Microbe quantifying apparatus and microbe quantifying method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167495-B2
Application number	US-201314435878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	Oct 19, 2012
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A microbe quantifying apparatus includes: a filtering mechanism that filters microbes contained in a fluid sample with a filter; a quantifying mechanism that quantifies the microbes with a specified biological material contained in the microbes on the filter as an index; and an anti-drying mechanism that prevents drying of the microbes on the filter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microbe quantifying apparatus comprising:
a filtering mechanism that is configured to filter microbes contained in a fluid sample with a filter having an upper layer of a hydrophilic filter and a lower layer of a hydrophobic filter;
a quantifying mechanism that is configured to quantify the microbes with a specified biological material contained in the microbes on the filter as an index; and
an anti-drying mechanism that is configured to prevent drying of the microbes on the filter, wherein
the anti-drying mechanism includes:
a level gauge that is configured to detect fluid quantity on the filter to output a fluid quantity detection signal,
a buffer solution injector that is configured to supply buffer solution fluid onto the filter, and
a control unit that is configured to:
perform a filtration control based on the fluid quantity detection signal, wherein the control unit is configured to: (i) activate the buffer solution injector to supply buffer solution onto the filter when determining based on the fluid quantity detection signal that the fluid quantity has decreased to a predetermined quantity or less, and (ii) stop the filtering mechanism when the fluid quantity on the filter decreases to the predetermined quantity or less, based on the fluid quantity detection signal from the level gauge, and
perform a control to couple and decouple the suction head to the filtering mechanism.

2. The microbe quantifying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control to couple and decouple the suction head comprises a lifting and lowering, respectively, of the suction head.

Assignees

• Hitachi Plant Services Co Ltd
• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Mori Shuichi
• Miyashita Noe
• Nakatsuka Yuta

Classifications

• C12Q1/06 Primary

  Quantitative determination · CPC title

• G01N21/6486

  Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells (G01N21/6428 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C12Q1/24

  Methods of sampling, or inoculating or spreading a sample; Methods of physically isolating an intact microorganisms · CPC title

• C12Q1/04

  Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C12Q1/02

  involving viable microorganisms · CPC title