Device for susceptibility testing of microorganisms

• US 4,778,758 A
• Filed: 03/30/1987
• Issued: 10/18/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Av Biodisk
• Original Assignee: Ab Biodisk
• Inventors: Ericsson, Magnus, Bolmstrom, Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flanigan, Allen J.
• Application Number:
  US07/046,039
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 435/30, 435/32, 435/292, 435/293, 435/294, 435/299, 435/805, 435/810, 435/300
• US Class Current: 435/32
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/22 Transparent or translucent parts glassware for laboratory use B01L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/04 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/81 Packaged device or kit

Abstract

A device for susceptibility testing of microorganisms comprising a transparent, sealable container (1), a rectangular carrier (3) coated with a growth medium, a sealing arrangment (2) for sealing the container (1), and a rectangular, transparent, non-porous, inert test strip (4) optionally provided with a grip. Two antimicrobial substances separated by a substance-free zone are applied on one side of the strip in concentration gradients exhibiting maxima and minima. On the other side of the test strip is a scale for direct reading of the susceptibility the above-mentioned concentration gradient(s) being pre-defined and adapted to the reading scale.

Claims

1. A device for susceptibility testing of microorganisms, comprising:

a sealable container including a body having a transparent sidewall through which a space defined within the container body may be observed from externally of the container, and a sealing means for sealing an openable mouth of the container body for providing thereby a sealed container;

a rectangular carrier having two opposite ends and two opposite faces, at least one of said faces bearing a coating of a medium suitable for growing microorganisms;

said carrier being sized to be inserted in said space, so that, in use, the carrier may be inserted in said space and said at least one face thereby disposed for observation from externally of said scaled container through said transparent sidewall;

a rectangular test strip having two opposite ends and two opposite faces, said test strip being sized so that, in use, one of said faces thereof may be aligned with and attached facewise against said coating of medium on said one face of said carrier and the carrier having said test strip thereby applied facewise thereon disposed in said space and said sealing means operated to seal said mouth of said container body;

said test strip being made of non-porous material and having applied thereon on said one face thereof two different antimicrobial substances, in two longitudinally spaced, longitudinally extending zones, each having one end located generally centrally of the test strip and an opposite end located generally adjacent a respective end of said test strip;

each said antimicrobial substance exhibiting a concentration gradient having a maximum located generally adjacent a respective said end of said test strip and a minimum located generally centrally of said test strip, and there being disposed between said two zones of applied antimicrobial substances a zone in which neither of said two antimicrobial substances is present; and

said test strip bearing a scale extending longitudinally thereon along both of said two zones and exhibiting marks which are susceptible of being directly read as indications of the concentration gradient of the respective antimicrobial substance at each of a plurality of locations therealong while said test strip remains applied against said one face of said carrier and contained in said space in said sealed container.

2. The susceptibility testing device of claim 1, wherein:

said test strip is made of transparent material so that said scale may be read through said material thereof.

3. The susceptibility testing device of claim 2, wherein:

said test strip is mainly planar and further comprises a handle projecting and includes a grip tab projecting out of a main plane thereof to facilitate applying the test strip to said coating of medium on said one face of said carrier.

4. The susceptibility testing device of claim 3, wherein:

said grip tab is provided so as to be integral with said test strip.

5. The susceptibility testing device of claim 2, wherein:

said carrier is attached to said sealing means so as to depend therefrom into said space when said sealing means seals said openable mouth of said container body.

6. The susceptibility testing device of claim 1, wherein:

each said antimicrobial substance is an antibiotic agent.

7. The susceptibility testing device of claim 1, wherein:

each said antimicrobial substance is a chemotherapeutic agent.

8. The susceptibility testing device of claim 1, wherein:

each said antimicrobial substance is an antimycotic agent.

9. The susceptibility testing device of claim 1, wherein:

each said antimicrobial substance is an antiviral agent.

10. The susceptibility testing device of claim 1, wherein:

said test strip is made of an inert polymeric material.

11. The susceptibility testing device of claim 10, wherein:

said inert polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of acrylic plastic material, styrene plastic material and vinyl chloride plastic material.

12. The susceptibility testing device of claim 1, wherein:

said test strip is made of an inert glass.

13. A device for susceptibility testing of microorganisms, comprising:

a sealable container including a body having a transparent sidewall through which a space defined within the container body may be observed from externally of the container, and a sealing means for sealing an openable mouth of the container body for providing thereby a sealed container;

a rectangular carrier having two opposite ends and two opposite faces, at least one of said faces bearing a coating of a medium suitable for growing microorganisms;

said carrier being sized to be inserted in said space, so that, in use, the carrier may be inserted in said space and said at least one face thereby disposed for observation from externally of said scaled container through said transparent sidewall;

a rectangular test strip having two opposite ends and two opposite faces, said test strip being sized so that, in use, one of said faces thereof may be aligned with and attached facewise against said coating of medium on said one face of said carrier and the carrier having said test strip thereby applied facewise thereon disposed in said space and said sealing means operated to seal said mouth of said container body;

said test strip being made of non-porous material and having applied thereon on said one face thereof two different antimicrobial substances, in two spaced-apart zones;

each said antimicrobial substance exhibiting a concentration gradient having a maximum located at one end of a respective said zone and a minimum located at the opposite end of the respective said zone, and there being disposed between said two zones of applied antimicrobial substances a zone in which neither of said two antimicrobial substances is present; and

said test strip bearing scale means extending longitudinally thereon along each of said two zones and exhibiting marks which are susceptible of being directly read as indications of the concentration gradient of the respective antimicrobial substance at each of a plurality of locations therealong while said test strip remains applied against said one face of said carrier and contained in said space in said sealed container.