Patent US4526865A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4526865A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Microorganism identification technique
Assignee: AMB SYSTEMS CORP A CA CORP
•
Filing: 1982-01-22
•
Granted: 1985-07-02
•
Expires: 2002-01-22
Abstract
Abstract An identification technique for micro-organisms in which a dilute solution of a culture medium containing an unknown micro-organism has added thereto an emissive agent such as a radioactive amino acid to produce a mix of emissive products that depends on the metabolic mechanism of the micro-organism. After a predetermined incubation period, the reaction is arrested and the solution layered onto a gel plate where it is subjected to electrophoresis. The plate is then autoradiographed by exposing the gel to a sensitive photographic film for a period sufficient to produce thereon a characteristic band pattern functioning as an identifier for the micro-organism. Identification may be effected by comparing the identifier for the unknown with a collection of identifiers for known micro-organisms to find a match with one of these known identifiers. The comparison is preferably carried out by scanning the unknown identifier to produce a signal which is compared with signals representing known identifiers stored in a computer which, when a match is found, yields identification data. Alternatively, the emissive products, after separation, may be detected by direct scanning to provide an identifier signal for computer processing.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert E. Silman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 23:38
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12Q; C12Q1/00; C12Q1/02; C12Q1/04; C12Q1/16; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/803; Y10S435/808; Y10S435/814; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/13
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A technique for identifying an unknown micro-organism comprising the steps of: A. Preparing a specimen of the micro-organism to which a radioactive emissive agent has been added that is actively incorporated into the products of metabolism of the micro-organism to produce a mix of radioactive peptide or protein emissive products in a manner that depends on the metabolic mechanism of the micro-organism, B. separating the peptide or protein emissive products in the mix resulting from said preparation of a specimen, C. detecting the separated peptide or protein emissive products to derive a characteristic pattern therefrom that depends on the conditions under which the specimen is prepared, which conditions are standardized to provide a repeatable characteristic pattern functioning as a unique identifier for the unknown micro-organism, and D. comparing the identifier for the unknown micro-organism with stored information relating to the characteristic patterns of known micro-organisms to determine the identification of the unknown.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
A technique for identifying an unknown micro-organism comprising the steps of: A. Preparing a specimen of the micro-organism to which a radioactive emissive agent has been added that is actively incorporated into the products of metabolism of the micro-organism to produce a mix of radioactive peptide or protein emissive products in a manner that depends on the metabolic mechanism of the micro-organism, B. separating the peptide or protein emissive products in the mix resulting from said preparation of a specimen, C. detecting the separated peptide or protein emissive products to derive a characteristic pattern therefrom that depends on the conditions under which the specimen is prepared, which conditions are standardized to provide a repeatable characteristic pattern functioning as a unique identifier for the unknown micro-organism, and D. comparing the identifier for the unknown micro-organism with stored information relating to the characteristic patterns of known micro-organisms to determine the identification of the unknown.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A technique as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emissive agent is a radioactive amino acid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A technique as set forth in claim 2, wherein said separation is effected by electrophoresis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A technique as set forth in claim 3, wherein said detection is effected by radiography.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
A technique as set forth in claim 1, wherein said preparation is carried out by: A. forming a solution of a culture containing the micro-organism: B. adding to the solution a radioactive amino acid: C. incubating the solution for a predetermined period: D. layering the incubated solution onto a gel plate and then subjecting the solution to electrophoresis to provide said specimen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
A technique as set forth in claim 5, wherein said radioactive amino acid is S 35 methionine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A technique as set forth in claim 5, wherein said micro-organism is a bacterium.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A technique as set forth in claim 5, wherein the incubation step is carried out for a period of about 2 hours.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A technique as set forth in claim 8, wherein the incubation reaction is arrested after the incubation period.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A technique as set forth in claim 5, wherein said gel plate is a polyacrylamide gel plate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A technique as set forth in claim 5, wherein said specimen is autoradiographed on X-ray film to produce a bar code pattern.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A technique as set forth in claim 11, wherein said film is exposed for at least 6 hours.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A technique as set forth in claim 1, wherein said comparison is between the identifier for the unknown and a collection of identifiers representing various known micro-organisms to find a match with one thereof, thereby identifying the unknown.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
A technique as set forth in claim 13, wherein said comparison is effected by electro-optically scanning said unknown identifier to produce an input signal representative thereof, and comparing said input signal in a computer with signals stored therein which represents a collection of known micro-oganisms.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
A technique as set forth in claim 13 wherein said comparison is effected by electro-optically scanning said unknown identifier to produce a signal representative thereof and converting said signal into a code number which is compared with a collection of code numbers representing various known micro-organisms.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
157 words
A technique for identifying an unknown micro-organism comprising the steps of: A. preparing a specimen of a culture of the micro-organism to which a radioactive emissive agent in the form of a free amino acid has been added that is actively incorporated into the products of metabolism of the micro-organism to produce a mix of radioactive peptide or protein emissive products in a manner that depends on the metabolic mechanism of the microorganism, B. separating the emissive products in the mix resulting from said preparation of a specimen, C. detecting the separated emissive products to derive a characteristic pattern therefrom that depends on the conditions under which the specimen is prepared, which conditions are standardized to provide a repeatable characteristic pattern functioning as a unique identifier for the unknown micro-organism, and D. comparing the identifier for the unknown micro-organism with stored information relating to the characteristic patterns of known micro-organism to determine the identification of the unknown.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
157 words
A technique for identifying an unknown micro-organism comprising the steps of: A. preparing a specimen of a culture of the micro-organism to which a radioactive emissive agent in the form of a free amino acid has been added that is actively incorporated into the products of metabolism of the micro-organism to produce a mix of radioactive peptide or protein emissive products in a manner that depends on the metabolic mechanism of the microorganism, B. separating the emissive products in the mix resulting from said preparation of a specimen, C. detecting the separated emissive products to derive a characteristic pattern therefrom that depends on the conditions under which the specimen is prepared, which conditions are standardized to provide a repeatable characteristic pattern functioning as a unique identifier for the unknown micro-organism, and D. comparing the identifier for the unknown micro-organism with stored information relating to the characteristic patterns of known micro-organism to determine the identification of the unknown.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2914447A
Cited
US3470373A
Cited
US3673410A
Cited
US3935073A
Cited
US3858045A
Cited
US3969496A
Cited
US4057470A
Cited
US3944471A
Cited
US3997404A
Cited
US4142939A
Cited
US4288543A
Cited
SU649751A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-07-01 | 1988-12-31 | 1989-07-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-07-01 | 1992-12-31 | 1993-07-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-07-01 | 1996-12-31 | 1997-07-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |