A system for collecting, growing, and analyzing biological specimens that may present a health threat. The system includes separate modules for specimen collection, sample isolation, and sample analysis that can be interconnected to safety process, culture, and analyze and unknown specimen. A decapitation module allows a user to safely collect a swab tip containing an unknown sample and transport the sample to a culture module where the sample can be washed from the swab tip and isolated in a cuvette for growth and analysis. The culture module may be coupled to a base station that can provide mixing, heating and cooling, as well as optical and spectral analysis.

The present disclosure provides systems, methods, devices, and kits for analysis of vaginal biological samples. A device for the analysis of vaginal biological samples can include a sample collector, an extractor, and an assay cartridge. A method for the analysis of vaginal biological samples can include detecting the presence or absence of a pathology, a disease, an immune disorder, a reproductive disorder of a subject. The method may further comprise preserving, storing, or transporting the vaginal biological samples. A kit for the analysis of vaginal biological samples can include probe, reagents and instructions for detecting a nucleic acid in the vaginal biological samples.

Inoculating systems/devices, methods for inoculating a target, and coating methods are disclosed. An example inoculating system may include an inoculating member having a transfer region and a handle region. A pre-determined quantity of viable microorganisms may be disposed on the transfer region. The inoculating member may be configured to transfer the pre-determined quantity of viable microorganisms to a target during an inoculation operation without having to rehydrate the pre-determined quantity of viable microorganisms prior to the inoculating operation.

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.

A tool for the distribution of a sample of biological or microbiological material, the tool including an elongated body, provided with a first portion and a second portion different from the first portion; a distributing element being configured at least for distributing a sample of biological or microbiological material on a culture medium; a connector being configured for allowing the removable joining of the tool with a supporting element of a machine configured for carrying out a distribution of a sample of material, in particular of a pipetting machine; wherein the distributing element is electrically and/or capacitively coupled to the elongated body and/or to the connector; the tool being configured for acting as capacitive probe adapted to detect contact at least of the distributing element with the culture medium and/or the sample of biological or microbiological material and for allowing to keep said contact during the movement of the tool.

A picktool manipulator device collects a specimen from a culture medium. In a first mode of operation, a picktool is allowed to move in an axial direction relative to support structure of the device. A detector may generate a signal in response to movement of the body in the axial direction so as to determine a height at which the picktool contacts the medium. The device may operate in the first mode when collecting a specimen from a culture medium. A second mode of operation constrains or precludes axial movement of the picktool. In some cases, the device may operate in the second mode when receiving a new picktool or discarding a used picktool.

Methods of evaluating the antimicrobial efficacy of a hard surface disinfectant or sanitizer and test articles are disclosed. An example method may include removing a preserved antimicrobial test article from a sealed container. The preserved antimicrobial test article may comprise a non-water soluble substrate and a thin microbial layer attached to the substrate comprising viable microbial material, a stabilizing mixture, and a residual water content of less than 5.0%. The method may also include contacting the preserved antimicrobial test article with a predetermined amount of the test substance without rehydrating the preserved microbial article and without detaching the layer comprising the viable microbial material from the substrate prior to contact with the test substance.

The present invention discloses, inter alia, swab, kit and a case, disclose a swab as defined above, administrable either or both into and onto a sample in a method comprising steps of providing the pouch-like envelope (1) with the opening (2), the inner surface (1i) and the at least one external surface (1e) with the at last one swabbing portion; inserting a handle into the swabbing portion; applying the swabbing portion either or both onto and into the substance; in-out rolling up the envelope so that the external portion hereto applied either or both onto and into the substance is position within the envelope; wherein at least one of the following s held true: the envelope characterized as a sleeve-like or sock-like elongated member having a main longitudinal axis, configured to be in-out rolled-up along the main longitudinal axis; and the envelope characterized as flexible pouch-like envelope, further characterized by being width-wise squeezable along an axis perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis thereby tightly encapsulated within at least two external case's walls. The present invention discloses a method for both sampling a substance and storing the same, characterized by steps: providing a pouch-like envelope (1), configured to be in-out rolled-up having an opening (2); the pouch comprises an inner surface (1i); and at least one external surface (1e) with at last one swabbing portion (3); the envelope either or both (a) characterized as a sleeve-like or sock-like elongated member having a main longitudinal axis, configured to be in-out rolled-up along the main longitudinal axis; and (b) flexible pouch-like envelope, characterized by being width-wise squeezable along an axis perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis thereby tightly encapsulated within two case's walls; inserting a handle into the swabbing portion; applying the swabbing portion either or both onto and into the substance; in-out rolling up the envelope so that the external portion hereto applied either or both onto and into the substance is position within the envelope; wherein at least one of the following is held true: the envelope characterized as a sleeve-like or sock-like elongated member having a main longitudinal axis, configured to be in-out rolled-up along the main longitudinal axis; and the envelope characterized as flexible pouch-like envelope, further characterized by being width-wise squeezable along an axis perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis thereby tightly encapsulated within at least two external case's walls.

A separation container for extracting a portion of a sample for use or testing and method for preparing samples for downstream use or testing are provided. The separation container may include a body defining an internal chamber. The body may define an opening, and the body may be configured to receive the sample within the internal chamber. The separation container may further include a seal disposed across the opening, such that the seal may be configured to seal the opening of the body, and a plunger movably disposed at least partially inside the internal chamber. The plunger may be configured to be actuated to open the seal and express the portion of the sample.

Disclosed is a microorganism inoculation device, which comprises a workbench, wherein support columns are provided on the upper surface of the workbench, a limiting plate is provided in the middle part of the supporting column, an injection head is provided in the middle part of the limiting plate, an air cylinder is provided in the middle part of the lower surface of the workbench, a piston rod of the air cylinder is fixedly connected with the middle part of the upper surface of a lifting plate, guide rods are provided on the upper surface of the lifting plate, the upper end of the guide rod is fixedly connected with a tray, the left and right sides of the upper surface of the tray are fixedly connected with the lower part of a fixed bracket, the middle part of the injection head is slidably connected with the limiting plate.