Device for taking air samples in a clean room

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for taking air samples with a culture medium (2) in a clean room (3), wherein the culture medium (2) is provided in at least one closable culture medium carrier (4) which can be opened during the taking of air samples in order to expose the culture medium (2) to the air in the clean room (3), wherein the device (1) further has a plurality of culture medium carrier supply stations (6), arranged one above the other, on which prepared culture medium carriers (4) for the taking of air samples can be stored, wherein the device (1) further has a plurality of culture medium carrier depositing stations (10), arranged one above the other, on which culture medium carriers (4) can be placed for which an air sample has been taken, wherein the device (1) has a manipulator (7) which is designed to remove culture medium carriers (4) from the culture medium carrier supply stations (6), expose same, at a sample-taking station (5) which is assigned a fixed location, to the air in the clean room (3) and to then place the culture medium carriers (4) on the culture medium carrier depositing stations (10), wherein the manipulator (7) has a drivetrain (18) with an axis (17) and is designed to carry out, as conveying movements (8), rotational movements (13) about the axis (17) and axial movements (14) parallel to the axis (17) in order to convey culture medium carriers (4) from the culture medium carrier supply stations (6) to the sample-taking stations (5) and, after sample-taking, to the culture medium carrier depositing stations (10).

Description

[0001] Device for air sampling in a clean room

[0002] The invention relates to a novel device for air sampling in a cleanroom. Legal and / or organizational requirements often exist that require air sampling in cleanrooms. Air sampling in a cleanroom can be used to monitor the air quality, and in particular, the purity of the air in the cleanroom.

[0003] Air sampling is typically performed by exposing a nutrient medium to the cleanroom air for a specified exposure time. Germs, spores, and / or bacteria, and possibly also fungi, can develop on the nutrient medium to such an extent that their measurability is improved. Direct monitoring of the germs, spores, and / or bacteria contained in the cleanroom air is often not possible due to the very low concentrations typically present in cleanrooms. By providing the germs, spores, and / or bacteria with a nutrient medium for a specific period of time, they can multiply and spread on the nutrient medium to such an extent that, based on the exposed nutrient medium, later analysis is possible, allowing very precise conclusions to be drawn about the cleanroom air purity – even if the cleanroom has very high levels of purity.

[0004] When taking air samples, specific specifications must often be observed; these are usually a prerequisite for the measurements carried out using the culture media to enable a precise determination of the air purity in the cleanroom. A common requirement is that air samples in the cleanroom are always taken from the same location and, in particular, that there is no movement of the culture medium in the cleanroom during exposure. Such movement could, for example, cause turbulence in the air in the cleanroom, which would impair the exposure conditions to such an extent that the measurements are falsified. Another common requirement is the exact adherence to a duration for exposure to the culture medium. Requirements that require the air in the cleanroom to be monitored as continuously as possible through the permanent provision of a culture medium are also common.Since the period of time for which a single nutrient medium is to be exposed is usually relatively limited and user access to the cleanroom to exchange the nutrient medium is complex and could possibly also hinder main process steps taking place in the cleanroom, devices are generally desirable with which an automatic change of exposed nutrient media can be carried out.

[0005] Based on this, the object of the present invention is to provide a particularly advantageous device for air sampling in a clean room. This object is achieved by the invention according to the features of the independent patent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims as well as in the description and, in particular, in the description of the figures. It should be noted that the person skilled in the art can combine the individual features in a technologically expedient manner and thus arrive at further embodiments of the invention.

[0006] Described here is a device for taking air samples with a nutrient medium in a clean room, wherein the nutrient medium is provided in at least one sealable nutrient medium carrier, which can be opened for the period of air sampling in order to expose the nutrient medium to the air in the clean room, wherein the device further comprises a plurality of nutrient medium carrier storage stations arranged one above the other, at which prepared nutrient media carriers for air sampling can be stored, wherein the device further comprises a plurality of nutrient media carrier deposit stations arranged one above the other, at which nutrient media carriers can be deposited, in which the air sampling took place, wherein the device comprises a manipulator which is configured to remove nutrient media carriers from the nutrient media carrier storage stations,to expose the culture media carriers to the air in the clean room at a fixed sampling station and then to deposit the culture media carriers at the culture media carrier storage station, wherein the manipulator has a drive train with an axis and is designed to carry out rotary movements about the axis and axial movements parallel to the axis as a conveying movement in order to convey culture media carriers from the culture media storage stations to the sampling station and, after sampling, to the culture media carrier storage station.

[0007] When using the device, the nutrient medium is provided using a nutrient medium carrier. The nutrient medium carrier is a structure in which the nutrient medium is accommodated and which can be handled with the device or manipulator. The shape of the nutrient medium carrier preferably results in a specific surface area of ​​the nutrient medium, which is exposed to the air in the clean room.

[0008] The nutrient medium is a substance that provides a suitable breeding ground for the spores / germs / bacteria expected in the cleanroom. This means that the nutrient medium promotes the proliferation of the expected spores / germs / bacteria. If necessary, the nutrient medium can be applied to a carrier material.

[0009] The culture media carriers are sealable and openable. This can be achieved, for example, by lids that are placed on the culture media carriers and can be removed from the culture media carrier to expose the culture medium. When culture media carriers are sealed, the culture medium in the respective culture media carrier is not exposed to the air in the cleanroom. When culture media carriers are opened, the culture medium in the respective culture media carrier is exposed to the air in the cleanroom. The sealability of the culture media carriers makes it possible to expose culture media in culture media carriers to the air in the cleanroom for a specific period of time, whereby it is then not necessary to subsequently remove the respective culture media carrier directly from the cleanroom for examination.Rather, it is possible to initially temporarily store the culture medium carrier with the culture medium on the device within the clean room and then subsequently remove a plurality of culture media carriers with culture media, which were exposed to the air in the clean room one after the other, from the device or the clean room.

[0010] The device has two types of stations for storing culture media carriers. These are culture media storage stations and culture media storage stations. Prepared culture media carriers can be stored at culture media storage stations, which can then be exposed to the cleanroom air one after the other to conduct air sampling in the cleanroom. The culture media carriers in the culture media storage stations contain the culture media that has not yet been exposed to the cleanroom air.

[0011] Culture media carriers with which air samples have already been taken or with whose culture media are stored are placed at culture media carrier storage stations in order to temporarily store the air samples taken.

[0012] The device is designed to successively remove a large number of culture media carriers from culture media storage stations and to expose them to the air in the clean room at the sampling station and then to place them on culture media carrier storage stations for later evaluation / analysis.

[0013] Preferably, the described device is used for regular maintenance operations, during which culture media carriers used to take air samples are removed from culture media storage stations and (new) culture media carriers used to take air samples are made available again in culture media storage stations. To carry out such a maintenance operation, either the entire device can be removed from the cleanroom (e.g. via an airlock). The culture media carriers can then be removed from the culture media storage stations outside the cleanroom in order to submit them to an evaluation. In addition, new culture media carriers (not yet exposed to the air in the cleanroom) can be inserted into the culture media storage stations outside the cleanroom. Alternatively, the device can also remain in the cleanroom. Culture media carriers are then removed from the culture media storage stations, e.g.removed from the clean room through a lock and the nutrient media storage stations of the device are also filled with (new) nutrient media carriers that are introduced into the clean room through a lock.

[0014] An evaluation of air samples taken in a clean room using the device described here is preferably carried out after the nutrient media or nutrient media carriers have been removed from the nutrient media carrier storage stations and outside the clean room - e.g. in a laboratory designated for this purpose using the evaluation procedures provided for this purpose.

[0015] The preparation of culture media in culture media carriers or the filling of culture media carriers with culture media preferably takes place before the culture media carriers are made available in the culture media carrier storage stations and outside the cleanroom. Particularly preferred is cleaning and refilling culture media carriers with previously used culture media and with which air sampling was previously performed in the cleanroom.

[0016] The device is particularly characterized by the fact that it has exactly one manipulator with a drive train. The term "drive train" refers to a set of drive elements that can move the manipulator around an axis and along an axis. A drive train therefore has exactly one axis. This axis is the manipulator's axis of rotation, along which the manipulator can perform rotary and axial movements. In particular, the manipulator or an arm of the manipulator has no joints at which an arm of the manipulator can be bent. For such an articulated joint, the manipulator would require an additional drive train. The manipulator is, in particular, a rigid arm that can rotate around the axis with rotary movements and can be displaced along the axis with axial movements.In particular, the manipulator does not have any gripping elements, extendable arm sections, or similar elements that would allow the shape of the manipulator to be adapted to transport the culture media carriers. Such options for adapting the shape of the manipulator (such as a gripper) would also require additional drive trains. The shape and design of the manipulator are rigid. Through the design of the media carriers and the spatial arrangement of the manipulator and the media carriers relative to each other, all necessary transport operations of the media carriers for operating the described device can be performed.

[0017] The term "drive train" therefore encompasses in particular the entirety of drive elements (drives, motors, etc.) required to carry out the conveying movements, including both axial and rotary movements. By carrying out the complete movement of culture media carriers from the culture media storage stations to the sampling station and further to the culture media storage stations, a particularly compact and simple design of the device described here can be achieved.

[0018] The device is particularly advantageous if the conveying movement of nutrient media carriers comprises an axial first partial movement for lifting nutrient media carriers from the nutrient media carrier storage stations, a rotating second partial movement for transporting nutrient media carriers from the nutrient media carrier storage stations to the nutrient media carrier deposit stations and an axial third partial movement for depositing nutrient media carriers on the nutrient media carrier deposit stations.

[0019] The sampling station is preferably a station on the route from the culture medium storage stations to the culture medium storage stations. In some embodiments, the sampling station is approached with the first partial movement before the second partial movement is executed. In other embodiments, the sampling station is approached with the second partial movement before the third partial movement is executed.

[0020] If necessary, the sampling station can also be arranged directly above the uppermost culture medium storage station or (before a first exposure of a culture medium in the culture medium carrier directly after filling the culture medium storage stations with culture media) can itself also be used as a culture medium storage station.

[0021] It is important for the operation of the described device that the conveying movement is made up of three parts: a first axial partial movement for lifting the nutrient media carrier from the nutrient media carrier storage station, a second rotating partial movement for moving the nutrient media carrier to the nutrient media carrier deposit stations, and then a third axial partial movement for depositing the nutrient media carrier at the nutrient media carrier deposit stations. However, the movement sequences described here only include the movements that are carried out for the direct conveyance of the nutrient media carrier. During operation of the device, the manipulator can, if necessary, perform additional axial movements and rotary movements that are used in particular for operating or interacting with the nutrient media carriers. More information on such movements that are used for the interaction of the manipulator with the nutrient media carriers will be provided later.

[0022] It is preferred if the manipulator has a rotary drive for performing the second partial movement and a lifting drive for performing the first partial movement and the third partial movement. The rotary drive and the lifting drive are in particular part of the drive train and form drive components (or drive elements) of the drive train. A rotary drive, for example, is designed with a rotating gear ring on the manipulator inside the housing of the device, into which a drive gear ring of a drive motor engages in order to rotate the manipulator relative to the housing of the device.

[0023] The lifting drive, for example, is designed with a rack and pinion within the device's housing, with the pinion meshing with the rack and driven by another drive motor. The rack is connected to the manipulator, and the manipulator can be extended and retracted by the motor using the rack.

[0024] A variety of other designs of the lifting drive and / or the rotary drive are possible and included here - for example, gearless variants as well as variants with linear motors, etc.

[0025] It is particularly preferred if, during the first partial movement, all the nutrient media carriers in the nutrient media carrier storage stations are raised together and, during the third partial movement, all the nutrient media carriers in the nutrient media carrier storage stations are lowered together.

[0026] Preferably, the culture media storage stations and the culture media storage stations are each operated by the manipulator starting from a top culture media storage station and a top culture media storage station. The culture media provided in the top culture media storage station is always removed for sampling. Removing the culture media, transports the second-highest culture media to the top culture media storage station, and so on. This continues until the culture media have been removed from all culture media storage stations. Conversely, when further culture media are fed to the culture media storage stations, culture media are pushed from the top of the top culture media storage station downwards until all culture media storage stations are filled with culture media from above.

[0027] It is also preferred if nutrient media carrier storage stations and nutrient media carrier storage stations are each arranged one above the other on a support structure, wherein in each case an uppermost nutrient media carrier is fixed to the support structure by a fixing mechanism and further nutrient media carriers are suspended by a coupling mechanism from nutrient media carriers arranged above.

[0028] The support structure can be designed, for example, as a support rod arranged laterally of the manipulator and the manipulator's axis, which, for example, has a round cross-section. Preferably, the culture media carriers each have an opening through which the support structure extends when the culture media carriers are accommodated at the culture media carrier storage stations or the culture media carrier storage stations.

[0029] Preferably, a topmost nutrient media carrier (in a topmost nutrient media storage station or a topmost nutrient media storage station) is fixed to the support structure by the fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism can be designed, for example, as a spring-loaded pin that engages a fixing element designed as an opening / bore / hole on the support structure to fix the nutrient media carrier to the support structure.

[0030] Preferably, nutrient media carriers arranged in nutrient media carrier storage stations or nutrient media carrier storage stations arranged below are each suspended by the coupling mechanism from nutrient media carriers arranged above.

[0031] Furthermore, it is preferred if the nutrient media carriers each comprise a cassette into which a tray containing the nutrient medium can be clamped, wherein the cassettes each have a coupling mechanism for attaching further cassettes and a fixing mechanism for fixing the cassette to a support structure.

[0032] Preferably, the culture media carriers are formed by a cassette with a tray accommodated therein. The cassette provides the structural elements necessary to process the culture media carriers in the intended manner using the device described here. These structural elements include, in particular, the coupling mechanism and the fixing mechanism. If necessary, this may also include other structural elements, such as the opening for accommodating the support structure described above. However, the design variant with a cassette in which the tray is accommodated is only one possibility.

[0033] The tray can, in particular, be a standard tray used to hold culture medium for sampling. When preparing culture media carriers for further sampling after samples have already been taken with these carriers, the used trays can be replaced with the culture media already exposed to the air in the cleanroom and with new trays.

[0034] In further embodiments, the culture medium carrier can also be designed directly with an integrated receptacle for the culture medium, without a separate tray accommodated in a cassette.

[0035] When reference is made below to the culture medium carrier and specific features of the culture medium carrier are described, these features may also be part of the cassette, which forms part of the culture medium carrier.

[0036] It is further preferred if the manipulator has engagement elements with which the coupling mechanism and / or the fixing mechanism can be specifically activated and deactivated in order to release nutrient media carriers from the support structure and / or from further nutrient media carriers attached to the coupling mechanism.

[0037] For example, engagement elements can be designed as structures that engage in designated engagement positions on the cassette or the culture media carrier and interact there, for example, with the locking mechanism to deactivate it. If necessary, engagement elements can also be provided with means for hooking the culture media carriers so that the culture media carriers can be transported safely with the manipulator.

[0038] In various designs, switches can also be provided on the culture media carrier that can be operated by the manipulator. For example, a decoupling switch can be provided, which, when activated, deactivates the coupling mechanism.

[0039] Preferably, the control (i.e. the activation or deactivation) of the coupling mechanism and the fixing mechanism takes place via the relative position of the manipulator or the engagement elements of the manipulator to the culture medium carrier or the cassette of the culture medium carrier.

[0040] Preferably, the fixing mechanism and the coupling mechanism are designed such that they can be activated or deactivated by a specific positioning of the manipulator relative to the respective nutrient medium carrier. Preferably, there is a first interaction position in which the fixing mechanism is deactivated or the coupling mechanism for coupling additional nutrient media carriers is still active. Preferably, there is also a second interaction position in which both the fixing mechanism and the coupling mechanism are deactivated. The first interaction position and the second interaction position are preferably each angular positions of the manipulator relative to the nutrient media carrier.Particularly preferably, the manipulator is arranged closer to the nutrient medium carrier in the second interaction position than in the first interaction position, so that the second interaction position can be reached when the manipulator has already been moved through the first interaction position.

[0041] A workflow for removing a culture medium carrier from the culture medium carrier storage stations can then proceed as follows: first, the manipulator is brought into the first interaction position with the culture medium carrier. This releases the locking mechanism. The culture medium carrier can now be transported upwards together with the culture medium carrier coupled to the coupling mechanism, in particular until a culture medium carrier arranged below it (attached) engages with its locking mechanism on the locking element of the support structure. Subsequently, the manipulator is brought into the second interaction position relative to the culture medium carrier, in which the locking mechanism is then also deactivated, so that the culture medium carrier can be separated from the culture medium carrier arranged below it.

[0042] The operation of the devices described here may require movements of the manipulator that serve to interact with a culture medium carrier in interaction positions, but which serve independently or in addition to the first, second, and third partial movements for conveying the culture medium carrier. Such movements are regularly required, particularly at the culture medium carrier depositing stations, where, if necessary, a culture medium carrier is first deposited above the topmost culture medium carrier depositing station and coupled to the coupling mechanism, with all culture media carriers in the culture medium carrier depositing stations then being moved down together.To this end, the manipulator preferably moves the nutrient media carrier secured to the fixing element with the fixing mechanism in the first interaction position to release it and move all nutrient media carriers in the nutrient media carrier storage stations downwards together until the newly deposited nutrient media carrier engages or is fixed to the fixing element with its fixing mechanism. Preferably, the first interaction position and the second interaction position are each angular positions of the manipulator.

[0043] It is particularly preferred if the fixing mechanism is designed in such a way that a nutrient medium carrier placed on the support structure is automatically fixed to the support structure when the nutrient media carrier is brought to a fixing element of the support structure.

[0044] It is also preferred if the nutrient media carriers each have a tray with the nutrient medium and a lid, wherein the manipulator has a lid removal module which is designed to remove the lid for exposing the nutrient medium to a nutrient media carrier arranged at the sampling station, to store it at an intermediate lid storage position and then to place the lid back onto the tray of the nutrient media carrier at the sampling station.

[0045] The cover removal module can be attached to the manipulator and used when the manipulator is not currently transporting or holding a culture medium carrier. The cover removal module particularly preferably functions with adhesion or, if necessary, with negative pressure. As soon as the cover removal module touches the cover or comes into contact with the cover, the cover is held by the cover removal module. The cover can preferably be released from the cover removal module by moving the cover removal module laterally away from the cover with the manipulator when the cover is on the dish and held there by the dish.

[0046] Preferably, an intermediate lid storage position is provided. This is an area within the movement range of the manipulator into which a lid held on the lid removal module can be moved when the lid is suspended from the lid removal module. This intermediate lid storage position is preferably spaced far enough from the sampling station that the lid does not impair sampling or the exposure of the nutrient medium to the air in the clean room. In the intermediate lid storage position, the lid preferably hangs freely from the lid removal module and is not supported. In variant designs, the intermediate lid storage position can be above the nutrient medium storage positions if the sampling station is arranged above the nutrient medium storage stations, or vice versa (intermediate lid storage position above the nutrient medium storage stations).

[0047] It is also preferred if the manipulator is configured to perform axial movements in an axial movement range whose length corresponds at least to the axial distance between two nutrient media carriers arranged one above the other in the nutrient media carrier storage stations and the nutrient media carrier storage stations as well as to a coupling depth of a coupling mechanism for suspending cassettes of nutrient media carriers to one another.

[0048] The distance describes the distance between the culture media carriers when they are stored or placed in the culture media carrier storage station or in the culture media carrier storage station.

[0049] The coupling depth describes the distance that two culture media carriers coupled to each other with the coupling mechanism must be moved apart in order to move one culture media carrier out of the area of ​​the coupling mechanism of the other culture media carrier, so that one culture media carrier can be moved sideways without colliding with the coupling.

[0050] Such a large range of motion allows the manipulator to pick up nutrient media carriers at the nutrient media carrier storage stations and deposit nutrient media carriers at the nutrient media carrier storage stations. It is also preferred if the sampling station is located at a topmost nutrient media carrier storage station or at a topmost nutrient media carrier storage station.

[0051] Alternatively, an additional third support structure can be provided on which the sampling station is arranged separately from the nutrient media storage station and separately from the nutrient media storage station.

[0052] It is particularly preferred if the nutrient medium carrier storage station and the nutrient medium carrier storage station are arranged on a circular path with a radius arranged around a center of rotation of the manipulator.

[0053] Particularly preferably, both the trays and lids, as well as the cassettes, are arranged on a circular path or on circular paths arranged close to one another to achieve a compact structure. Along the circular path, the trays and the areas of the cassette where the structural elements of the cassette for the functions (locking mechanism, coupling mechanism, etc.) are arranged are preferably arranged one behind the other.

[0054] In other design variants, the trays of the culture media carriers can also be located much further out than the areas of the cassettes with the described structural elements – particularly on a much wider circular path. Such a design allows for a relatively narrow and elongated device, which, however, requires much more free space for movement when transporting the culture media carriers from the culture media storage stations to the culture media storage stations – particularly within the radial movement range of the manipulator.

[0055] In preferred embodiments, the device can also be equipped with a sensor for reading markings on the culture media carriers. Such a sensor can, for example, be arranged near the sampling station in order to read markings on the culture media carriers located in the sampling station.

[0056] It is also preferred if the device has a control unit which is designed to actuate the manipulator in such a way that the nutrient medium exposed at the sampling station with a nutrient medium carrier is regularly changed in a predetermined time schedule.

[0057] The control unit may optionally also be arranged externally to a housing of the device and optionally also be connected to the components of the drive train of the device via wireless interfaces in order to control the manipulator for the operation of the device.

[0058] Furthermore, it is preferred if the manipulator, the sampling station, the nutrient medium storage stations and the nutrient medium storage stations are arranged on a housing in which drive components and a control unit of the device are arranged.

[0059] To supply energy to the drive train, the device may have an integrated accumulator or battery.

[0060] The invention and the technical context of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. The figures show preferred embodiments to which the invention is not limited. It should be noted in particular that the figures, and in particular the proportions depicted in the figures, are only schematic. They show:

[0061] Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a described device in a side view; Fig. 2: a schematic representation of a described device in a view from above;

[0062] Fig. 3: a schematic perspective view of a described device;

[0063] Fig. 4a to 4c: different situations of the interaction of a manipulator of a described device with a nutrient medium carrier; and

[0064] Fig. 5: a schematic perspective view of an interaction of a manipulator of a described device with a nutrient medium carrier.

[0065] The described device 1 is now presented with reference to Fig. 1, 2 and 3. The representation of the device 1 in Fig. 1, 2 and 3 is not completely corresponding. This means that a uniform representation of the device 1 was not chosen here and shown from different perspectives, but Fig. 1, 2 and 3 each show adapted representations in which different aspects of the device 1 are highlighted. For example, the three-dimensional representation of the device in Fig. 1 shows a more compact arrangement of the nutrient media carriers 4 or the cassettes 22 of the nutrient media carriers 4 than is the case according to Fig. 1, 2 and 3. Functionally, however, the representations of the device 1 according to Fig. 1, 2 and 3 correspond. Differences between the embodiments according to Fig. 1, 2 and 3 will be briefly discussed below where necessary or helpful. In principle, however, Fig. 1, 2 and 3 are explained together here.

[0066] The device 1 has a housing 30 on which a manipulator 7 is arranged, with which nutrient media carriers 4 can be removed from nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and transported to a sampling station 5. At the sampling station 5, a sample is then taken using a nutrient medium 2 provided in the nutrient media carrier 4. After the sample has been taken, the nutrient media carriers 4 are then transported by the manipulator to nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 for used nutrient media carriers 4.

[0067] The device 1 is used in particular in a clean room 3, in which the device 1 is used to take samples in order to monitor the air quality in the clean room 3. The clean room 3 is shown schematically in Fig. 1.

[0068] The manipulator 7 is arranged centrally on the housing 30 of the device 1 and is configured to perform rotary movements 13 and axial movements 14. The device 1 has precisely one drive train 18 to drive the manipulator 7. The term "drive train" here refers to the entirety of drive components (electric motors, servos, gears, racks, etc.) required to move the manipulator 7 as desired. The drive train 18 is characterized in that both rotary movements 13 and axial movements 14 occur along a common axis 17 or around a common axis 17. The axis 17 forms a center of rotation 26 for the rotary movements 13, which can be axially displaced along the axis 17 by axial movements 14.The device 1 is characterized in particular by the fact that exactly one drive train 18 is provided to carry out the complete movement of the nutrient media carriers 4 from the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 via the sampling station 5 to the nutrient media carrier deposition stations 10. In particular, transfers of nutrient media carriers 4 between different manipulators 7 with different drive trains 18 can be dispensed with.

[0069] The drive train 18 preferably has various drive components 31 with which the intended movements of the manipulator 7 can be driven, namely in particular a rotary drive 24 for generating rotary movements, a lifting drive 25 for generating axial movements 14. The drive components 31 of the drive train 18 are preferably connected via signal or data lines 32 to a control unit 29, which controls the operation of the device 1 for the intended exposure of the nutrient media 2 in the nutrient media carriers 4. The control unit 29 can, if necessary, be arranged entirely or partially outside the device 1 or, if necessary, also outside the clean room 3. If necessary, the control unit 29 can also be designed in several parts and be located partly in the device 1 or in the clean room 3 and partly outside.Various components of the control unit 29 can also communicate with each other via wireless interfaces if necessary.

[0070] Both the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carrier deposit stations 10 are each arranged on a support structure 19, which extends from the housing 30 of the device 1 and is arranged laterally of the manipulator 7 such that the manipulator 7 can access the nutrient media carriers 4 provided on the support structures 19. The support structures 19 are preferably designed as vertical rods on which the nutrient media carriers 4 can be suspended one below the other. The nutrient media carriers 4 or the cassettes 22 of nutrient media carriers 4 preferably each have an opening 45 through which the support structure 19 extends when the nutrient media carriers 4 are deposited at nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 or at nutrient media carrier deposit stations 10.The nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 are preferably arranged one below the other, for nutrient media carriers 4 on these support structures 19. The nutrient media carriers 4 preferably have a design-related, fixed and uniform axial distance 37 from one another. Preferably, both the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 are located on a circular path 27 around the axis 17 or the center of rotation 26, wherein the circular path 27 has a radius 28. By means of a rotational movement 13 of the manipulator 7, both the nutrient media carriers 4 in the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carriers 4 in the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 can be accessed, in particular without a change in the length of the manipulator 7 being necessary.Nutrient media carriers 4 are preferably each formed with a tray 15, which can be closed with a lid 16 and in which the nutrient medium 2 is provided. Furthermore, nutrient media carriers 4 preferably each have a cassette 22, in which the tray 15 is held by a clamping mechanism 23. The cassette 22 preferably provides the structures required for the manipulator 7 to accommodate the nutrient media carriers 4 and for the nutrient media carriers 4 to be held as intended on the support structures 19 of the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10.

[0071] Preferably, each cassette 22 and thus each culture medium carrier 4 has a fixing mechanism 20 with which the culture medium carrier 4 can be attached to a designated fixing element 35 of a support structure 19. Preferably, each cassette 22 and thus each culture medium carrier 4 also has a coupling mechanism 21 with which another cassette 22 or another culture medium carrier 4 can be attached to the bottom of the cassette 22 or the culture medium carrier 4.

[0072] The fixing element 35 on a support structure 19 is designed, for example, as an opening, bore, or recess on the support structure 19. The fixing mechanism 20 is designed, for example, as a spring-loaded pin, which moves into this opening, bore, or recess when the culture medium carrier 4 or the cassette 22 with the fixing mechanism 20 moves past the fixing element 35.

[0073] The coupling mechanism 21 is designed, for example, with a coupling receptacle on an underside of each nutrient media carrier 4 or each cassette 22 and a coupling on an upper side of each nutrient media carrier 4 or each cassette 22. The couplings on the upper sides of the cassettes 22 or nutrient media carrier 4 then engage in the coupling receptacles on the undersides of the cassettes 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 when the nutrient media carrier 4 or the cassettes 22 abut one another in the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 or the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10. Thus, the nutrient media carrier 4 or the cassettes 22 are connected to one another in the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 or the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10.

[0074] Preferably, a fixing element 35 is provided on the support structures 19 only for the respective uppermost nutrient media storage station 6 or nutrient media storage station 10. Only the uppermost nutrient media carrier 4 or the uppermost cassette 22 is attached to the support structure 19. The other nutrient media carriers 4 or cassettes 22 arranged below are suspended from nutrient media carriers 4 or cassettes 22 arranged above.

[0075] The manipulator 7 has engagement elements 34 that are configured to interact with the fixing mechanism 20 and the coupling mechanism 21 of the cassettes 22 or the nutrient media carriers 4. The functioning of the fixing mechanism 20 and the coupling mechanism 21, as well as their interaction with the manipulator 7 or with the engagement elements 34 on the manipulator 7, are explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 4a to 4c and Fig. 5.

[0076] With the manipulator 7, the fixing mechanism 20 of the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 at the uppermost nutrient media carrier storage station 6 can be released. Since all nutrient media carriers 4 or cassettes 22 in the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 are connected to one another by their coupling mechanisms 21, all nutrient media carriers 4 or cassettes 22 in the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 can be moved upwards with a first partial movement 9, which is performed as an axial movement 14 of the manipulator 7. The nutrient media carrier 4 or its cassette 22 arranged below the uppermost nutrient media carrier 4 or cassettes 22 then engages with the fixing mechanism 20 into the fixing element 35 of the support structure 19. The nutrient media carriers 4 or cassettes 22 in the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 are now held by the newly engaged nutrient media carrier 4 or cassette 22 and the previously uppermost nutrient media carrier 4 orthe cassette 22 is free and movable and can be transported to the culture medium storage stations 10 with a second partial movement 11 executed as a rotary movement 13.

[0077] At the culture medium storage stations 10, the process of depositing the culture medium carrier 4 or cassette 22 occurs in reverse to the process of removing culture medium carriers 4 or cassettes 22 from culture medium storage stations 6. First, the new culture medium carrier 4 or cassette 22 to be deposited is deposited on the previously uppermost culture medium carrier 4 or cassette 22 using the manipulator 7. The coupling mechanism 21 engages, and the culture medium carrier 4 or cassette 22 connects to the culture medium carrier 4 or cassette 22 located below it via the coupling mechanism. Subsequently, the manipulator 7 moves to the previously uppermost culture media carrier 4 or cassette 22.By engaging the manipulator 7, the fixing mechanism 20 is released from the fixing element 35 on the support structure 19 of the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 and is moved downwards with a third partial movement 12 executed as an axial movement 14 until the fixing mechanism 20 of the nutrient media carrier 4 or the cassette 22, which is now arranged at the top, engages the fixing element 25 of the support structure 19.

[0078] The sampling station 5, at which the nutrient medium 2 in the nutrient media carrier 4 is exposed to the air in the clean room 3, is preferably located above the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 on the support structure 19 of the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6. Preferably, a lid removal module 33 is additionally arranged on the manipulator 7, with which a lid 16 of a tray 15 of the nutrient media carrier 4 containing the nutrient medium 2 can be removed, for example via adhesion forces, in order to expose the nutrient medium 2 in the nutrient media carrier 4 to the air in the clean room 3. A lid removal module 33 acting with adhesion forces causes the lid 16 to automatically adhere to the lid removal module 33 or to be suspended there when the lid removal module 33 approaches the lid 16 from above. In order to detach the lid 16 from the lid removal module 33, the lid removal module 33 is moved, for example, laterally away from the lid 16.A hold-down device (not shown separately here) can also be provided with which the cover 16 can be held down in order to release the cover removal module 33 from the cover 16.

[0079] Preferably, a lid 16 attached to the lid removal module 33 can be moved with the manipulator 7 away from the nutrient medium 2 into an intermediate lid storage position 38, while the nutrient medium 2 is exposed to the air in the clean room 3.

[0080] In principle, the spatial arrangement of the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 relative to the manipulator 7 can be designed differently in order to adapt the shape and extent of the device 1 to the respective intended location of the device 1. According to the illustrations in Figs. 1 and 2, an elongated spatial arrangement of the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 is shown. According to Fig. 3, a rotated arrangement of the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 and the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10 is shown. This results in a more compact, but somewhat wider design of the device 1. Both the design of the device 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and that shown in Fig.3 have their own possible applications, which depend in particular on the available space in the clean room 3 in which the described device 1 is to be used.

[0081] In Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c as well as in Fig. 5, the interaction of the fixing mechanism 20 and the coupling mechanism 21 of the nutrient media carriers 4 or the cassettes 22 with trays 15 inserted therein with the manipulator 7 or with engagement elements 34 provided on the manipulator 7 is described in detail.

[0082] Figs. 4a to 4c each show the manipulator 7 in various angular positions relative to a cassette 22 or a culture medium carrier 4, which is held on a support structure 19. Each view is shown from above. The axis 17, which defines the center of rotation 26 of the manipulator 7, is indicated. The manipulator 7 has engagement elements 34 that can interact with the fixing mechanism 20 or the coupling mechanism 21 of the culture medium carrier 4 or the cassette 22.

[0083] The illustrations in Figs. 4a to 4c and in Fig. 5 each relate to both the nutrient media storage stations 6 and the nutrient media storage stations 10. The disclosure of Figs. 4a to 4c and 5 can thus be applied to both the nutrient media storage stations 6 and the nutrient media storage stations 10. The illustrations in Figs. 4a to 4c each show the uppermost nutrient media carrier 4 or the uppermost cassette 22 on a support structure 19. Further nutrient media carriers 4 or cassettes 22 are attached below them by the coupling mechanism 21. How this is implemented exactly can be seen, for example, in Fig. 5 but also in Figs. 1 and 3.

[0084] According to the situation in Fig. 4a, the nutrient media carrier 4 or the cassette 22 is held on the support structure 19 by the fixing mechanism 20. The manipulator 7 is located in a position in which it does not interact with the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4. The fixing mechanism 20 (which is designed, for example, with a spring-loaded pin on the cassette 22) interacts with the fixing element 35 such that the cassette 2 or the nutrient media carrier 4 is held on the support structure 19. The fixing element 25 can be designed, for example, as an opening, bore, or hole in the support structure 19.In the case of a fixing mechanism 20 configured with a spring-loaded pin, this pin penetrates the fixing element 35 configured as an opening, bore, or hole and is held there by a bearing spring, which normally pushes out the pin of the fixing mechanism 20 (if the fixation has not been released), so that the culture medium carrier 4 or the cassette 22 is held on the fixing element 35. As a result, the culture medium carrier 4 or the cassette 22 is fixed to the support structure 19. According to Fig. 4b, the manipulator 7 is in a first interaction position.

[0085] 39, in which engagement elements 34 attached to the manipulator 7 interact with engagement positions 42 on the cassette 22. The engagement positions 42 are designed, for example, as openings for the engagement elements 34. Preferably, at least one of the engagement positions 42 has a mechanism that acts on the fixing mechanism 20 in such a way that it is deactivated. "Deactivation" here means that the fixing of the fixing mechanism 20 to the fixing element 35 on the support structure 19 is removed. In the case of a spring-loaded pin as the fixing mechanism 20, it can be provided, for example, that an engagement element 34 in an engagement position 42 pushes the pin back against the spring.

[0086] In the first interaction position 39, a coupling mechanism 21 for connecting the cassette 22 or the culture medium carrier 4 to cassettes 22 or culture media carriers 4 suspended below it remains active. In the first interaction position 39, the entire stack of cassettes 22 or culture media carriers 4 arranged one above the other in culture media carrier storage stations 6 or in culture media carrier storage stations 10 can be moved up or down along the support structure 19 with the manipulator 7 until another culture media carrier 4 (arranged above or below) or a cassette 22 is fixed (e.g., snaps into place) with its fixing mechanism 22 to the fixing element 35 of the support structure 19.

[0087] According to Fig. 4c, the manipulator 7 is in a second interaction position

[0088] 40, in which engagement elements 34, as described in connection with Fig. 4b, interact with engagement positions 42 on the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4. In the second interaction position 40, a coupling mechanism 21 of the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 is additionally deactivated. Preferably, a decoupling switch 41 is provided on the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4, which is actuated in the second interaction position 40 by a region of the manipulator 7 to deactivate the coupling mechanism 21. The cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 can then be lifted off the other cassettes 22 or nutrient media carriers 4. It is possible to lift the cassette 22 or the culture medium carrier 4 with the manipulator 7 beyond the support structure 19 and to move it away from the support structure 19, for example towards another support structure 19, with a rotational movement 13.

[0089] The manipulator 7 is preferably only brought into the second interaction position 40 if another nutrient media carrier 4 / cassette 22 (arranged above or below the respective nutrient media carrier 4 or the respective cassette 22) has already been locked into the fixing element 35 with the fixing mechanism 20. The additional nutrient media carriers 4 / cassettes 22 then hang securely again on the respective support structure 19 of the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 or the nutrient media carrier storage stations 10, and the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 with which the manipulator 7 interacts in the second interaction position 40 can be separated from the other nutrient media carriers 4 / cassettes 22.

[0090] In preferred embodiments, means are also provided by which the cassette 22 is securely held on the manipulator 7 when the manipulator 7 is in the first interaction position 39. Such means can, for example, be designed with barbs 44 on the engagement elements 34, which prevent accidental detachment of the cassette 22 from the manipulator 7 in the first interaction position 39. When the cassette 22 is held on the support structure 19, a force can be exerted on such barbs 44 with the manipulator 7, which then causes the cassette 22 to be released. When the cassette 22 is moved (freely) by the manipulator 7 above the support structure 19, the cassette 22 is preferably securely held (with the barbs 44) on the manipulator 7. Such means for holding the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 on the manipulator 7 (e.g.The barbs 44 are designed such that they hold the cassette 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 in the second interaction position 40 according to Fig. 4c, but not yet in the first interaction position 39. This is not necessary in the first interaction position 39, because in the first interaction position 39, the cassettes 22 or the nutrient media carrier 4 are normally still guided on the support structures 19.

[0091] Fig. 5 now shows a perspective view of a stack of culture media carriers 4 or cassettes 22 in culture media carrier storage stations 6 or in culture media carrier storage stations 10 on a support structure 19 while an uppermost cassette 22 or an uppermost culture media carrier 4 is lifted off. The uncoupling switch 41 for the coupling mechanism 21 and the engagement positions 42 for the engagement elements 34 of the manipulator 7 and the (not visible here) fixing mechanism 20 can be seen in Fig. 5. Also visible are the axial distance 37 and the coupling depth 43 by which the coupling mechanisms 21 of the cassettes 22 extend beyond the cassettes 22. An axial movement range 36 of the manipulator 7 preferably extends over twice the axial distance 37 plus the coupling depth 43. This prevents overloading or transporting of cassettes 22 orNutrient media carriers 4 from the nutrient media carrier storage stations 6 to the nutrient media storage stations 10.

[0092] List of reference symbols

[0093] device

[0094] Culture medium

[0095] cleanroom

[0096] Culture media carrier

[0097] Sampling station

[0098] Culture media storage stations Manipulator

[0099] Conveyor movement first partial movement

[0100] Culture media storage stations second partial movement third partial movement

[0101] rotational movement

[0102] axial movement

[0103] Peel

[0104] Lid

[0105] axis

[0106] Powertrain

[0107] Support structure

[0108] Fixing mechanism

[0109] clutch mechanism

[0110] cassette

[0111] clamping mechanism

[0112] rotary drive

[0113] Lifting drive

[0114] Turning center

[0115] circular orbit

[0116] radius

[0117] control unit

[0118] Housing Drive component Data line Cover removal module Attack element Fixing element Axial movement range Axial distance

[0119] Cover intermediate storage position first interaction position second interaction position uncoupling switch engagement position coupling depth barb

[0120] opening

Claims

Patent claims 1. A device (1) for taking air samples with a nutrient medium (2) in a clean room (3), wherein the nutrient medium (2) is provided in at least one sealable nutrient medium carrier (4) which can be opened for the period of air sampling in order to expose the nutrient medium (2) to the air in the clean room (3), wherein the device (1) further comprises a plurality of nutrient medium carrier storage stations (6) arranged one above the other, at which prepared nutrient media carriers (4) for air sampling can be stored, wherein the device (1) further comprises a plurality of nutrient media carrier depositing stations (10) arranged one above the other, at which nutrient media carriers (4) can be deposited, wherein the device (1) comprises a manipulator (7) which is configured to remove nutrient media carriers (4) from the nutrient media carrier storage stations (6),to expose the culture medium carriers (4) to the air in the clean room (3) at a fixed sampling station (5) and then to deposit the culture medium carriers (4) at the culture medium carrier deposit station (10), wherein the manipulator (7) has a drive train (18) with an axis (17) and is designed to carry out rotary movements (13) about the axis (17) and axial movements (14) parallel to the axis (17) as a conveying movement (8) in order to convey culture medium carriers (4) from the culture medium carrier storage stations (6) to the sampling station (5) and, after sampling, to the culture medium carrier deposit station (10).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the conveying movement (8) of nutrient media carriers (4) comprises an axial first partial movement (9) for lifting nutrient media carriers (4) from the nutrient media carrier storage stations (6), a rotating second partial movement (11) for transporting nutrient media carriers (4) from the nutrient media carrier storage stations (6) to the nutrient media carrier deposit stations (10) and an axial third partial movement (12) for Depositing nutrient media carriers (4) on the nutrient media carrier deposit stations (10).

3. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the manipulator (7) has a rotary drive (24) for carrying out the second partial movement (11) and a lifting drive (25) for carrying out the first partial movement (9) and the third partial movement (12).

4. Device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein during the first partial movement (9) all nutrient media carriers (4) in the nutrient media carrier storage stations (6) are raised together and wherein during the third partial movement (12) all nutrient media carriers (4) in the nutrient media carrier storage stations (10) are lowered together.

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein nutrient media carrier storage stations (6) and nutrient media carrier storage stations (10) are each arranged one above the other on a support structure (19), wherein in each case an uppermost nutrient media carrier (4) is fixed to the support structure (19) by a fixing mechanism (20) and further nutrient media carriers (4) are suspended by a coupling mechanism (21) on nutrient media carriers (4) arranged above.

6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the nutrient medium carriers (4) each comprise a cassette (22) into which a tray (15) with the nutrient medium (2) can be clamped, wherein the cassettes (22) each have a coupling mechanism (21) for attaching further cassettes (22) and a fixing mechanism (20) for fixing the cassette (22) to a support structure (19).

7. Device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the manipulator (7) has engagement elements (34) with which the coupling mechanism (21) and / or the fixing mechanism (20) are specifically activated and deactivated can be used to detach nutrient media carriers (4) from the support structure (19) and / or from further nutrient media carriers (4) attached to the coupling mechanism (21).

8. Device (1) according to one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the fixing mechanism (20) is designed such that a nutrient medium carrier (4) placed on the support structure (19) is automatically fixed to the support structure (19) when the nutrient media carrier (4) is brought to a fixing element (35) of the support structure (19).

9. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein nutrient media carriers (4) each have a tray (15) with the nutrient medium (2) and a lid (16), wherein the manipulator (7) has a lid removal module (33) which is designed to remove the lid (16) for exposing the nutrient medium (2) to a nutrient media carrier (4) arranged at the sampling station (5), to store it at an intermediate lid storage position (38) and then to place the lid (16) back onto the tray (15) of the nutrient media carrier (4) at the sampling station (5).

10. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the manipulator (7) is designed to carry out axial movements (14) in an axial movement range (36) whose length corresponds at least to the axial distance (37) between two nutrient media carriers (4) arranged one above the other in the nutrient media carrier storage stations (6) and the nutrient media carrier storage stations (10) and to a coupling depth (43) of a coupling mechanism (21) for suspending cassettes (22) of nutrient media carriers (4) to one another.

11. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sampling station (5) is arranged at an uppermost nutrient medium carrier storage station (6) or at an uppermost nutrient medium carrier storage station (10).

12. Device (1) according to claim 11, wherein the nutrient medium carrier storage station (6) and the nutrient medium carrier storage station (10) are arranged on a circular path (27) with a radius (28) arranged around a center of rotation (26) of the manipulator (7).

13. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a control device (29) which is designed to actuate the manipulator (7) in such a way that the nutrient medium (2) exposed at the sampling station (5) with a nutrient medium carrier (4) is regularly changed in a predetermined time schedule.

14. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the manipulator (7), the sampling station (5), the nutrient medium storage stations (6) and the nutrient medium storage stations (10) are arranged on a housing (30) in which drive components (31) and a control unit (29) of the device (1) are arranged.

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