Assembled Sterilization Rack with Temperature Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In sterile experiments, operators face inconvenience and inefficiency due to the need to manually cool sterilized inoculation loops and applicators after open-flame dry heat sterilization, and temperature measurement of sterilized culture media is often inaccurate, affecting experimental results.
Innovation Solution
An assembled sterilization rack with a lateral and base frame, heat-resistant rods, semicircular positioning rings, temperature sensors, and a temperature-displaying control unit, allowing for angular adjustability and real-time temperature monitoring, enabling precise temperature control and display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If open-flame dry heat sterilization is used for inoculation loops and applicators, then sterilization is achieved, but operators must manually hold and cool the tools, causing inconvenience and time loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a metal rod with positioning rings as an intermediary cooling support. The sterilized inoculation loop is placed between the positioning rings on the metal rod to cool down, eliminating the need for operators to hold the hot tools manually. This mediator transfers the cooling function from human hands to a dedicated device component.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal rod structure allows the sterilized tool to cool itself passively through natural heat dissipation while positioned between the positioning rings. The system serves itself by providing a self-cooling mechanism without requiring active operator intervention or additional energy input.
2Ease of operation
If empirical temperature determination is used for sterilized culture medium, then simple operation is maintained, but temperature accuracy is compromised, adversely affecting experimental results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates temperature sensors that provide real-time temperature feedback of the culture medium. This feedback mechanism allows operators to monitor the actual temperature objectively, replacing empirical judgment with precise measurement data to determine when the medium has cooled to the appropriate temperature for use.
3Reliability
If frequent open-flame sterilization is performed for different bacteria incubation, then sterilization requirements are met, but experimental time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The metal rod with positioning rings is prepared in advance as a ready-to-use cooling support. When sterilization is complete, the tool can be immediately placed on the pre-positioned rod for cooling, eliminating the need to search for or set up cooling supports during the experiment. This preliminary preparation reduces idle time between sterilization cycles.
4Adaptability or versatility
If no vertical support rack is designed for rectangular culture dishes, then incubator space utilization is limited, but proper vertical culture support is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension within the incubator by designing a rack system that supports culture dishes in the vertical orientation. This dimensional approach allows multiple culture dishes to be stacked vertically, significantly increasing the effective storage and incubation capacity within the same horizontal footprint of the incubator.
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 improves experimental accuracy and efficiency by allowing for precise temperature control and monitoring, reducing manual handling and empirical errors, and supporting various sterile tools and culture dishes.
Implementation Method 1
The N temperature sensors 8 have output ends for outputting temperature-sensing signals connected with input ends of the temperature-displaying control unit 7 for inputting N temperature-sensing signals
Implementation Method 2
heat resistant rods 5 each having a plurality of semicircular positioning rings
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An assembled sterilization rack for sterile experiment is provided and includes a lateral frame, retaining wires, connectors, a base frame, heat resistant rods, connecting rings, a temperature-displaying control unit, and N temperature sensors. The lateral frame and the base frame are connected through the connectors. The lateral frame and the base frame have their surfaces facing each other provided with a plurality of retaining wires. The heat resistant rods have two ends mounted on the symmetrically arranged retaining wires, respectively. The base frame has its upper surface provided with a plurality of connecting rings. The heat resistant rods have the two ends received in the symmetrically arranged connecting rings, respectively. The N temperature sensors are connected with the temperature-displaying control unit. The device is used for supporting inoculation loops and applicators used in experiment involving culture of microorganisms and cells, and also in cell culture experiment, can be applied to support elements used for vertical culture of cells in rectangular culture dishes.