DEVICE FOR RAPID DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF SINGLE MICROOGANISMS WITHOUT PRELIMINARY GROWTH

摘要

This invention describes a device consisting of a micro channel plate, filter, and porous holder for filter, which is substituted by a pure agar block during method performance, and supportive structural elements. The device is intended for rapid detection and/or identification of microorganisms, Microorganisms are trapped by filtration in long (diameter/length-1/10-1/1000), cylindrical, parallel, micro channels that are open from both sides and attached to a filter from one side. A micro channel plate houses a multiplicity of micro channels (possible diameter of each channel=l-30 µm length 100-1000urn and number channels per centimeter =100,000-1,000,000). The micro channel plate with cells trapped on the surface of the filter is attached to an agar block impregnated by artificial substrate(s) so that the molecules of the artificial substrates will fill all micro channels. Trapped cells produce colored or fluorescent molecules from artificial substrates. These molecules are collected in the very small volume of a micro channel. The extremely small volume of a micro channel (1/25 millionth part of milliliter) allows it to collect a detectable concentration of color or fluorescent substances in a very short time (several minutes). Even one cell from a filtrated sample can be detected by the enzyme-artificial substrate method and/or identified by enzyme immunoassay.