Patent · US Expired

Gelled system and method for detecting microorganisms by separation and culture on gelled system

US6020150A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
6References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 22, 1997
Grant dateFeb 1, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 22, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S435/975
  • WIPO fieldBiotechnology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method for detecting the presence or absence of microorganisms belonging to the group which consists of bacteria and yeasts in a liquid sample (5) of a biological material. The method comprises placing the liquid sample (5) in a centrifuge tube (6a, 6b) above a gelled system (10) comprising at least (a) a first so-called development phase (1), i.e. a gel comprising a microorganism culture medium and a reagent for inducing a detectable optical measurement change in the presence of microorganisms, said gel being an intimate mixture of water and water-absorbing polymeric particles that have swelled in such a way that, in said intimate mixture, said polymeric particles have (.alpha.) a dry weight concentration of 0.05-0.2 g/ml, and (.beta.) a swollen-state diameter of 90-320 .mu.m, the water in the intimate mixture being at least partially provided by said culture medium; centrifuging; and revealing the presence or absence of microorganisms in said liquid sample (5) at said first phase (1) of the gelled system (10) by means of said reagent inducing a detectable optical measurement change.

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