Method for the cultivation of microorganisms from body fluid

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CULTURING MICROORGANISMS OBTAINED FROM A SPECIMEN OF BODY FLUID, WHICH COMPRISES: A. PROVIDING AN APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES, I. A CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST ONE CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, II, RESILIENT CLOSURE MEANS CLOSING SAID OPEN END, III. A NUTRIENT MEDIUM PARTIALLY FILING SAID CONTAINER AND WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS CONTAINED IN SAID SPECIMEN, IV. A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE FILLING THE SPACE ABOVE SAID NUTRIENT MEDIUM, AND V.A VENTING ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE CONTAINER AND HAVING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE ATMOSPHERE AND THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE CONTAINER, SAID VENTING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER PASSING THROUGH SAID RESILIENT CLOSURE TO PROVIDE FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE ABOVE THE NUTRIENT MEDIUM AND THE ATMOSPHERE OUTSIDE OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID VENTING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE BODY PORTION HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END SO THAT THE CLOSURE MEANS FITTED IN THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER IS CAPPED THEREBY, THE CLOSED END OF THE BODY PORTION BEING FORMED WITH A HUB HAVING AN AXIAL BORE THERETHROUGH AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IS A CANNULA RIGIDLY MOUNTED IN THE AXIAL BORE BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID BORE AND WHEREIN A SHIELD IS MOUNTED ON THE HUB TO ENCLOSE THE PORTION OF THE CANNULA EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CLOSED END OF THE BODY PORTION, THE SHIELD BEING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF RIBS WHICH ARE RADIALLY DISPOSED AROUND THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF SO

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CULTURING MICROORGANISMS OBTAINED FROM A SPECIMEN OF BODY FLUID, WHICH COMPRISES: A. PROVIDING AN APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES, I. A CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST ONE CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, II, RESILIENT CLOSURE MEANS CLOSING SAID OPEN END, III. A NUTRIENT MEDIUM PARTIALLY FILING SAID CONTAINER AND WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS CONTAINED IN SAID SPECIMEN, IV. A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE FILLING THE SPACE ABOVE SAID NUTRIENT MEDIUM, AND V.A VENTING ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE CONTAINER AND HAVING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE ATMOSPHERE AND THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE CONTAINER, SAID VENTING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER PASSING THROUGH SAID RESILIENT CLOSURE TO PROVIDE FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE ABOVE THE NUTRIENT MEDIUM AND THE ATMOSPHERE OUTSIDE OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID VENTING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE BODY PORTION HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END SO THAT THE CLOSURE MEANS FITTED IN THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER IS CAPPED THEREBY, THE CLOSED END OF THE BODY PORTION BEING FORMED WITH A HUB HAVING AN AXIAL BORE THERETHROUGH AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IS A CANNULA RIGIDLY MOUNTED IN THE AXIAL BORE BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID BORE AND WHEREIN A SHIELD IS MOUNTED ON THE HUB TO ENCLOSE THE PORTION OF THE CANNULA EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CLOSED END OF THE BODY PORTION, THE SHIELD BEING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF RIBS WHICH ARE RADIALLY DISPOSED AROUND THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF SO

Claim 6

A method of culturing microorganisms from a specimen of body fluid which comprises: a. providing an apparatus which comprises, i. a container having at least one closed end and an open end; ii. resilient closure means closing said open end; iii. a nutrient medium partially filling said container and which is suitable for culturing microorganisms contained in said specimen; iv. a gaseous atmosphere filling the space above said nutrient medium; and v. a venting assembly mounted on the container and having means for maintaining fluid communication between the outside atmosphere and the atmosphere within the container; said venting assembly comprising a tubular member passing through said resilient closure to provide fluid communication between said gaseous atmosphere above the nutrient medium and the atmosphere outside of said container, said venting assembly including a flexible body portion having a closed end and an open end so that the closure means fitted in the open end of the container is capped thereby; the closed end of the body portion being formed with a hub having an axial bore therethrough and said tubular member is a cannula rigidly mounted in the axial bore between the ends of said bore wherein a shield is mounted on the hub to enclose the portion of the cannula extending outwardly from the closed end of the body portion, the shield being formed with a plurality of ribs which are radially disposed around the inner surface thereof so that the shield when mounted on the hub forms a plurality of passageways for the circulation of microbial gases from the interior of the container to the outside atmosphere and for diffusion of atmospheric oxygen from the outside to the inside of the container, said passageways being of such small cross section as to constitute a microbial barrier; wherein a pressure responsive, gas impermeable barrier is disposed in said cannula, said barrier being removable by a pre-determined increase in gas pressure within said container, generated by any microorganisms being cultured within said container; b. inoculating said culture medium disposed in said container with a specimen of body fluid to be cultured; and incubating said inoculated culture medium under environmental conditions of temperature, gaseous atmosphere and for a requisite period of time to facilitate maximum growth of any organisms present in said inoculated culture, whereby simultaneously any aerobic microorganisms will grow and multiply in the top portion of the medium and any anaerobic microorganisms will simultaneously grow and multiply in the bottom portion of the culture medium while any facultative and actively motile microorganisms will grow and multiply throughout the medium.

Claim 7

A method of culturing microorganisms from a specimen of body fluid which comprises: a. providing an apparatus which comprises, i. a container having at least one closed end and an open end; ii. resilient closure means closing said open end; iii. a nutrient medium partially filling said container and which is suitable for culturing microorganisms contained in said specimen; iv. a gaseous atmosphere filling the space above said nutrient medium; and v. a venting assembly mounted on the container and having means for maintaining fluid communication between the outside atmosphere and the atmosphere within the container; said venting assembly comprising a tubular member passing through said resilient closure to provide fluid communication between said gaseous atmosphere above the nutrient medium and the atmosphere outside of said container, said venting assembly including a flexible body portion having a closed end and an open end so that the closure means fitted in the open end of the container is capped thereby; the closed end of the body portion being formed with a hub having an axial bore therethrough and said tubular member is a cannula rigidly mounted in the axial bore between the ends of said bore wherein a shield is mounted on the hub to enclose the portion of the cannula extending outwardly from the closed end of the body portion, the shield being formed with a plurality of ribs which are radially disposed around the inner surface thereof so that the shield when mounted on the hub forms a plurality of passageways for the circulation of microbial gases from the interior of the container to the outside atmosphere and for diffusion of atmospheric oxygen from the outside to the inside of the container, said passageways being of such small cross section as to constitute a microbial barrier; wherein a pressure responsive, gas impermeable barrier is disposed in said cannula, said barrier being removable by a pre-determined increase in gas pressure within said container, generated by any microorganisms being cultured within said container; b. inoculating said culture medium disposed in said container with a specimen of body fluid to be cultured; and incubating said inoculated culture medium under environmental conditions of temperature, gaseous atmosphere and for a requisite period of time to facilitate maximum growth of any organisms present in said inoculated culture, whereby simultaneously any aerobic microorganisms will grow and multiply in the top portion of the medium and any anaerobic microorganisms will simultaneously grow and multiply in the bottom portion of the culture medium while any facultative and actively motile microorganisms will grow and multiply throughout the medium.