Process for rapid and ultrasensitive detection and counting of microorganisms by fluorescence
US5663057A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 21, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T436/101666
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Process for rapid, ultrasensitive and automatic counting of fluorescent biological cells such as microorganims, carried by a solid support such as a filter. The process includes: scanning a solid support on which a specimen potentially containing microorganisms has been deposited, with an incident beam from a laser, forming a laser spot on the solid support, the laser spot being substantially greater than the microorganisms to be detected, the laser spot size being between 4 and 14 .mu.m and simultaneously: detecting the resultant fluorescent light at least at one wavelength; establishing a set of correlated-features by a line-to-line correlation of individual features; comparing said correlated-features on each pair of adjacent lines in time synchrony, at least at two different wavelengths .lambda..sub.1 and .lambda..sub.2 ; making a size discrimination of retained events and selecting those having a size corresponding to a microorganism; determining if for retained events after size discrimination, the events energy profile in three dimensions is within predetermined Gaussian shape criteria; and counting said remaining events to determine and to count exclusively the microorganis…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.