Delayed release of fluids
First Claim
1. A method of treating a culture of microbial organisms in a liquid medium comprising providing the liquid medium (containing the microbial organisms) in a vessel having a discharge aperture provided with a polymeric barrier to liquid flow, effecting the treatment, and utilising liquid in the vessel to cause the barrier to degrade to undergo a loss of mechanical strength or integrity to provide for failure of the barrier and discharge of the liquid medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of effecting delayed release of a fluid (19) comprises providing the fluid in a vessel (12) having a discharge aperture (14) provided with a polymeric barrier (5) to fluid release. The barrier (15) is caused to degrade to provide for failure of the barrier and discharge of the fluid. The liquid to be discharged may be an aqueous medium and the barrier (15) may be of a polymeric material capable of forming in the presence of the aqueous medium a gel that will dissolve therein so as to cause failure of the barrier. The polymeric material may be a cellulose ether. The fluid may, for example, comprise a culture of microorganisms which are subjected to pre-enrichment in the vessel for a predetermined period of time prior to failure of the barrier (15) and discharge of the culture into, for example, a selective medium.
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Citations
38 Claims
- 1. A method of treating a culture of microbial organisms in a liquid medium comprising providing the liquid medium (containing the microbial organisms) in a vessel having a discharge aperture provided with a polymeric barrier to liquid flow, effecting the treatment, and utilising liquid in the vessel to cause the barrier to degrade to undergo a loss of mechanical strength or integrity to provide for failure of the barrier and discharge of the liquid medium.
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26. A method of isolating microbial organisms involving the steps of (i) resuscitation or pre-enrichment and (ii) selective enrichment, wherein the step (i) is effected using an aqueous media in a vessel having a liquid discharge aperture provided with a barrier to liquid flow of a polymeric material capable of forming, in the presence of the aqueous medium, a hydrated gel which will dissolve in the medium to provide for failure of the barrier, and on failure of the plug discharging the culture from step (i) into a selective medium.
- 37. Apparatus as claimed in any one of clam 29 to 36 wherein the polymeric barrier is provided in the form of a replaceable cartridge.
Specification