introduced by the air supply component 4, most of the cold air in the sterilization chamber 11 has been discharged by the primary exhaust valve 30. However, a small amount of denser cold air may still be deposited at the bottom layer of the sterilization chamber 11 due to gravity. The primary exhaust valve 30 is too high to completely extract this bottom cold air. At this time, a small amount of exhaust is discharged through the secondary exhaust valve 31 with a small opening, specifically to slowly discharge the small amount of cold air deposited at the bottom. At the same time, because the secondary exhaust valve 31 has a small opening and is located at a low position, its suction airflow will not strongly disturb the condensate at the bottom of the tank or the liquid surface near the inverted conical block 8, thus avoiding the problem of cold air being discharged with water vapor.

[0041] The primary exhaust valve 30 and the secondary exhaust valve 31 work together. First, a large flow of primary exhaust is used to quickly complete the ventilation of the main body of the chamber. Then, a small flow of secondary exhaust is used to remove the residual cold air layer at the bottom. This ensures the removal of cold air before sterilization and reduces the risk of steam waste and condensate splashing, thereby improving the uniformity of temperature distribution and steam utilization efficiency in the sterilization chamber 11.

[0042] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the receiving plate 20 has multiple placement slots 50 evenly spaced along its length. A suction cup 51 for fixing the bottom of the dish is installed in the placement slot 50. When the culture dish is placed in the placement slot 50, the suction cup 51 forms a tight adhesion with the bottom of the culture dish, preventing the culture dish from sliding or detaching from the receiving plate 20 due to steam flow or vibration during the sterilization process.

[0043] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the mating component 22 includes a mating plate 220, which is disposed above the receiving plate 20 and connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic rod 21. The mating plate 220 has a plurality of through grooves 221 corresponding to the placement groove 50. The aperture of the through grooves 221 is larger than the outer diameter of the petri dish. When the petri dish is outside the sterilization tank 10, it is placed in the placement groove 50 through the through grooves 221.

[0044] The bottom of the mating plate 220 is symmetrically provided with a movable clamping plate 222 and a fixed clamping plate 223 on both sides of the through groove 221 along its length direction.

[0045] The movable clamp 222 and the fixed clamp 223 have a groove 224 on the opposite side to the culture dish. The outline of the groove 224 closely matches the edge curvature of the dish lid. When the culture dish is placed in the placement slot 50, the movable clamp 222 and the fixed clamp 223 will move closer to each other to clamp the dish lid. During the descent, the bottom of the dish will be separated from the dish lid to ensure that the inside of the culture dish is sterilized during the sterilization process. When the culture dish is taken out, the movable clamp 222 and the fixed clamp 223 will move away from each other, release the clamp on the dish lid, and put the dish lid back on the bottom of the dish to ensure that it is not affected by the external environment after being taken out.

[0046] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a connecting rod 60 is slidably mounted on the bottom of the mating plate 220 via a first spring. Multiple movable clamping plates 222 are connected to the connecting rod 60. One end of the first spring abuts against the mating plate 220 and the other end abuts against the connecting rod 60, providing a horizontal reset force to the connecting rod 60, so that the connecting rod 60 automatically returns to its initial position when no external force is applied. Multiple movable clamping plates 222 are connected to the connecting rod 60. When the connecting rod 60 slides, it drives all the movable clamping plates 222 to move synchronously, thereby achieving simultaneous clamping or release of multiple lids.

[0047] A triangular block 61 is installed on the receiving plate, and an inclined surface that abuts against the triangular block 61 is provided at one end of the connecting rod 60 near the support shaft 13. When the mating plate 220 descends to a predetermined height, the inclined surface at the end of the connecting rod 60 contacts the inclined surface of the triangular block 61 and slides relative to it. The inclined surface engagement converts the vertical downward movement of the mating plate 220 into the horizontal sliding of the connecting rod 60, thereby pushing the connecting rod 60 to move outward against the elastic force of the first spring. This, in turn, drives all the moving clamping plates 222 away from the corresponding fixed clamping plates 223, opening the clamping space to release the lid. When the mating plate 220 rises, the inclined surface gradually disengages from the triangular block 61, and the first spring pushes the connecting rod 60 to slide back to its original position. With the assistance of the first spring, the moving clamping plates 222 move closer to the fixed clamping plates 223 again and cooperate with the fixed clamping plates 223 to restore the clamping of the lid.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, multiple sets of support rings 70 are slidably sleeved on the outside of the support shaft 13. Each support ring 70 is located below the corresponding receiving plate 20. The mating plate 220 is connected to the support rings 70 via a connecting rod 71. The connecting rod 71 synchronously transmits the movement of the support rings 70 to the mating plate 220. The multiple support rings 70 are connected to each other via a synchronous shaft 72. The synchronous shaft 72 ensures that all support rings 70 move in perfect synchronization during lifting and lowering. An adjusting ring 73 is connected to the upper end of the synchronous shaft 72. A docking plate 74 is installed on the adjusting ring 73. A limiting ring 75 is installed at the upper end of the sterilization tank 10. The limiting ring 75 is located below the docking plate 74 and moves in contact with the docking plate 74. The docking plate 74 moves up and down with the adjusting ring 73 and is used to cooperate with the limiting ring 75 to achieve stroke control.

[0049] The docking plate 74 and the top cover 12 move in contact. When the docking plate 74 rises with the support shaft 13, it will contact the lower surface of the top cover 12 and lift the top cover 12, opening the upper opening of the sterilization tank 10.

[0050] After the docking plate 74 contacts the limiting ring 75, the docking plate 74 stops moving downward. Due to the blocking effect of the limiting ring 75, the docking plate 74, adjusting ring 73, synchronous shaft 72 and support ring 70 cannot continue to descend. However, the support shaft 13 can still slide downward relative to the support ring 70 under the action of the electric push rod 76. The support shaft 13 continues to move downward and drives the receiving plate 20 and the triangular block 61 fixed on the receiving plate 20 to continue to move downward, so that the connecting rod 60 loses the resistance of the triangular block 61.

[0051] Working principle: Preparation before placing the petri dish: In the initial state, the electric push rod 76 is fixedly connected to the lifting plate 77. The telescopic end of the electric push rod 76 extends, driving the lifting plate 77 and the support shaft 13 on it to rise until the support assembly 2 on the support shaft 13 is completely removed from the sterilizer 10. During this process, the support shaft 13 drives the receiving plate 20 to rise gradually. At this time, the telescopic rod 21 gradually retracts. Due to its own weight, the mating plate 220 will not rise with the support shaft 13. The receiving plate 20 gradually moves upward closer to the mating plate 220 until the triangular block 61 on the receiving plate 20 abuts against the inclined surface of the connecting rod 60, pushing the connecting rod 60 to slide. The first spring retracts, and the connecting rod 60 drives all the moving clamps 222 on the mating plate 220 to move synchronously, so that the moving clamps 222 gradually move away from the fixed clamps 223, and the gap between the moving clamps 222 and the fixed clamps 223 gradually increases.

[0052] As the support shaft 13 continues to rise, after the connecting rod 60 contacts the triangular block 61, the receiving plate 20 abuts against the mating plate 220. The rising action of the support shaft 13 can drive the mating plate 220 to rise synchronously. Then, the mating plate 220 drives the docking plate 74 to move upward through the synchronous cooperation of the connecting rod 71, the support ring 70, the synchronous shaft 72, and the adjusting ring 73. When the docking plate 74 moves upward and contacts the lower surface of the top cover 12, it pushes the top cover 12 upward to open the upper opening of the sterilizer 10 until all the receiving plates 20 on the support shaft 13 are removed from the sterilizer 10. At this time, the petri dish with the lid is placed in the placement groove 50 of the receiving plate 20 through the through groove 221 on the mating plate 220, and the bottom of the dish is fixed by the suction cup 51 inside the placement groove 50.

[0053] After the petri dish is placed, the sterilization tank 10 is sealed: After the petri dish is placed, the telescopic end of the electric push rod 76 retracts, causing the lifting plate 77 and its supporting shaft 13 to descend synchronously. At this time, the mating plate 220 and the receiving plate 20 descend synchronously with the supporting shaft 13, and the top cover 12 also moves down synchronously. Under the action of gravity, the telescopic rod 21 remains in the retracted state, and the mating plate 220 always remains close to the receiving plate 20. The supporting shaft 13 continues to descend until the docking plate 74 connected to the supporting shaft 13 through the adjusting ring 73 contacts the limiting ring 75. At this time, the docking plate 74 is supported by the reverse force of the limiting ring 75 and no longer descends with the supporting shaft 13. At the same time, the supporting rings 70 connected to the adjusting ring 73 through the synchronous shaft 72 also stop descending synchronously, and the mating plate 220 stops descending immediately. During this process, the top cover 12 on the docking plate 74 also moves down synchronously until the top cover 12 covers the upper opening of the sterilization tank 10, so that the sterilization tank 10 forms a sealed environment.

[0054] The lid of the petri dish inside the sterilizer 10 opens: the receiving plate 20 continues to descend along with the support shaft 13, and the telescopic rod 21 extends synchronously. The receiving plate 20 gradually moves away from the mating plate 220, and the triangular block 61 on the receiving plate 20 gradually disengages from the connecting rod 60. The connecting rod 60 loses the resisting force of the triangular block 61, and under the elastic force of the first spring, it drives the movable clamping plate 222 on the same mating plate 220 to move towards the fixed clamping plate 223. The movable clamping plate 222 and the fixed clamping plate 223 cooperate to clamp the petri dish lid. The petri dish is a common flat-lid petri dish with an upper and lower fitting structure between the bottom and the lid. Subsequently, the support shaft 13 continues to descend, causing the clamped bottom of the dish to descend along with the receiving plate 20. Relying on the fixing effect of the suction cup 51 on the bottom of the dish, the bottom of the dish and the lid are separated.

[0055] Sterilization of petri dishes in sterilization tank 10: The external steam generator is activated, and steam enters the annular pipe 40 through the connecting pipe, and then is sent into the sterilization tank 10 through the air inlet 41 on the annular pipe 40. High-temperature steam is used to sterilize the petri dishes in the sterilization chamber 11. At the same time as the sterilization operation starts, the exhaust assembly 3 is opened. First, most of the cold air in the sterilization chamber 11 is quickly discharged through the primary exhaust valve 30. Then, the primary exhaust valve 30 is closed, and the secondary exhaust valve 31 is opened to slowly discharge the small amount of cold air deposited at the bottom of the sterilization chamber 11 until the temperature in the sterilization chamber 11 reaches the preset sterilization standard, and the sterilization process begins.

[0056] The bottom and lid of the petri dish inside the sterilization tank 10 are closed: After sterilization, the telescopic end of the electric push rod 76 is extended again, driving the lifting plate 77 and its supporting shaft 13 to rise, repeating the above lifting action. The triangular block 61 on the receiving plate 20 abuts against the inclined surface of the connecting rod 60 again, pushing the connecting rod 60 to slide and compress the first spring, causing the moving clamp 222 to gradually move away from the fixed clamp 223. The clamping gap between the moving clamp 222 and the fixed clamp 223 increases, releasing the clamping limit on the petri dish lid. The petri dish lid and the bottom of the petri dish, which rises with the supporting shaft 13, automatically connect and close, preventing external contaminants from entering the petri dish when it is removed, and ensuring the cleanliness of the petri dish after sterilization.

[0057] Sterilization tank 10 is opened and support assembly 2 is removed from sterilization tank 10: The telescopic end of electric push rod 76 continues to extend, support shaft 13 continues to rise and repeat the aforementioned action, support shaft 13 drives docking plate 74 to abut against top cover 12 to open upper port of sterilization tank 10 until all receiving plates 20 are fully extended from sterilization tank 10, then suction cup 51 releases the fixation of the bottom of the dish, and the closed culture dish can be taken out.

[0058] Reference Figure 2As shown, the bottom of the sterilization tank 10 is designed in a conical shape to facilitate the collection of condensate. This allows the condensate generated during the high-temperature steam sterilization process to automatically flow along the tank wall to the lowest point under gravity, facilitating its centralized discharge and preventing accumulation inside the tank. This reduces the risk of condensate soaking the culture medium and maintains a dry environment within the sterilization chamber 11. Furthermore, an inverted conical block 8 is installed at the bottom of the sterilization chamber 11. The inverted conical block 8, with its convex arc surface, blocks the straight path between the condensate liquid surface and the exhaust port, preventing the negative pressure generated by airflow from drawing up the condensate collected at the bottom of the tank and carrying it into the exhaust pipe. The inclined surface of the inverted conical block 8 also causes the airflow to smoothly change direction along the conical surface during flow, avoiding the generation of local eddies or splashes. This ensures that the condensate remains at the lowest point of the tank, waiting for subsequent centralized discharge. This protects the exhaust assembly 3 from moisture corrosion and prevents the condensate from being re-drawn into the chamber and contaminating the culture dishes or affecting the sterilization effect.

[0059] Example 2: Based on Example 1.

[0060] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, a motor is embedded in the conical block 8, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to a transmission plug 90. The bottom of the support shaft 13 has a transmission docking groove 91 that can be inserted into the transmission plug 90. When the support shaft 13 is lowered to the set position by the electric push rod 76, the transmission plug 90 is inserted into the transmission docking groove 91 to form a circumferential transmission connection. At this time, the motor starts and drives the support shaft 13 to rotate through the transmission plug 90. The support shaft 13 then drives the support ring 70, the receiving plate 20, the mating plate 220 and all the petri dishes to rotate synchronously around the axis of the support shaft 13. During the sterilization process, the petri dishes rotate slowly with the support assembly 2 so that the hot steam can evenly spray the inner and outer surfaces of each petri dish from different angles, avoiding the fixed steam flow direction that leads to incomplete local sterilization.

[0061] This equipment uses high-temperature steam sterilization to achieve aseptic treatment of petri dishes. Combined with mechanical automatic lid opening and closing, layered exhaust and temperature control processes, it realizes automated and airtight sterilization of petri dishes. The specific sterilization method is as follows: 1. The lifting plate 77 and the support shaft 13 are lifted as a whole by the electric push rod 76. The mechanical cooperation of the receiving plate 20, the triangular block 61 and the connecting rod 60 is used to compress the spring to open the gap between the moving clamp 222 and the fixed clamp 223, and at the same time, the support assembly 2 is moved out of the sterilization tank 10.

[0062] The covered petri dish is placed into the placement tank 50 through the through groove 221. The bottom of the dish is fixed by the suction cup 51. The equipment then falls back to its original position, automatically clamps the dish lid and drives the dish lid to completely separate from the bottom of the dish. Finally, the top opening of the sterilization tank 10 is sealed by the top sealing cap 12 to form a closed sterilization chamber 11.

[0063] 2. Before sterilization, turn on the exhaust assembly 3 and use a staged exhaust method to remove the cold air in the sterilization chamber 11 to avoid the cold air affecting the sterilization effect. First, open the first-stage exhaust valve 30 to quickly remove most of the air in the chamber, then close the first-stage exhaust valve 30 and open the second-stage exhaust valve 31 to slowly remove the residual cold air deposited at the bottom of the chamber until the temperature in the chamber reaches the standard, thus completing the pre-sterilization treatment.

[0064] 3. Start the external steam generator. High-temperature steam is introduced into the annular pipe 40 through the connecting pipe and evenly sent into the sterilization chamber 11 of the sealed sterilization tank 10 through the air supply hole 41. The high-temperature steam is used to perform all-round high-temperature sterilization and disinfection on the separated petri dishes, thoroughly removing microorganisms, bacteria and other contaminants from the surface of the petri dishes, thus completing the core sterilization process.

[0065] 4. After sterilization, the support shaft 13 is raised again by the electric push rod 76, releasing the clamping limit of the moving clamp 222 and the fixed clamp 223 on the petri dish lid, so that the petri dish lid and the bottom of the sterilized petri dish can automatically and accurately connect and close. Then, the support shaft 13 takes all the receiving plates 20 out of the sterilization tank 10. Then, the suction cup 51 releases the petri dish and fixes it, making it easy to take out the petri dish with the lid closed. This isolates the petri dish from the outside air and contaminants, effectively preventing secondary contamination of the sterilized petri dish and ensuring the cleanliness of the sterilized petri dish.

[0066] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0067] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-limiting in all respects.

[0068] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An automatic sterilization device for biological culture media, comprising a support (1) and a sterilization tank (10) disposed on the support (1), characterized in that: The sterilizer (10) has a sterilization chamber (11) for sterilizing multiple petri dishes at the same time. The sterilizer (10) has a top cover (12) at the top end. A support shaft (13) is slidably installed on the top cover (12) along the height direction of the sterilizer (10). A support component (2) for placing the petri dishes is installed on the support shaft (13). The support assembly (2) includes multiple sets of support plates (20) arranged longitudinally along the support shaft (13). Each set has multiple support plates (20) and they are fixedly connected at equal intervals along the circumference of the support shaft (13). The support plates (20) are used to support the culture dish. A telescopic rod (21) is installed at one end of the support plate (20) near the support shaft (13). The telescopic end of the telescopic rod (21) is connected to a fitting (22) for clamping the dish lid, separating the dish bottom from the dish lid and closing it. The sterilization tank (10) is also equipped with an exhaust assembly (3) for venting cold air and an air supply assembly (4) for sending hot steam into the sterilization tank (10).

2. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple placement slots (50) are provided at equal intervals along the length of the receiving plate (20), and suction cups (51) for fixing the bottom of the dish are installed in the placement slots (50).

3. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mating component (22) includes a mating plate (220), which is located above the receiving plate (20) and connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic rod (21). The mating plate (220) has multiple through slots (221) corresponding to the placement slot (50). The bottom of the mating plate (220) is symmetrically provided with a movable clamping plate (222) and a fixed clamping plate (223) on both sides of the through groove (221) along its length direction. The movable clamp (222) has a groove (224) on the side opposite to the fixed clamp (223) to accommodate the culture dish.

4. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 3, characterized in that: A connecting rod (60) is slidably mounted on the bottom of the mating plate (220) via a first spring, and multiple moving clamps (222) are connected to the connecting rod (60); A triangular block (61) is installed on the receiving plate (20), and a slope that abuts against the triangular block (61) is opened at one end of the connecting rod (60) near the support shaft (13).

5. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple sets of support rings (70) are slidably sleeved on the outside of the support shaft (13). Each support ring (70) is located below the corresponding receiving plate (20). The mating plate (220) is connected to the support ring (70) through the connecting rod (71). Multiple support rings (70) are connected to each other through the synchronous shaft (72). The upper end of the synchronous shaft (72) is connected to the adjusting ring (73). The adjusting ring (73) is equipped with the docking plate (74). The upper end of the sterilization tank (10) is equipped with a limiting ring (75). The limiting ring (75) is located below the docking plate (74). The limiting ring (75) and the docking plate (74) are in contact.

6. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 1, characterized in that: Electric push rods (76) are symmetrically installed on the outside of the sterilization tank (10) via a support platform. The support shaft (13) passes through the top cover (12) and is connected to a lifting plate (77). The lifting plate (77) is connected to the telescopic end of the electric push rod (76).

7. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the sterilization tank (10) is set in a cone shape to facilitate the collection of condensate, and an inverted cone block (8) is installed at the bottom of the sterilization chamber (11).

8. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exhaust assembly (3) includes a primary exhaust valve (30) located at the upper end of the sterilization tank (10) and a secondary exhaust valve (31) located at the lower end of the sterilization tank (10).

9. The automatic sterilization device for biological culture medium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply assembly (4) includes an annular pipe (40) located at the bottom of the sterilization chamber (11), and the annular pipe (40) is connected to an external steam generator via a connecting pipe; Multiple air inlets (41) are provided on the annular pipe (40).

10. A method for automatically sterilizing biological culture media using the automatic sterilization device for biological culture media as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The electric push rod (76) drives the support shaft (13) to lift, and the triangular block (61) pushes the connecting rod (60) to open the moving clamp (222) and the fixed clamp (223). Then the support assembly (2) is removed from the sterilization tank (10). The petri dish with the lid is placed into the placement groove (50) through the through groove (221) and fixed; the support shaft (13) falls back, the movable clamp (222) clamps the lid and separates it from the bottom of the dish, and the top seal (12) seals the sterilization tank (10). S2. Open the first-level exhaust valve (30) to quickly exhaust the air in the sterilization chamber (11), then close the first-level exhaust valve (30) and open the second-level exhaust valve (31) to exhaust the residual cold air at the bottom of the sterilization chamber (11); S3. Start the steam generator. High-temperature steam is evenly sent into the sterilization chamber (11) through the ring pipe (40) and air supply hole (41) to sterilize the petri dish at high temperature. S4. After sterilization, raise the support shaft (13), loosen the dish lid with the moving clamp (222), and make the dish lid close automatically; continue to raise the support shaft (13), remove all the receiving plates (20), release the suction cup (51) from the fixation, and take out the culture dish.

Images