JP5709424B2 - Environmental microbiological testing tool - Google Patents

Description

  This invention is applicable to food processing / manufacturing, pharmaceutical business establishments, hospitals, etc., on the surface of food itself and containers, food processing / manufacturing equipment, cooking utensils and cooking tables, pharmaceutical equipment, medical equipment / equipment, etc. The present invention relates to an environmental microbe inspection tool used for inspecting whether environmental microbes such as fungi and fungi are attached.

  In business establishments and hospitals related to food and pharmaceuticals, it is most important to prevent contamination by microorganisms such as bacteria. Bacterial contamination not only spreads from person to person, but also spreads through food itself, containers, various devices and instruments. In order to prevent such indirect spread of bacterial contamination, it is necessary to take measures after inspecting the surface of food, containers, equipment and utensils for the presence of bacteria. Yes, it is also necessary to confirm the effect after disinfecting equipment and instruments. For this purpose, an environmental microorganism testing tool called a stamp medium is used. This stamp medium is a flat medium filled with a flat plate culture medium. In a food manufacturing or pharmaceutical field, the flat plate medium is pressed against the surface of an inspection target such as an instrument to test Transfer the bacteria attached to the surface to the surface of the plate medium, put the lid on the petri dish, bring it back to the inspection facility, culture the bacteria as it is, observe the growth of the bacteria on the plate medium after the culture operation It is used to determine the presence or absence of microbial contamination on the surface of the inspection object.

  In a conventional stamp medium, a petri dish main body having a flat dish portion filled with the medium and a cap-shaped lid are separately formed, and the flat dish portion protrudes from the petri dish main body, and is removable on the outer periphery of the flat dish portion. Generally have a structure in which the two are fitted together. When collecting bacteria from the test object using this stamp medium, remove the lid from the petri dish body, press the flat medium held in the petri dish body against the surface of the test object (stamping), After transferring bacteria or the like attached to the surface of the test object to the surface of the culture medium, immediately cover the flat plate portion of the petri dish body. Then, the stamp medium is brought back to the inspection facility in this state, and after culturing the bacteria, the lid is removed from the petri dish body, and the colony growth state on the medium is observed (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP-A-6-189739 (page 3, FIG. 2) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-278772 (page 3-4, FIG. 1)

  In the above-mentioned conventional stamp medium, remove the lid from the petri dish body before collecting the bacteria, hold the lid in one of the vacant hands or temporarily place it in a nearby place, and after stamping, the petri dish body It is necessary to put the lid on again. When the stamping operation is performed with the lid held in one hand, the operation may be difficult depending on the state of the inspection object and the surface to be inspected. In addition, when the lid is placed in a nearby place and the petri dish body is covered with the lid after stamping, it is necessary to pick up the lid and check the direction of the lid, and this may take time. In this case, if the place where the lid is placed is contaminated with bacteria, the bacteria may adhere to the inside of the lid. As a result, when the lid is put on the petri dish body, there is a concern that the culture medium is contaminated with bacteria other than the bacteria attached to the surface of the inspection object. As described above, there is a problem that an accurate test result cannot be obtained when the culture medium is contaminated by bacteria attached to the inside of the lid and the bacteria grow on the culture medium.

  This invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and when collecting environmental microorganisms attached to the surface of a test object, a series of operations for that can be easily and quickly performed. It is another object of the present invention to provide an environmental microbiological inspection tool that does not cause the culture medium to be contaminated by microorganisms other than attached microbes on the test object.

The invention according to claim 1 holds a plate-like medium, presses the plate-like medium against the surface of the test object, transfers the microorganisms adhering to the surface of the test object to the surface of the plate-like medium, and culture operation In an environmental microbe inspection tool for observing the growth of microorganisms on a plate-like medium later and determining the presence or absence of microbial contamination on the surface of the test object, a base frame part having an accommodation recess is formed, and the base frame part A plurality of main bodies in which a plate-shaped medium is accommodated so that the surface is slightly raised from the upper edge of each of the main bodies; A concave covering portion that is detachably fitted to the underframe portion of the main body and is engaged with an engaged portion of the underframe portion on a part of the inner peripheral surface of the concave covering portion. The main body and the lid, each of which comprises a plurality of lids each having a joint portion formed therein And an outer peripheral frame portion protruding from the lower peripheral edge of the base frame portion and an upper peripheral edge of the concave covering portion so that the lid body is opened and closed with respect to the main body. The outer peripheral frame portion protruding from the outer peripheral frame portion is refractably connected, and a cutting auxiliary line for enabling the main body and the lid body to be separated is connected to a connecting portion between the outer peripheral frame portion of the main body and the outer peripheral frame portion of the lid body. The plurality of main bodies are formed in parallel with each other in a direction orthogonal to the opening / closing direction of the lid, and the outer peripheral frame portions of adjacent main bodies are connected to each other, and the outer peripheral frame portions of the adjacent main bodies are connected to the respective connected portions. A cutting auxiliary line for enabling separation from each other is formed.

The environmental microbe inspection tool of the invention according to claim 1 is used by separating the outer peripheral frame portions of adjacent main bodies with a cutting auxiliary line. When collecting bacteria, etc. using this environmental microbiological test tool , hold the body with one finger with the lid in a state where the lid is wide open with respect to the individually separated body, and held by the body The flat medium is pressed against the surface of the test object to transfer bacteria and the like adhering to the surface of the test object to the surface of the flat medium, and then the lid is immediately closed to the main body, Cover with the concave cover of the lid. In this way, the stamping operation can be performed with the hand that is not holding the inspection tool in a free state, and the main body can be covered only by closing the cover with respect to the main body. . Further, since the lid body remains integral with the main body and only the lid body is not placed separately, there is no possibility that bacteria will adhere to the lid body. Moreover, with this inspection tool, the main body and the lid can be easily separated if necessary.
Therefore, when this inspection tool is used, a series of operations in collecting environmental microorganisms attached to the surface of the inspection object can be easily and quickly performed, and the microorganisms other than the attached microorganisms of the inspection object can be used. There is no concern about the medium being contaminated, and accurate test results can be obtained. The inspection tool is convenient for storage and transportation before use because a plurality of sets of main bodies and lids are connected in parallel.

It is a top view of the environmental microbe inspection tool which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows each test | inspection tool unit which comprises the test | inspection tool shown in FIG. 1 in the state which opened the cover body. It is a side view which shows the inspection tool unit shown in FIG. 2 in the state which opened the cover body. It is a side view which shows the inspection tool unit shown in FIG. 2 in the state which closed the cover body . It is a top view which shows the state which opened the cover body at an angle of 180 degrees with respect to the main body of the inspection tool unit shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the state which cut | disconnected the cover body from the main body of the test | inspection tool unit shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows a mode when the flat medium of the test | inspection tool unit shown in FIG. 2 is pressed on the surface of a test object, and an attached microorganism is extract | collected .

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an environmental microorganism testing tool showing one embodiment of the present invention. This inspection tool is configured by integrally connecting a plurality of, in the illustrated example, four inspection tool units 34. Each inspection tool unit 34 is configured by integrally forming the main body 10 and the lid body 12. The plurality of inspection tool units 34 are juxtaposed in a direction orthogonal to the opening / closing direction of the lid 12 and are connected to each other at the respective outer peripheral frame portions of adjacent ones. In addition, the outer peripheral frame parts of the lid 12 are separated separately. A cutting auxiliary line 36 is formed at each connecting portion between the outer peripheral frame portion of the main body 10 of the inspection tool unit 34 and the outer peripheral frame portion of the main body 10 of the inspection tool unit 34 adjacent thereto. By separating the outer peripheral frame portions of the adjacent main bodies 10 by the cutting auxiliary line 36, they are used separately for each inspection tool unit 34. The inspection tool to which the plurality of inspection tool units 34 are connected is housed in one packaging bag and sealed. Since this inspection tool has a plurality of inspection tool units 34 connected in parallel, it is convenient for storage and transportation before use.

Next, the configuration and method of use of each testing tool unit constituting this environmental microorganism testing tool will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inspection tool unit with its lid open, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views showing the inspection tool unit with its lid open and closed, respectively. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the lid is opened at an angle of 180 ° with respect to the main body of the inspection tool unit, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the lid is separated from the main body of the inspection tool unit. FIG . 7 is a side view showing a state in which the attached medium is collected by pressing the flat medium of the test tool unit against the surface of the test object.

This inspection tool unit is a molded product formed entirely in a thin plate shape with a plastic material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and has flexibility, and the main body 10 and the lid body 12 are integrally formed. Configured. Since the main body 10 and the lid body 12 are integrated in this way, even when information on the inspection object is described in the lid body 12 when inspecting a large number of inspection objects, the main body and the lid There is no worry that the lid may be mistaken for the main body as in the case of a conventional inspection tool that is separated from the main body.

  A frame portion 14 is formed in the main body 10, and a shallow and circular accommodating recess 16 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the frame portion 14. The receiving recess 16 is filled and accommodated with a plate-like medium 18 made of an agar medium or the like so that the surface is slightly raised from its upper edge. A pair of engaged portions 20, 20 to be engaged with engaging portions of the lid 12 described later are formed at both corners on the front end side of the outer peripheral surface of the frame portion 14. In addition, an outer peripheral frame portion 22 is formed on the entire periphery of the main body 10 so as to protrude laterally from the lower peripheral edge of the underframe portion 14.

The lid body 12 is formed with a concave covering portion 24 that is detachably fitted to the frame portion 14 of the main body 10. And, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the lid 12 is closed with respect to the main body 10, a structure in which microorganisms such as bacteria are not mixed into the plate-like medium 18 in the housing recess 16 of the main body 10 from the outside. It has become. A pair of engaging portions 26, 26 that engage with the engaged portion 20 of the base frame portion 14 of the main body 10 are formed at both corners on the front end side of the inner peripheral surface of the concave covering portion 24. In addition, an outer peripheral frame portion 28 is formed on the entire circumference of the lid body 12 so as to protrude laterally from the upper peripheral edge of the concave covering portion 24. Then, one side piece of the outer peripheral frame portion 28 of the lid body 12 is connected to one side of the outer peripheral frame portion 22 of the main body 10 so as to be able to be refracted. Is configured to open and close. As shown in FIG. 5 , a cutting auxiliary line 30 such as a perforation is formed at a connecting portion between the main body 10 and the lid body 12, and as shown in FIG. 6 , the main body 10 and the lid are connected by the cutting auxiliary line 30. The body 12 can be easily separated.

As shown in FIG. 4 , when the lid 12 is closed with respect to the main body 10, the engaging portion 26 of the concave covering portion 24 of the lid 12 is engaged with the engaged portion 20 of the base frame portion 14 of the main body 10. By doing so, the lid 12 is securely held in a state of being closed with respect to the main body 10. In FIG. 5 , the lid 12 in a state of being closed with respect to the main body 10 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The dimension of the main body 10 in the direction of connection with the lid 12, that is, the dimension from the connection part to the front end is made smaller than the dimension of the lid 12 in the connection direction with the main body 10, ie, the dimension from the connection part to the front end. And the dimension in the width direction of the main body 10 (direction orthogonal to the connecting direction with the lid body 12) is larger than the dimension in the width direction of the lid body 12 (direction orthogonal to the connecting direction with the main body 10). Yes. In this way, with the fingers of the left hand gripping both sides of the main body 10 with the lid 12 closed, the right hand thumb is hooked on the front end of the lid 12 and the lid 12 is tilted with the right hand. When pulled upward, the engaging portion 26 of the concave covering portion 24 is detached from the engaged portion 20 of the underframe portion 14, and the lid 12 can be easily opened with respect to the main body 10.

When collecting bacteria or the like using the above-described inspection tool unit , as shown in FIG. 7 , the lid body 12 is rotated by 180 ° or more around the connecting portion with the main body 10, and the lid body is moved with respect to the main body 10. The main body 10 is grasped with one finger with the lid 12 in a state in which 12 is opened widely. Then, the flat medium 18 held by the main body 10 is pressed against the surface 32 of the test object, and bacteria and the like attached to the test object surface 32 are transferred to the surface of the flat medium 18. Immediately after stamping, as shown in FIG. 4 , the lid 12 is closed with respect to the main body 10, and the flat medium 18 is covered with the concave covering portion 24 of the lid 12. Then, on the front surface of the lid 12 and the back surface of the main body 10, necessary items such as the collection date and the collection location are entered.

In this inspection tool unit , the lid 12 is connected to and integrated with the main body 10. Therefore, unlike the conventional inspection tool in which the main body and the lid are separated from each other, There is no concern that bacteria will adhere to the inside of the lid 12 when collecting bacteria or the like. In addition, since the stamping operation can be performed with the hand that is not holding the inspection tool unit in a free state, the operation can be facilitated by pressing the inspection object with one free hand. Furthermore, since the main body 10 can be covered with the operation of simply closing the cover 12 with respect to the main body 10, the plate-like medium 18 can be quickly covered after stamping.

When the collection work of bacteria and the like at the site is completed, the inspection tool unit is brought back to the inspection facility while the lid 12 is closed with respect to the main body 10. And the bacteria etc. on the plate-shaped culture medium 18 are cultured using the incubator (incubator) etc. with the cover body 12 obstruct | occluded with respect to the main body 10. FIG. After the culturing operation, the lid body 12 is opened with respect to the main body 10 and, if necessary, the lid body 12 is separated from the main body 10 by the cutting auxiliary line 30 as shown in FIG . Then, the growth state of bacteria and the like on the surface of the flat plate culture medium 18 is observed, and it is determined whether or not the surface of the test object has been contaminated with bacteria or the like.

  The inspection tool according to the present invention may be used for environmental microorganisms in establishments and hospitals related to foods and pharmaceuticals, etc., where contamination by microorganisms such as bacteria may spread through food itself, containers, various devices and instruments, etc. It is applied to the purpose of inspecting the presence or absence of

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Main body of test tool unit which comprises environmental microbe test | inspection tool 12 Cover of test tool unit 14 Base frame part of main body 16 Storage recessed part 18 Flat plate culture medium 20 Engagement part of base frame part 22 Outer frame part of main body 24 Lid Recessed covering part 26 Engaging part of concave covering part 28 Outer peripheral frame part 30 and 36 Auxiliary cutting line 32 Surface of inspection object 34 Inspection tool unit

Claims (1)

Hold the plate medium, press the plate medium against the surface of the test object, transfer the microorganisms adhering to the surface of the test object to the surface of the plate medium, and after the culturing operation, the microorganisms on the plate medium In an environmental microbial test tool for observing the growth status and determining the presence or absence of microbial contamination on the surface of the test object,
A frame portion having an accommodation recess is formed, an engaged portion is formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the frame portion, and a flat plate shape is formed so that the surface slightly rises above the upper edge of the accommodation recess. A plurality of main bodies each containing a medium;
A concave covering portion that is provided for each main body and is detachably fitted to the frame portion of the main body is formed, and a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the concave covering portion is engaged with the engaged portion of the frame portion. A plurality of lids formed with engaging parts that engage the parts,
The main body and the lid are integrally formed of a flexible plastic material, and the outer peripheral frame protruding from the lower peripheral edge of the underframe and the concave shape so that the lid opens and closes with respect to the main body. The outer peripheral frame portion protruding from the upper peripheral edge of the covering portion is connected to be able to be refracted, and the main body and the lid body can be separated at the connecting portion between the outer peripheral frame portion of the main body and the outer peripheral frame portion of the lid body. auxiliary cutting line for are formed,
The plurality of main bodies are juxtaposed in a direction orthogonal to the opening / closing direction of the lid, and the outer peripheral frame portions of adjacent main bodies are connected to each other, and the outer peripheral frame portions of the adjacent main bodies are separated from each connected portion. An environmental microbiological examination tool characterized in that a cutting auxiliary line is formed for each of them.

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