Patent · US Expired

Method for counting living cells of microbes and apparatus therefor

US5389544A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
2References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 21, 1991
Grant dateFeb 14, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 21, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T436/117497
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for counting living cells of microbes in a fluid sample continuously while flowing the sample using an apparatus which comprises a system for supplying at a predetermined rate to the flow line of the sample a reagent, such as, a derivative of fluorescein, capable of reacting with one or more substances intrinsic of the living cell, such as enzyme, to form an accumulative fluorescent product within the living cells; a reactor inserted in the flow line of the sample and being provided for the reaction of the reagent with the cell-intrinsic substance in the living cells; a photometric detection system arranged subsequent to the reactor for detecting fluorescence emitted as individual luminous point from the fluorescent product in each of the living cells floating in the flowing sample upon irradiation of the fluorescent product by an exciting ray; and an electronic unit including a pulse counter for counting electric pulses produced from each fluorescence from the luminous point.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.