Detecting micro-organisms in an electrocoating process

• US 8,541,194 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swimc, LLC (The Sherwin-Williams Company)
• Original Assignee: Valspar Sourcing, Inc. (Sherwin-Williams Company)
• Inventors: Pillar, Lonnie L., Contos, Michael A., Sailer, Robert A., Bourdeau, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Jon P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava, Kailash C
• Application Number:
  US10/792,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20040231988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,491 Days
• Field of Search: 435/8, 435/29, 204/471, 204/478
• US Class Current: 435/29
• 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

Abstract

Use of a micro-organism detection device to rapidly evaluate the presence of microorganisms in an electrocoating process.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a continuous electrocoating operation, wherein the electrocoating operation comprises a plurality of process areas comprising an electrocoat material, wherein the process areas comprise a first process area and at least one other process area, and wherein the at least one process areas is adjacently situated to the first process area;

taking a first sample of electrocoat material from the first process area and determining with a luminometer a level of microorganisms in the first process area, wherein the luminometer measures illumination emitted from ATP in a population of microorganisms in the first sample, and wherein the level of microorganisms in the first sample is determined in less than 1 hour;

taking at least one second sample of electrocoat material from the at least one other process area and determining with a luminometer a level of microorganisms in the at least one other process area, wherein the luminometer measures illumination emitted from ATP in a population of microorganisms in the second sample, and wherein the level of microorganisms in the second sample is determined in less than 1 hour;

comparing the level of microorganisms in the first sample to the level of microorganisms in the second sample(s) until a source of microorganism growth in the electrocoating operation is identified; and

treating the source of microorganism growth,

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the level of microorganisms in the sample is determined in less than 5 minutes.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the samples are obtained from at least one of a liquid stream source within the process area and a surface in the process area.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the samples comprise solid matter having an average density of about 1 g/cm³ to about 4 g/cm³.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sample comprises less than about 10 wt % solids.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sample comprises less than about 4 wt % solids.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sample comprises less than about 2 wt % solids.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the luminometer is integrated with a computer-based monitoring system to communicate at least one output therefrom.