Microorganism Evaluation System

• US 20150167045A1
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scanlogx Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sobru Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Brubacher, John Miles
• Granted Patent: US 9,644,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/026 Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0636 Focussing flows, e.g. to laminate flows
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0652 Sorting or classification of particles or molecules
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/023 Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/36 of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/04 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 Class Codes: G01N 15/01 specially adapted for biological cells, e.g. blood cells investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions in blood G01N15/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/147 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1027 Determining speed or velocity of a particle

Abstract

A microorganism evaluation system for analyzing microorganisms within a fluid flow, comprising a microorganism stimulation section comprising a means for inducing a motive response in a living microorganism within the fluid flow passing through the microorganism stimulation section, and a viewing section in fluid communication with the microorganism stimulation section, the viewing section comprising a body having formed therein a body cavity defining a viewing port visible through a cavity first opening formed in the body so as to be in communication with the body cavity, the viewing section further comprising an optical system mounted relative to the body for viewing the fluid flow within the viewing port through the cavity first opening, whereby image data relating to the fluid flow and microorganisms therein is acquired via the optical system for analysis.

Claims

1. A microorganism evaluation system for analyzing microorganisms within a fluid flow, comprising:

a microorganism stimulation section comprising a means for inducing a motive response in a living microorganism within the fluid flow passing through the microorganism stimulation section; and

a viewing section in fluid communication with the microorganism stimulation section, the viewing section comprising a body having formed therein a body cavity defining a viewing port visible through a cavity first opening formed in the body so as to be in communication with the body cavity, the viewing section further comprising an optical system mounted relative to the body for viewing the fluid flow within the viewing port through the cavity first opening, whereby image data relating to the fluid flow and microorganisms therein is acquired via the optical system for analysis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the inducing means comprises a disorientation spiral.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the disorientation spiral has a first loop and a coextensive second loop.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the disorientation spiral has a spiral inner bore defining a first cross-sectional area and thereby allowing for a first flow rate therethrough of the fluid flow; and

the viewing port defines a second cross-sectional area, the second cross-sectional area being greater than the first cross-sectional area and thereby causing a second flow rate therethrough of the fluid flow to be less than the first flow rate.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the inducing means comprises a hydraulic/mechanical excitation device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the hydraulic/mechanical excitation device is upstream of the viewing section.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the hydraulic/mechanical excitation device is co-located with the viewing section.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a flow normalizing section in fluid communication between the microorganism stimulation section and the viewing section, the flow normalizing section comprising an inlet chute having a tapered inlet chute inner bore.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the inlet chute is formed with an inlet chute first coupling configured for connecting to the microorganism stimulation section and defining a first cross-sectional area of the inlet chute inner bore and thereby allowing for a first flow rate therethrough of the fluid flow; and

the inlet chute is formed with an inlet chute second coupling configured for connecting to the viewing section and defining a second cross-sectional area of the inlet chute inner bore, the second cross-sectional area being greater than the first cross-sectional area and thereby causing a second flow rate therethrough of the fluid flow to be less than the first flow rate.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the inducing means comprises a disorientation spiral having a spiral inner bore further substantially defining the first cross-sectional area; and

the viewing port further substantially defines the second cross-sectional area, whereby the inlet chute of the flow normalizing section receives the fluid flow at the first flow rate as delivered by the disorientation spiral of the microorganism stimulation section and delivers the fluid flow at the second flow rate to the viewing section.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the inlet chute is formed in an inlet chute first plane and a perpendicular inlet chute second plane, the inlet chute first and second planes intersecting along an inlet chute central axis; and

the inlet chute inner bore is tapered in the inlet chute first plane only, whereby the inlet chute inner bore in the inlet chute second plane is substantially equivalent to the spiral inner bore.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the viewing port of the viewing section defines a depth of field that is substantially equivalent to both the spiral inner bore and to the inlet chute inner bore in the inlet chute second plane.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the body is formed with an optical system mount on which the optical system is installed substantially adjacent to the cavity first opening.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewing section further comprises an illuminator.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein:

the body is formed having at least one illumination port substantially communicating with the body cavity; and

the illuminator comprises an at least one light source positioned within the at least one illumination port.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewing section further comprises an imager.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sample pre-conditioning section upstream of and in fluid communication with the microorganism stimulation section.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the sample pre-conditioning section comprises:

an external sample tank; and

a main sample tank in fluid communication with the external sample tank and with the microorganism stimulation section.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein a primary microorganism stimulation section and viewing section are configured so as to be sampled by a secondary microorganism stimulation section and viewing section, the primary microorganism stimulation section being at least double the size of the secondary microorganism stimulation section and the primary viewing section being on the order of five times the width and thirty times the cross-sectional area of the secondary viewing section.

13. The system of clam 1 wherein:

an inlet chute is connected between the microorganism stimulation section and the viewing section, the inlet chute having an inlet chute inner bore;

the viewing section body is formed having a body inlet in fluid communication between the inlet chute inner bore and the body cavity;

the body cavity is formed having a cavity shelf;

a viewing plate configured to be substantially transparent is installed on the shelf substantially parallel to the cavity first opening;

a back plate is installed over a cavity second opening substantially opposite the cavity first opening, the back plate cooperating with the viewing plate to define the viewing port, with the distance between the viewing plate and the back plate setting the depth of field of the viewing port and the fluid flow therethrough.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the back plate is formed with a back plate channel opening toward the viewing plate, the back plate channel side walls further bounding the viewing port along with the back plate and the viewing plate.

22. A microorganism evaluation system for analyzing microorganisms within a fluid flow, comprising:

a microorganism stimulation section comprising a means for inducing a motive response in a living microorganism within the fluid flow passing through the microorganism stimulation section;

a flow normalizing section in fluid communication with the microorganism stimulation section, the flow normalizing section comprising an inlet chute having a tapered inlet chute inner bore; and

a viewing section in fluid communication with the flow normalizing section, the viewing section comprising a body having formed therein a body cavity defining a viewing port visible through a cavity first opening formed in the body so as to be in communication with the body cavity, the viewing section further comprising an optical system mounted relative to the body for viewing the fluid flow within the viewing port through the cavity first opening, whereby image data relating to the fluid flow and microorganisms therein is acquired via the optical system for analysis.

23. A microorganism evaluation system for analyzing microorganisms within a fluid flow, comprising:

a sample pre-conditioning section;

a microorganism stimulation section in fluid communication with the sample pre-conditioning section, comprising a disorientation spiral for inducing a motive response in a living microorganism within the fluid flow passing through the disorientation spiral;

a flow normalizing section in fluid communication with the microorganism stimulation section, the flow normalizing section comprising an inlet chute having a tapered inlet chute inner bore; and

a viewing section in fluid communication with the flow normalizing section, the viewing section comprising a body having formed therein a body cavity defining a viewing port visible through a cavity first opening formed in the body so as to be in communication with the body cavity, the viewing section further comprising an optical system mounted relative to the body for viewing the fluid flow within the viewing port through the cavity first opening, whereby image data relating to the fluid flow and microorganisms therein is acquired via the optical system for analysis.