Device and method for measuring the contamination of a controlled, virtually germ-free room, in particular a clean room, by means of a germ-detecting nutrient solution located in a Petri dish

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for measuring the contamination of a controlled room, in particular a clean room, by means of a germ-detecting nutrient solution located in a Petri dish according to the preamble of claim 1 and a corresponding method according to the preamble of claim 14.

[0002] In many cases, the production of medications must take place in a sterile and / or virtually germ-free environment, which is why such medications are manufactured, processed, and / or packaged in germ-controlled rooms. In these controlled rooms, the germ load is reduced by appropriate measures in accordance with requirements. Controlled rooms with an extremely low germ load are also referred to as clean rooms.

[0003] During the manufacturing, processing, and / or packaging of medications, it must be demonstrated for quality assurance reasons that the permissible microbial load in the controlled room has not been exceeded. To this end, a germ-detecting nutrient solution is exposed to the controlled room for a specific period of time, for example, 20 minutes. This is achieved by placing a number of Petri dishes containing a suitable nutrient solution in the controlled room before medication processing begins. It is understood that the Petri dishes are still sealed to prevent germs from escaping at this time.

[0004] After the controlled room has been closed and the microbial load in the controlled room has been reduced to the desired level, and if necessary, after processing of the medication has begun, a first Petri dish is opened. This is done by an operator, preferably wearing a germ-proof glove attached to a wall of the controlled room, grasping the lid of the first Petri dish, lifting it off, and setting it aside so that the nutrient solution in the base of the Petri dish can now absorb any germs present in the enclosed room. After a specified time, for example, 20 minutes, the operator, again wearing the germ-free glove, will pick up the lid of the Petri dish and place it on the base of the Petri dish containing the nutrient solution, thus sealing the nutrient solution in a germ-proof manner.At the appropriate time, a second Petri dish is opened in the same manner and closed again after the specified time. The required number of Petri dishes is opened and closed in the manner described above, according to the conditions specified by the quality standards.

[0005] After the production, processing, and / or packaging of the medications is complete, the Petri dishes, once again sealed to prevent germs from entering the environment, are removed from the now open, controlled room and taken to a laboratory. There, the bacteria present in the nutrient solution are analyzed.

[0006] It is understood that it is very difficult for the operator to grasp the comparatively small lid of the Petri dish while using the sterile glove in order to open and properly close the Petri dish.

[0007] To overcome this disadvantage, DE 20 2018 003 348 U1 discloses an electrically operated Petri dish actuator for reliably opening and closing the Petri dish. This actuator can be operated from outside the controlled room. This eliminates the difficult and time-consuming manual opening and closing of the Petri dish.

[0008] If the actual bacterial load is to be determined over a longer period of time or if the bacterial load is to be determined independently for different batches, several Petri dish actuators must be installed, which is relatively complex.

[0009] Further devices with which Petri dishes can be handled are disclosed in WO 2021 / 130544 A1, GB 2 584 787 A and WO 2015 / 013374 A1.

[0010] Based on this, the present invention is based on the object of creating a device and a method of the type mentioned at the outset with which the germ load can be realized cost-effectively for different time periods.

[0011] As a technical solution to this problem, the invention proposes a device having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 14. Advantageous developments of this device and this method can be found in the respective subclaims.

[0012] A device designed according to this technical teaching and a method carried out according to this technical teaching have the advantage that a large number of Petri dishes can be made available in the Petri dish storage, whereby each individual Petri dish can be fed from the transport device to the Petri dish actuator and returned to the Petri dish storage after the measurement has been carried out, so that documentation of the contamination in the controlled room over a longer period of time and / or for different batches can be carried out automatically and thus cost-effectively.

[0013] It has proven advantageous to equip the transport device with a pivoting swivel tower including a Petri dish holder or a guide track with a push lever so that the Petri dish can be automatically moved from the Petri dish storage to the Petri dish actuator and returned again after the measurement has been completed.

[0014] Equipping the Petri dish storage system with a vertically aligned lifting tower according to the invention has the advantage of allowing a large number of Petri dishes to be accommodated in the controlled space in a space-saving manner. A further advantage is that the lifting tower is vertically movable, allowing the Petri dish to be loaded to the level of the Petri dish holder or the guide track of the transport device to be easily and automatically brought.

[0015] Attaching the Petri dish trays to the lifting tower in a removable manner has the advantage that they can be easily removed and taken out of the controlled room, allowing disinfection and sterilization to be carried out much more thoroughly and cost-effectively at a designated location. Another advantage is that the Petri dish tray can be immediately refilled with freshly filled Petri dishes after disinfection and sterilization. The Petri dish tray, along with the Petri dishes it contains, can then be sterilely packaged and returned to the controlled room for further use at the appropriate time.

[0016] The advantage of aligning the Petri dishes one above the other is that the Petri dish tray can be easily brought to the level of the transport device by means of a vertical adjustment of the lifting tower.

[0017] The formation of a recess in the Petri dish tray has the advantage that the Petri dish is held reliably and slipping out of the Petri dish tray is prevented.

[0018] Equipping the transport device with a pivoting swivel tower and a Petri dish holder mounted radially on the swivel tower has the advantage of allowing the Petri dish to be transferred quickly, easily, and, above all, automatically from the Petri dish storage to the Petri dish actuator. A further advantage is that this requires very little space in the cleanroom, especially when this transfer can be performed with a swivel range of 90 degrees or 180 degrees.

[0019] The design of holding fingers on the Petri dish holder has the advantage that the Petri dish can be grasped completely, enabling reliable transport. At the same time, interaction with the Petri dish holder is possible, allowing the Petri dish to be removed from the Petri dish holder without having to be mechanically moved. The same applies to the return of the Petri dish from the Petri dish holder to the Petri dish holder, as transfer is also possible here without having to mechanically move the Petri dish.

[0020] The formation of a vertically aligned contact shoulder in the Petri dish holder ensures that this form-fitting barrier reliably prevents the Petri dish from falling out of the Petri dish holder during transport, which is very advantageous in automated transport.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment, the transport device comprises a guide track, preferably with an outer ring having a support web and an inner ring having a support web. The Petri dish, resting on the two support webs, is displaced from the Petri dish storage to the Petri dish actuator by means of a push lever. This has the advantage that the Petri dish can be reliably and automatically transported from the Petri dish storage to the Petri dish actuator and back, particularly if a support web provided on the outer ring and / or the inner ring prevents the Petri dish from leaving the support webs.

[0022] Further advantages of the device and method according to the invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the embodiments described below. Likewise, the features mentioned above and those further described can be used individually or in any combination within the scope of protection. The embodiments mentioned are not to be understood as an exhaustive list, but rather as examples. They show: Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the device according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 a plan view of the device according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3a a detailed enlargement of the device according to Fig. 1 , corresponding to line IIIa in Fig. 3 ; Fig. 4 a detailed enlargement of the Petri dish tray of the device according to Fig. 1 , corresponding to line IV in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 5 a detailed enlargement of the Petri dish actuator of the device according to Fig. 1 , corresponding to line V in Fig. 2 ; Fig. 6 a perspective front view of the device equipped with Petri dishes according to Fig. 1 at a first time (initial position); Fig. 7 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 6 at a second time; Fig. 8 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 6 at a third time; Fig. 9 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 6 at a fourth time; Fig. 10 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 6 at a fifth time; Fig. 11 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 6 at a sixth time; Fig. 12 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 6at a seventh time; Fig. 13 a perspective view of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention equipped with Petri dishes at a first time (starting position); Fig. 14 a perspective view of the device according to Fig. 13 at a second time; Fig. 15 a perspective view of the device according to Fig. 13 at a third time; Fig. 16 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 13 at a fourth time; Fig. 17 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 13 at a fifth time; Fig. 18 a perspective front view of the device according to Fig. 13 at a sixth time. Fig. 19 shows a perspective view of a Petri dish storage device of a third embodiment of the device according to the invention;

[0023] In the Figures 1 to 3A first embodiment of a device according to the invention for measuring the contamination of a controlled, virtually germ-free space is shown, wherein the contamination is carried out using a germ-detecting nutrient solution (not shown here) contained in a Petri dish. This device for measuring contamination 100 comprises a Petri dish storage 101 for storing three closed Petri dishes (not shown here), a Petri dish actuator 102 for opening and closing such a Petri dish, and a transport device 103 for transporting the Petri dish from the Petri dish storage 101 to the Petri dish actuator 102 and back.

[0024] The Petri dish storage unit 101 comprises a substantially cylindrical storage base 104, a hollow-cylindrical lifting tower 105 mounted on the storage base 104, and, in this embodiment, three Petri dish shelves 106 attached to the lifting tower 105, onto which the Petri dishes (not shown here) can be placed in the closed state. In many applications, three Petri dishes are sufficient for measuring the microbial contamination in the room. Should more than three Petri dishes be required, another embodiment can also mount more than three, preferably eight or even twelve, Petri dish shelves on the lifting tower.

[0025] The storage base 104 houses an adjustment device that acts on the lifting tower 105 and can move it vertically upwards or downwards. A support rod 107 is attached to the lifting tower 105, on which the three Petri dish shelves 106 are held at a distance from one another. The Petri dish shelves 106 are arranged vertically aligned with one another, so that the Petri dishes to be accommodated here are spaced apart from one another but otherwise arranged directly above one another.

[0026] In Figure 4Such a Petri dish holder 106 is shown enlarged. This Petri dish holder 106 comprises a holder ring 108, to which four inwardly directed stops 108a are attached equidistantly. Holder tabs 109 are attached to the lower edge of each of the stops 108a, creating a recess for receiving the Petri dish. The Petri dish is placed on an upper side of the holder tab 109, while the radially inwardly projecting stops 108a form a positive fit for the Petri dish in the Petri dish holder 106. It is understood that the holder tab 109 and the stop are matched to the size of the Petri dish to be placed therein, so that the Petri dish fits in the Petri dish holder 106, preferably is held therein in a positive fit. In addition, the storage ring 108 has an opening 110 formed between two adjacent storage tongues 109, which is arranged exactly opposite the holding rod 107.This opening 110 allows the transport device 103 to move the Petri dish out of the Petri dish holder 106, as described in more detail below.

[0027] As can be seen from the Figures 1 to 3 As can be seen, the Petri dish actuator 102 comprises a lid gripper 112 held on a stand 111 and a mechanism 113 attached to the stand 111 for raising and lowering the lid gripper 112, the mechanism 113 moving the lid gripper 112 in a circular arc path.

[0028] As also from the Figures 1 to 3As can be seen, the transport device 103 comprises a transport base 114 and a pivoting tower 115 pivotably mounted thereon, on which a radially projecting and substantially horizontally oriented Petri dish holder 116 is held. A pivoting mechanism (not shown in detail here) is housed in the transport base 114, which can pivot the pivoting tower 115 90 degrees clockwise from its starting position and can also pivot the pivoting tower 115 back to its starting position. In another embodiment, the Petri dish holder can pivot 180 degrees or up to 360 degrees.

[0029] A Petri dish holder 116 is provided on the pivoting tower 115, which has four equidistantly arranged holding fingers 117. The Petri dish holder 116 and the Petri dish holder 106 are designed such that the holding fingers 117 extend between adjacent stops 108a or holder tongues 109 without touching the holder ring 108. At the outer end of each holding finger 117, an upwardly oriented stop shoulder 118 is formed, against which the Petri dish to be held in the Petri dish holder 116 can come to a stop. The stop surface of the stop shoulder 118 facing the Petri dish is aligned with the stop surface of the stop 108a of the holder ring 108, so that the Petri dish fits precisely both into the Petri dish holder 116 and into the Petri dish holder 116. A holding finger 117 is connected in the area of the opening 110 of the storage ring 108 to a holding web 119 attached to the swivel tower 115.

[0030] In Figure 5 A portion of the Petri dish actuator 102 is shown enlarged, with the lid of a Petri dish 121 being held in the lid gripper 112. The base 122, which also belongs to the Petri dish 121, is located in the Petri dish receptacle 116, which is not shown here for reasons of better visibility. The lid gripper 112 engages the lid 120 in a form-fitting manner, so that the lid 120 is pivoted upward when the lid gripper 112 is actuated, thus opening the Petri dish 121, allowing the germs present in the chamber to reach the nutrient solution contained in the Petri dish.

[0031] In the Figures 1 to 5In the first embodiment shown, both the Petri dish storage 101 and the Petri dish actuator 102 and the transport device 103 are mounted on a common platform 123, with the Petri dish actuator 102 being arranged opposite the Petri dish storage 101 such that the Petri dish holder 116 attached to the pivoting tower 115 transfers the Petri dish located in the Petri dish storage 101 into the lid gripper 112 of the Petri dish actuator 102 by pivoting through 90 degrees. The exact sequence of this process is described below as follows:

[0032] In the Figures 6 to 12 The procedure for measuring the contamination of a controlled, almost germ-free room is shown using a germ-detecting nutrient solution in a Petri dish, which is connected to the device according to the Figures 1 to 5 is carried out. As can be seen Figure 6As can be seen, there are three Petri dishes 121 in the Petri dish storage 101 in the respective Petri dish shelves 106 of the lifting tower 105. The Petri dish holder 116 of the swivel tower 115 of the transport device 103 has already been moved into the space below the uppermost Petri dish shelf 106 and above the middle Petri dish shelf 106. As can be seen from Fig. 7 As can be seen, in the next step, the lifting tower 105 is lowered so far that the Petri dish 121 located in the uppermost Petri dish storage 106 reaches the Petri dish holder 116 of the transport device 103 and that the Petri dish storage 106 is located below the Petri dish holder 116. Now, the swivel tower 115 is swiveled 90 degrees clockwise, so that the Petri dish 121 located on the Petri dish holder 116 is moved from the Petri dish storage 101 to the Petri dish actuator 102, as can be seen from Fig. 8can be seen. The pivoting tower 115 guides the lid 120 of the Petri dish 121 directly into the lid gripper 112, which grips the lid 120 in a form-fitting manner. The lid gripper 112 is then actuated by the mechanism 113 for lifting the lid gripper 112, so that the lid 120 is moved in a circular motion away from the bottom 122 of the Petri dish 121 in order to expose the nutrient solution in the Petri dish 121 to the germs in the controlled space, as Fig. 9 The Petri dish holder 116 of the transport device 103 holds the bottom 122 of the Petri dish 121 in the position shown in Fig. 9 .

[0033] After the specified time period for measuring the contamination in the controlled room has elapsed, the lid 120 is placed back on the bottom 122 of the Petri dish 121 by the mechanism 113 for lifting the lid gripper ( Fig. 10) and then the swivel tower 115 moves the Petri dish holder 116 counterclockwise by 90 degrees back into the Petri dish storage 101, that is to say into a position above the uppermost Petri dish storage 106, as shown in Fig. 11 is evident.

[0034] Subsequently, the lifting tower 105 is moved upwards again, and the Petri dish 121 is placed in the Petri dish tray 106, and the Petri dish holder 116 is now empty again. The Petri dish holder 116 is then pivoted out of the area between the Petri dishes 106 (not shown), and the lifting tower 105 is moved upwards until the Petri dish holder 116 is now at a height between the middle and lower Petri dish trays 106. Now the pivoting tower 115 pivots the Petri dish holder 115 counterclockwise back into the lifting tower 105, and the next Petri dish 121 can be removed, analogous to the process according to Fig. 6 to 12 .

[0035] In the Figures 13 to 18 A second embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown. This second embodiment comprises a Petri dish storage 201 for storing four Petri dishes 221 containing a germ-detecting nutrient solution, a Petri dish actuator 202 for opening and closing the Petri dish 221, and a transport device 203 for transporting the Petri dish 221 from the Petri dish storage 201 to the Petri dish actuator 202 and back.

[0036] The Petri dish storage 201 comprises a substantially cylindrical storage base 204, a hollow cylindrical lifting tower 205 held on the storage base 204 and, in this embodiment, four Petri dish shelves 206 attached to the lifting tower 205, on which the Petri dishes 221 are placed in the closed state.

[0037] The storage base 204 houses an adjustment device that acts on the lifting tower 205 and can move it vertically upwards or downwards. The four Petri dish shelves 206 are mounted on the lifting tower 205 at a distance from one another and vertically aligned with one another, so that the four Petri dishes to be accommodated here are spaced from one another but otherwise arranged directly one above the other. The Petri dish shelf 206 is designed as a circular partial ring, on the inside of which a shelf shoulder 230 is formed for depositing the Petri dish 221.

[0038] The Petri dish actuator 202 includes a lid gripper 212 held on a stand 211 and a mechanism 213 attached to the stand 211 for raising and lowering the lid gripper 212, the mechanism 213 moving the lid gripper 212 in a circular arc path.

[0039] The transport device 203 comprises a transport base 214, a stationary guide track 224 attached to the transport base 214, and a push lever 225 rotatably mounted on the transport base 214. The push lever 225 is rotatable 360 degrees both clockwise and counterclockwise around the transport base 214. The push lever 225 is driven by a drive located in the transport base.

[0040] The guide track 224 comprises an inner ring 226 and an outer ring 227. The inner ring 226, like the outer ring 227, has a substantially horizontally oriented support web 228 for supporting the Petri dish 221 and a substantially vertically oriented contact web 229, so that the Petri dish 221 slides on the support web 228 and is guided by the stop web 229 from the Petri dish storage 201 to the Petri dish actuator 202 and back. The Petri dish 221 is pushed accordingly by the push lever 225.

[0041] The lid gripper 212 comprises a retaining ring 230 on the underside of which are two projections (not shown here) that clamp the lid 220 of the Petri dish. When the mechanism 213 lifts the lid gripper 212, the lid 220, which is clamped between the projections, is also lifted. Accordingly, the lid 220 of the Petri dish 221 is also placed back on the bottom 222 of the Petri dish 221 as soon as the lid gripper 212 is lowered.

[0042] In the Figures 13 to 18 The procedure for measuring the contamination of a controlled, almost germ-free room using a germ-detecting nutrient solution in a Petri dish is shown, which is carried out with the second embodiment according to the Figures 13 to 18 is carried out. As can be seen Figure 12As can be seen, in the Petri dish storage 201 there are four Petri dishes 221 in the respective Petri dish shelves 206 of the lifting tower 205. The push lever 225 of the transport device 203 is in its starting position near the Petri dish 221 and the lifting tower 205 is raised so that the uppermost Petri dish shelf 206 is aligned with the support web 228 of the guide track 224. In preparation for measuring the contamination, the push lever 225 now pushes the uppermost Petri dish 221 out of the Petri dish holder 206 onto the guide track 224 and further clockwise to the Petri dish actuator 202, whereby the push lever 225 presses the lid 220 of the Petri dish 221 between the projections on the underside of the lid gripper 212, so that the lid 220 is held clamped on the lid gripper 212, as shown in Fig. 14 is shown.

[0043] As soon as the measurement is to begin, the mechanism 213 is actuated to open the lid gripper 2112, and the lid 220 of the Petri dish 221 is lifted so that the nutrient solution located in the bottom 222 of the Petri dish 221 can absorb and detect airborne germs. Meanwhile, the push lever 225 is moved counterclockwise to the other side of the Petri dish 221, as shown in FIG. Fig. 15 After completion of the measurement, for example after 20 minutes, the mechanism 213 for actuating the lid gripper 212 closes the Petri dish 221 again by moving the lid gripper 212 down and thus placing the lid 220 on the bottom 222 of the Petri dish 221, according to Fig. 16 . Subsequently, the push lever 225 pushes the closed Petri dish 221 counterclockwise back into the Petri dish holder 206 of the Petri dish storage 201 and then moves clockwise back to its starting position, as Fig. 17Finally, the lifting tower 205 is raised so far that the next Petri dish 221 reaches the height of the guideway, as Fig. 18 Now, at the appropriate time, the second Petri dish 221 can be used as described above to measure the contamination of a controlled room.

[0044] Fig. 19shows a Petri dish storage 301 of a third embodiment, which, like the Petri dish storage 101 of the first embodiment, has a substantially cylindrical storage base 304, a hollow cylindrical lifting tower 305 held on the storage base 304, and in this embodiment, five Petri dish shelves 306 attached to the lifting tower 305. These Petri dish shelves 306 are structurally identical to the Petri dish shelf 106 of the first embodiment, are also attached to a support rod 307, and are also arranged spaced apart from one another and aligned one above the other. A lower, ring-shaped ring 331 and an upper, hat-shaped holder 332 are attached to this holding rod 307, wherein the ring 331 and the hat 332 are designed to correspond to the lifting tower 305, so that the ring 331 and the holder 332 can be pushed precisely onto the lifting tower 305 in order to removably hold the Petri dish shelves 306 on the lifting tower 305.

Claims

1. Device for measuring the germ load of a controlled, virtually germ-free room, in particular a clean room, by means of a germ-detecting nutrient solution located in a Petri dish (121, 221), having a Petri dish storage (101, 201) for accommodating at least two Petri dishes (121, 221), a Petri dish actuator (102, 202) for opening and closing a Petri dish (121, 221) and a transport device (103, 203) for transporting a single Petri dish (121, 221) from the Petri dish storage (101, 201, 301) to the Petri dish actuator (102, 202) and / or for transporting a single Petri dish (121, 221) from the Petri dish actuator (102, 202) to the Petri dish storage (101, 201) characterized in that the Petri dish storage (101, 201, 301) comprises a storage base (104, 204, 304) and a lifting tower (105, 205, 305) held vertically adjustable on the storage base (104, 204, 304), wherein at least two Petri dish trays (106, 206, 306) being provided on the lifting tower (105, 205, 305).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting tower (105, 205, 305) can be moved vertically by means of an adjusting device, the adjusting device being arranged in the storage base (104, 204, 304).

3. The device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the Petri dish trays (106, 206, 306) are removably held on the lifting tower (305).

4. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least two Petri dish trays (106, 206, 306) are arranged in alignment one above the other.

5. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the Petri dish trays (106, 306) has a support ring (108) on which at least two, preferably four, inwardly oriented support tongues (109) are formed , the support tongues (109) being arranged in a lower region of the support ring (108) and thus forming a recess for receiving the Petri dish (121) and, in particular, an opening (110) oriented towards the transport device (103) being formed in the support ring (108).

6. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport device (103) comprises a transport base (114) and a swivel tower (115) held pivotably on the transport base (114), a radially projecting Petri dish holder (116) for holding a, preferably closed, Petri dish (121) being formed on the swivel tower (115).

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the swivel tower (115) is designed and arranged such that the Petri dish holder (116) can be swiveled both under the Petri dish tray (106) of the Petri dish storage (101) and under the Petri dish actuator (102), in particular in that the swivel tower (115) has a swivel range of 45 degrees to 360 degrees, preferably from 80 degrees to 210 degrees, in particular 90 degrees.

8. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that the Petri dish holder (116) has at least two, preferably four, equidistantly arranged holding fingers (117), in particular wherein a first holding finger (117) is attached to the swivel tower (115), in particular via a holding web (119).

9. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the Petri dish holder (116), in particular the holding fingers (117), has a horizontally aligned support surface for supporting a base (122) of the Petri dish (121) and a vertically aligned stop shoulder (118) for stopping the base (122) of the Petri dish (121).

10. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transport device (203) comprises a transport base (214), a guide track (224) held on the transport base (214), in particular rotating in a circle, for guiding a Petri dish (121) from the Petri dish storage (201) to the Petri dish actuator (202) and a push lever (225) pivotably held on the transport base (214) for moving the Petri dish (121).

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the guide track (224) comprises an inner ring (226) and an outer ring (227), the inner ring (226) and / or the outer ring (227) having a circumferential support web (228) and / or a circumferential abutment web (229).

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Petri dish actuator (102, 202) comprises a lid gripper (112, 212) fixing a lid (120, 220) of the Petri dish (121, 221) and a mechanism (113, 213) for lifting and / or pivoting the lid (120, 220).

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the lid gripper (112), the swivel tower (115) and the Petri dish holder (116) are arranged in such a way that the swivel tower (115) transfers the lid (120) into the lid gripper (112) when the Petri dish holder (116) is swiveled.

14. Method for measuring the microbial contamination of a controlled, virtually germ-free room, in particular a clean room, by means of a device according to one of the preceding claims and by means of a germ-detecting nutrient solution located in a Petri dish (121, 221), comprising the following steps: a.) Providing at least two Petri dishes (121, 221) in a Petri dish storage (101, 201) located in the room with a device (100) according to one of the previous claims, wherein each Petri dish (121, 221) is filled with a germ-detecting nutrient solution, b.) Transporting a first Petri dish (121, 221) from the Petri dish storage (101, 201) to a Petri dish actuator (102, 202), c.) Opening the first Petri dish (121, 221) by means of the Petri dish actuator (102, 202) at a first point in time, so that germs in the room can enter the nutrient solution, d.) Closing the first Petri dish (121, 221) by means of the Petri dish actuator (102, 202) after a predetermined first period of time, so that no further germs can enter the nutrient solution, e.) Return the first Petri dish (121, 221) to the Petri dish storage (101, 201), f.) Transporting a further Petri dish (121, 221) from the Petri dish storage (101, 201) to the Petri dish actuator (102, 202), g.) Open the other Petri dish (121, 221) at another time so that germs in the room can enter the nutrient solution, h.) Closing the further Petri dish (121, 221) by means of the Petri dish actuator (102, 202) after a predetermined further period of time, so that no further germs can enter the nutrient solution, i.) Returning the other Petri dish (121, 221) to the Petri dish storage (101, 201), j.) Removal of the closed Petri dishes (121, 221) in the Petri dish storage (101, 201) from the room, in particular to a laboratory for examination of the nutrient solution.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterized by the following step: k.) Repeat steps f.) to i.) until all Petri dishes (121, 221) in the Petri dish storage (101, 201) have taken up germs in the room.