Sample collection and testing system
First Claim
1. An instrument for use in measuring a sample taken from a product, an ingredient, an environment or process, the instrument comprising:
- a photon detection assembly with a photon detector and a dark chamber; and
a communication port capable of receiving a signal from an additional measurement device other than the photon detector of the photon detection assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for evaluating the quality of a sample of a product, an ingredient, an environment or a process by measuring multiple parameters thereof, including light emitted from a reacting sample containing ATP, ADP, alkaline phosphatase or other parameters such as pH, temperature, conductivity, oxidation reduction potential, dissolved gases, specific ions, and microbiological count. The apparatus comprises an integrated sample testing device used to collect a sample, mix reagents, react the sample, and collect it in a measurement chamber. The apparatus also comprises an instrument having a photon detection assembly for use with the sample testing device. The instrument can also comprise one or more sensing probes and a communication port to facilitate data collection, transfer and analysis. The method further comprises a mechanism for storing data, evaluating data, graphing data, and determining conformance to established criteria.
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Citations
110 Claims
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1. An instrument for use in measuring a sample taken from a product, an ingredient, an environment or process, the instrument comprising:
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a photon detection assembly with a photon detector and a dark chamber; and
a communication port capable of receiving a signal from an additional measurement device other than the photon detector of the photon detection assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A measurement instrument comprising:
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a photo-multiplier tube or photodiode;
a reading chamber for retaining a light emitting sample to be analyzed using the photo-multiplier tube or photodiode; and
a communication port that allows the instrument to receive a signal from an additional measurement device, the measurement device being capable of measuring a parameter other than photon count. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An instrument for detecting light emission from a sample, the instrument comprising:
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a photon detector;
a chamber for receiving a sample to be analyzed using the photon detector, the chamber being adjacent the photon detector and having a shutter member rotatably attached thereto, the shutter member being selectively positionable to be open or closed, wherein when the shutter member is open, the photon detector can be exposed to light from a sample in the chamber, and when the shutter member is closed, the photon detector is blocked from light in the chamber or external light entering the chamber; and
a holding member for positioning the sample, the holding member being configured so that movement thereof can rotate the shutter member. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An instrument for detecting photon emission, the instrument comprising:
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a photon detector;
a holding chamber for receiving and holding a sample device, the holding chamber having a cover that can be opened to load the sample device in the holding chamber;
an elevator mechanism, the holding chamber being connected to the elevator mechanism with the elevator mechanism being capable of positioning the holding chamber in a first position for loading the sample device and in a second position such that a sample containing portion of the sample device is in a measurement path of the photon detector;
a shutter coupled to the elevator mechanism, the shutter being configured to open to expose the sample to the photon detector when the sample is positioned in a measurement position and to block light from the photon detector when the sample is withdrawn from the measurement position for removal from the instrument; and
a communication port for connecting a measurement device to the instrument, the measurement device being capable of measuring a parameter in addition to that supplied by the photon detector.
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41. A sample testing device comprising:
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a liquid chamber;
a reagent chamber;
a sample measurement chamber for retaining sample to be analyzed;
a sample collection member used to collect sample from an environment to be analyzed; and
a displacement member, the sample testing device being configured such that movement of the displacement member mixes liquid from the liquid chamber with reagent from the reagent chamber and propels the liquid and reagent into contact with the sample collection member to liberate sample from the sample collection member, the displacement of the displacement member also driving the liquid and reagent into the sample measurement chamber. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A sample testing device comprising:
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a displacement member configured to be manually actuated;
a chamber configured to release a reagent when the displacement member is actuated;
a channel through which the reagent is propelled by actuation of the displacement member, the channel also being disposed to receive liquid to facilitate mixing of the reagent with the liquid and to direct the reagent and liquid in a flow path toward a measurement portion of the sample testing device;
a sample collection surface disposed in the flow path of the reagent such that actuation of the displacement member causes the reagent to come into contact with the sample collection surface to release a sample into the reagent; and
a measurement chamber of the test device into which the reagent is delivered by the actuation of the displacement member, the measurement chamber providing a chamber in the sample testing device in which to hold the reagent while a parameter thereof is being measured. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A sample testing device for use with a photon detector, comprising:
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a sample measurement chamber;
a sample collection member for use in collecting a sample to be analyzed;
a joining member for connecting the sample collection member to the sample measurement chamber, the sample collection member being configured such that when it is joined to the sample measurement chamber by the joining member, it remains outside of a portion of the sample measurement chamber that is placed in a photon sensing path when the sample testing device is used with a photon detector. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
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57. A method of testing a sample comprising:
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providing a testing device having a reagent chamber;
actuating a displacement member of the testing device to drive reagent from the reagent chamber into contact with a sample collection member to liberate sample therefrom, the actuation of the displacement member also driving reagent from the reagent chamber into a sample measurement chamber of the testing device; and
placing the sample measurement chamber in a photon sensing path to measure photon emission of a sample collected on the sample collection member. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of testing a sample, the method comprising:
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providing a testing device having a plurality of separate chambers with at least one of the chambers containing a liquid and with at least one of the other chambers containing a reagent;
actuating a displacement member of the testing device to release the liquid and reagent from the chambers;
mixing the liquid and reagent to form a solution using a pressure gradient created by the actuation of the displacement member;
contacting a sample collection surface and liberating sample from the surface with the solution using the pressure gradient created by the actuation of the displacement member to drive the solution past the sample collection surface; and
forcing the sample containing solution into a measurement chamber using the pressure gradient created by the actuation of the displacement member. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A method of monitoring a sample of a product, an ingredient, the environment, a process comprising:
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providing an instrument having a photon detector and a communication port for communicating with a measurement device, the measurement device being capable of measuring a parameter in addition to a parameter measured by the photon detector;
providing the measurement device to be coupled to the instrument through the communication port;
collecting a sample from a product or an ingredient, the environment or a process and placing the sample in a chamber for analysis using the photon detector;
analyzing the sample using the photon detector; and
measuring a parameter of the product, the ingredient, the environment or process using the measurement device. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method of facilitating an evaluation of at least one test point, comprising:
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storing a set of ATP data to a first data structure; and
storing at least one of a set of temperature data or a set of pH data to the first data structure. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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95. A computer-readable media storing instructions for causing a computer to facilitate an evaluation of at least one test point, by:
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storing a set of ATP data to a first data structure; and
storing at least one of a set of temperature data and a set of pH data to the first data structure. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108)
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109. A method of facilitating an evaluation of at least one test point, comprising:
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graphing a set of ATP data along a first axis of a graph; and
graphing at least one of a set of temperature data, a set of pH data, a set of conductivity data, a set of oxidation reduction potential data, a set of pressure data, and a set of dissolved gas data along at least a second axis of the graph. - View Dependent Claims (110)
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Specification