Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates to the field of medical science, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a petri dish from recycled plastic.
BACKGROUND FOR THE INVENTION:
[002] The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known, or part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction as of the priority date of the application. The details provided herein the background if belongs to any publication is taken only as a reference for describing the problems, in general terminologies or principles or both of science and technology in the associated prior art.
[003] A Petri dish is used in biology laboratories to cultivate and study cell lines and microorganisms. Petri dishes provide a conducive environment for growing various cell lines and microorganisms. The traditional Petri dish method generates much waste and is expensive. This results in long-term environmental pollution due to the generated plastic waste. The lifecycle of these products—from manufacture to disposal—presents an unsustainable trajectory that the scientific community must address. The laboratory sector can significantly reduce its environmental footprint by leveraging recycled plastics, particularly those generated from medical and food-grade sources. Recycling such materials decreases the demand for new plastic production and provides a novel avenue for repurposing waste that would otherwise contribute to landfills or ocean pollution.
[004] Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI), Germany, uses recycled Petri dishes from polystyrene lab garbage. Similarly, a company co-founded by the University of Bath opened the UK's first pilot plant to recycle up to 60% of plastic lab waste to make it back into new lab consumables, including Petri dishes.
[005] In light of the foregoing, there is a need for a petri dish from recycled plastic that overcomes problems prevalent in the prior art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
[006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows.
[007] The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing the Petri dish from recycled plastic.
[008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a petri dish from recycled plastic that enhances the design and functionality of various laboratory tools, including test tubes and flasks, improving accuracy and ease of use through the use of recycled plastics sourced from medical or food-grade materials.
[009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a petri dish from recycled plastic that signifies a broader paradigm shift aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste in academic institutions, research facilities, industrial laboratories, and diagnostics.
[010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a petri dish from recycled plastic that can be adapted for robust industrial containers, ensuring safe storage and transport of diverse materials.
[011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a petri dish from recycled plastic that has utility in its chemical application for the transfer and mixing of substances, thereby increasing efficiency in industrial processes.
[012] Another object of the present invention is to provide the petri dish from recycled plastic that serves a purpose in environmental monitoring within environmental science, including specialized sampling containers for air and water quality analysis.
[013] Another object of the present invention is to provide the petri dish from recycled plastic that addresses environmental challenges through the use of recycled plastics sourced from medical or food-grade materials, with applications in various areas of sustainability in science, commercial, and industrial applications. Thereby fostering a culture of environmental responsibility.
[014] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
[015] The present invention, a unique solution to the environmental challenges posed by using Petri dishes in laboratories, has the potential to significantly impact laboratory practices. Utilizing medical- and food-grade recycled plastics not only promotes environmentally friendly waste management but also sparks fresh ideas for incorporating recycled plastics in laboratory environments. This potentially leads to improved methodologies and inspires a sense of environmental responsibility and the drive to contribute to a sustainable future.
[016] The present invention describes a product's unique visual features, from its shape to its surface designs for Petri dishes, by utilizing medical- and food-grade recycled plastic. However, it may be noted that it has several other applications to the person known in the art, including, but not limited to, a wide range of products such as test tubes, flasks, pipettes, containers, funnels, and for many other laboratory, commercial and industrial applications.
- Interchangeable Dividers with Detachable Tabs Design: Removable dividers to be placed into or out based on the experiment. The dividers come with locking tabs which ensure that it is stable. However, in case of the need for a continuous surface, the tab is released. The dividers have pre-molded slots within the perimeter of the dish.
- Used polycarbonate (PC) or polystyrene (PS) (clear, durable) Separators or, flexible food-grade polypropylene (PP) for easy attachment and removal.
- Impact of the novel design will support in running parallel experiments in the same dish. Thereby reducing the number of Petri dishes required per study. Thus the present invention is offering flexibility with different study settings.
- Gradient Ring for Nutrient Diffusion Design: A concentric ring integrated at the bottom with minute perforations for controlled chemical, nutrient, or antibiotic diffusion. Inner reservoirs allow for steady diffusion gradients across the plate, it relies on capillary action.
- Base Layer can be consisting of recycled PET or acrylic-based copolymer for transparency and resolution
- Diffusion ring should be a porous biodegradable polymer, such as PLA or PCL, for controlled release.
- Functionality and impact will be to test antibiotic susceptibility, chemotaxis, and microbial competition experiments. It does not have to have the use of outside gradient generators. This reduces the lab experiment cost by half and improves the precision of experiments that rely on diffusion.
- Dual-Surface Base for Variable Adhesion Design: One side is etched with a standard smooth surface to support traditional microbial growth while the other side has a micro patterned surface to enhance cell adhesion by nano-grooves or rough surface.
- Materials to be used for base can be of recycled PS or PETG with micro-texturing for cell attachment. Adhesive Side can be treated with oxygen plasma or nanocoatings for biofilm studies.
- Functionality and impact will be to test cells for adhesiveness without numerous dishes, increases biofilm and tissue culture tests, bacterial attachment experiments, and offers m multiple culture conditions into a single plate reduces waste.
- UV-Responsive or Heat-Activated Chromogenic Indicators: Innovative dish contains UV sensitive or thermochromic dyes which exhibit color change on complete sterilization. Upon UV sterilization the dish undergoes a colour change from blue to transparent while after heat sterilization the dish undergoes a colour change from red to yellow.
- Base and lid consist of UV-responsive or heat-sensitive pigments infused into recycled PS, PC, or PET.
- Functionality and impact will be sterilization confirmation is instant without any additional indicator and it reduces the dependency on chemical indicators like autoclave tape. Thus, making it safer and more convenient for use, particularly in low-resource settings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
[017] Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in the context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments.
[018] Figure 1 shows a top view of the Petri dish, in accordance with the present invention;
[019] Figure 2 shows side view of the Petri dish, in accordance with the present invention; and
[020] Figure 3 shows another side view of the Petri dish, in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
[021] While the present invention is described herein by way of example using embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments of drawing or drawings described and are not intended to represent the scale of the various components. Further, some components that may form a part of the invention may not be illustrated in certain figures, for ease of illustration, and such omissions do not limit the embodiments outlined in any way. It should be understood that the drawings and the detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.
[022] As used throughout this description, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e. meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense, (i.e. meaning must). Further, the words "a" or "an" mean "at least one” and the word “plurality” means “one or more” unless otherwise mentioned. Furthermore, the terminology and phraseology used herein are solely used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting in scope. Language such as "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," or "involving," and variations thereof, is intended to be broad and encompass the subject matter listed thereafter, equivalents, and additional subject matter not recited, and is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers, or steps. Likewise, the term "comprising" is considered synonymous with the terms "including" or "containing" for applicable legal purposes. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles, and the like are included in the specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention.
[023] In this disclosure, whenever a composition or an element or a group of elements is preceded with the transitional phrase “comprising”, it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition, element, or group of elements with transitional phrases “consisting of”, “consisting”, “selected from the group of consisting of, “including”, or “is” preceding the recitation of the composition, element or group of elements and vice versa.
[024] The present invention is described hereinafter by various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein reference numerals used in the accompanying drawing correspond to the like elements throughout the description. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following detailed description, numeric values and ranges are provided for various aspects of the implementations described. These values and ranges are to be treated as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. In addition, several materials are identified as suitable for various facets of the implementations. These materials are to be treated as exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[025] The present invention provides a petri dish from recycled plastic that has the potential to significantly impact laboratory practices. Utilizing medical- and food-grade recycled plastics not only promotes environmentally friendly waste management but also sparks fresh ideas for incorporating recycled plastics in laboratory environments. This potentially leads to improved methodologies and inspires a sense of environmental responsibility and the drive to contribute to a sustainable future. Our design patent invention describes a product's unique visual features, from its shape to its surface designs for Petri dishes, by utilizing medical- and food-grade recycled plastic. However, it may be noted that it has several other applications to the person known in the art, including, but not limited to, a wide range of products such as test tubes, flasks, pipettes, containers, funnels, and for many other laboratory, commercial and industrial applications.
[026] The invention's emphasis on creating Petri dishes from recycled plastics to reduce waste in scientific research aligns with current global trends in sustainability, which could make this idea particularly relevant and innovative, presenting a unique intersection of sustainability, material science, and public and environmental health considerations. This novel Petri dish design sets a new standard for laboratory practices, promoting scientific excellence and environmental stewardship. The novel Petri dish design thus leverages recycled plastics, aligning with the global shift towards eco-friendly laboratory practices. Therefore, one of the critical advantages of this invention is its ability to develop these Petri dishes, which would not only help divert plastic waste from landfills but also align with the principles of a circular economy. This would represent a significant innovation in laboratory supplies, as it meets the demand for environmentally responsible options in research settings.
[027] Furthermore, the critical novelty of this invention is the use of food-grade and medical-grade plastics, which are already subjected to rigorous safety and health regulations. Thus, by transforming these materials into laboratory products, there is an opportunity to harness plastics that have already met stringent safety standards for human contact and food safety. This could further lead to increased consumer confidence in the quality and safety of recycled products, distinguished from conventional plastics that may not have undergone similar stringent scrutiny. Thus, the novel device will be useful in various laboratory settings, including, but not limited to, academic institutions, research facilities, or industrial laboratories.
[028] The current invention represents a novel Petri dish design for growing various cell lines and microorganisms. Innovation will also play an essential role in the market dynamics as laboratories worldwide increasingly adopt sustainable practices, and the demand for eco-friendly supplies will continue to escalate. Such an industry will be able to promote and sustain local or industry-wide recycling programs specifically for collecting and processing used plastics into lab-grade Petri dishes. This not only revolutionizes and creates economic opportunities within the recycling sector but also fosters a sense of optimism about the potential impact on the market and the environment.
[029] Developing recycled plastic Petri dishes also facilitates research opportunities in various fields, including microbiology, environmental science, and materials engineering. Establishing academic and industry partnerships to explore the implications of using recycled materials in laboratory settings could generate valuable insights into microbial interactions, waste management, and lifecycle analyses of laboratory supplies. Moreover, educational initiatives could be structured around sustainability in science, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and engaging the scientific community in the pursuit of sustainability.
[030] Therefore, this innovative design is a practical tool that enhances economic and environmental prosperity and productivity. The transition to this novel method will create a new standard for laboratory efficiency in pursuing scientific excellence and educational imperatives.
[031] Interchangeable Dividers with Detachable Tabs Design: Removable dividers to be placed into or out based on the experiment. The dividers come with locking tabs which ensure that it is stable. However, in case of the need for a continuous surface, the tab is released. The dividers have pre-molded slots within the perimeter of the dish.
[032] Used polycarbonate (PC) or polystyrene (PS) (clear, durable) Separators or, flexible food-grade polypropylene (PP) for easy attachment and removal.
[033] Impact of the novel design will support in running parallel experiments in the same dish. Thereby reducing the number of Petri dishes required per study. Thus the present invention is offering flexibility with different study settings.
[034] Gradient Ring for Nutrient Diffusion Design: A concentric ring integrated at the bottom with minute perforations for controlled chemical, nutrient, or antibiotic diffusion. Inner reservoirs allow for steady diffusion gradients across the plate, it relies on capillary action.
[035] Base Layer can be consisting of recycled PET or acrylic-based copolymer for transparency and resolution
[036] Diffusion ring should be a porous biodegradable polymer, such as PLA or PCL, for controlled release.
[037] Functionality and impact will be to test antibiotic susceptibility, chemotaxis, and microbial competition experiments. It does not have to have the use of outside gradient generators. This reduces the lab experiment cost by half and improves the precision of experiments that rely on diffusion.
[038] Dual-Surface Base for Variable Adhesion Design: One side is etched with a standard smooth surface to support traditional microbial growth while the other side has a micro patterned surface to enhance cell adhesion by nano-grooves or rough surface.
[039] Materials to be used for base can be of recycled PS or PETG with micro-texturing for cell attachment. Adhesive Side can be treated with oxygen plasma or nanocoatings for biofilm studies.
[040] Functionality and impact will be to test cells for adhesiveness without numerous dishes, increases biofilm and tissue culture tests, bacterial attachment experiments, and offers m multiple culture conditions into a single plate reduces waste.
[041] UV-Responsive or Heat-Activated Chromogenic Indicators: Innovative dish contains UV sensitive or thermochromic dyes which exhibit color change on complete sterilization. Upon UV sterilization the dish undergoes a colour change from blue to transparent while after heat sterilization the dish undergoes a colour change from red to yellow.
[042] Base and lid consist of UV-responsive or heat-sensitive pigments infused into recycled PS, PC, or PET.
[043] Functionality and impact will be sterilization confirmation is instant without any additional indicator and it reduces the dependency on chemical indicators like autoclave tape. Thus, making it safer and more convenient for use, particularly in low-resource settings.
[044] The disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.
[045] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the scope of the embodiments as described herein.
, Claims:We Claim:
1) A petri dish from recycled plastic, the petri dish comprises:
an upper lid (1);
a lower base (2);
interchangeable dividers (3),
a gradient ring for nutrient diffusion (4),
a dual-surface base (5),
a refillable cavity (7) for controlled diffusion; and
UV-responsive or heat-activated chromogenic indicators (9);
wherein the petri dish is manufactured from recycled food-grade or medical-grade plastics.
2) The Petri dish as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower base (2) is divided into multiple compartments (3) equipped with interchangeable dividers (3) with detachable locking tabs, enabling selective separation or a continuous surface for experimental applications.
3) The Petri dish as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gradient ring (4) is integrated at the bottom with minute perforations (6) for controlled chemical, nutrient, or antibiotic diffusion via capillary action.
4) The Petri dish as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gradient ring (4) is made of a porous biodegradable polymer such as polylactic acid (PLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL) to facilitate controlled release of substances.
5) The Petri dish as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower base (2) has a dual-surface design, comprising a smooth surface (5) on a first side for traditional microbial growth and a micro-patterned surface on a second side to enhance cell adhesion through nano-grooves or rough textures.
6) The Petri dish as claimed in claim 5, wherein the smooth surface (5) is a micro-patterned surface (5) treated with oxygen plasma or nano-coatings to optimize biofilm studies and bacterial attachment experiments.
7) The Petri dish as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refillable cavity (7) is equipped with a vent (8) for controlled filling and diffusion.
8) The Petri dish as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dish undergoes a distinct color change upon complete sterilization, confirming sterility without the need for additional indicators.