Device for microbiological analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10422748-B2
Application number	US-58480609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2009
Priority date	Sep 23, 2008
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

The device for the microbiological analysis of a support (41) adapted to contain microorganisms marked by a fluorophore agent comprises illuminating means adapted to illuminate said support (41) comprising two bases (21) on each of which is mounted at least one group of light sources (22), with said sources (22) of that group being regularly spaced from each other to form an array for illuminating said support (41), said bases (21) being fixed to a frame of said device, one on each side of an opening (9) formed in said frame, with said bases (21) being inclined towards each other in the direction of a predetermined location for reception of said support (41) in said device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising a device for the microbiological analysis of a support having a surface containing microorganisms marked by a fluorophore agent; said assembly comprising, as said support, a microporous membrane having a diameter of 55 mm or belonging to a filter unit having a body surrounding said membrane, said filter unit having a transparent cover to protect said microporous membrane, and an illuminator adapted to illuminate said support to detect, by fluorescence, the presence of said marked microorganisms as well as a window for viewing light emitted by said support in response to excitation light produced by said illuminator; wherein said illuminator comprises two bases on each of which is mounted at least one group of light sources, with said sources of that group being regularly spaced from each other to form a first array for illuminating said support, said bases being fixed to a frame of said device, one on each side of an opening formed in said frame to allow the light emitted by said support to pass through said viewing window, with said bases being inclined towards each other in the direction of a predetermined location for reception of said support in said device, wherein said illuminator comprises, for each base, a diffuser for the light emitted by said sources, there being only said diffuser between said group of light sources and said support, and wherein on each base there is also mounted in addition to said group of light sources, designated a first group, another group of light sources, designated a second group, with said sources of said second group also being regularly spaced from each other to form a second array for illuminating said support, the first and second arrays being interlaced within each other, and wherein said illuminator is configured in said device to illuminate the whole surface of said support, enabling observation of the light response of said support with a naked eye, and wherein light emitted from said first and second groups of light sources has an excitation spectrum crest of λ 1 , said fluorophore agent has an absorption spectrum crest at λ 2 and an emission spectrum crest at λ 3 , where λ 1 <λ 2 <λ 3 and (λ 2 −λ 1 )<(λ 3 −λ 2 ), and said viewing window comprises a selective filter that blocks substantially all light from passing through the filter up to a first wavelength, allows substantially all light to pass through the filter at and above a second wavelength, thereby defining a transition region between said first and second wavelengths, and wherein λ 2 and λ 3 are within said transition region and λ 1 is not.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said light sources each have a same light spectrum centered on a predetermined wavelength.

3. A device according to claim 2 , wherein said light sources are light emitting diodes.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the height (H) between the center of each array and said predetermined location for reception of said support in said device is a function of said support.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein for each base, the centers of said first and second arrays coincide.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein each diffuser is a plate of glass on which one of the faces is sandblasted.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said viewing window comprises a filter adapted allow the longest wavelengths to pass.

8. A device according to claim 7 , wherein said viewing window comprises a plurality of filters.

9. A device according to claim 8 , wherein said filters belong to a slide slidingly mounted on said frame.

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said illuminator is adapted to illuminate the whole of said predetermined location for reception of said support.

11. A device according to claim 10 , wherein said support comprises a microporous membrane.

12. A device according to claim 1 , wherein each said base is inclined by an angle (A) between 40° and 50° relative to said predetermined location for reception of said support, wherein the center of each said array is situated at a height (H) between 39.75 mm and 69.75 mm from said support, each said base has an upper edge, and wherein the upper edges of said bases are spaced a distance of 100 mm from each other.

Assignees

• Waiche Gael
• Ribault Sebastien
• Emd Millipore Corp

Inventors

• Waiche Gael
• Ribault Sebastien

Classifications

• G01N21/645 Primary

  Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters · CPC title

• G01N21/6447

  by visual observation · CPC title

• G01N2021/6439

  with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks · CPC title