Flat Petri Dish Packaging with Transparent High-Barrier Pouch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging of petri dishes is opaque, leading to limited visibility of contamination or defects, has high breakage rates due to mobility, and a short shelf life of about three months.
Innovation Solution
A flat package with optically clear, high-barrier pouches that immobilize petri dishes, allowing for easy inspection and reduced breakage through vacuum sealing and inert gas flushing, extending shelf life to at least twelve months.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If petri dishes are stacked directly on top of one another in an opaque plastic sleeve, then the packaging is compact and protective, but visibility of contamination or defects is limited and breakage rate is high
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging material is changed from opaque to transparent, allowing visual inspection of the petri dishes for contamination or defects without compromising the sterile barrier properties. This enables users to detect issues while maintaining preservation.
2Ease of operation
If petri dishes are placed in a plastic sleeve with mobility, then the packaging is simple and accessible, but breakage rate increases due to slippage
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is divided into individual compartments or slots within the transparent pouch, with each slot designed to hold a single petri dish. This segmentation prevents dishes from moving or slipping while maintaining easy access and visibility.
3Device complexity
If conventional plastic sleeves are used for petri dishes, then the packaging is simple and inexpensive, but shelf life is limited to about three months
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging uses a composite structure combining transparent plastic material with desiccant components and vacuum sealing capabilities. This composite approach extends shelf life to twelve months or more while maintaining visual inspection capability and relative simplicity.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the pouch is made optically clear for visibility, then inspection capability is enhanced, but barrier properties against moisture and gas may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent pouch is constructed from composite materials that simultaneously provide optical clarity for inspection and high barrier properties against moisture and gas transmission. The desiccant components further enhance the protective barrier function.
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 provides enhanced visibility, significantly reduces breakage, and maintains sterility and shelf life of petri dishes, allowing for easy detection of defects and prolonged storage without contamination.
Implementation Method 1
applying a vacuum to the interior cavity of the pouch to evacuate atmospheric air from the pouch
Implementation Method 2
optionally flushing the interior cavity of the pouch with an inert gas
Implementation Method 3
heat sealing the pouch
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides an improved flat package of petri dishes and method of producing the same for prolonging shelf life and preservation of sterility of the petri dishes. The flat package is comprised of an optically clear, high-barrier, moisture-, gas- and microbial-resistant pouch. A plurality of petri dishes located adjacent one another are placed in an interior cavity of the pouch, after which the pouch is vacuum-packed, optionally flushed with an inert gas and then heat sealed. The placement and immobilization of the petri dishes in the pouch allow for prolonged shelf life and preservation of sterility, greatly reduced breakage rates, and enhanced visibility of the petri dishes by a user.