Used for microbiological sampling in the food, water, dairy and public health sectors, the Don Whitley Scientific automated spiral plater uses silicon tube pinch valves from Asco Scientific. These valves allow connection very close to the plater’s automated syringe, thereby controlling any possible error in the sample size, which might be caused by flexing in the tube.
The Asco valve also provides positive shutoff for the sampling process, ensuring zero weepage to protect against sampling inaccuracies. Developed in Shipley, West Yorkshire, the WASP is a means of making traditional microbiology much simpler and quicker. The WASP represents a new approach to plater design, introducing automation, repeatability and flexibility into spiral plating. The machines are used extensively in the food industry to test for safe levels of bacteria and are also employed in non-food sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, water and in the medical/analytical sector to test for mouth and skin bacteria.
