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KR-102962561-B1 - AUTOMATIC MEASURING DEVICE FOR OPTICAL DENSITY

KR102962561B1KR 102962561 B1KR102962561 B1KR 102962561B1KR-102962561-B1

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic optical density measuring device comprising: a receiving section having a plurality of tubes containing culture medium and a multi-pipette movably installed at the top to extract and transfer a certain amount of culture medium; a dispensing section having a well plate movably installed at the rear of the receiving section to transfer a certain amount of culture medium extracted by the multi-pipette and to wash the well plate; a measuring section having a dark state maintained to measure the absorbance of the culture medium dispensed into the well plate transported inside; and a detection section capable of analyzing and calculating data measured by the measuring section to automatically plot a growth curve. By providing an automatic optical density measuring device, it is possible to automatically measure the optical density of a culture medium in which microorganisms are homogeneously cultured at set intervals, thereby reducing the labor of researchers and ensuring that measurements are taken at precise intervals, thereby obtaining precise experimental data and improving the accuracy of the experiment.

Inventors

  • 오정환
  • 박민성
  • 김정섭

Assignees

  • 제주대학교 산학협력단

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20240603

Claims (8)

  1. A receiving portion (100) that accommodates a plurality of tubes (110) containing culture medium and is equipped with a multi-pipette (120) movably installed on the upper portion to extract and transfer a certain amount of culture medium; A dispensing unit (200) that is provided at the rear of the receiving unit (100) and is movably installed to transfer a certain amount of culture solution extracted by the multi-pipette to a well plate (210), and allows the well plate to be washed; A measuring unit (300) provided to maintain a dark state in order to measure the absorbance of the culture medium dispensed into the well plate (210) transported inside; It includes a detection unit (400) that analyzes and calculates data measured by the measurement unit (300) to automatically plot a growth curve, An automatic optical density measuring device characterized in that the tube (110) contained in the receiving portion (100) is configured to allow for tilt adjustment so that bacterial culture can be uniformly performed in the culture medium contained therein.
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  3. In paragraph 1, An automatic optical density measuring device characterized in that the above multi-pipettes (120) are arranged in a row on a grip plate (121), and the grip plate (121) is movably installed on a rail (122) provided on the upper surface of the receiving portion (100) and the dispensing portion (200).
  4. In paragraph 3, An automatic optical density measuring device characterized in that one side of the receiving portion (100) is provided with a sterilization portion (130) in which ultraviolet rays from an ultraviolet sterilization lamp are irradiated so as to sterilize and disinfect the multi-pipette (120), and the rail (122) is formed to extend to the sterilization portion (130) so that the grip plate (121) can grip the sterilized multi-pipette (120).
  5. In paragraph 1, An automatic optical density measuring device characterized in that the well plate (210) is placed on the upper surface of a separate cuvette glass plate (220), and the cuvette glass plate (220) is arranged in a row up to the measuring unit (300) so as to move the well plate (210) toward the measuring unit (300), and is placed on the upper surface of a trail (230) on which a plurality of rotating track wheels (231) are installed.
  6. In paragraph 5, An automatic optical density measuring device characterized in that the above track wheel (231) is installed in rows on both edges so that the two edges of the cuvette glass plate (220) are seated, thereby preventing interference when measuring the absorbance of the culture medium dispensed into the well plate (210) in the measuring unit (300).
  7. In paragraph 1, An automatic optical density measuring device characterized by having a washing container (240) containing a washing solution capable of washing the well plate (210) provided on one side of the dispensing unit (200), and a collection container (250) for collecting the used multi-pipette (120) provided on the other side.
  8. In any one of Paragraph 1 and Paragraphs 3 through 7, An automatic optical density measuring device characterized by having separate automatic doors (140, 260) installed between the receiving section (100) and the dispensing section (200) and between the dispensing section (200) and the measuring section (300) that can be automatically opened and closed when the multi-pipette (120) and the well plate (210) are moved.

Description

Automatic measuring device for optical density The present invention relates to an automatic optical density measuring device, and more specifically, to an automatic optical density measuring device that can reduce the labor of researchers by enabling automatic measurement of the optical density of a culture medium in which microorganisms are homogeneously cultured at set intervals, and also improve the accuracy of experiments by obtaining precise experimental data through measurements taken at accurate intervals. Pathogenic bacteria present in the living environment have been significantly overcome in recent years due to advancements in medical science, progress in treatment, particularly the discovery and development of antimicrobial agents and antibiotics, and furthermore, improvements in hygiene. However, once these bacteria appear, they can cause significant damage or fatal problems, so they remain a major issue. Pathogenic bacteria that pose a problem when present in our surroundings include bacteria that cause food poisoning and, in particular, bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria can cause a large number of infections at once or cause infection problems in hospitals. Since food consumption is essential for humans and animals, it remains difficult to completely prevent food poisoning caused by food intake, despite recent scientific advancements and technological sophistication. Meanwhile, the importance of preventing such food poisoning is increasing further following the recent implementation of the Product Liability Act (PL Act). Food poisoning is broadly classified into three types based on the cause: food poisoning caused by natural toxins (pufferfish toxins, mushroom toxins, etc.); food poisoning caused by the spoilage of food (food decomposition products, etc.); and food poisoning caused by the contamination or proliferation of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella) and Vibrio enteritis in food. Among these types of food poisoning, food poisoning caused by natural toxins can be easily avoided by not consuming food containing the causative toxin. Furthermore, since food spoilage is generally easily detected by examining changes in the appearance and smell of the food, it is also relatively easy to avoid food poisoning caused by spoilage. In contrast to these two types of food poisoning, in the case of food poisoning caused by bacteria (i.e., bacterial food poisoning), the contamination or proliferation of bacteria in food is generally not observed with the naked eye, and furthermore, since the contamination or proliferation is very difficult to detect without the involvement of an expert, this bacterial food poisoning is the most difficult food poisoning to avoid. When food poisoning occurs in facilities that supply large quantities of food, such as restaurants, lunchbox delivery services, and food service centers, it affects a significant number of people. Furthermore, because the symptoms are severe—including extreme vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and high fever—it is particularly prone to causing serious problems (such as the prolonged suspension of operations at the aforementioned facilities). Furthermore, since these food poisoning-causing bacteria produce toxic substances such as endotoxins within the infected person's body, treatment must be performed after infection; moreover, there is a problem in that this treatment often entails significant difficulties. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to prevent this by periodically inspecting for bacteria, detecting causative bacteria early, and taking appropriate preventive measures such as disinfection. However, until now, the only means of preventing food poisoning were adhering to general preventive measures (e.g., keeping cooking utensils such as knives and cutting boards clean, and keeping the hands of those involved in cooking clean). Even now, when food poisoning occurs, the only reactive measures available are to detect and identify the causative bacteria through investigations by the public health center with jurisdiction over the location (such as culturing bacteria attached to the food suspected of being the cause). Furthermore, the detection and identification of causative bacteria through such investigations by public health centers typically take a considerable amount of time (e.g., around 1 to 2 weeks). In particular, since E. coli O157 causes disease even in small numbers, it must be detected down to a level of 10 bacteria per ml, and in this case, a process of culturing the bacteria in advance is required. Investigations at specialized institutions such as public health centers or hospitals employ a method in which various specimens as described above, as well as patient specimens or specimens collected from the medical environment, are cultured on agar plates using selective media, and colonies formed on the media are observed visually, or th