Method and devices for detecting and enumerating microorganisms

• US 6,696,286 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bentsen, James G., Halverson, Kurt J., Qiu, Jean, Berg, James G., Calhoun, Clyde D., Johnston, Raymond P., Wei, Ai-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/495,092
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 422/55, 422/56, 435/4, 435/6, 435/287.1, 435/287.7, 435/287.8, 435/187.9, 435/30, 435/31
• US Class Current: 435/287.9
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/02 involving viable microorganisms

Abstract

A method for detecting a microorganism in a test sample is described. The method involves distributing microvolumes of a sample to a plurality of microcompartments of a culture device, incubating for a time sufficient to permit at least one cell division cycle of the microorganism, then detecting the presence or absence of the microorganism in the microcompartments. Also disclosed are devices for carrying out these methods.

Claims

1. An assay device, comprising a substrate having a plurality of microchannels therein, wherein said microchannels have at least one assay reagent for enumerating microorganisms coated thereon and the volume of one microchannel is different than the volume of another microchannel.

2. The assay device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a film having microchannels embossed thereon.

3. The assay device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises multiple layers of film having microchannels embossed thereon.

4. The assay device of claim 1 having multiple rows of microchannels.

5. The assay device of claim 1 having a plurality of sets of microchannels, each set having microchannels of uniform size and said sets varying in microchannel size.

6. The assay device of claim 1 wherein at least one microchannel has two ends and a middle and the cross section of the ends is smaller than the cross section of the middle.

7. The assay device of claim 1 wherein said at least one microchannel comprises an elongate hole.

8. The assay device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microchannels comprise a plurality of capillary tubes.