APPARATUS FOR BIOLOGICAL MICROORGANISM OBSERVATION

• Main Authors: TACHE, Fabien, CORNAGLIA, Matteo
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 22.02.2023
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; CHEMISTRY; ENZYMOLOGY; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SPIRITS; TRANSPORTING; VINEGAR; WINE

Biological microorganism culture and observation apparatus (1) comprising a support structure (10), one or more chip holders (3) mounted on the support structure, a pump (P) and a valve system (V), each chip holder configured for holding a microfluidic chip (2) having one or more microfluidic channels (54) and culture chambers (52) therein extending between a pump coupling side (44a) of the microfluidic chip and a reservoir side coupling (44b) of the microfluidic chip. The support structure comprises a reservoirs support platform (7) mounted on a movable table (12), the reservoirs support platform (7) configured for holding a plurality of nutrition reservoirs (5) for containing biological microorganisms or nutrients and substances to be tested in a liquid. The chip holder (3) and/or microfluidic chips (2) comprise reservoir side fluidic couplings (26) in the form of hollow tubes extending from the microfluidic chip (2) to a tip (26b) at a free end of the hollow tube, each tip (26b) insertable in a corresponding nutrition reservoir (5). The movable table is coupled a height actuator mechanism (14) and an oscillating mechanism configured to oscillate the reservoir support platform (7) in a horizontal plane by an amplitude less than a diameter (D) of the nutrient reservoir (5), and actuate a vertical movement of the reservoirs support platform with the height actuator mechanism (14).