DEVICE FOR OBTAINING IMAGES OF BACTERIAL CULTURES IN A DISH

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for obtaining images of bacterial cultures in a dish. The proposed device includes a support for a culture dish to be analyzed surrounded by an annular light emitting source facing an image capturing device and a non-reflective surface which, in conjunction with a reflective surface arranged in the periphery of the support, form a preferably spherical-shaped contrast observation chamber, providing a glare- and reflection-free, uniform tangent illumination of the support.

Claims

1. A device for obtaining images of bacterial cultures in a dish, including: a support (1) for culture dishes; at least one annular light emitting source (2) arranged around said support (1) for culture dishes, the light emitted by said source (2) being oriented in a direction not hitting said support (1) for culture dishes; at least one reflective surface (3) arranged facing said at least one light emitting source (2) for reflecting said light towards the support (1) for culture dishes, and a centered image capturing device (4), facing and spaced from said support (1) for culture dishes, for capturing images of a culture dish deposited on said support (1) for culture dishes; wherein the mentioned at least one reflective surface (3), in combination with a non-reflective surface (5), form a contrast observation chamber (6), in which a culture dish arranged on the support (1) for culture dishes is confined, the annular light emitting source (2) and the image capturing device (4) being integrated inside said observation chamber (6), and said non-reflective surface (5) is arranged in an annular manner around the image capturing device (4), superposed with respect to the support (1) for culture dishes and facing and spaced from same, said non-reflective surface (5) being provided with a surface finish with an albedo less than 0.4.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective surface (3) and/or the non-reflective surface (5) have the geometry of a hollow spherical portion.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said reflective surface (3) has at least one of its two poles truncated a diameter greater than the diameter of said annular light emitting source (2).

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the non-reflective surface (5) has the geometry of a hollow spherical cap truncated a diameter greater than the diameter of said annular light emitting source (2).

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the reflective surface (3), or at least part of the reflective surface (3) together with at least part of the non-reflective surface (5), is movable from a closed position surrounding said support (1), in which images of a culture dish can be obtained with optimum illumination conditions, and an open position, in which an access is offered for introducing culture dishes in the observation chamber (6).

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein at least part of the reflective surface (3), or at least part of the reflective surface (3) together with at least part of the non-reflective surface (5), is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support (1) for culture dishes, from a closed position surrounding said support (1), in which images of a culture dish can be obtained with optimum illumination conditions, and an open position raised above said support (1), in which an access is offered for introducing culture dishes in the contrast observation chamber (6).

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the movable part of the contrast observation chamber (6) is attached to guide means (7, 8) which allow its movement and limit its travel by drive means consisting of a rotor (15) and a connecting rod (16).

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein at least one spring means (9) counteracting the weight of said movable part of the contrast observation chamber (6) in said open position has been envisaged.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support (1) for culture dishes is transparent.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the non-reflective surface (5) has a size greater than the support (1) for culture dishes, only the mentioned non-reflective surface (5) and the image capturing device (4) being superposed with respect to the support (1) for culture dishes.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the non-reflective surface (5) has a diameter greater than the annular light emitting source (2).

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective surface (3) has a surface finish with an albedo greater than 0.6.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing device is a high-resolution digital photographic camera.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes image processing equipment with a microcontroller running an algorithm for counting colonies of any color and/or measuring zones of inhibition of said observed bacterial cultures.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a wireless communication device transmitting the obtained images of the cultures to remote image processing equipment, provided with a microcontroller running an algorithm for counting colonies of any color and/or measuring zones of inhibition of said observed cultures.

16. The device according to claim 6, wherein the movable part of the contrast observation chamber (6) is attached to guide means (7, 8) which allow its movement and limit its travel by drive means consisting of a rotor (15) and a connecting rod (16).

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein at least one spring means (9) counteracting the weight of said movable part of the contrast observation chamber (6) in said open position has been envisaged.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood based on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings which must be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a sectioned view of the device for obtaining images according to an embodiment in which the contrast observation chamber is made up of a first screen in the form of a hollow spherical cap and a second screen in the form of a hollow sphere with its two poles truncated, said contrast observation chamber being in an open position with the second screen raised;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows the same view shown in FIG. 1, the contrast observation chamber being in a closed position with the second screen lowered closing said chamber and preventing external light from entering;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1, in an open position;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 2, in a closed position.

[0044] FIGS. 5 and 6 shows a cross-section made between the contrast observation chamber and the wall of the framework of the device, according to an embodiment of the means for moving the mentioned reflective surface, showing the open and closed positions, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0045] FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show, in an illustrating and non-limiting manner, an embodiment whereby the device for obtaining images of bacterial cultures in a dish consists of a framework formed by a base 10 and a wall 11 attached to said base 10. A cylindrical pedestal 12 supporting an annular light emitting source 2 formed by a ring of LED lights surrounding the glass support 1 for culture dishes is erected on the base 10, as shown in FIG. 3. Optionally, an alternative light source can be located within the pedestal to illuminate the culture dish through the transparent support.

[0046] The mentioned wall 11 holds, suspended over the support 1 by means of an arm 13, a first screen 21 in the shape of a hollow spherical cap, shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the maximum diameter of which is, in the present embodiment, greater than the diameter of the annular light emitting source 2. Said first screen 21 is a portion of a non-reflective surface 5, and has a hole in the center thereof through which an image capturing device 4 focuses on the support 1, which allow capturing overhead images of a culture dish located on said support 1.

[0047] It will be understood that a non-reflective surface 5 is a surface with a surface finish reflecting only a small part of the incident light, for example, having a black-colored matt surface finish, the albedo of which can be less than 0.2.

[0048] A second screen 22 with a hollow spherical geometry truncated at its two upper and lower poles is arranged covering the distance existing between the first screen 21 and the upper end of the pedestal 12, where the support 1 is located, the upper truncation coinciding with the maximum diameter of the spherical cap of the first screen 21, the assembly of the first screen 21 and the second screen 22 defining a contrast observation chamber 6 closed from the outside, preventing external light from entering in the closed position.

[0049] The diameter of the lower truncation of the second screen 22 is about the same as the diameter of the pedestal 12, the annular light emitting source 2 and the support 1 therefore being inscribed within said truncation, and therefore housed within the mentioned contrast observation chamber 6.

[0050] The mentioned second screen 22 has an upper portion also with a non-reflective surface finish, so said upper portion also forms part of the non-reflective surface 5 and continues the inner surface of the screen 21. The rest of the second screen 22 is a reflective surface 3, with a white- or metallic-colored surface finish with a high albedo, preferably greater than 0.8.

[0051] This distribution of the non-reflective surface 5 and reflective surface 3 on the inner face of a spherical contrast observation chamber 6 provides an optimal light diffusion on the support 1, while at the same time prevents light beams from hitting said support 1 in a approximately perpendicular direction, thereby assuring a tangent illumination that does not produce reflections or glare when capturing images of a culture dish deposited on said support 1.

[0052] To allow easy access and quick manipulation or replacement of the culture dish, it is proposed that the second screen 22 is attached on the outside thereof to guide means 7, 8 envisaged on the previously mentioned wall 11 of the framework which is erected perpendicular to the support 1. The guide means 7, 8 consist of vertical rails 8 on which a runner 7 attached to the second screen 22 slides. This movement allows lifting said second screen 22, its lower truncation being moved away from the pedestal 12, and the first screen 21 being housed inside the second screen 22. This open position allows free access to the support 1 so that a user can introduce or replace a culture dish on the support 1.

[0053] To achieve the movement of said second screen 22 it is proposed that spring means 9, made up of two vertical springs fixed at one end to the wall 11 of the framework, and at the other end to the runner 7 which is attached to the second screen 22, being said spring means 9 tared for counteracting the weight of the second screen 22, so only a small force is needed for the vertical movement of the second screen 22.

[0054] In this embodiment, said force for causing the movement of the second screen is provided by drive means consisting of a rotor 15 and a connecting rod 16, said rotor 15 being operated by means of a motor and articulated at its center with respect to the wall 11 of the framework, and said connecting rod 16 having an end attached in an articulated manner to said rotor 15, and another opposite end attached in an articulated manner to the runner 7 of the second screen 22. This mechanism causes the rotation of the rotor 15 to result in a linear movement of the runner 7 along the rails 8, the second screen 22 moving vertically, allowing it to change position from the closed position to the open position.

[0055] The operation of the device is as follows: the annular light emitting source 2 is switched on in a closed position of the screen 22, said light being reflected on the reflective surface 3 illuminating the entire surface of a culture dish located on the support 1 in a tangential, subtle and homogeneous manner, digital images of said culture dish are then taken by means of the image capturing device 4 for the automatic analysis of said images by means of a microcontroller integrated in the device running an algorithm which allows counting the colonies of bacteria existing on said culture dish. The information acquired by the device can be sent, for example, wirelessly to a portable computing device, such as a tablet or a mobile telephone. Alternatively, it has been envisaged that the device only acquires the images and that these images are transferred outwardly to an image processing device for counting the colonies. It is also contemplated that said image processing equipment is external, or even remote, to the device, the images being transmitted through cable or by means of a wireless communication device integrated in the proposed device for obtaining culture images, said wireless communication device being able to be a radio wave transmitter, such as for example, a WIFI antenna, a BLUETOOTH antenna, or any other communication protocol.