Bd Kiestra B.v.

Franciscus Feijen

Jurjen Sinnema

Ammon David Lentz

Martijn Kleefstra

Raphael Rodolphe Marcelpoil

Brent Ronald Pohl

Robert Edward Armstrong

Jean-Marc Volle

Harm W Van Der Dong

Mariska Okkema-Van Der Lei

Gerard Mulder

Eelke Johannes Veeninga

A multi-port disposable device that can both vent a sealed culture vessel and draw a sample therefrom into a collection vessel. The multi-port disposable device has a first port configured to receive the top portion of a culture vessel and attach thereto. The multi-port disposable device has a second port configured to receive a sample collection vessel. The multi-port disposable device has first and second needles. The first needle has a cannula configured to penetrate a septum or cap of the culture vessel. Optionally, the cannula terminates in a layer of foam that carries a microbial agent such that any vapor that is transmitted from the culture vessel through the cannula when venting the sealed culture vessel is absorbed by the foam. Optionally, the ports of the disposable device are configured as sleeves. The sleeve of the first port receives a portion of the culture vessel and the sleeve of the second port receives the collection vessel. The second needle has a cannula that penetrates both the septum or cap of the culture vessel and the septum or cap of the collection vessel, when the culture vessel and the collection vessel are brought into the device, thereby providing for fluid communication between the culture vessel and the collection vessel. The second cannula provides the flow pathway for delivering sample from the culture vessel to the collection vessel.

Disposable device for venting a sealed container and aliquoting therefrom

An apparatus that configures a culture plate for precisely assigning coordinates to a selected colony by assigning fiducials to the culture plate using simple mechanical techniques. The fiducials correspond to the plate center and the center of a barcode label applied to the side of the culture plate by the apparatus. The apparatus then deploys mechanisms to apply coordinates to colonies identified by the user relative to the fiducials. One such mechanism is a webcam pointed at the culture plate that allows a technician to mark the colonies on a display using a computer mouse or equivalent cursor. Another mechanism deploys a laser pointer directed at the colony wherein the apparatus assigns coordinates to the location of the colony onto which the laser pointer is directed. In a third mechanism, the user views the surface of the culture plate through a viewfinder and manually registers coordinates when the view finder cross hairs are over a target colony. The selected colonies are assigned precise coordinates with reference to the two fiducials. Software is provided such that pixels in the image of the culture plate correspond to the coordinates of the culture dish relative to the fiducials.

Method and system for locating a bacterial colony on a culture plate

A system and method for a self-actuating, mechanically-biased container restraint. The system requires no computer-aided control or timing, nor is any external power source needed, other than the force exerted as a container is inserted into the restraint. The system relies upon an assembly including mechanically-biased pivoting levers, each of which has a horizontal element and a vertical element. All actuation occurs as the base of an inserted container comes into contact with the upper surface of the horizontal elements of multiple pivoted levers positioned at the base of a channel adapted to serve as a guide for the inserted tube. The levers are biased in this elevated position by mechanical means, such as a spring. As the inserted tube presses the horizontal members downward, the top portions of the vertical members are pivoted inward toward the container's exterior. Friction pads situated upon the interior surface of each vertical element are brought into contact with the exterior of the container, thereby gripping it. This gripping action holds the container with sufficient friction to permit the removal or attachment of a screw cap. Further embodiments of the invention include a mechanically biased platform supporting the channel and the pivoting levers. This base is biased and positioned to permit the channel and the pivoting lever assembly to be translated downward against the force biasing the platform and translate through the body of the container restraint. This further advancement of container, the channel and the lever assembly cause the pivoting levers to assume fully engaged gripping positions, and brings the vertical elements of the levers (and flexible friction pads upon them) into full upright positions. In this position the friction pads apply a maximum static friction force to the exterior of the container.

Self-actuating mechanically-biased container restraint

A system and method for gripping, torqueing and releasing an element so as to cap and/or decap a container, such as those typically utilized to house specimens in laboratory environments. The system is driven by a single bi-directional motor linked to a coupler assembly via a rotating threaded shaft. The coupler assembly is configured to engage with an element, such as a cap or container, via mechanically-biased splines that are actuated without any complex linkages, or operative connection to the motor or other powered components. The system employs an ejector nut and an ejector, both of which are concentrically positioned about the threaded shaft. The ejector nut translates along the shaft as a function of the shaft's rotation, so as to permit the retraction of the ejector when an element is engaged in the coupler assembly or cause the ejector to extend into the coupler assembly to disengage the element. The direction and rotation of the motor is controlled by a system coupled to sensors positioned within the system. Such control system may include one or more processors, component interfaces, and data storage/memory. The sensors may include multiple optical, magnetic or mechanical means for monitoring one or more of the positions of the ejector nut and ejector along the threaded shaft, and/or the rotational position of the coupler assembly.

Capper/decapper system and method

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Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Franciscus Feijen