Microorganism testing device

• US 8,409,850 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Engineering & Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Engineering & Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Kei, Sasaki, Yasuhiko, Miyake, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcheschi, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doe, Shanta G
• Application Number:
  US11/964,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20080153153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 435/287.2, 4352885-2887, 4352871-2873, 435/287.5
• US Class Current: 435/288.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1484 microstructural devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1486 Counting the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53

Abstract

A microorganism testing device includes a measurement chip having a specimen container; a reaction container for mixing a specimen and a dyeing reagent; a bacteria detection portion irradiated with excitation light; a detection liquid waste container a solution flow path which connects the specimen container, the reaction container and the bacteria detection portion, and ventilation ports which are connected to the specimen container, the reaction container and the detection liquid waste container, through a air flow path and is connected to a chip connecting tube. Bacteria are detected in the bacteria detection portion by switching of the states of the containers between a sealed state and a state open to the atmospheric pressure, by moving the specimen to the reaction container to mix and stir the specimen and the dyeing reagent, and by moving of the liquid mixture to the detection liquid waste container.

Claims

1. A microorganism testing device for measuring a microorganism included in food, said microorganism testing device comprising a measurement chip for holding a specimen including bacteria and a dyeing reagent in said chip, a holder for holding said measurement chip, and a delivery device for delivering said specimen and said dyeing reagent through a chip connecting tube connected to said measurement chip, which testing device irradiates a specimen in said measurement chip with excitation light to detect said bacteria as an electric signal,

wherein said measurement chip is held in a standing state by said holder, and

wherein said measurement chip includes:

a specimen container for holding said specimen;

a reaction container for mixing said specimen and a dyeing reagent for reaction into a liquid mixture;

a bacteria detection portion including a flow path being irradiated with said excitation light;

a detection liquid waste container into which said liquid mixture which has passed said bacteria detection portion enters;

a solution flow path which connects said specimen container, said reaction container, and said bacteria detection portion, and in which said specimen and said liquid mixture flow; and

a ventilation port which is connected to said specimen container, said reaction container, and said detection liquid waste container through a air flow path and is connected to said chip connecting tube,

wherein the highest point of said solution flow path connecting said specimen container and said reaction container is configured to be higher than a water level of the specimen in said specimen container,

wherein the highest point of said solution flow path connecting said reaction container and said bacteria detection portion is configured to be higher than a water level of the liquid mixture in said reaction container, and

wherein said microorganism testing device is configured such that a portion of the specimen is flowed continuously through said bacteria detection portion so that bacteria in said specimen are detected in said bacteria detection portion by applying pressure to said specimen container, said reaction container, and said detection liquid waste container from said delivery device through said ventilation port, by switching of the states of said specimen container, said reaction container, and said detection liquid waste container between a sealed state and a state open to the atmospheric pressure, by moving said specimen to said reaction container to mix said specimen and said dyeing reagent in said reaction container, and by moving of said liquid mixture to said detection liquid waste container through said bacteria detection portion.

2. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microorganism testing device is configured such that air flows into said reaction container through said solution flow path which is disposed downstream of said reaction container so that the liquid mixture in said reaction container is stirred for promoting mixing of the liquid mixture.

3. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow path in the bacteria detection portion is designed in such a way that the flow path width and depth are 0.1 μ

m through 0.1 mm, and the length is within a range of 10 μ

m through 10 mm.

7. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a reagent container including a dyeing reagent, wherein

said specimen in said specimen container and said dyeing reagent flow into said reaction container.

8. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of said reaction containers, wherein

one of said reaction containers is used as a killed bacteria dyeing reagent holding container for holding a killed bacteria dyeing pigment, and other containers are used as a viable-and-killed bacteria dyeing reagent holding container for holding viable-and-killed bacteria dyeing pigment.

9. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a residual food removing portion which is located between said specimen container and said reaction container, and removes residual foods.

10. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

an eluent holding container for holding eluent;

a bacteria capturing portion into which said liquid mixture flows; and

a filtrate waste container into which a specimen has passed through said bacteria capturing portion enters.

11. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a plural set of said specimen containers and said reaction containers, wherein

said liquid mixture in each of said reaction containers flows into said bacteria detection portion.

12. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

temperature control means for controlling the temperature of said measurement chip.

13. The microorganism testing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bacteria detection portion includes a flow path, a part or the whole of which is formed of an optically transparent material.

4. A microorganism testing device for measuring a microorganism included in a food, said microorganism testing device comprising a measurement chip for holding a specimen including bacteria and a plurality of dyeing reagents in said chip, a holder for holding said measurement chip, and a delivery device for delivering said specimen and said dyeing reagents through a chip connecting tube connected to said measurement chip, which testing device irradiates a specimen in said measurement chip with excitation light to detect said bacteria as an electric signal,

wherein said measurement chip is held in a standing state by said holder,

wherein said measurement chip includes:

a specimen container for holding said specimen;

a first dyeing reagent holding container which contains a first dyeing reagent therein, and which mixes said specimen and said first dyeing reagent for reaction into a first liquid mixture;

a second dyeing reagent holding container which contains a second dyeing reagent therein, and which mixes said second dyeing reagent and said first liquid mixture for reaction into a second liquid mixture;

a bacteria detection portion including a flow path being irradiated with said excitation light;

a detection liquid waste container into which said second liquid mixture which has passed said bacteria detection portion enters;

a solution flow path which connects said specimen container, said first dyeing reagent holding container, said second dyeing reagent holding container and said bacteria detection portion, and in which said specimen, said first liquid mixture, and said second liquid mixture flow; and

a ventilation port which is connected to said specimen container, said first dyeing reagent holding container, said second dyeing reagent holding container, and said detection liquid waste container through an air flow path and is connected to said chip connecting tube,

wherein the highest point of said solution flow path connecting said first dyeing reagent holding container and said second dyeing reagent holding container is designed to be higher than a water level of said first liquid mixture in said first dyeing reagent holding container; and

wherein said microorganism testing device is configured such that bacteria in said specimen are detected in said bacteria detection portion by applying pressure to said specimen container, said first dyeing reagent holding container, said second dyeing reagent holding container, and said detection liquid waste container from said delivery device through said ventilation port, by switching of the states of said specimen container, said first dyeing reagent holding container, said second dyeing reagent holding container, and said detection liquid waste container between a sealed state and a state open to the atmosphere pressure, by moving said specimen to said first dyeing reagent holding container to mix said specimen and said first dyeing reagent in said dying reagent holding container, by moving said first liquid mixture to said second dyeing reagent holding container to mix said first liquid mixture and said second dyeing reagent, and by moving of said second liquid mixture in said second dyeing reagent holding container to said detection liquid waste container through said bacteria detection portion.

5. A measurement chip included in microorganism testing device for measuring a microorganism included in a food, wherein a specimen mixed with a dyeing reagent is included in said measurement chip, and said specimen is irradiated with excitation light to detect bacteria as an electric signal,

wherein said measurement chip is held in a standing state by a holder of said microorganism testing device,

wherein said measurement chip includes:

a specimen container into which said specimen is injected;

a dyeing reagent holding container which contains said dyeing reagent therein beforehand, and which mixes said dyeing reagent and said specimen for reaction into a liquid mixture;

a first solution flow path which connects said specimen container and said dyeing reagent holding container, and in which said specimen flows, wherein the highest point of said first solution flow path is designed to be higher than a water level of said specimen in said specimen container;

a bacteria detection portion including a flow path being irradiated with said excitation light;

a second solution flow path which connects said dyeing reagent holding container and said bacteria detection portion, and in which said liquid mixture flows, wherein the highest point of said second solution flow path is designed to be higher than a waste level of said liquid mixture in said dyeing reagent holding container;

a detection liquid waste container into which said liquid mixture which has passed said bacteria detection portion enters;

a plurality of air flow paths which are connected with said specimen container, said dyeing reagent holding container, and said detection liquid waste container, respectively; and

a plurality of ventilation ports including a first port for the air flow path connected with said specimen container, a second port for the air flow path connected with said dyeing reagent holding container, and a third port for the air flow path connected with said detection liquid waste container,

wherein said plurality of ventilation ports are connected with a delivery device of said microorganism testing device, and the delivery device applies to pressure through said ventilation ports and switches the states of said specimen container, said dyeing reagent holding container, and said detection liquid waste container to a state open to the atmospheric pressure, and

wherein the application of the pressure through said ventilation ports allows to move said specimen in said specimen container to said dyeing reagent holding container, and to move said liquid mixture in said dyeing reagent holding container to said bacteria detection portion.

6. A measurement chip included in a microorganism testing device for measuring a microorganism included in a food, wherein a specimen mixed with dyeing reagents is included in said measurement chip, and the specimen is irradiated with excitation light to detect bacteria as an electric signal,

wherein said measurement chip is held in a standing state by a holder of said microorganism testing device,

wherein said measurement chip includes:

a specimen container into which said specimen is injected;

a plurality of dyeing reagent holding containers including a first dyeing reagent holding container and a second dyeing reagent holding container, wherein each dyeing reagent holding container contains said dyeing reagent therein beforehand, wherein said first dying reagent holding container mixes said dyeing reagent and said specimen for reaction into a first liquid mixture, and wherein said second dyeing reagent holding container mixes said first liquid mixture and said dyeing reagent for reaction into a second liquid mixture;

a first solution flow path which connects said specimen container and said first dyeing reagent holding container, and in which said specimen flows, wherein the highest point of said first solution flow path is designed to be higher than a water level of said specimen in said specimen container;

a second solution flow path which connects said first dyeing reagent holding container and said second dyeing reagent holding container, and in which said first liquid mixture flows, wherein the highest point of said second solution flow path is designed to be higher than a water level of said first liquid mixture in said first dyeing reagent holding container;

a bacteria detection portion including a flow path being irradiated with said excitation light;

a third solution flow path which connects said second dyeing reagent holding container and said bacteria detection portion, and in which said second liquid mixture flows, wherein the highest point of said third solution flow path is designed to be higher than a water level of said second liquid mixture in said second dyeing reagent holding container;

a detection liquid waste container into which said second liquid mixture which has passed said bacteria detection portions enters;

a plurality of air flow paths which are connected with said specimen container, said first dyeing reagent holding container, said second dyeing reagent holding container, and said detection liquid waste container, respectively; and

a plurality of ventilation ports including a first port for the air flow path connected with said specimen container, a second port for the air flow path connected with said first dyeing reagent holding container, a third port for the air flow path connected with the second dyeing reagent holding container, and a fourth port for the air flow path connected with said detection liquid waste container,

wherein said plurality of ventilation ports are connected with a delivery device of said microorganism testing device, and the delivery device applies pressure through said ventilation ports and switches the tastes of said specimen container, said first dyeing reagent holding container, said second dyeing reagent holding container, and said detection liquid waste container to state open to the atmospheric pressure, and

wherein the application of the pressure through said ventilation ports allows to move said specimen in said specimen container to said first dyeing reagent holding container, to move said first liquid mixture in said first dyeing reagent holding container to said second dyeing reagent holding container, and to move said second liquid mixture in said second dyeing reagent holding container to said bacteria detection portion.