Patent ID: 8413800

Claim:
A flat package containing a plurality of petri dishes with nutrient media contained therein for prolonged shelf life and preservation thereof, comprising: an optically clear, high-barrier, moisture, gas and microbial-resistant pouch, said pouch having an interior cavity and containing a plurality of sterile nutrient media-containing petri dishes immobilized therein, each of said plurality of petri dishes located adjacent one another aligned substantially in a coplanar arrangement cushioned within the interior cavity of the pouch, wherein the pouch is heat-sealed after having air be evacuated from the interior cavity of the pouch, and wherein the clarity of the pouch, the immobility, alignment and cushioning of the petri dishes therein, and the evacuation of air allow for prolonged shelf life and preservation of sterility of the petri dishes and the nutrient media contained therein, substantially no breakage of the petri dishes, and enhanced visibility of each of the petri dishes by a user.