Patent US2425807A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0446972A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0446972A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Device and methods for detecting microorganisms
Assignee: Akzo Nobel NV
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Filing: 1991-01-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-01-24
Abstract
Abstract An instrument and a sealable vessel (1) for detecting the presence of microorganisms in a specimen, the vessel containing a liquid culture medium communicating with a sensor means (2) containing an indicator medium therein. Changes in the indicator medium resulting from pH change or change in CO₂ concentration in the medium are detected from outside the vessel.
Inventors
- 👤 James Edward Turner, Jr.
- 👤 Thurman Clay Thorpe
- 👤 James Lawrence Diguiseppi, Jr.
- 👤 Michael John Calandra
- 👤 Richard Cornelius Driscoll
- 👤 Carmella Sue Moody
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:02
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12Q; C12Q1/00; C12Q1/02; C12Q1/04; G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/75; G01N21/77; G01N21/78; G01N21/80; C12M; C12M23/00; C12M23/22; C12M41/00; C12M41/26; C12M41/30; C12M41/34; C12M41/46; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N21/6428; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/807; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/23; Y10T436/235
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A device for continuously monitoring biological activity in a specimen comprising a sealable specimen container with a sealing means, having an internal chamber in which a specimen may be cultured with a culture medium, having at least one transparent section and a sensor means located inside said container in the region of the transparent section, whereby changes in the appearance of the sensor means can be continuously monitored from the exterior of said container through said transparent section, thereby monitoring biological activity without violating the integrity of said container after sealing, said sensor means comprising a membrane and an indicator medium, the indicator medium being selected for its ability to exhibit a detectable change when exposed to products of an organism's metabolic activity.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing means used to seal said container comprises said transparent section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The device according to claim 1, wherein said sealing means incorporates said sensor means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The device of claim 1 comprising a multiplicity of separate specimen containers, wherein at least one of the containers has a sensor located therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
9 words
The device of claim 4, comprising a microtiter plate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device of claim 4, wherein said sensor is introduced into each container as a liquid emulsion, which is cured in situ .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 6, wherein the emulsion is introduced into each well by spraying.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A sensor means comprising an indicator medium and at least one hollow piercing means, wherein one end of the piercing means is in communication with the sensor means, whereby a fluid entering said hollow piercing means will contact said sensor and wherein the opposite end of the piercing means is capable of piercing through a sealing means of a sealable container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A sensor means according to claim 8, wherein said sensor means comprises at least two piercing means in communication with said indicator medium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means is sprayed onto said transparent section.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device of claim 1, wherein the indicator medium comprises at least one molecular species responsive to pH.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device of claim 1, wherein the indicator medium is a molecular species responsive to the presence of NH₃.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The device of claim 11, wherein the indicator medium comprises a combination of molecular species responsive to a range of pH.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor means comprises a charged membrane.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device of claim 3, wherein the sensor means comprises a charged membrane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The device of claim 15, wherein the sensor means comprises a positively charged membrane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The device of claim 15, wherein the sensor means comprises a negatively charged membrane.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 15, wherein the sensor means comprises a positively charged nylon membrane.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The device of claim 1, wherein the membrane of the sensor means is bonded to the interior surface of said container.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The device of claim 19, wherein the membrane of the sensor means is at least circumferentially bonded to the interior surface of the container.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor means is separated from the specimen in said container by a semipermeable membrane.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 21, wherein the semipermeable membrane comprises a membrane formed in situ.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor means comprises droplets of indicator medium immobilized within a polymer matrix and the polymer matrix makes up the membrane.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
The sensor means of claim 8, wherein the membrane comprises a charged membrane.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
15 words
The sensor means of claim 24, wherein the charged membrane comprises a positively charged membrane.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
74 words
A device for continuously monitoring biological activity in a specimen comprising a sealable specimen container, having an internal chamber in which a specimen may be cultured with a culture medium, and a deformable sealing means comprising a piezoelectric apparatus, whereby measurable electrical signals are produced as she sealing means and its piezoelectric apparatus deforms as the result of changes in pressure within said container caused by the metabolic activity of organisms in said container.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
68 words
A sensor means comprising at least one hollow piercing means, to pierce a sealing means of a sealable container, having one end thereof embedded in the sensor means, and a deformable section comprising a piezoelectric device, whereby deformation of the deformable section of the sensor means as the result of pressure changes within the hollow piercing means causes measurable electrical signals to be produced by the piezoelectric device.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method for determining microorganism susceptibility to an inhibitory agent comprising placing an inhibitory agent of a predetermined amount into the well of a microtiter plate according to claim 4, placing a cultured specimen containing microorganisms into the well, sealing the well after introduction of the inhibitory agent and the specimen, incubating the sealed well, and detecting changes in the indicator medium caused by gases created by metabolic processes of the microorganisms.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 28, wherein the cultured specimen is used directly without separating the microorganisms to be tested from other solids or colored material in the specimen and the inhibitory agent is an antibiotic.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method for determining microorganism susceptibility as set forth in claim 28, comprising placing preselected inhibitory agents in predetermined quantities into a multiplicity of individual wells, placing a cultured specimen containing microorganisms into each of the individual wells and into control wells that contain no inhibitory agents, sealing the wells, incubating the sealed wells, and detecting changes in the indicator medium caused by gases created by the metabolic processes of the microorganisms.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 30, further comprising determining a pattern of growth, no growth or intermediate growth for the wells containing inhibitory agents, and comparing the pattern of growth with patterns of growth known for various types of organisms.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method for identifying microorganisms comprising placing a medium containing a different specific carbon source into different containers of the device of claim 4, inoculating each container with an inoculum, sealing each container, incubating the sealed containers, detecting changes in the indicator medium caused by gases created by metabolic processes of the microorganisms, and comparing changes in the indicator media of different containers to discern a growth pattern.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
55 words
An instrument for detecting changes in the indicator medium of the sensor means in the device of claim 1 induced by products of microorganism metabolism, comprising at least one light source, at least one photodetector and a holder means to hold the device in position for detecting changes in the sensor means with the photodectector.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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