Patent ID: 7910361

Claim:
A device for providing portable biological testing capabilities free from biological contamination from an environment outside the device, the device comprising: a portable housing; a volume surrounded by the housing and sealed against passage of biological materials between the volume and the environment outside the device; a culture medium within the volume; one or more ports configured to provide access to the volume while avoiding biological contamination of the volume; and a valve in fluidic communication with the volume and the environment, the valve having an open state in which the valve allows gas to flow from within the volume to the environment outside the device and a closed state in which the valve inhibits gas from flowing between the volume and the environment, wherein the valve switches from the closed state to the open state in response to a pressure within the volume larger than a pressure of the environment outside the device, wherein the valve comprises a hole through the housing and a flexible layer covering the hole, wherein a portion of the flexible layer is configured to flex away from the hole in response to pressure within the volume being greater than pressure within the environment due to an elevated temperature within the volume.