US3912596A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multiple inoculating system
Assignee: International Foundation of Microbiology
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Filing: 1973-11-02
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Granted: 1975-10-14
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Expires: 1993-11-02
Abstract
Abstract A multiple inoculation system is provided for the transfer, cultivation, maintenance and identification of microorganisms. The system includes a multiple needle inoculating plate, a separate plate including multiple wells corresponding to the needles for holding inoculum and transferring it to the needles, and a culture dish having a plurality of compartments interconnected with each other in the central portion of the dish. The culture dish is filled with a suitable solidifiable liquid culture medium by pouring the medium onto the central or any portion of the dish so that the medium readily flows into each of the compartments. After the culture medium has solidified, the compartments remain separated from one another so that after the medium is cultivated the spreading of microorganisms between compartments is minimized and mutual interference in test reactions is avoided.
Inventors
- 👤 Riaz-Ul Haque
- 👤 Richard A Murphy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 21:29
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12M; C12M23/00; C12M23/02; C12M23/10; C12M23/12; C12M23/34; C12M29/00; C12M33/00; C12M33/04; C12M33/06; C12M23/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A MULTIPLE INOCULATION SYSTEM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, INOCULATION MEANS CARRYING A PLURALITY OF INOCULATION NEEDLES, MEANS FOR CONTACTING SAID INOCULATION NEEDLES WITH INOCULUM, AND A CULTURE DISH FOR HOLDING A MEDIUM SUITABLE FOE CULTIVATION BY INOCULUM CARRIED BY SAID NEEDLES, SAID CULTURE DISH HAVING A BOTTOM, AN UPSTANDING OUTER WALL SURROUNDING ITS PERIPHERY, A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING, INNER DIVIDER WALLS EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER WALL INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE DISH TO THEREBY DEFINE A PLURALITY OF DISH COMPARTMENTS, AND INTERCOMMUNICATION OPENINGS IN THE INNER DIVIDER WALLS FROMING MEANS BETWEEN SAID COMPARTMENTS WHEREBY A LIQUID CULTURE MEDIUM POURED ONTO THE DISH READILY FLOWS BY GRAVITY INTO AND IS RETAINED BY EACH OF THE COMPARTMENTS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
A MULTIPLE INOCULATION SYSTEM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, INOCULATION MEANS CARRYING A PLURALITY OF INOCULATION NEEDLES, MEANS FOR CONTACTING SAID INOCULATION NEEDLES WITH INOCULUM, AND A CULTURE DISH FOR HOLDING A MEDIUM SUITABLE FOE CULTIVATION BY INOCULUM CARRIED BY SAID NEEDLES, SAID CULTURE DISH HAVING A BOTTOM, AN UPSTANDING OUTER WALL SURROUNDING ITS PERIPHERY, A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING, INNER DIVIDER WALLS EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER WALL INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE DISH TO THEREBY DEFINE A PLURALITY OF DISH COMPARTMENTS, AND INTERCOMMUNICATION OPENINGS IN THE INNER DIVIDER WALLS FROMING MEANS BETWEEN SAID COMPARTMENTS WHEREBY A LIQUID CULTURE MEDIUM POURED ONTO THE DISH READILY FLOWS BY GRAVITY INTO AND IS RETAINED BY EACH OF THE COMPARTMENTS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
The multiple inoculation system defined in claim 1 in which the means for contacting the needles with inoculum comprises a plate carrying a plurality of wells for holding inoculum corresponding to the needles, and the inoculation means is adapted to be superimposed over the holding plate so that the inoculating needles contact and thereby pick up inoculum carried by the holding wells.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The multiple inoculation system defined in claim 1 in which the inner divider walls terminate short of the center of the dish to define compartment openings toward the center of the dish.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The multiple inoculation system defined in claim 3 in which the bottom of the culture dish is of flat, circular shape and the inner divider walls are straight and generally radially disposed with respect to the circular bottom so that the divider walls define a plurality of secTor-like dish compartments.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The multiple inoculation system defined in claim 4 in which the compartment openings into the center of the dish are narrow in width relative to the average width of the compartments themselves.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
170 words
In a multiple inoculation system including an inoculation plate carrying a plurality of inoculating needles and a separate plate carrying a corresponding plurality of wells for holding inoculum, with the inoculation plate being adapted to be superimposed over the holding plate so that the inoculating needles contact and thereby pick up the inoculum carried by the holding wells, and in which a culture dish is provided for holding a medium suitable for cultivation by inoculum carried by the needles, the improvement comprising a culture dish having a flat bottom, an upstanding outer wall surrounding its periphery, and a plurality of upstanding, inner divider walls extending from the outer wall inwardly toward the center of the dish but terminating short of said center to thereby define a plurality of dish compartments each opening toward the center of the dish, the compartments thereby being in intercommunication with one another so that a liquid culture medium poured onto the dish readily flows by gravity into and is retained by each of the compartments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
170 words
In a multiple inoculation system including an inoculation plate carrying a plurality of inoculating needles and a separate plate carrying a corresponding plurality of wells for holding inoculum, with the inoculation plate being adapted to be superimposed over the holding plate so that the inoculating needles contact and thereby pick up the inoculum carried by the holding wells, and in which a culture dish is provided for holding a medium suitable for cultivation by inoculum carried by the needles, the improvement comprising a culture dish having a flat bottom, an upstanding outer wall surrounding its periphery, and a plurality of upstanding, inner divider walls extending from the outer wall inwardly toward the center of the dish but terminating short of said center to thereby define a plurality of dish compartments each opening toward the center of the dish, the compartments thereby being in intercommunication with one another so that a liquid culture medium poured onto the dish readily flows by gravity into and is retained by each of the compartments.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The multiple inoculation system defined in claim 6 in which the bottom of the culture dish is circular in shape and the inner divider walls are straight and generally radially disposed with respect to the circular bottom so that the divider walls define a plurality of sector-like dish compartments.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2874091A
Cited
US2956931A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-13 | 1979-04-14 | 1979-10-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-13 | 1983-04-14 | 1983-10-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-13 | 1987-04-14 | 1987-10-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |