Rack for holding a plurality of petri-dishes and transport packaging with the rack

1 . A rack for holding a plurality of petri-dishes, comprising:

a main body with a plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions each configured to receive and support, in a substantially parallel orientation that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the rack, a petri-dish,

wherein each holding portion includes positioning features for positioning the petri-dish in the holding portion and allowing insertion of the petri-dish from a lateral side in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,

wherein each of the plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions and positioning features, respectively, comprise a pair of separation elements spaced apart from each other to define therebetween a slot configured to receive the petri-dish, and

wherein each separation element of the pair of separation elements comprises a first elastic tab and a second elastic tab, respectively reaching into a first slot and a second slot, each of said first slot and second slot being adjacent to said each separation element of the pair of separation elements, so that the first elastic tab releasably engages with a rim or an edge of a dish of a first petri-dish when the first petri-dish is placed in the first slot and the second elastic tab releasably engages with a rim or an edge of a lid of a second petri-dish when placed in the second slot.

2 . The rack according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions and positioning features are formed and configured to allow insertion of a gripper of a manipulating device or insertion of a pair of fingers from the lateral side for grabbing or pinching a circumferential peripheral wall of a petri-dish when the petri-dish is placed in the holding portion.

3 . The rack according to claim 1 , wherein the separation elements are connected by a pair of spaced apart lateral supporting beams extending in the longitudinal direction of the rack and carrying therebetween the separation elements defining the plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions so as to form a self-supporting cradle-shaped structure.

4 . The rack according to claim 3 , wherein the self-supporting cradle-shaped structure has windows open toward a lateral side different from the lateral side for insertion of the plurality of petri-dishes, and wherein the windows allow visual inspection of the plurality of petri-dishes when the plurality of petri-dishes are received in the plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions.

5 . The rack ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the self-supporting cradle-shaped structure includes a stand configured to hold the self-supporting cradle-shaped structure in an upright orientation such that the plurality of petri-dishes can be received and supported in a substantially horizontal orientation in the plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions.

6 . A transport packaging for a plurality of petri-dishes, comprising:

the rack according to claim 1 ; and

a box-shaped tub configured to removably receive and surround the rack.

7 . The transport packaging according to claim 6 , wherein the box-shaped tub is formed as a one-piece blister cavity.

8 . The transport packaging according to claim 6 , wherein the box-shaped tub and the rack are made from an identical material.

9 . The transport packaging according to claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of petri-dishes accommodated in the corresponding slots of the rack.

10 . A blister packaging with a plurality of petri-dishes, comprising:

a transport packaging according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of petri-dishes is accommodated in the rack in the box-shaped tub in a sterile environment; and

a gas barrier film sealing an opening of the box-shaped tub.

11 . The rack according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first tab and the second tab is configured to releasably engage at a tip end of the first tab and the second tab with the rim or the edge of first the petri-dish when the first petri-dish is placed in the first slot or with the rim or the edge of the second petri-dish when the second petri-dish is placed in the second slot, respectively.

12 . A rack for holding a plurality of petri-dishes, comprising:

a main body with a plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions each configured to receive and support, in a substantially parallel orientation that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the rack, a petri-dish,

wherein each holding portion includes positioning features for positioning the petri-dish in the holding portion and allowing insertion of the petri-dish from a lateral side in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,

wherein each of the plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions and positioning features, respectively, comprise a pair of separation elements spaced apart from each other to define therebetween a slot configured to receive the petri-dish, and

wherein each separation element of the pair of separation elements comprises a first elastic tab and a second elastic tab wherein the first elastic tab and the second elastic tab are inclined, from a reference plane perpendicular the longitudinal direction, into a first slot and a second slot, each of said first slot and second slot being adjacent to said each separation element of the pair of separation elements, so that the first elastic tab releasably engages with the rim or the edge of a dish of a first petri-dish in the first slot and the second elastic tab releasably engages with the rim or the edge of a lid of a second petri-dish in the second slot.

13 . The rack according to claim 3 , wherein the self-supporting cradle-shaped structure has windows open toward a lateral side, opposite from the lateral side for insertion of the plurality of petri-dishes, and wherein the windows allow visual inspection of the plurality of petri-dishes when the plurality of petri-dishes are received in the plurality of adjacent and spaced apart holding portions.

14 . The transport packaging according to claim 6 , wherein the box-shaped tub is formed as a one-piece blister cavity formed from a formable sheet or web material.

15 . The transport packaging according to claim 6 , wherein the box-shaped tub is formed as a one-piece blister cavity formed by a thermoforming process, or a cold-forming process, or a combination thereof.

16 . The blister packaging with a plurality of petri-dishes (P) according to claim 10 , wherein

the gas barrier film is at least partially transparent.