US 2011/0217694 A1 · FLOW CYTOMETRY-BASED SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING MICROBES

Abstract

In various embodiments, the present disclosure describes methods and systems for detecting microbes in a sample. The methods are generally applicable to quantifying the number of target bacteria in a sample counted from a detection region of a flow cytometer histogram. The detection methods can be employed in the presence of other microorganisms and other non-target microbe components to selectively quantify the amount of a target microbe. The methods are advantageous over those presently existing for testing of foodstuffs and diagnostic evaluation in their speed, accuracy and ease of use. Various swab collection devices and kits useful for practicing the present disclosure are also described herein.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A flow cytometry method for detecting target microbes in a sample, said method comprising:

a) treating the sample with at least one oxidant and at least one detergent;
b) de-activating the at least one oxidant after treating the sample;
c) mixing the sample with at least one probe to form a tagged sample;
wherein the at least one probe comprises at least one tag;
and
wherein the at least one probe attaches to the target microbes in the tagged sample;
d) introducing the tagged sample into a flow cytometer;
and
e) analyzing the tagged sample;
wherein analyzing comprises exciting the at least one tag by at least one light source in the flow cytometer and detecting at least one fluorescent emission.

7 more elements

A flow cytometry method for detecting target microbes in a sample, said method comprising:

a) mixing the sample with a plurality of probes to form a tagged sample;
wherein the plurality of probes comprise at least one first probe and at least one second probe;
wherein the at least one first probe targets the target microbes;
and
wherein each at least one first probe comprises at least one first tag having a first wavelength emission range;
wherein each at least one first tag has a first wavelength emission range that is substantially similar to one another;
and
wherein the at least one second probe targets non-target microbe components of the sample;
and
wherein each at least one second probe comprises at least one second tag;
wherein each at least one second tag has a second wavelength emission range that is different from the first wavelength emission range of the at least one first tag;
b) introducing the tagged sample into a flow cytometer;
and
c) analyzing the tagged sample in the flow cytometer;
wherein analyzing comprises:
detecting the second wavelength emission range of the at least one second tag;
selecting at least one emission wavelength from the second wavelength emission range that overlaps the first wavelength emission range of the at least one first tag;
and
detecting the first wavelength emission range of the at least one first tag in a region that overlaps the selected at least one emission wavelength.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flow cytometry-based systems and methods for detecting microbes

Life of this patent

Flow cytometry-based systems and methods for detecting microbes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26