Apparatus for detecting and culturing microorganisms using a biphasic culture vessel

Claim 2

A culture vessel comprising: a container formed by a top surface, a bottom surface disposed so as to stably support said container when said container is placed in an upright position, and a side surface which connects said top surface to said bottom surface, with one of said surfaces having a sealable opening defined therein for introducing material into the volume enclosed by said container, at least one of said surfaces further including a portion which is formed from a flat, transparent material; a first partition disposed inside said container between said top and bottom surfaces so as to divide the volume enclosed by said container into an upper portion and a lower portion; and at least one second partition disposed inside said container so as to divide said upper portion of said container into two or more compartmental volumes, said first partition having at least one opening therein between said lower portion and each of said upper compartmental volumes, allowing communication between said lower portion and said upper compartmental volumes, said first and second partitions being configured with respect to said flat, transparent surface portion and to said container opening so that at least a portion of each said compartmental volume is viewable through said transparent surface portion and so that material may be introduced through said opening into said lower portion of said container, and said first and second partitions, said side surfaces and the openings in said first partition all being further disposed so that liquid located in said lower container portion is introduced into preselected ones of said compartmental volumes by tipping said container at a predetermined angle with respect to said upright position so that such liquid will still through the at least one opening associated with each such preselected volume.

Claim 3

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said transparent surface portion is included in said side surface of said container and is disposed so that at least a portion of said lower container volume and at least a portion of each said compartmental volume is viewable through said transparent surface portion.

Claim 4

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said transparent surface is in said side section.

Claim 5

The culture vessel of claim 3 wherein said container is further configured so that a cross-section taken through said side surface in a plane substantially parallel to said bottom surface is generally rectangular in shape.

Claim 6

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said side surface is further disposed so that the cross-sectional area of said lower container portion, for a cross-section taken through said side surface in a plane substantially parallel to said bottom surface, generally continuously decreases as the distance between said cross-sectional plane and said bottom surface increases, whereby liquid located in said lower container portion is restrained from splashing upwardly toward said compartmental volumes.

Claim 7

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said side surface is further disposed so as to provide a means for grasping said container.

Claim 8

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said first partitions are sloped so that, when said container is supported on said bottom surface in said upright position, liquid located in said compartmental volumes drains into said lower portion of said container.

Claim 9

The culture vessel of claim 7 wherein said first partition has defined therethrough a plurality of openings located so that at least one of said openings is associated with each said compartmental volume, said openings in said first partition being disposed so that, when said container is placed in said upright position, liquid located in said compartmental volumes passes through said first partition openings into said lower portion of said container.

Claim 10

The culture vessel of claim 8 wherein the portion of said first partition which forms the bottom wall of each said compartmental volume extends toward said transparent portion of said side wall at a downward angle, so that said first partition slants toward said bottom surface of said container, and wherein said first partition openings are located in the portion of said first partition which is closest to said transparent portion of said side surface.

Claim 11

The culture vessel of claim 1 further comprising means for sealing said container opening so that material is prevented from passing through said opening into or out of the interior of said container.

Claim 12

The culture vessel of claim 10 wherein said container opening and said means for sealing said opening comprise a neck portion having sealingly engaged thereto a sealing cap, said neck portion being disposed in the surface of said container which has said opening defined therein so as to form a passageway between the interior of said container and the exterior thereof, with said sealing cap being engagable with

Claim 13

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said first and second partitions and said container opening are further disposed so that material may be introduced through said container opening into preselected compartmental volumes and into said lower container portion without entering nonselected portions of said container.

Claim 14

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said container opening is located in said side surface.

Claim 15

The culture vessel of claim 1 wherein said container opening is located in said top surface.

Claim 16

The culture vessel of claim 14 further comprising a channel for directing material from said opening to said lower portion of said container, said channel being disposed so that one end thereof is connected in flow communication with said container opening and the other end of said channel opens into said lower container portion.

Claim 17

Apparatus for detecting and culturing microorganisms, said apparatus comprising: an enclosed container formed by a top surface, a bottom surface disposed so as to stably support said container when said container is placed in an upright position, and a side surface which connects said top surface to said bottom surface, with one of said surfaces having a sealable opening defined therein for introducing material into the volume enclosed by said container, at least one of said surfaces further including a portion which is formed from a flat, transparent material; a first partition disposed inside said container between said top and bottom surfaces so as to divide the volume enclosed by said container into an upper portion and a lower portion; at least one second partition disposed inside said container so as to divide said upper portion of said container into two or more compartmental volumes; said first partition having at least one opening therein between said lower portion and each of said upper compartmental volumes, allowing communication between said lower portion and said upper compartmental volumes, a liquid nutrient medium disposed in said lower container portion; and a plurality of solid nutrient media disposed so that one of said solid media is located in each said compartmental volume, said first and second partitions and said solid nutrient media being configured with respect to said transparent surface portion and to said container opening so that at least a portion of each said solid nutrient medium is viewable through said transparent surface portion and so that material may be introduced through said opening into said lower portion of said container, and said first and second partitions, said side surface and the openings in said first partition all being further disposed so that the liquid nutrient located in said lower container portion is introduced into preselected ones of said compartmental volumes, and makes contact with the solid nutrient media contained therein, by tipping said container at a predetermined angle with respect to said upright position so that such liquid will spill through the at least one opening associated with each such preselected volume.

Claim 18

Apparatus for detecting and culturing microorganisms, said apparatus comprising: an enclosed container formed by a top surface, a bottom surface disposed so as to stably support said container when said container is placed in an upright position, and a side surface which connects said top surface to said bottom surface, with one of said surfaces having a sealable opening defined therein for introducing material into the volume enclosed by said container, at least one of said surfaces further including a portion which is formed from a flat, transparent material; a first partition disposed inside said container between said top and bottom surfaces so as to divide the volume enclosed by said container into an upper portion and a lower portion; at least one second partition disposed inside said container so as to divide said upper portion of said container into two or more compartmental volumes; said first partition having at least one opening therein between said lower portion and each of said upper compartmental volumes, allowing communication between said lower portion and said upper compartmental volumes, a liquid nutrient medium disposed in said lower container portion; and a plurality of solid nutrient media disposed so that one of said solid media is located in each said compartmental volume, said first and second partitions and said solid nutrient media being configured with respect to said transparent surface portion and to said container opening so that at least a portion of each said solid nutrient medium is viewable through said transparent surface portion and so that material may be introduced through said opening into said lower portion of said container, and said first and second partitions, said side surface and the openings in said first partition all being further disposed so that the liquid nutrient located in said lower container portion is introduced into preselected ones of said compartmental volumes, and makes contact with the solid nutrient media contained therein, by tipping said container at a predetermined angle with respect to said upright position so that such liquid will spill through the at least one opening associated with each such preselected volume.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said transparent surface portion is included in said side surface of said container and is disposed so that at least a portion of said lower container volume and at least a portion of the solid nutrient medium located in each said compartmental volume is viewable through said transparent surface portion.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said first partition has defined therethrough a plurality of openings located so that at least one of said openings is associated with each said compartmental volume, said openings in said first partition being disposed so that, when said container is placed in said upright position, liquid located in said compartmental volumes passes through said first partition openings into said lower portion of said container.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the portion of said first partition which forms the bottom wall of each said compartmental volume extends toward said transparent portion of said side wall at a downward angle, so that said first partition slants toward said bottom surface of said container, and wherein said first partition openings are located in the portion of said first partition which is closest to said transparent portion of said side surface.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for holding each said solid nutrient medium in position within its associated compartmental volume.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said side surface comprises a front surface and a back surface, with at least said front surface being formed from a flat, transparent material disposed so that said lower container portion and each said solid nutrient medium is viewable through said front surface.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein each said solid nutrient medium is disposed adjacent to said back surface.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising means for holding each said solid nutrient medium in position relative to said back surface.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said holding means comprises a plurality of anchoring bars disposed so that at least one of said bars is associated with each said solid nutrient medium, each said anchoring bar being formed as an integral part of said back surface and extending toward said front surface for a predetermined distance into said associated solid nutrient medium.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said side surface is further disposed so that the cross-sectional area of said lower container portion, for a cross-section taken through said side surface in a plane substantially parallel to said bottom surface, generally continuously decreases as the distance between said cross-sectional plane and said bottom surface increases, whereby liquid located in said lower container portion is restrained from splashing upwardly toward said compartmental volumes.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said side surface is further disposed so as to provide a means for grasping said container.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first and second partitions are further disposed so that, when said container is supported on said bottom surface in said upright position, liquid located in said compartmental volumes drains away from said solid nutrient media into said lower portion of said container.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for sealing said container opening so that material is prevented from passing through said opening into, or out of the interior of said container.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said container opening and said means for sealing said opening comprise a neck portion having sealingly engaged thereto a sealing cap, said neck portion being disposed in the surface of said container which has said opening defined therein so as to form a passageway between the interior of said container and the exterior thereof, with said sealing cap being engagable with said neck portion so as to prevent material from passing through said passageway.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first and second partitions and said container opening are further disposed so that material may be introduced through said opening into preselected compartmental volumes or into said lower container portion without entering nonselected portions of said container.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said container opening is located in said side surface.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said container opening is located in said top, surface.

Claim 35

The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising a channel for directing material from said opening to said lower portion of said container, said channel being disposed so that one end thereof is connected in flow communication with said container opening and the other end of said channel opens into said lower container portion.