Automated Petri dish filler

Additional Options:

Second overlay layer
(Different options are available for this, hence listed separately)

Automatic Functions:

• Unstacking of Petri dish stacks from the storage magazine
• Lid lifting for agar pouring
• Adding the correct agar type
• Shaking
• Automatic stacking based on agar type or temperature

Manual Tasks:

• Placing label on the Petri dish
• Lifting lid for pipetting
• Pipetting
• Placing dishes back in stacks sorted by agar type in the magazine

Dimensions:

• 2.8 x 1.2 meters

We assume that the Petri dishes inserted into the machine are:

• Labeled/coded with the sample content
• Sorted by agar type before being loaded
• Uniform in height and diameter

Example:

(In this example we use 2 dishes for clarity, but the machine can process 6 simultaneously — see schematic on next page)

• In row 1 of the input unit, a Petri dish requiring agar type X is placed.
• In row 2 of the input unit, a Petri dish requiring agar type Y is placed.

The machine simultaneously picks the dish from row 1 and row 2 and moves them to the central section (pouring unit).

The dish from row 1 is placed at position 1, and the dish from row 2 at position 2 within the pouring unit.

Agar type X is dispensed into the dish at position 1, and agar type Y into the dish at position 2.

After pouring, the dishes are shaken and transported to the stacking unit, where they are stacked back in row 1 and row 2 respectively.

Because dishes are pre-sorted by agar type before entering the machine, no LIMS connection is required and barcode scanning is unnecessary.

Cooling:
Forced cooling before stacking is not included by default, but available as an option. Note that including a cooling unit will increase the length of the machine.
With an integrated cooling unit, spread plates can also be produced.

Overlay Function (Second Layer):

To apply an overlay, the Petri dish stack is manually re-inserted into the machine. The same volume of agar will be dispensed again.

Optional:

• The machine can detect whether an initial agar layer is already present and then add the top layer.
• This top layer may be a different volume from the base layer.
• Dishes with or without a base layer may be mixed in the same batch.
• An optional printer can be integrated to print the time of agar pouring on the Petri dish.