Claims
- 1. A sealable cartridge for detecting elements of microorganisms, comprising:
(i) a sample chamber, wherein a test sample is suspended in fluid; (ii) a test chamber, wherein the fluid is tested for elements of a microorganism; and (iii) a breakable seal between the sample and test chambers.
- 2. The sealable cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a detection means.
- 3. The sealable cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a transmission means.
- 4. The sealable cartridge of claim 1, further comprising an assay analyzer.
- 5. The sealable cartridge of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is Bacillus anthracis.
- 6. A microbial monitoring system for detecting microorganisms, comprising:
an intake or receptacle through which a fluid or gas enters said microbial monitoring system or is added to said microbial monitoring system; a means for drawing or pushing said fluid or gas into said microbial monitoring system and through a conduit connectively communicating with said intake; a filtering means within said conduit through which said fluid or gas passes and retains microorganisms present in said fluid or gas; a medium reservoir for a growth medium on a side of said filtering means opposite from said intake or receptacle, wherein said growth medium passes through said filtering means and removes said microrganisms from said filtering means.
- 7. The microbial monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising a detection means.
- 8. The microbial monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising a transmission means.
- 9. The microbial monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising an assay analyzer.
- 10. A microbial monitoring system for detecting microorganisms, comprising:
an intake or receptacle through which a fluid or gas enters said microbial monitoring system or is added to said microbial monitoring system; a means for drawing or pushing said fluid or gas into said microbial monitoring system and through a conduit connectively communicating with said intake; a filtering means within said conduit through which said fluid or gas passes and retains microorganisms present in said fluid or gas; an exhaust chamber, wherein said filtering means is interposed between said intake and said exhaust chamber; a medium reservoir on a side of said filtering means opposite said retained microorganisms, comprising a microbial growth medium and a reservoir breakable seal; a plunger means, wherein pressure placed on said plunger means:
(i) engages a hermetic seal between said medium reservoir said filtering means; (ii) breaks said reservoir breakable seal and forces growth medium through said filtering means in a direction opposite of flow of said fluid or gas; and (iii) backwashes said microorganisms from said filtering means and suspends said microorganisms in said growth medium; an incubation chamber for incubating and growing said microorganisms; a programmable temperature-regulating means for controlling the temperature of said incubation chamber; an incubation chamber breakable seal through which said growth medium passes into a test chamber for detecting said microorganisms; a timer for controlling intervals between assay measurements; a detection means within said test chamber; wherein
said detection means determines the presence or absence of said microorganisms without killing said microorganisms or inhibiting said growing; and a transmission means; wherein
said presence or absence of said microorganisms is reported via said transmission means to an assay analyzer.
- 11. The microbial monitoring system according to claims 6 or 10, wherein said transmission means is a wire connection, a radio link, a microwave transmission, an infrared transmission, a cellular phone, or a computer network.
- 12. The microbial monitoring system according to claims 6 or 10, wherein said microbial monitoring system comprises a network of separate monitoring devices.
- 13. The microbial monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein said assay analyzer is remote from said microbial monitoring system and said reporting relays location of a microbial monitoring device to said assay analyzer.
- 14. The microbial monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein said location is determined by a global positioning system.
- 15. The microbial monitoring system according to claims 6 or 10, wherein said detection means is selected from the group consisting of an enzyme immunoassay, an optical immunoassay, mass spectroscopy, and gene sequence analysis.
- 16. The microbial monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein said enzyme immunoassay comprises an immunoassay strip that wicks said growth medium past a detection area and a control area on said detection strip.
- 17. The method according to claims 6 or 10, wherein said microorganisms are selected from the group consisting of Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Neiserria menigitidis, Coxiella burnettii, Coccidiodes immitis, Francisella tularensis, Cryptococcosis neofomans, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Brucella species, Salmonella species, Shigella species, Chlamydia psittaci, Vibrio cholerae, Staphylococcus enterotoxin B, Histoplasma capsulatum, Rickettsia species, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia mallei, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Nocarida and smallpox species.
- 18. The microbial monitoring system according to claims 6 or 10, wherein said microbial monitoring system comprises an optical sensor for determining assay results.
- 19. The microbial monitoring system according to claims 6 or 10, wherein said microbial monitoring system comprises a variable timer that determines the frequency of detection assays.
- 20. The microbial monitoring system according to claims 6 or 10, wherein said microbial monitoring system comprises a detection unit comprising a disposable cartridge.
- 21. The microbial monitoring system according to claim 20, wherein said disposable cartridge is moved in automated fashion into place for incubation and assay determination, said detecting is conducted automatically, and said disposable cartridge is automatically removed to a waste chamber after said detecting.
- 22. The microbial monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein said plunger means comprises a bladed or pointed edge for releasing said growth medium.
- 23. The microbial monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein said programmable temperature-regulating means elevates said temperature of said microbial monitoring system to shock bacterial endospores and initiate endospore germination.
- 24. A microbial monitoring system for detecting microorganisms, comprising:
a network of microbial monitoring devices reporting to a remote assay analyzer, wherein each of said microbial monitoring devices comprises at least one disposable cartridges comprising:
an intake or receptacle through which a fluid or gas enters said microbial monitoring system or a swab is deposited within said microbial monitoring system in a fluid; a means for drawing or pushing said fluid or gas into said microbial monitoring system and through a conduit connectively communicating with said intake or receptacle; a semipermeable membrane within said conduit through which said fluid or gas passes and which retains microorganisms present in said fluid or gas; an exhaust chamber, wherein said semipermeable membrane is interposed between said intake and said exhaust chamber; a medium reservoir containing microbial growth medium on the side of said semipermeable membrane opposite said retained microorganisms; a plunger means comprising a bladed or pointed edge for releasing said growth medium; wherein depressing said plunger means:
(i) engages a hermetic seal between said medium reservoir said semipermeable membrane; (ii) forces growth medium through said semipermeable membrane in a direction opposite of flow of said fluid or gas; and (iii) backwashes said microorganisms from said semipermeable membrane and suspends said microorganisms in said growth medium; a breakable seal through which said growth medium passes into a test chamber for incubating and growing said microorganisms; a timer for determining intervals between immunoassay measurements; a temperature-regulating means that maintains said test chamber at a temperature that promotes growth of at least one target microorganism. an immunoassay test strip within said test chamber; wherein
said immunoassay strip wicks said growth medium past a detection area on said detection strip, said detection area comprises an indicator assay region and a control assay region; and said immunoassay test strip determines the presence or absence of said at least one target microorganism; wherein
said presence or absence of said at least one target microorganism is reported with location of said microbial monitoring device to said remote assay analyzer.
- 25. A method for detecting microbial pathogens in an air or fluid specimen, comprising:
passing an air or gas specimen or a specimen derived from a swab through the microbial monitoring system according to claim 6;retaining microorganisms within said air or fluid specimen on a filtering means within said microbial monitoring system; incubating said microorganisms with a growth medium in said microbial monitoring system at temperature that promotes growth of at least one target microorganism; and determining presence or absence of said at least one target microorganism with a detection means within said microbial monitoring system; where
determination of the absence of said at least one target microorganism initiates a subsequent round of incubation and determining.
- 26. A kit for detecting microbial pathogens, comprising:
at least one disposable cartridge for use in the microbial monitoring system according to claim 6; and a sterile container for retaining said at least one disposable cartridge.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to provisional application No. 60/337,190, filed Dec. 6, 2001 (Attorney Docket number 020054-003400US)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60337190 |
Dec 2001 |
US |