EP0401660A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Culture media package
Assignee: Difco Laboratories Inc
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Filing: 1990-05-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-05-30
Abstract
Abstract A culture media package comprising a container (30) having a bottom wall (31) and a peripheral side wall (32) which is substantially filled with a culture medium, a removable insert (36) over the top wall and having a portion defining a planar undersurface and a removable protective cover (41) over the container and insert. The container and insert have radially extending flanges (33, 40) which are bonded to one another. The package is made by filling the container with a molten culture medium in a sterile environment, bonding the insert to the container in a sterile environment, inverting the sealed container such that the molten medium contacts the planar surface of the insert permitting any gases and bubbles to rise toward a space adjacent the bottom of the container and maintaining the container with the insert thereon in an inverted position until the medium has solidified. The removable cover may be applied to the sealed package of the container and insert either before the sealed package is inverted or after the medium has solidified. The package is preferably made from continuous molded plastic strips of connected containers and connected inserts which are filled with medium and sealed, severed from one another, thereafter inverted while the culture medium is still molten and permitted to remain in the inverted position until the culture medium has solidified.
Inventors
- 👤 Jerry W. Smith
- 👤 Nadine M. Sullivan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:11
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12M; C12M23/00; C12M23/38; C12M23/02; C12M23/10; C12M23/34; C12M37/00; C12M37/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A culture media package comprising a container (30, 30a-30a) having a bottom wall (31) and a peripheral side wall (32), said container (30) having a peripheral flange (33) extending outwardly from the peripheral side wall (32), a removeable insert (36, 36a-36e) comprising a bottom wall (38) overlying said container (30) and a peripheral flange (40) extending outwardly from the peripheral side wall (39) and overlying the peripheral flange (33) of said container (30), said package being substantially filled with a culture medium (M) in contact and solidified in situ on the surface of the bottom wall (38) of the insert (36), said container (30) including an integral portion (34, 82) defining a space (35, 5) adjacent the bottom wall (31) into which gases and bubbles present after the package is filled and sealed have migrated, said peripheral flanges (33, 40) being in contact and sealed to one another to form a sterile package.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A culture media package comprising a container (30, 30a-30a) having a bottom wall (31) and a peripheral side wall (32), said container (30) having a peripheral flange (33) extending outwardly from the peripheral side wall (32), a removeable insert (36, 36a-36e) comprising a bottom wall (38) overlying said container (30) and a peripheral flange (40) extending outwardly from the peripheral side wall (39) and overlying the peripheral flange (33) of said container (30), said package being substantially filled with a culture medium (M) in contact and solidified in situ on the surface of the bottom wall (38) of the insert (36), said container (30) including an integral portion (34, 82) defining a space (35, 5) adjacent the bottom wall (31) into which gases and bubbles present after the package is filled and sealed have migrated, said peripheral flanges (33, 40) being in contact and sealed to one another to form a sterile package.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 1 wherein said integral portion defining a space (35) comprises a downwardly extending peripheral groove (34) at the area of juncture of the bottom wall (31) of the container (30) with the peripheral wall (32) of the container (30).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 1 wherein said integral portion defining a space (S) comprises an enlarged portion (82) of the side wall of the container (30e).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said peripheral wall (32) of said container (30) tapers upwardly and outwardly from the base wall (31), said insert (36) having a peripheral side wall (39) extending axially inwardly toward the bottom wall (31) of the container (30).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said insert (36) includes a portion defining a tab (46) for engagement of the insert in order that the insert (36) may be manually removed from its relationship to the container (30).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 5 wherein said tab (46) is flexible.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein said peripheral wall (39) of said insert (36) tapers upwardly and outwardly from the bottom wall (38) toward the flange (40) of the insert (36).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 7 wherein said peripheral wall (39) of said insert (36) forms a greater angle with the axis of the container then the angle of the peripheral wall (32) of the container (30) makes with a vertical.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 1 wherein said peripheral wall (39c) of said insert (36c) extends downwardly from the bottom wall (37c) of the insert (36c).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 9 wherein portions (A, B, E, F) of said bottom wall of said insert (36d) are spaced axially from other portions (C, D, G) to define different levels on the media.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 10 wherein said container (30d) and insert (36d) define spaces, said media (M) in said spaces differing from one another.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 9 to 11 including a cover (41) having spaced projections (44) engaging the flange (40) of said insert (36) holding said cover (41) in spaced relation to said insert (36).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
85 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 1 to 12 wherein said container (30e) has a non-circular configuration in transverse cross section, said flanges (33e, 40e) of said container (30e) and said insert (36e) being sealed to one another a complementary configuration but having portions (67, 68) extending circumferentially in unsealed relationship so that the peripheral edges of the flanges in the unsealed portions (67, 68) combine with the remainder of the configuration of the container and insert to form a circle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 13 including a cover (41e) having a base wall and a cylindrical peripheral wall telescoped over said flanges (33e, 40e) of said insert (36e) and said container (30e).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 1 to 12 wherein said peripheral flanges (33, 40) having portions (45, 46) in overlying and spaced relation such that portion (46) of the insert (36) can be grasped for removal of the insert.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 1 wherein said insert (36a) comprises a flat sheet.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 16 including a second container (70) having a base wall (71) and a peripheral wall (72), said first container package (30, 36a) being telescoped in said second container (70) and a cover (73) having a top wall and a side wall telescoped onto said second container (70).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 17 including means (A) adhering said first mentioned container (30, 36a) in said second container.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
69 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 18 wherein said integral portion defining a space (35) comprises a downwardly extending peripheral groove (34) at the area of juncture of the bottom wall (31) of the container with the peripheral wall (32) of the container, said means for adhering comprises adhesive A (Figure 27) applied to the exterior of the bottom wall of the first container beneath said groove.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 1 to 19 including a cover (41) having a base wall (42) and a peripheral flange (43) telescoped over said flanges (33, 40) of said insert (36) and container (30).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
70 words
The culture media package set forth in claim 20 wherein said base (42) of said cover (41) includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections (44) extending toward the insert (36) such that when the insert is removed (Figure 11), said projections (44) engage the flange (33) of said container (30) and maintain the base wall (42) of the cover (41) in spaced relationship to the surface of the media (M).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 1 to 21 wherein said container (30, 30a-30e) and insert (36, 36a-36e) are made of plastic.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
184 words
The method of forming a culture media package comprising forming a container (30) having a bottom wall (31), a peripheral wall (3Z) and an integral flange (33) extending outwardly from said peripheral wall, forming an insert (36) having a bottom wall (38) overlying said container and a peripheral flange (40) extending outwardly from said peripheral wall of said insert and overlying the peripheral flange of said container, filling the container (30) with a culture medium (M) to a predetermined level, applying the insert (36) in overlying relationship to the container (30), moving the insert (36) to bring the flange (40) of the insert (36) into contact with the flange (33) of the container (30), sealing the flange throughout the periphery thereof, inverting the sealed container and insert while the medium is molten to bring the culture medium into contact with the surface (38) of the bottom wall (37) of the insert (36), permitting the culture medium to solidify thereby forming the medium in situ on the under side (38) of the bottom wall (37) of the insert (36), and thereafter reinverting the resultant package.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
184 words
The method of forming a culture media package comprising forming a container (30) having a bottom wall (31), a peripheral wall (3Z) and an integral flange (33) extending outwardly from said peripheral wall, forming an insert (36) having a bottom wall (38) overlying said container and a peripheral flange (40) extending outwardly from said peripheral wall of said insert and overlying the peripheral flange of said container, filling the container (30) with a culture medium (M) to a predetermined level, applying the insert (36) in overlying relationship to the container (30), moving the insert (36) to bring the flange (40) of the insert (36) into contact with the flange (33) of the container (30), sealing the flange throughout the periphery thereof, inverting the sealed container and insert while the medium is molten to bring the culture medium into contact with the surface (38) of the bottom wall (37) of the insert (36), permitting the culture medium to solidify thereby forming the medium in situ on the under side (38) of the bottom wall (37) of the insert (36), and thereafter reinverting the resultant package.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method set forth in claim 23 including the step of evacuating and flushing the area between the insert (36) and the medium (M) in the container (30).
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method set forth in claim 23 wherein said step of sealing is by heat bonding.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method set forth in claim 23 wherein said steps are performed in a sterile environment.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method set forth in claim 23 including the step of stacking said packages in a vertical array and enclosing them in a container for handling.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method set forth in claim 23 wherein said step of inverting said sealed container and insert comprises inverting said container at an angle between about 90 to 180° .
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method set forth in claim 23 wherein said step of inverting said container comprises inverting said container about 180°.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
46 words
The culture media package set forth in any of claims 23 to 29 including the step of forming an integral portion in said container defining a space adjacent the bottom wall into which gases and bubbles present after the package is filled and sealed may migrate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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