Bacterial Culture Imaging Chamber with Annular Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for observing bacterial colonies in PETRI plates face challenges with incorrect illumination, leading to reflections, shadows, and optical distortions, which hinder accurate counting and image analysis.
Innovation Solution
A device with a contrast observation chamber using an annular light emitting source and a reflective surface to provide indirect, uniform illumination, combined with a non-reflective surface around the image capturing device to prevent glare and external light interference, ensuring optimal image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If direct illumination is used to illuminate the culture dish, then the illumination intensity is sufficient, but reflections and shadows are produced that hinder accurate image capture
Solution Approach 1:
A diffuse reflective surface is introduced as an intermediary between the light source and the culture dish. The light source illuminates the reflective surface, which then diffusely reflects light onto the culture dish from multiple angles, eliminating direct illumination while maintaining sufficient light intensity and preventing reflections and shadows.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a reflective surface is used to provide uniform illumination, then reflections are eliminated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inner surface of the chamber is coated with a diffuse reflective material that scatters light uniformly. This simple surface treatment transforms the chamber into an effective light diffuser, providing uniform illumination without requiring complex optical components or multiple light sources.
3Measurement precision
If the image capturing device is placed close to the culture dish for high resolution, then image quality improves, but glare from direct light interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuse reflective surface acts as an intermediary that redirects light onto the culture dish from angles away from the image capturing device. This eliminates direct light paths that would cause glare in the captured images, allowing the camera to be positioned close to the dish for high resolution without suffering from light interference.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures accurate and clear images of bacterial colonies by eliminating reflections and shadows, allowing for precise counting and analysis of colonies through automatic image processing.
Implementation Method 1
a reflective surface arranged facing said light emitting source for reflecting said light towards the support for culture dishes
Implementation Method 2
a non-reflective surface arranged in an annular manner around said image capturing device to prevent the occurrence of reflections
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for obtaining images of bacterial cultures in a dish. The proposed device includes a support for a culture dish to be analyzed surrounded by an annular light emitting source facing an image capturing device and a non-reflective surface which, in conjunction with a reflective surface arranged in the periphery of the support, form a preferably spherical-shaped contrast observation chamber, providing a glare- and reflection-free, uniform tangent illumination of the support.