CAPILLARY INOCULATOR AND ASSEMBLY FOR INOCULATING MULTIPLE TEST SITES AND METHOD OF INOCULATING TEST SITES THEREWITH.

摘要

A CAPILLARY INOCULATOR ASSEMBLY (10) IS PROVIDED FOR INOCULATING MULTIPLE TEST SITES WITH SMALL, PRECISE VOLUMES OF INOCULUM. THE INOCULATOR (12) EMPLOYED IN THE ASSEMBLY INCLUDES A THROUGH-SHAPED CARRIER (18) AND ONE OR MORE ROWS OF CAPILLARIES (26) EXTENDING THERETHROUGH. THE CAPILLARIES (26) EXTEND THROUGH ONE OR MORE ROWS OF PROJECTIONS (28) WHICH FROM THE LOWER PART (20) OF THE CARRIER (18).THEY ARE COMPLETELY FILLED BY CAPILLARY ACTION, AND THE INOCULUM IS RETAINED THEREIN BY FORCED OF ADHESION AND SURFACES TENSION. A TEST DEVICE MAY BE EMPLOYED IN CONJUCTION WITH THE CAPILLARY INOCULATOR (12) AND INCLUDES DISCRETE TEST SITES (64) WHICH ARE ALIGNED WITH THE ENDS OF THE RESPECTIVE PROJECTIONS (28). EACH OF THE TEST SITES (64) MAY BE PROVIDED WITH AN ABSORBENT MATERIAL SUCH AS A CELLULOSE DISK (32). A DRY REAGENT MAY BE DEPOSITED UPON EACH DISK (32) SO THAT THE INOCULUM MAY BE ANALYZED BY TESTING EQUIPMENT OR BY VISUAL OBSERVATION. A METHOD IS PROVIDED WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF FILLING THE CAPILLARIES (26), ALIGNING THE CAPILLARIES (26) WITH THE TEST SITES (64) SITES WITHIN THE TEST DEVICE, AND DEPOSITING THE LIQUID INOCULUM ON RESPECTIVE TEST SITE (64) THROUGH WICKING ACTION OR OTHER PROCEDURES. A METHOD IS ALSO DISCLOSED FOR PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF DISCRETE, LIQUID SAMPLES HAVING SMALL, PRECISE VOLUMES FROM A QUANTITY OF LIQUID WHICH MAY BE OF INDETERMINATE VOLUME. (FIGURE. 1)