Water-Swellable Clay Gelling Agents for Microbial Culture Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Dehydrated microbial culture devices using natural gums are susceptible to liquefaction due to organism metabolism and breakdown under ionizing radiation, which limits their effectiveness for microorganism propagation and storage.

Innovation Solution

A device comprising two layers with water-swellable gelling agents, including clays like hectorite, that are resistant to organism metabolism and ionizing radiation, allowing for the propagation and storage of microorganisms while maintaining structural integrity during sterilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If natural gums are used as gelling agents in dehydrated microbial culture devices, then the devices provide good gelling characteristics and work well in most applications, but the natural gums are metabolized by microorganisms causing liquefaction of the plate and break down under ionizing radiation during sterilization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegelling characteristicsVSAvoidliquefaction and radiation breakdown

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the gelling agent from natural gums to synthetic water-swellable gelling agents (polyacrylamide, polyacrylic acid, carboxymethyl cellulose) that resist microbial metabolism and radiation degradation, while maintaining the desired gelling and water-holding properties through controlled polymer chemistry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite gelling system combining synthetic polymer matrices with clay particles (bentonite, attapulgite, hectorite) to achieve both structural integrity during sterilization and appropriate gelling characteristics for microbial growth, while the composite structure provides resistance to both metabolic degradation and radiation breakdown

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 device provides increased resistance to organism metabolism and ionizing radiation, enabling efficient propagation and storage of microorganisms with improved durability and detection capabilities.

Implementation Method 1

water-swellable gelling agent comprising a clay

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWater swelling: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 2

water-swellable gelling agent comprising a clay

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGel formation: Gel

Implementation Method 3

resistant to organism metabolism and ionizing radiation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadiation resistance: Radiation

Implementation Method 4

resistant to organism metabolism

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMetabolic resistance:

Data Source

PatentUS10344253B2Devices and kits for the propagation or storage of microorganisms, and methods of making and using

Publication Date: 2019.07.09 NEOGEN FOOD SAFETY US HOLDCO CORP

AI summary

Devices for the propagation or storage of microorganisms are provided including a first layer that has a first portion of a surface of the first layer, to which a first water-swellable gelling agent comprising a first clay is affixed. The devices further include a second layer that is separable from the first layer and has a first portion of a surface of the second layer, to which a second water-swellable gelling agent is affixed. Methods for detecting and enumerating at least one microorganism in a sample are provided. The methods include providing a device, separating the first layer from the second layer, adding an aliquot of a sample containing at least one microorganism onto the first or second water-swellable gelling agent to form an inoculated device, laminating the first layer back to the second layer, and incubating the inoculated device. Kits and methods of making the devices are also provided.