Viable particle counting system and viable particle counting method

A particle counting method for counting target particles emitting autofluorescence and existing in a fluid, comprising:

• counting the target particles existing in the fluid, the counting comprises:
• irradiating the fluid containing the target particles to be detected with light at a predetermined wavelength,
• separating selectively the autofluorescence emitted from the target particles from the irradiated light by a band-pass filter that allows light having a wavelength of 450 nm to 600 nm to pass therethrough,
• receiving the separated autofluorescence,
• comparing a signal corresponding to the received autofluorescence to a threshold data, and
• determining a presence or an absence of the target particles according to a result of the comparison between the signal and the threshold and counting a number of the target particles existing in the fluid;
• and
• irradiating the fluid with ultraviolet light for a predetermined period of time such that a light intensity autofluorescence from the target particles at the counting increases as compared to a light intensity autofluorescence from the target particles in a case that the fluid is not irradiated with the ultraviolet light in advance, before irradiating the fluid with the light at the predetermined wavelength in the irradiating.

A particle counting method for counting target particles emitting autofluorescence and existing in a fluid, comprising:

• irradiating the fluid containing the target particles to be detected with ultraviolet light;
• determining a wavelength of light to be irradiated to the fluid which has been irradiated with ultraviolet light according to an excitation wavelength of NAD(P)H or riboflavin existing in the target particles;
• and
• after irradiating the fluid with ultraviolet light, counting the target particles existing in the fluid,
• wherein the counting comprises:
• irradiating the fluid with light at the determined wavelength;
• separating selectively the autofluorescence emitted from the target particles from the irradiated light by a band-pass filter that allows light having a wavelength of 450 nm to 600 nm to pass therethrough;
• receiving the separated autofluorescence;
• comparing a signal corresponding to the received autofluorescence to a threshold data;
• and
• determining a presence or an absence of the target particles according to a result of the comparison between the signal and the threshold data, and counting a number of the target particles existing in the fluid.