Continuous Plate Components for Airtight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional petri dishes face challenges in high-volume, automated processes due to moisture issues and irregularities in agar during the curing process, leading to contamination problems due to lack of an airtight seal.
Innovation Solution
A system of continuous strips of plate components, including bases, lids, and covers made of thermoplastic, where the base and lid are shaped to provide a secure attachment and ventilation, and the covers have a raised portion for air gap creation, allowing for positive control and airtight sealing in automated systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional petri dishes are used in high-volume automated processes, then individual handling and processing is simplified, but moisture problems and agar irregularities occur during curing, leading to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The plate system is divided into three separate continuous strips: bases, lids, and covers. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function - bases for agar containment, lids for airtight sealing during curing, and covers for incubation protection - thereby preventing contamination while maintaining high-volume automated processing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The lid acts as an intermediary component between the base and the external environment during the curing process. It provides an airtight seal over the base containing agar, preventing moisture loss and contamination. The cover then serves as a second intermediary layer during incubation, creating a protected environment that maintains reliability in automated high-volume processing
2Ease of manufacture
If thermoformed culture dishes are used, then manufacturing and cost challenges are alleviated, but moisture problems and agar irregularities persist during curing due to lack of airtight seal
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is attached to the base in advance before the agar curing process begins. This preliminary action ensures that an airtight seal is established prior to curing, preventing moisture problems and agar irregularities. The pre-attached lid-lid assembly maintains manufacturing simplicity while ensuring curing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses thermoplastic materials for both the base and lid that can be thermoformed using the same manufacturing processes. This composite approach maintains ease of manufacture through existing thermoforming technology while achieving the airtight seal necessary for precise agar curing
3Reliability
If three separate continuous strips (bases, lids, covers) are used, then airtight sealing and contamination prevention are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid and cover are both attached to the base, merging multiple protective functions into a single integrated system. The lid provides airtight sealing during curing while the cover provides additional protection during incubation. This merging approach achieves reliable airtight sealing without requiring completely separate handling of multiple components
Solution Approach 2:
The base component serves multiple functions: it contains the agar, receives the lid for airtight sealing during curing, and later receives the cover for incubation protection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for entirely separate components for each stage, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable sealing
4Reliability
If separate lids and covers are used, then contamination is prevented through airtight sealing, but material usage and packaging increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lid and cover are designed as thin, lightweight components that provide effective airtight sealing and contamination prevention. Their thin-film construction minimizes material usage compared to rigid alternatives, reducing both material consumption and packaging requirements while maintaining reliable contamination prevention
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 system enhances efficiency and prevents contamination by ensuring a secure and airtight environment for agar inoculation and incubation, reducing the risk of sample contamination and improving manufacturing and shipping costs through reduced material usage and packaging.
Implementation Method 1
The base, lid and cover can be adapted to advance through an automated injection and inoculation system subject to positive control... The base, lid and cover can also be adapted for use with heat seals
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to systems and methods involving interconnected plate components, including bases, lids and covers, interconnected in a manner such that a continuous strip of each component is prepared. The continuous strips may be stored as rollstock in a reel style. The physical properties of each continuous strip allow the base, lid and/or cover to include means for positive control. In one embodiment, the continuous strip of bases is advanced and processed through an automated system with positive control, and remains in the form of a continuous strip until agar in the bases is cured, at which time the bases are singulated. When a lid is applied to a base using methods described herein, an airtight seal is formed improving the quality of culture media used in testing.