Blood culture bottle examining instrument

An instrument for making a visual examination of a blood culture bottle for the presence of microorganisms, the instrument having an elongated base on which is mounted a platform defining a seat for the bottle to be examined, a light source rearwardly of the platform for illuminating the bottle, a combined viewing and magnifying lens forwardly of the platform for magnifying the bottle to a viewer, and a manipulative control knob drivingly connected with the platform for rotating the latter while the bottle thereon is being viewed, both the light source and lens being arranged for focusing downward upon the bottle and platform.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed, in general, to means for subjecting blood 
culture bottles to visual examination for the growth of bacteria. More 
particularly, it is concerned with an instrument which is especially 
suited to enabling a blood culture bottle to be efficiently visually 
examined with reasonable assurance of detecting the presense, if any, of 
bacteria cultivated therein. 
What is commonly termed a blood culture bottle is known as a bottle of 
clear transparent glass containing a liquid media of nutrients suitable 
for the cultivation of microorganisms, especially bacteria, that may be 
present in a blood specimen injected into the bottle. 
It has long been a custom in making an examination of a blood culture 
bottle to manually hold it before a light and, while viewing the contents 
therein, to manipulate the bottle with the holding hand so as to bring 
various areas of the bottle before the eyes of the examiner. 
This mode of examination has its faults, because of which the examination 
could at times fall short of being thorough. The presence of some 
bacterial growth in the bottle might accordingly escape detection. During 
the examination the bottle should be rotated a full 360.degree. because, 
at times, bacteria may have developed in a clump, a small cluster or a 
speck floating in suspension in some area of the media. But, the human 
hand is mechanically unable to be twisted enough to carry the bottle full 
circle. Accordingly, the examiner in using this conventional method will 
resort to various manipulations of the bottle in an effort to bring all 
areas of the bottle into view. Nevertheless, a shadow cast by the 
examiner's fingers or hand on the bottle or a cloud created within the 
bottle by hemolysis, together with poor illumination and a lack of 
magnification of the bottle could cause misleading readings or a failure 
to detect the presence of some bacterial growth. 
A proper examination with close scrutiny of a blood culture bottle for 
bacterial growth is at all times a necessity in the interests of the 
patient concerned. Even a small degree of bacterial growth escaping the 
eye of the examiner could prove detrimental to a proper diagnosis and 
treatment of the ills of a patient. 
Accordingly, the general object of this invention is to provide an 
instrument or device for enabling a visual examination of a blood culture 
bottle in a manner which is convenient, thorough, and avoids the faults 
associated with the customary method of manually holding the bottle before 
a light. 
A more particular object of the invention is to provide a small 
hand-portable instrument which enables a visual examination of a blood 
culture bottle with a high degree of assurance to the examiner of 
detecting signs of bacterial growth, if any, in the contents of the 
bottle. 
A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument for the 
examination of a blood culture bottle, on which instrument the bottle is 
seated upon a rotatable platform in favorable illumination, and is 
viewable by the examiner with both eyes through a magnifying lens. 
Another object is to provide such an instrument wherein the illumination of 
the bottle is directed downward away from the eyes of the viewer. 
The foregoing objects as well as others will become apparent as this 
specification continues in further detail. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention there is provided a hand-portable 
instrument which, as a unit, includes a base in the form of a panel upon 
which the various components of the unit are supported. 
Mounted upon the base between a source of light and a combined viewing and 
magnifying lens is a rotatable platform. A blood culture bottle is adapted 
to be seated upon the platform for inspection as to whether any bacterial 
growth has developed therein. The light source is mounted on the panel at 
one end thereof. It is adapted to be pivotally adjusted or focused to 
illuminate or envelope the bottle with a revealing degree of light. 
The viewing and magnifying lens is mounted on the panel at the opposite end 
thereof. It is adapted to be adjustably pivoted and focused relative to 
the bottle so as to enlarge the latter to a desireable revealing degree to 
the eyes of the examiner. 
A manually operable control knob, mounted upon the panel, operatively 
connects with the platform, whereby the latter may be progressively 
rotated through 360.degree. while under the scrutiny of the examiner. The 
control knob is located where the examiner's controling hand will not cast 
any undesirable shading upon the bottle or interfere with its 
magnification. 
The foregoing structure of the invention, its features and advantages will 
become increasingly apparent as this specification unfolds in greater 
detail and as it is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. 
However, it is to be expressly understood that the drawing is for purposes 
of illustration and description, and it is not to be construed as limiting 
the scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The instrument embodying the invention, as illustrated in the drawing, is a 
unitary device. It has a base in the form of a rectangular panel 1 which 
serves as a support for the various components of the instrument. A pair 
of strips or ribs 2, one of which is fixed along the underside of the 
front end 3 of the panel and the other of which is fixed along the 
underside of the rear end 4 of the panel, serve as feet for the instrument 
and create a desirable space at the underside of the panel. 
Centrally of the surface of the panel is mounted a rotatable platform 6. It 
defines an annular seat upon which a conventional blood culture bottle 7 
may be rested for examination as to its contents. An annular slightly 
raised lip 8 about the seat serves as a guide. It enables a quick seating 
of the bottle and also serves to restrain the bottle on the seat against 
accidental displacement. The lip is of slight elevation, being raised less 
than the normal thickness of the glass defining the bottom 9 of the 
bottle, so that the contents of the bottle remain visible above and clear 
of the lip. The bottle shown here by way of illustration has a circular 
body complementing the seat defined by the lip. 
The platform 6 is rotatable by manually operable means. To this end, the 
platform is secured to a pin depending through a bearing 10 in the panel 
to the space below. A pulley 11, fixed to the pin below the panel, is 
connected by a belt 12 with a second pulley 13. The latter is fixed to the 
lower end of a pin extending through a bearing 14 to the upper side of the 
panel. A control knob 15, secured to the upper end of the latter pin, is 
manually rotatable in either direction to effect through the pulleys and 
belt turning of the platform through 360.degree.. 
Mounted on a fork 16 at the rear of the panel is a light source unit 17 
(FIGS. 1, 4). It includes a cowl or shell 18 in which an electric lamp 19 
is contained. The lamp is entered through the open front end of the shell, 
and is retained therein by set screws 21. The unit is pivoted between 
upraised arms 22 of the fork upon a pair of pins defining a horizontal 
axis. The fork in turn is swiveled on a vertical axis defined by a pin 23 
mounted centrally of a support 24 secured to the surface of the panel. 
The lamp 19 is preferably of a type adapted to cast a spotlight on the 
bottle being examined. I find a sealed beam lamp suitable for this 
purpose. The light source unit may, as needed, be adjustably swiveled 
about its vertical axis and adjustably pivoted about its horizontal axis 
to a position where it illuminates and envelopes the entire bottle and its 
contents. 
A current supply cord 25 connects through an on-off switch 26 with the 
lamp. The switch is fixed to the underside of the panel, and its operating 
arm 27 projects above the surface of the panel. 
Mounted upon a fork 28 at the forward end of the panel is a unit 31 (FIGS. 
1, 3) for magnifying and viewing the illuminated bottle and its contents. 
The fork has a vertically depending stem 32 fixed at its lower end to the 
front end of the panel. The magnifying and viewing unit 31 is pivoted 
between the upraised arms 33 of the fork. It includes a convex lens 34 
clamped in a peripheral frame 35. Ears 36 extending from diametrically 
opposed sides of the frame pivot upon pins which project inwardly from the 
arms of the fork and define the horizontal axis of the unit. 
The lens 34 is of sufficient diameter, here four inches, to enable viewing 
through it with both eyes of the examiner. The lens may be manually 
adjustably pivoted upwardly or downwardly on its axis relative to the 
illuminated bottle so as to obtain the most favorable enlargement and view 
of the bottle and its contents for the examiner. 
The horizontal axes of the viewing unit 31 and the light source unit 17 are 
set so as to be at a level above the height of a bottle seated upon the 
platform 6. This is of advantage in that it enables viewing of the bottle 
and projecting of the light to be angularly downwardly upon the bottle. In 
this arrangement, light rays of the lamp are directed away from the eyes 
of the examiner so as to leave him with a clear vision of the bottle. 
FIGS. 6 and 7 show a modification that may be used for mounted the viewing 
unit 31 upon the panel. The modification provides a keyway or track 37 
fixed upon the surface of the panel 1 along the longitudinal axis thereof, 
and provides the lower end of the stem 32a of the unit with a key 38 
engageable in the keyway. This arrangement enables the viewing unit to be 
adjustably moved along the keyway to any selected position relative to the 
bottle and platform 6. 
In using the invention, a blood culture bottle is injected with a blood 
specimen and, after a predetermined time interval, the bottle is seated 
upon the platform 6 for inspection. After the switch is actuated to 
illuminate the lamp, the light source and viewing units 17, 31 are 
adjusted and focused upon the bottle to obtain a desired illumination and 
magnification of it. Then, while closely viewing the illuminated bottle 
through the magnifying lens, the examiner slowly and intermittently turns 
the control knob 15 to effect a corresponding turning of the platform 6 
and the bottle. In this manner he will progressively bring all areas of 
the bottle and its contents into view for detection of any bacteria that 
may have developed therein. This process may be repeated at short 
intervals until the examiner is satisfied with his findings. 
At times, it is desired to simultaneously inspect a pair of blood culture 
bottles, one of which is aerobic and the other of which is anaerobic, and 
in each of which a specimen of the same blood has been injected. Because 
the aerobic bottle contains some oxygen, bacterial growth, if any, will 
develop more quickly and to a greater degree therein than in the anaerobic 
bottle. 
The simultaneous inspection of both of these bottles is sometimes desired 
for comparison as well as other purposes. To enable this dual inspection 
with the instrument of the present invention, an adapter platform 39 (FIG. 
5) is utilized. This platform is of rectangular form and adequate in 
length to permit the pair of bottles 40, 41 (broken line) to be seated 
thereon. The platform is in the nature of a cover having side walls 42. In 
use, it is positioned over the existing single bottle platform 6. A set 
screw 43 in one of the side walls will, when tightened, hold both 
platforms together, so that rotation of the under platform 6 will carry 
the adapter platform around with it. 
While an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in 
detail, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited 
thereto. Various changes of form, design or arrangement may be made in its 
components without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
It is my intent, therefore, to claim the invention not only as shown and 
described but also in all such forms and modifications or equivalents 
thereof as might be construed to be within the spirit of the invention 
when considered in the light of the specification, the drawing and the 
appended claims.