JP6115822B2 - Film medium cassette and film medium imaging method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a film medium cassette and a film medium imaging method, and more particularly to a film medium cassette and a film medium imaging method capable of reliably imaging a film medium as it is in the film medium cassette.

  Many film culture media have been devised for measuring microorganisms in food or the environment. A typical film culture medium is a film culture medium body having a rectangular waterproof sheet, a frame formed thereon, and a medium layer (medium region) formed inside the frame, and the film culture medium main body. It consists of a cover sheet that covers it. A film medium has recently become popular as an alternative to an agar medium because it has advantages such as less time for medium adjustment, less space, and reduced disposal costs compared to a conventional agar medium. Along with this, an apparatus for imaging a film culture medium has been developed, and automation of colony counting work has been attempted.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a cassette including a plurality of plates arranged so as to accommodate one film medium at a time, an image forming means for detecting colonies on the film medium, and the film medium with respect to the image forming means. There is described a film culture scanner device comprising cassette positioning means for moving to a predetermined position and delivery means for delivering the film culture medium to an image forming position.

Japanese National Patent Publication No. 10-500302

  However, conventionally, no film medium cassette has been developed that can perform colony counting operations by imaging the film medium stored in the film medium cassette while being stored in the film medium cassette.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such points, and a film medium cassette and a film medium imaging method capable of imaging a film medium after culturing while being stored in the film medium cassette The purpose is to provide.

  The present invention relates to a film culture medium cassette comprising a plurality of film culture media each including a film culture medium body having a culture medium configured to culture colonies of microorganisms and a cover sheet covering the film culture medium body. And a box having a side surface, and a lifting platform for supporting the film medium in the box, the medium of the uppermost film medium can be visually recognized on the upper surface of the box.

  In the present invention, the upper surface of the box may be opened except for the abutting portion that abuts on the uppermost film culture medium lifted by the lifting platform, and the culture medium of the film culture medium may be visible from the opening.

  In the present invention, the upper surface of the box may be made of a transparent plate.

  In the present invention, a drive mechanism for driving the lifting platform may be provided.

  In the present invention, a part of the side surface of the box is opened, and the film medium may be discharged from the box from the opened side surface.

  In the present invention, the lifting platform may come into contact with the film culture medium via a contact area corresponding to a portion other than the culture medium in the film culture medium.

  The present invention uses a film culture medium cassette that stores a plurality of film culture media each including a film culture medium body having a culture medium configured to culture colonies of microorganisms and a cover sheet covering the film culture medium body. In the film medium imaging method, a step of laminating a plurality of film culture media in a box having an upper surface and a side surface, and supporting the film culture media in the box by a lifting platform, the uppermost film on the upper surface of the box A step of lifting the medium of the medium to a position where it can be visually recognized, and a step of imaging the medium of the uppermost film medium by an imaging device.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably capture an image while the cultured film medium stored in the film medium cassette is stored in the film medium cassette.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a film medium before inoculation with microorganisms. FIG. 2 is a view showing a film medium in which microorganisms are inoculated into the film medium of FIG. 1 and colonies are formed in the medium region. FIG. 3 is a view showing the structure of a film medium cassette. FIG. 4 is a view showing a lifting platform and a driving mechanism of the film medium cassette. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are plan views showing a lifting platform of the film medium cassette. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an imaging mechanism. FIG. 7 is a view showing a modification of the film medium cassette. FIG. 8 is a view showing a modification of the film medium cassette.

Embodiment of the Invention

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 6 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention.

(Film medium)
First, the film medium 20 accommodated in the film medium cassette will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The film culture medium 20 has a rectangular waterproof sheet 11 and a cylindrical frame 14 provided on the rectangular waterproof sheet 11, and a culture medium region 21 configured to culture a colony 21 a in the frame 14 ( A non-medium region (also referred to as a portion other than the medium) 22 is formed outside the frame 14. A cover sheet 13 having substantially the same shape as the rectangular waterproof sheet 11 is provided at one end of the rectangular waterproof sheet 11.

  In FIG. 2, the film medium main body 20A is constituted by the rectangular waterproof sheet 11, the frame body 14 that partitions the medium region 21 and the non-medium region 22, and the gelled medium formed inside the frame body 14, The film medium body 20A and the cover sheet 13 constitute a film medium 20.

  By the way, such a film culture medium 20 is obtained by the following method. That is, first, a rectangular waterproof sheet 11, a frame 14 provided on the rectangular waterproof sheet 11, a dry medium layer 12 provided in the frame 14 and containing a gelling agent, a nutrient, a water absorbing agent, and the like. A film medium 10 having a cover sheet 13 before inoculation with microorganisms is prepared (see FIG. 1). Next, after inoculating a sample solution containing microorganisms on the dry medium layer 12 of the film medium 10 and gelling with a gelling agent, the microorganisms in the gelled medium are cultured under appropriate conditions, thereby obtaining a medium region. A film medium 20 containing colonies 21a in 21 is obtained. The colony 21a is colored by the indicator in the gelling medium. In addition, a QR mark M including ID information of the film medium main body 20A is attached to the non-medium region 22.

(Film medium cassette)
Next, a film medium cassette 30 for storing a plurality of film culture media 20 in a stacked manner will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the film medium cassette 30 includes a box-shaped box 30 </ b> A having an upper surface 31, four side surfaces 32, and a bottom surface 33, and is provided in the box 30 </ b> A so as to be movable up and down. And a lift 41 for supporting the above.

  Among these, the upper surface 31 and the four side surfaces 32 of the box-shaped box 30 </ b> A are connected to each other, and the upper surface 31 and the four side surfaces 32 can be divided from the bottom surface 33.

  The box-shaped box 30A is made of synthetic resin as a whole.

  Further, the upper surface 31 is opened except for the abutting portion 31a that abuts on the film medium 20, and the medium region 21 of the film medium 20 can be viewed from the outside through the opening 31b.

  In addition, as described above, a lifting platform 41 that holds the film culture medium 20 and lifts it upward is provided in the box 30A so as to be movable up and down. The elevator 41 has a rectangular shape as a whole, and an opening 41a is formed by opening a central portion. In addition, a contact region 41b that contacts the non-medium region 22 of the film culture medium 20 is formed around the opening 41a in the lifting platform 41 (see FIG. 5A).

  Thus, since the lifting platform 41 contacts the non-medium region 22 of the film culture medium 20 via the contact region 41b, the culture media region 21 of the film culture medium 20 is not excessively pressed by the lifting platform 41, and the culture medium region The gelling medium contained in 21 is not pressed by the elevator 41 and flows out to the outside.

  The lifting platform 41 is not limited to a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 5A, and may have a ring shape having an opening 41a in the center (see FIG. 5B). A ring-shaped lifting platform 41 shown in FIG. 5B has an abutment region 41b that abuts against the non-medium region 22 of the film medium 20 around the opening 41a.

  A driving mechanism 42 for driving the lifting platform 41 in the vertical direction is provided in the box 30A. The drive mechanism 42 includes a drive cylinder supported by the bottom surface 33 of the box 30A and connected to the four corners of the lift table 41, and moves the lift table 41 up and down.

  In addition, as the drive mechanism 42 for driving the elevator 41, a pressing spring that presses the elevator 41 upward may be used instead of the drive cylinder.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the film medium cassette 30 may be disposed below the imaging device 60 that measures the colonies 21 a generated by culturing in the medium region 21 of the film medium 20.

  Next, the imaging mechanism 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the imaging mechanism 60 receives a light source 61 that irradiates illumination light onto the film culture medium 20 through the opening 31b of the box 30A, and reflected light from the film culture medium 20, and receives this reflected light on the lens 64 side. The light from the lens 64 is received by an imaging element 65 made of, for example, a linear CCD image sensor.

  In the imaging device 65 of the imaging mechanism 60, the reflected light from the film culture medium 20 is converted into an electrical signal and converted into digital data.

  A signal from the imaging mechanism 60 is sent to the count control unit 75.

  The count control unit 75 counts the number of colonies 21a in the culture medium region 21 from the image generation unit 75a that generates an image based on information from the imaging element 65 of the imaging mechanism 60 and the image generated by the image generation unit 75a. It has the colony count part 75b and the display 75c which displays the number of the colonies 21a counted by the image produced | generated by the image generation part 75a and the colony count part 75b.

  The count control unit 75 is connected to the imaging device 60 via an external interface, and the count control unit 75 generates an image of the film medium 20 and counts the number of colonies 21a.

(Operation of the embodiment)
Next, the operation of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described.

  First, after inoculating a sample solution containing microorganisms on the dry medium layer 12 of the film medium 10 shown in FIG. 1 and gelling, it is placed in an incubator and cultured for a predetermined time, as shown in FIG. A plurality of film media 20 in which colonies 21a are formed in the media region 21 are obtained. Next, the side surface 32 and the upper surface 31 are removed from the bottom surface 33 of the box 30 </ b> A of the film medium cassette 30, and a plurality of film culture media 20 are stacked on the lifting platform 41. Next, the side surface 32 and the upper surface 31 are attached on the bottom surface 33 of the box 30A.

  Next, the platform 41 is raised by the drive mechanism 42 in the film medium cassette 30 in which the film medium 20 is accommodated. As a result, the film culture medium 20 is lifted by the lifting platform 41, and the uppermost film culture medium 20 is pressed against the upper surface 31 of the box 30A. In this case, the uppermost film culture medium 20 comes into contact with the contact portion 31a in the upper surface 31 of the box 30A. At this position, the culture medium region 21 of the uppermost film culture medium 20 is visible from the outside through the opening 31 b of the upper surface 31.

  In this way, the uppermost film culture medium 20 among the film culture media 20 stored in the film culture medium cassette 30 is pressed against the upper surface 31 of the box 30A.

  Next, the film medium cassette 30 is brought below the imaging mechanism 60. Next, light is irradiated from the light source 61 of the imaging mechanism 60 to the culture medium region 21 of the film culture medium 20 through the opening 31b of the upper surface 31 of the box 30A, and the reflected light from the culture medium region 21 of the film culture medium 20 is guided to the mirror 63. . Thereafter, the reflected light from the culture medium region 21 of the film culture medium 20 is received by the imaging element 65 from the lens 64. The image sensor 65 converts the received reflected light into an electrical signal, converts it into digital data, and sends it to the count controller 75 via an external interface.

  In the count control unit 75, an image of the film culture medium 20 is generated in the image generation unit 75 a based on the electrical signal sent from the imaging element 65, and then, based on the image generated in the image generation unit 75, the colony counter In the part 75b, the number of colonies 21a in the medium region 21 is counted.

  Thereafter, the image generated by the image generation unit 75a and the number of colonies 21a counted by the colony counter unit 75b are displayed on the display 75c.

  During this time, the QR mark M of the film medium 20 is read by a mark detector (not shown), and the ID information of the film medium 20 is acquired.

  Thereafter, the film medium cassette 30 moves from below the imaging mechanism 60, the upper surface 31 and the side surface 32 of the film medium cassette 30 are removed from the bottom surface 33, and the uppermost film medium 20 is taken out from the film medium cassette 30. Is done.

  Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, the number of colonies 21a in the culture medium region 21 is measured for the film culture medium 20 immediately below the uppermost film culture medium 20, and the QR mark M is read. ID information is acquired.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of film culture media 10 are stacked and stored in the film culture media cassette 30, and the film culture media 10 are stored in the film culture media cassette 30 in this manner. The film medium 10 can be imaged. For this reason, the colony counting operation of the film medium 10 can be performed easily and easily.

  After the uppermost film culture medium 20 was imaged by the imaging device 60, the upper surface 31 and the side surface 32 of the film culture medium cassette 30 were removed from the bottom surface 33, and the uppermost film culture medium 20 was removed from the film culture medium cassette 30. Although an example was shown, not only this but after imaging the uppermost film culture medium 20 with the imaging device 60, you may discharge | emit the uppermost film culture medium 20 with the discharge mechanism which is not shown in figure.

  Next, a modification of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The modified example shown in FIG. 7 is different in that the upper surface 31 of the box 30A extends over the entire upper area of the box 30A without opening, and the upper surface 31 of the box 30A is made of a transparent plate. This is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in FIGS.

  In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the same parts as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS.

  In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the film medium cassette 30 has a box 30 </ b> A, and the box 30 </ b> A has a box shape having an upper surface 31, four side surfaces 32, and a bottom surface 33.

  The box 30 </ b> A including the upper surface 31 is made of a transparent plate as a whole, and among these, the upper surface 31 and the four side surfaces 32 can be divided from the bottom surface 33. The box 30A need not be entirely made of a transparent plate, and only the upper surface 31 may be made of a transparent plate.

  In addition, a lifting platform 41 is installed in the box 30A. By lifting the film culture medium 20 upward by the lifting platform 41, the uppermost film culture medium 20 stored in the box 30A is pressed against the upper surface 31 of the box 30A. . In this case, the culture medium region 21 of the uppermost film culture medium 20 can be viewed from the outside through the upper surface 31 made of a transparent plate.

  The modification shown in FIG. 8 differs only in that a part of the side surface 32 of the box 30A is opened to form the opening 32, and other configurations are substantially the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. .

  In the modification shown in FIG. 8, the same parts as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS.

  In the modification shown in FIG. 8, the film medium cassette 30 has a box 30 </ b> A, and the box 30 </ b> A has a box shape having an upper surface 31, four side surfaces 32, and a bottom surface 33.

  Of the four side surfaces of the box 30A, one side surface is an open side surface 32a. Through the opened side surface 32a, the film medium 20 is supplied into the film medium cassette 30, or the film medium is provided. The film medium 20 can be discharged outward from the cassette 30 for use.

  When the film medium 20 is discharged outward from the film medium cassette 30, it can be sequentially discharged from the uppermost film medium 20 in the film medium cassette 30 using a not-shown delivery roller or the like.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which the elevator base 41 is provided in the box 30A and the elevator base 41 is moved up and down by the drive mechanism 42 supported by the bottom surface 33 of the box 30A. The drive mechanism 42 may be provided separately from the box 30A below 30A. In this case, the bottom surface 33 of the box is removed, and a lifting platform 41 that is lifted and lowered by the drive mechanism 42 is inserted into the box 30A from below the box 30A. Can be lifted to.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Film culture medium 11 before microorganism inoculation Rectangular-shaped waterproof sheet 12 Dry culture medium layer 13 Cover sheet 14 Frame 20 Film culture medium 20A Film culture medium main body 21 Medium culture area 21a Colony 22 Non-medium culture medium area 30 Film culture medium cassette 30A Box 31 Portion 31b Opening 32 Side surface 33 Bottom surface 41 Lifting platform 41a Opening 41b Abutting area 42 Drive mechanism 60 Imaging mechanism 61 Light source 62 Guide plate 62a Window 63 Mirror 64 Lens 65 Imaging element

Claims (7)

In a film medium cassette for storing a plurality of film mediums having a film medium body having a medium configured to culture colonies of microorganisms and a cover sheet covering the film medium body,
A box having an upper surface and side surfaces;
A lifting platform for supporting the film medium in the box,
A film culture medium cassette, wherein the uppermost film culture medium is visible on the upper surface of the box.   The upper surface of the box is opened except for a contact portion that comes into contact with the uppermost film medium lifted by the lifting platform, and the medium of the film medium is visible from the opening. Cassette for film media.   2. The film medium cassette according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the box is formed of a transparent plate.   The film medium cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a drive mechanism for driving the lifting platform.   The cassette for a film medium according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a part of a side surface of the box is opened, and the film medium is discharged from the box from the opened side surface.   The cassette for film culture medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lifting platform contacts the film culture medium through a contact area corresponding to a portion other than the culture medium in the film culture medium. Imaging of a film medium using a film medium cassette for storing a plurality of film mediums, each of which includes a film medium body having a medium configured to culture colonies of microorganisms and a cover sheet covering the film medium body In the method
A step of laminating a plurality of film culture media in a box having an upper surface and side surfaces;
Supporting the film culture medium in the box by a lifting platform, and on the upper surface of the box, lifting up to a position where the culture medium of the uppermost film medium can be visually recognized;
And a step of imaging the uppermost film culture medium with an imaging device.

Images