Method and apparatus for sensing the presence of microbes
First Claim
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1. A method for the detection of microbes in an environment comprising the steps of:
- (a) directing electromagnetic waves into an environment, said electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength greater than 350 nm, whereby any microbial cells present in the environment and containing nicotinamide adenine pyridine nucleotides are excited to emit fluorescence having an energy less than the excitation energy and whereby some of said electromagnetic radiation is reflected in said environment, and(b) sensing the fluorescence and the reflected electromagnetic radiation as a measure of the amount of microbes present in said environment.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for the detection of aerobic microbes on non-living surfaces in which electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength greater than 350 nm is directed onto the surface to cause excitation of pyridine nucleotides present in microbial cells to emit radiation having a higher wavelength. That higher wavelength radiation and reflected radiation is then sensed as a measure of the amount of microbial cells on the surface.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for the detection of microbes in an environment comprising the steps of:
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(a) directing electromagnetic waves into an environment, said electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength greater than 350 nm, whereby any microbial cells present in the environment and containing nicotinamide adenine pyridine nucleotides are excited to emit fluorescence having an energy less than the excitation energy and whereby some of said electromagnetic radiation is reflected in said environment, and (b) sensing the fluorescence and the reflected electromagnetic radiation as a measure of the amount of microbes present in said environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 21)
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14. Apparatus for the detection of microbes on a non-living environment comprising:
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(a) means for directing electromagnetic radiation toward an environment, said means adapted to emit radiation having wavelengths greater than 350 nm and excite microbial cells in the environment to emit fluorescence; (b) a detector for electromagnetic radiation capable of converting the radiation into an electrical signal, said detector adapted to detect electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths above about 400 nm as a measure of microbial cells present in the environment and to detect electromagnetic radiation having energies near that of the excitation radiation as a measure of the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the environment; and (c) means for receiving electrical signals corresponding to the fluorescence of the microbial cells and electrical signals corresponding to the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the environment and determining the amount of microbes in the environment. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22)
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Specification