US4010078A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device for use in the identification of microorganisms
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-02-23
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Granted: 1977-03-01
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Expires: 1996-02-23
Abstract
Abstract A device for use in the identification of microorganisms comprising, in a preferred form, an open-topped, multi-compartmented microorganism culture media receiving portion and a cover member. Each compartment, or well, of the culture media receiving portion is adapted to receive a solid medium. The number of wells provided, and the type of media employed, enable a wide variety of microorganisms to be identified accurately in the shortest possible time in a single, compact unit. The device can be used with equal facility for the identification of both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms.
Inventors
- 👤 Welton I. Taylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 22:49
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12M; C12M41/00; C12M41/46; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/8215; Y10S435/822; Y10S435/824; Y10S435/829; Y10S435/874; Y10S435/911; Y10S435/921
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
255 words
A device for use in the identification of microorganisms, comprising: a microorganism culture medium receiving portion having a plurality of culture medium receiving compartments formed therein, and a cover for the culture medium receiving portion having a top wall and a depending side wall, said culture medium receiving portion having an outer, upwardly extending side wall the upper margin of which engages and maintains the top wall of the cover in spaced apart relation to the upper surface of a microorganism culture medium contained in the compartments of the culture medium receiving portion, said culture medium receiving portion side wall having a section which extends inwardly along the horizontal plane of the culture medium receiving portion toward the center thereof to provide a culture medium orienting recess in the culture medium receiving portion between at least two of the compartments formed therein, said inwardly extending section of the side wall being of reduced height in relation to the remainder of the side wall along its inward extension toward the center of the culture medium receiving portion to provide, in cooperation with the cover, a covered air-passageway at said recess in communication with the space between the upper surface of the compartments formed in the culture medium receiving portion and the top wall of the cover for enabling an atmosphere which favors the growth of microorganisms to be selectively established over the culture medium in the compartments of the culture medium receiving portion while the culture medium is shielded from culture medium contaminants by the cover.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
255 words
A device for use in the identification of microorganisms, comprising: a microorganism culture medium receiving portion having a plurality of culture medium receiving compartments formed therein, and a cover for the culture medium receiving portion having a top wall and a depending side wall, said culture medium receiving portion having an outer, upwardly extending side wall the upper margin of which engages and maintains the top wall of the cover in spaced apart relation to the upper surface of a microorganism culture medium contained in the compartments of the culture medium receiving portion, said culture medium receiving portion side wall having a section which extends inwardly along the horizontal plane of the culture medium receiving portion toward the center thereof to provide a culture medium orienting recess in the culture medium receiving portion between at least two of the compartments formed therein, said inwardly extending section of the side wall being of reduced height in relation to the remainder of the side wall along its inward extension toward the center of the culture medium receiving portion to provide, in cooperation with the cover, a covered air-passageway at said recess in communication with the space between the upper surface of the compartments formed in the culture medium receiving portion and the top wall of the cover for enabling an atmosphere which favors the growth of microorganisms to be selectively established over the culture medium in the compartments of the culture medium receiving portion while the culture medium is shielded from culture medium contaminants by the cover.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein the compartments are arranged in substantially circular relation to one another, and the recess is formed adjacent to the point of separation of at least two of the compartments.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein the culture medium receiving portion comprises eight wells integrally formed therein, one of the wells being substantially centrally and concentrically positioned with relation to the remaining seven wells and adjacent to the innermost end of the recess.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
A device according to claim 3 wherein each of the wells contains a different microorganism culture medium, each medium being characterized in that it will elicit indicia in response to microorganism activity which can be correlated with indicia elicited by each of the other media to provide sufficient indicia for the accurate identification of a microorganism under investigation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
A device according to claim 4 wherein the media comprise a solid culture medium base, the base in each well containing at least one of the following: glucose, maltose, sucrose, lactose, raffinose, trehalose, inositol or Christensen's urea agar, said media being capable of eliciting indicia of activity by a yeast pathogen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
A device according to claim 4 wherein the medium in each of the wells contains at least one of the following: tryptophane deaminase-urea-indol agar, ortho-nitrophenyl-beta-galactopyranoside, dextrose, lysine carboxylase, ornithine decarboxylase, Simmon's citrate, Christensen's citrate, or a mixture of deoxyribonuclease and arabinose, said media being capable of eliciting indicia of activity by microorganisms of the family Enterobacteriaceae.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device according to claim 4 wherein the medium in each of the wells contains at least one of the following: dextrose, xylose, maltose, rhamnose, trehalose, indol, esculin or bile, said media being capable of eliciting indicia of activity by anaerobic microorganisms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
A device according to claim 4 wherein the media comprise a solid culture medium base, the base in each well containing at least one of the following: Seller's medium, xylose, glucose, lactose, esculin agar, cetrimide agar, SS agar, and Mueller-Hinton medium, said media being capable of eliciting indicia of activity by a non-fermentative Gram negative rod.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-02-29 | 1980-08-30 | 1981-03-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-02-29 | 1984-08-30 | 1985-03-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-02-29 | 1988-08-30 | 1989-03-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |