Bacteria culture bottle capable of exchanging gas

Abstract

The utility model provides a bacterial culture bottle capable of exchanging gas, which comprises a bottle cap, and an integrated bottle plug on the bottle cap is meshed and connected with an opening of a bottle body through threads; an air inlet and an air outlet are formed in the bottle cap and the bottle plug, and an injection head is mounted at an opening of the air inlet; a filter element assembly is installed at an opening of the exhaust port in a threaded mode, a sealing ring and a sealing table are arranged below the filter element assembly, and the sealing table is elastically connected with a sealing head through a spring. The sealing seat and the valve plate are arranged in the exhaust port, and one end of the valve plate blocks the exhaust hole formed in the bottle plug; the filter element is externally arranged and separated from a culture solution area, liquid pollution is prevented, the T-shaped shell is in threaded connection, replacement is convenient and fast, and the pollution risk is reduced; one-way exhaust is achieved through a dual pressure induction type structure; the design of the air leakage holes improves the maintenance convenience and the function expansibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of culture bottle technology, and particularly relates to a bacterial culture bottle with exchangeable gas. Background Technology

[0002] In vitro culture of cells and tissues has become an indispensable part of life science research and practice. Culture flasks, plates, and dishes used to provide the in vitro culture environment for cells, in addition to possessing good transparency and being non-toxic and sterile, also require surface modification treatment to enable adhesion, division, and growth. As a core tool for microbial culture, culture flasks must balance aseptic environmental control and ease of operation during gas exchange.

[0003] In the prior art, Chinese utility model patent CN219099155U discloses a gas-exchangeable bacterial culture bottle, which achieves gas filtration and unidirectional emission by setting a filter element and a conical block structure in the exhaust port, thus solving the problem of pathogen leakage to a certain extent. However, this technical solution still has significant drawbacks: First, the filter element is set below the conical block and extends into the bottle body. During bacterial or viral culture, the culture medium inside the bottle can easily come into direct contact with the filter element due to shaking, agitation, or other operations, leading to liquid contamination or blockage of the filter element, affecting gas exchange efficiency and filtration effect; Second, the filter element is integrated inside the bottle stopper, requiring complete separation and disassembly of the bottle body and stopper during replacement, which is cumbersome and increases the risk of disrupting the sterile environment, making it difficult to meet the needs of high biosafety level culture scenarios.

[0004] Therefore, it is essential to invent a bacterial culture flask that allows for gas exchange. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a gas-exchangeable bacterial culture bottle, comprising a cap, a stopper, a bottle body, an air inlet, an air outlet, an injection head, a filter assembly, a sealing ring, a sealing platform, a spring, a sealing head, a sealing seat, a valve plate, and an exhaust hole. The cap features an integrally formed stopper that is threadedly connected to the opening of the bottle body. The cap and stopper have an air inlet and an exhaust hole, with an injection head installed at the opening of the air inlet. A filter assembly is threadedly installed at the opening of the exhaust hole, and a sealing ring and a sealing platform are located below the filter assembly. The sealing platform is elastically connected to the sealing head via a spring. The sealing seat and valve plate are installed inside the exhaust hole, with one end of the valve plate blocking the exhaust hole on the stopper.

[0006] Preferably, the air inlets of the bottle cap and the bottle stopper are through-holes, while the exhaust outlets are not through-holes. The opening of the exhaust outlet is a T-shaped countersunk hole, located at the bottle cap.

[0007] Preferably, the inner wall of the exhaust port opening is provided with a thread that engages with the filter element assembly. The filter element assembly includes a housing, a filter element, holes, and engaging threads. The housing is filled with a filter element, and holes are provided through its top and bottom. The outer surface of the vertical part of the housing is provided with an engaging thread that matches the exhaust port thread.

[0008] Preferably, the housing has a "T" shaped structure, with the head of the housing, i.e. the horizontal part, protruding outward toward the opening of the exhaust port, and the bottom end face of the housing in sealing contact with the sealing ring provided above the sealing platform.

[0009] Preferably, the sealing platform is equipped with a spring-loaded sealing head that allows the sealing seat's central hole to be blocked. The diameter of the sealing head is larger than the central hole of the sealing seat, but smaller than the diameter of the exhaust port.

[0010] Preferably, the sealing seat is located above the valve plate, one end of the valve plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall below the exhaust port, and the other end is located above the exhaust hole and blocks the exhaust hole, so that the exhaust hole and the exhaust port are not connected, and the bottom space of the exhaust port allows the valve plate to deform.

[0011] Preferably, a vent hole is provided between the valve plate and the sealing seat. The vent hole is located below the bottle stopper and communicates with the exhaust port. The vent hole does not interfere with the threaded connection between the bottle stopper and the bottle opening. A plugging bolt is installed in the vent hole to seal the vent hole.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] This utility model's filter element assembly is threaded onto the exhaust port opening (outside the bottle cap), located above the sealing platform and sealing ring, completely detached from the culture medium area inside the bottle. Even if the liquid inside the bottle fluctuates due to shaking or agitation, it cannot come into contact with the external filter element, fundamentally avoiding liquid clogging of the filter element or contamination of the filtration function, ensuring the long-term stability and reliability of gas exchange.

[0014] This utility model filter cartridge assembly adopts a structure in which the "T"-shaped shell and the exhaust port are threadedly engaged. When replacing it, there is no need to disassemble the connection between the bottle stopper and the bottle body. The filter cartridge can be replaced by simply unscrewing the external filter cartridge shell. This significantly simplifies the operation process, reduces the number of times the cap is opened, and reduces the risk of contamination of the sterile environment. It is especially suitable for experimental scenarios that require frequent monitoring or long-term culture.

[0015] This invention features a sealing platform that uses a spring to elastically connect the sealing head, combined with a valve plate to seal the vent hole, forming a dual "pressure-sensitive" unidirectional venting structure: when the internal gas pressure rises, the gas pushes the sealing head to compress the spring, opening the venting channel, and the gas is then discharged after being filtered by the filter element; when the gas pressure drops, the sealing head, under the spring's restoring force, seals the central hole of the sealing seat, and the valve plate simultaneously seals the vent hole, preventing backflow of external contaminants. This structure achieves unidirectional gas flow without additional power, ensuring the sterility of the culture environment.

[0016] This utility model has a vent hole at the bottom of the bottle stopper that communicates with the exhaust port. Normally, it is sealed with a plugging bolt. If it is necessary to clean the inside of the exhaust port, adjust the pressure balance, or release the trapped gas, the plugging bolt can be unscrewed without disassembling the overall structure, which further improves the maintenance convenience and functional expandability of the culture bottle. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a half-sectional structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a utility model Figure 2 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure at point A.

[0021] In the picture:

[0022] 1. Bottle cap, 2. Bottle stopper, 3. Air inlet, 4. Air outlet, 5. Injection head, 6. Filter element assembly, 7. Housing, 71. Filter element, 72. Hole, 73. Engaging thread, 74. Sealing ring, 8. Sealing platform, 9. Spring, 10. Sealing head, 11. Sealing seat, 12. Valve plate, 13. Air outlet, 14. Vent hole, 15. Plug bolt, 16. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. 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 should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "both ends," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the present invention and for 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 the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the utility model, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] As attached Figure 1 To be continued Figure 4 As shown:

[0026] This utility model provides a gas-exchangeable bacterial culture bottle, comprising a cap 1, a stopper 2, a bottle body 3, an air inlet 4, an exhaust outlet 5, an injection head 6, a filter element assembly 7, a sealing ring 8, a sealing platform 9, a spring 10, a sealing head 11, a sealing seat 12, a valve plate 13, and an exhaust hole 14. The cap 1 has an integral stopper 2 connected to the opening of the bottle body 3 by threads. The cap 1 and the stopper 2 have an air inlet 4 and an exhaust outlet 5, respectively. An injection head 6 is installed at the opening of the air inlet 4. The exhaust outlet 5 has a filter element assembly 7 threadedly installed at the opening. The filter element assembly 7 has a sealing ring 8 and a sealing platform 9 below it. The sealing platform 9 is elastically connected to the sealing head 11 by a spring 10. The sealing seat 12 and the valve plate 13 are installed inside the exhaust outlet 5, wherein one end of the valve plate 13 blocks the exhaust hole 14 of the stopper 2.

[0027] Furthermore, the air inlet 4 provided on the bottle cap 1 and the bottle stopper 2 is a through opening, forming a vertical channel through the bottle cap 1 and the bottle stopper 2, which is used to connect an external gas supply device (such as a sterile gas circuit or syringe). The injection head 6 installed at the opening is a suitable Luer connector or standard threaded interface, which facilitates aseptic operation. The exhaust port 5 is designed as a non-through T-shaped countersunk hole, and the horizontal part of the exhaust port 5 is only located in the top area of ​​the bottle cap 1.

[0028] Furthermore, the inner wall of the exhaust port 5 is machined with standard fine threads, which precisely match the meshing threads 74 of the filter element assembly 7. The filter element assembly 7 includes a "T"-shaped housing 71, a hydrophobic PTFE filter element 72, a through hole 73 at the top and bottom, and a meshing thread 74 on the outside. The horizontal part of the housing 71 protrudes outward to form an operating flange, which is convenient for tightening or disassembling by hand. The inner wall of the vertical part is smooth. The filter element 72 filled inside is fixed by hot melt adhesive, which can effectively block microbial particles while allowing gas to pass freely. The edges of the bottom hole 73 are rounded to protect the filter membrane.

[0029] Furthermore, the diameter of the "T"-shaped horizontal part of the housing 71 is larger than the diameter of the horizontal part of the exhaust port 5. During installation, the vertical part is screwed into the threaded hole of the exhaust port 5 until the bottom end face is tightly fitted with the silicone rubber sealing ring 8 above the sealing platform 9. The sealing platform 9 is an annular protrusion structure, integrally formed with the bottle stopper 2, and an annular groove is opened on the top to fix the sealing ring 8. The elastic deformation of silicone is used to achieve a leak-free seal between the filter element assembly 7 and the exhaust port 5, ensuring that all exhaust gas is filtered by the filter element 72.

[0030] Furthermore, the sealing platform 9 is elastically connected to the cylindrical sealing head 11 (made of polyoxymethylene POM) via a stainless steel spring 10. The sealing seat 12 has a circular structure and is fixed to the inner wall of the exhaust port 5. The diameter of the sealing head 11 is larger than the central hole of the sealing seat 12 and smaller than the inner diameter of the exhaust port 5. In the initial state, the central hole of the sealing seat 12 is blocked under the action of the spring force, thus blocking the exhaust channel. When the gas pressure inside the bottle rises to 1.2 atmospheres, the gas pushes the sealing head 11 to compress the spring 10 and move it upward, opening the exhaust channel.

[0031] Furthermore, a rectangular silicone valve plate 13 is provided below the sealing seat 12. One end is fixed to the inner wall below the vent 5 by injection molding, and the other end is suspended and covers the vent hole 14. The edge of the suspended end of the valve plate 13 extends at least 2mm beyond the vent hole 14, forming a double seal by gravity and the elasticity of silicone. The vent hole 14 passes through the middle of the bottle stopper 2, connecting the inside of the bottle body 3 with the bottom space of the vent hole 5. A 5mm deformation space is reserved at the bottom of the vent hole 5. When the valve plate 13 bends upward, the vent hole 14 is connected to the vent hole 5, and the sealing head 11 moves upward, forming a complete exhaust path of "gas inside the bottle → vent hole 14 → valve plate 13 → center hole of sealing seat 12 → filter element 72 → outside".

[0032] Furthermore, a vent hole 15 is provided in the area of ​​the bottle stopper 2 between the valve plate 13 and the sealing seat 12, connecting the exhaust port 5 and the outside of the bottle stopper 2. A stainless steel plug bolt 16 (nickel-plated) is screwed into the vent hole 15, and the bolt head has a cross groove for easy operation. The vent hole 15 has multiple functions: first, it discharges the stagnant gas above the valve plate 13 and below the sealing seat 12 to avoid gas pressure monitoring errors; second, it balances the gas pressure inside and outside the exhaust port 5 when installing the internal structure of the exhaust port 5 to avoid installation difficulties; third, it allows the injection of sterile water or disinfectant after the culture is completed to rinse away residual contaminants inside the exhaust port, and the position of the vent hole does not affect the threaded sealing connection between the bottle stopper 2 and the bottle body 3.

[0033] The working principle is as follows: First, external gas enters the bottle body 3 through the injection head 6 of the air inlet 4. The injection head 6 can be connected to a sterile gas circuit or a syringe to achieve sterile gas input. When the gas pressure inside the bottle body 3 increases due to air intake or bacterial metabolic gas production, the gas pressure preferentially pushes the valve plate 13, causing the valve plate 13 to bend upward, releasing the blockage of the exhaust port 14. Gas enters the exhaust port 5, and the gas pressure pushes the sealing head 11 to move upward against the elastic force of the spring 10, opening the central hole of the sealing seat 12. The gas inside the bottle enters the filter element assembly 7 sequentially through the exhaust port 14, the channel formed by the valve plate 13 and the exhaust port 5, and the central hole of the sealing seat 12.

[0034] When gas passes through the filter element assembly 7, bacteria and other microorganisms are blocked by the filter element 72, and the filtered gas is discharged to the outside through the holes 73 of the housing 71, thus achieving safe exhaust.

[0035] When the gas pressure inside the bottle decreases or returns to equilibrium, the spring 10 resets, pushing the sealing head 11 downward to press against the center hole of the sealing seat 12. At the same time, the valve plate 13 resets due to its own gravity and elasticity, re-sealing the exhaust port 14 to prevent external pollutants from being drawn back into the bottle, forming a one-way gas exchange sealed state.

[0036] In addition, if there is stagnant gas above the valve plate 13 and below the sealing seat 12, it can be discharged by unscrewing the plugging bolt 16 of the vent hole 15 to ensure accurate gas pressure monitoring; after the culture is completed, cleaning fluid can also be injected through the vent hole 15 to clean the inside of the exhaust port 5 conveniently.

[0037] Any technical solution that achieves the above-mentioned technical effects by utilizing the technical solution described in this utility model, or by designing a similar technical solution inspired by the technical solution described in this utility model, falls within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A gas-exchangeable bacterial culture flask, characterized in that, The bottle includes a cap (1), a stopper (2), a bottle body (3), an air inlet (4), an air outlet (5), an injection head (6), a filter assembly (7), a sealing ring (8), a sealing platform (9), a spring (10), a sealing head (11), a sealing seat (12), a valve plate (13), and an air vent (14). The stopper (2) on the cap (1) is integrally connected to the opening of the bottle body (3) by threads. The cap (1) and the stopper (2) are provided with an air inlet (4) and an air outlet. (5), wherein an injection head (6) is installed at the opening of the air inlet (4); a filter element assembly (7) is threadedly installed at the opening of the exhaust port (5), and a sealing ring (8) and a sealing platform (9) are provided below the filter element assembly (7), and the sealing platform (9) is elastically connected to the sealing head (11) by a spring (10); the sealing seat (12) and the valve plate (13) are installed in the exhaust port (5), wherein one end of the valve plate (13) blocks the exhaust hole (14) opened by the bottle stopper (2).

2. The gas-exchangeable bacterial culture flask as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The air inlet (4) of the bottle cap (1) and the bottle stopper (2) is through-hole, while the exhaust port (5) is not through-hole. The opening of the exhaust port (5) is a T-shaped countersunk hole, which is located at the bottle cap (1).

3. The gas-exchangeable bacterial culture flask as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The inner wall of the opening of the exhaust port (5) is provided with a thread that engages with the filter element assembly (7). The filter element assembly (7) includes a housing (71), a filter element (72), a hole (73), and an engaging thread (74). The interior of the housing (71) is filled with the filter element (72), and the top and bottom are provided with holes (73). The outer surface of the vertical part of the housing (71) is provided with an engaging thread (74) that matches the thread of the exhaust port (5).

4. The gas-exchangeable bacterial culture flask as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The housing (71) has a "T" shaped structure. The head of the housing (71), i.e. the horizontal part, protrudes outward toward the opening of the exhaust port (5). The bottom end face of the housing (71) is in sealing contact with the sealing ring (8) provided above the sealing platform (9).

5. The gas-exchangeable bacterial culture flask as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The sealing head (11) of the sealing platform (9) is elastically mounted by a spring (10) and allows the sealing head (11) to block the center hole of the sealing seat (12). The diameter of the sealing head (11) is larger than the center hole of the sealing seat (12) but smaller than the diameter of the exhaust port (5).

6. The gas-exchangeable bacterial culture flask as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The sealing seat (12) is located above the valve plate (13). One end of the valve plate (13) is fixedly connected to the inner wall below the exhaust port (5), and the other end is located above the exhaust hole (14) and blocks the exhaust hole (14), so that the exhaust hole (14) and the exhaust port (5) are not connected. The bottom space of the exhaust port (5) allows the valve plate (13) to deform.

7. The gas-exchangeable bacterial culture flask as described in claim 6, characterized in that: A vent hole (15) is provided between the valve plate (13) and the sealing seat (12). The vent hole (15) is located below the bottle stopper (2) and communicates with the exhaust port (5). The vent hole (15) does not interfere with the threaded connection between the bottle stopper (2) and the opening of the bottle body (3). A plugging bolt (16) is installed in the vent hole (15) and is used to seal the vent hole (15).

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