Biological detection equipment

Claim 1

APPARATUS COMPRISING FILTER TAPE MADE OF MATERIAL CAPABLE OF FILTERING OUT FROM A SUSPENDING FLUID MEDIUM AND RETAINNG MICROORGANISMS; A VACUUM CHAMBER HAVING A 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 VACCUM 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 IN INTIMATE CONTACT, TO MOVE TOGETHER CONTINUOUSLY TO A MOISTENING UNIT FOR MOISTENING SAID ABSORBENT TAPE TO PRODUCE THEREIN A PLURALITY OF MOIST REGION, EACH CONTAINING, FOR SUPPLY TO SAID FILTER TAPE, NUTRIENT, DYE, AND DYE ACTIVATOR FOR A PARTICULAR MIVROORGANISM, THERE BEING SEPARATE REGIONS ADAPTED TO CULTURE DIFFERENT MICROORGANISMS; 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 MICROORGANISMS; A LIGHT SOURCE TO PRODUCE