Method of making microorganism sampling tube containing slanted culture medium and sample tube tray therefor
First Claim
1. A method for processing microbial cultures comprising:
- loading a plurality of sample tubes filled with culture media into at least one tray;
placing said at least one tray onto a rack, said rack maintaining said at least one tray in a position that slants the culture media at a slant angle within said tubes;
sterilizing said tray holding said plurality of tubes filled with culture media in a sterilizing apparatus;
cooling said rack and tray holding said plurality of tubes filled with culture media and said rack after completion of the sterilizing step, so that the culture media solidify within said tubes at said slant angle; and
transferring said tray holding said plurality of tubes after the cooling step from said rack into shipping packages for shipment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of making sampling tubes containing culture growth media by loading the sample tubes containing culture media into a tray that holds the sample tubes, placing the sample tube trays into a rack with shelving to hold the trays and tubes at a predetermined angle, and sterilizing and cooling the sample tubes in an autoclave or inspissator. The culture growth media solidifies at the predetermined slant angle and the sample tube trays are loaded into the packaging box used for shipment. The trays are subsequently used by the end user for processing microbial growth, including storing and collecting data about microbial samples.
27 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for processing microbial cultures comprising:
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loading a plurality of sample tubes filled with culture media into at least one tray;
placing said at least one tray onto a rack, said rack maintaining said at least one tray in a position that slants the culture media at a slant angle within said tubes;
sterilizing said tray holding said plurality of tubes filled with culture media in a sterilizing apparatus;
cooling said rack and tray holding said plurality of tubes filled with culture media and said rack after completion of the sterilizing step, so that the culture media solidify within said tubes at said slant angle; and
transferring said tray holding said plurality of tubes after the cooling step from said rack into shipping packages for shipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of growing microbial cultures using a sample tube tray comprising the steps of:
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removing a tray containing sample tubes with slanted growth culture media from a shipping container;
holding said sample tubes in said tray at a laboratory station while placing microbial samples in sample tubes; and
processing said sample tubes to grow microbial cultures. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of growing microbial cultures using a sample tube tray comprising the steps of:
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removing a tray containing sample tubes with growth culture media from a shipping container;
holding said sample tubes in said tray at a laboratory station while placing microbial samples in sample tubes; and
processing said sample tubes to grow microbial cultures. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A sample tube tray for use in manufacturing, shipping and analysis of sample tubes containing microbial growth culture media, comprising:
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a plurality of sample tube wells for receiving sample tubes, the tube wells securing the sample tubes such that the tubes remain in the sample tube wells as the sample tube tray moves along an assembly line;
a flange along at least a first edge of the sample tube tray, the flange inhibiting shingling of a sample tube tray onto an edge of an adjacent sample tube tray;
a tray bottom having a substantially flat profile for allowing said sample tube tray to remain stable when placed on a surface; and
a length and width dimension that facilitates placement of the sample tube tray, when filled with sample tubes, into a shipping container, wherein the sample tube wells are configured such that the contact area between the well and the tubes allows substantially uniform sterilization and cooling of the tubes. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification