Abstract:
The semi-rigid culture vessel is structured to transform a flexible culture vessel into a semi-rigid form to facilitate laboratory processes. The semi-rigid culture vessel includes at least two rims connected by at least one rib to form an internal support. The internal support is enclosed within the gas-permeable flexible culture vessel to form the semi-rigid culture vessel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for preserving laboratory tissues. Specifically, the apparatus disclosed herein relates to a semi-rigid gas-permeable apparatus for the storage of various tissues and organisms. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the medical, veterinary, and horticultural areas, flexible culture vessels are the industry standard for storing living tissues. Flexible culture vessels (FCVs) are described (as “integuments”) in U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,683 to Kertz titled INTEGUMENT AND METHOD FOR MICROPROPAGATION AND TISSUE CULTURING, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     FCVs generally comprise gas permeable, heat sealable enclosures for in vitro micropropagation and maintenance of plants and the culture or maintenance of bacteria and fungi, eukarotic cell/tissues, and similar biological materials. FCVs are an efficient and cost-effective means of storing living tissues and provide a potentially useful alternative to jars, test tubes and plastic boxes. FCVs also resist contamination more effectively than traditional culture vessels (i.e. glass or hard plastic containers)—thus increasing the efficiency of the propagation/maintenance process. 
     However, FCVs are awkward to work with due to their lack of a defined shape. Unlike test tubes, jars, and other rigid storage vessels, FCVs cannot be readily stored in an upright position—which makes FCVs difficult to handle and impairs the ability of laboratory technicians to record data and inventory tissues stored or growing in the FCVs. Further, the conventional flat FCV configuration impairs the ability of light to uniformly penetrate into the FCVs and (in the case of plant tissues) inhibits the potential growth of materials cultured within the FCVs. 
     The need exists for a means of transforming FCVs so that the advantages of the gas-permeable, heat-sealable bags are retained while enabling the FCVs to be handled and monitored more effectively. The semi-rigid culture vessel described herein comprises a simple and inexpensive apparatus for transforming FCVs to enable an operator to store FCVs in an upright position while retaining the advantages of a flexible storage vessel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure is directed to a semi-rigid culture vessel. The semi-rigid culture vessel comprises at least two rims connected by at least one rib to form an internal support. The internal support is enclosed within a gas-permeable flexible culture vessel to form the semi-rigid culture vessel. 
     This disclosure is also directed to a method of making a semi-rigid culture vessel. First and second rims are provided. The rims are connected by at least one rib to form an internal support. The internal support is deposited in a gas-permeable flexible culture vessel. The flexible culture vessel is then closed around the internal support to form the semi-rigid culture vessel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a FCV internal support apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of the two halves of the FCV internal support apparatus. 
         FIG. 3  is a profile view of the semi-rigid culture vessel. 
         FIG. 4  is an elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the FCV internal support apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The apparatus described herein comprises a semi-rigid culture vessel. This disclosure also describes a method of making the semi-rigid culture vessel. 
       FIG. 1  generally shows an FCV internal support  10 . The internal support  10  comprises a first rim element  12  and a second rim element  14 . The first  12  and second  14  rim elements are connected by at least one rib  16 . The ribs  16  are designed to be spaced sufficiently far apart so as not to obscure or substantially interfere with any matter within or light transmittance into the internal support  10 , but structurally robust enough to provide a semi-rigid form. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 2 , in the preferred embodiment, the FCV internal support  10  is essentially comprised of two mirror image halves  22 ,  24 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the halves  22 ,  24  are connected by hinges  18  that enable the internal support to open and close. The FCV internal support  10  generally has a cylindrical shape with the first rim element  12  defining a circumference of a circle, and the second rim element  14  having an internally concave (hollow) shape. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the ribs  16  are linear and, in combination with the rims  12 ,  14 , define an open space that provides the sealed FCV  26  with a semi-rigid form. For the purposes of this disclosure, a “semi-rigid culture vessel”  20  comprises an internal support  10  enclosed within an FCV  26 . An enlarged and modified test tube rack (not shown) easily enables a sealed FCV  26  with an enclosed internal support  10  to be stored in an upright position. 
     In alternative embodiments, the rims  12 ,  14 , may have alternative geometric and non-geometric shapes. For example, the rims  12 ,  14  may have a generally triangular, rectangular, or octagonal shape. The rims  12 ,  13  may also be non-symmetric. As shown in  FIG. 4 , for the purposes of this disclosure, one or both of the “rims”  12 ,  14  may simply comprise a solid intersecting portion of the ribs  16 . The ribs  16  may be helical or have other non-linear forms. 
     Further, in alternative embodiments, there may be as few as one rim  12  and as few as one rib  16 , or there may be multiple rims  12 ,  14 , and ribs  16 . Essentially, the rims  12 ,  14  and ribs  16  may have any form known in the art consistent with providing an open space in the interior of the FCV. 
     Although the preferred embodiment comprises two halves  22 ,  24  of an internal support  10  connected by hinges  18  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), the internal support  10  may only comprise a single unitary (non-hinged) body (for example a cylinder or cube). The internal support  10  may also comprise two unconnected halves  22 ,  24  that snap or otherwise connect together (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). Further, the internal support  10  may comprise more than two pieces and the pieces of the support  10  may be connected by any means known in the art. 
     The invention disclosed herein is also directed to a method of making a semi-rigid culture vessel. The method comprises providing first and second rims  12 ,  14 , and connecting the rims  12 ,  14  with at least one rib  16  to construct an internal support  10 . The internal support  10  is then enclosed in an FCV so that the assembly forms a semi-rigid culture vessel. 
     For the foregoing reasons, it is clear that the apparatus described herein provides an innovative semi-rigid culture vessel and a method of making a semi-rigid culture vessel. The apparatus and method may be modified in multiple ways and applied in various technological applications. The method and apparatus may be modified and customized as required by a specific operation or application, and the individual components may be modified and defined, as required, to achieve the desired result. 
     Although the materials of construction are not described, they may include a variety of compositions consistent with the function of the invention. However, in the preferred embodiment, the materials of construction must enable the semi-rigid culture vessel to be autoclaved. Variations in the materials of construction are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.