Biological detection equipment

Claim 1

APPARATUS COMPRISNG FILTER TAPE MADE OF MATERIAL CAPABLE OF FILTERING OUT FROM A SUSPENDING FLUID MEDIUM AND RETAINING MICROOGANISMS: A VACUUM CHAMBER HAVING PERFORATED WALL AND MEANS FOR SUBJECTING SAID CHAMBER TO VACUUM; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FILTER TAPE CONTINUOUSLY PAST SAID WALL IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID WALL WHEREBY, WHEN A VACUUM IS APPLIED TO SAID VACUUM CHAMBER, THE FLUID MEDIUM SURROUNDING SAID CHAMBER IS CAUSED TO FLOW THROUGH SAID FILTER TAPE TO DEPOSIT MICROORGANISMS, FROM SAID MEDIUM ON SAID FILTER TAPE; MEANS FOR BRINGING ABSORBENT TAPE INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID FILTER TAPE AFTER SAID FILTER TAPE HAS PASSED SAID CHAMBER; MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID ABSORBENT TAPE AND SAID FILTER TAPE, WHILE REMAINING TO INTIMATE CONTACT, TO MOVE TOGETHER CONTINUOUSLY TO A MOISTENING UNIT FOR MOISTENING ABSORBENT TAPE TO PRODUCE THEREIN A PLURALITY OF MOIST REGIONS, EACH CONTAINING, FOR SUPPLY TO SAID FILTER TAPE, NUTRIENT, DYE, AND DYE ACTIVATOR FOR A PARTICULAR MICROORGANISM, THERE BEING SEPARATE REGIONS ADAPTED TO CULTURE DIFFERENT MICROORGANIMS: AN INCUBATION CHAMBER; MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID TAPES INTO SAID INCUBATION CHAMBER, THE RATE OF TRAVEL OF THE TAPES BEING SUCH THAT THEY REMAIN IN SAID INCUBATION CHAMBER FOR AN INCUBATION PERIOD LONG ENOUGH TO DEVELOP OBSERVABLE COLONIES OF MICROOGANISMS; A LIGHT SOURCE TO PRODUCE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE MICROORGANISM COLONIES WHICH PRODUCE CHARACTERISTIC COLORS IN THE PRESENCE OF THEIR ASSOCIATED DYES AND DYE ACTIVATORS; MEANS FOR PASSING SAID TAPES AFTER SAID INCUBATION PERIOD INTO THE PATH OF LIGHT FROM SAID LIGHT SOURCE; PHOTOELECTRIC PICKUP MEANS WHICH RESPOND TO SELECTED WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT CHARACTERISTIC OF PARTICULAR MICROORGANISMS, LOCATED TO RECEIVE LIGHT FROM SAID LIGHT SOURCE AFTER IMPINGEMENT ON SAID TAPES: OPTICAL FILTER MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LIGHT SOURCE AND PHOTOELECTIC PICKUP MEANS TO FACILITATE TRANSMISSION TO SAID PHOTOELECTRIC PICKUP MEANS OF SELECTED WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT CHARACTERISTIC OF PARTICULAR MICROORGANISM; AND AN ALARM SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID PHOTOELECTRIC PICKUP MEANS TO SIGNAL AN ALARM UPON RECEIPT FROM SAID PHOTOELECTRIC PICKUP MEANS, OF A SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF LIGHT CHARCTERISTIC OF A PARTICULAR MICROORGANISM.