Apparatus kit for detecting Dientamoeba fragilis
OwnerNeil H. Riordaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing detectable intestinal parasites. The method includes obtaining an intestinal mucosa sample (e.g. feces) having intestinal parasites, such as Dientamoeba fragilis; and contacting the obtained intestinal mucosa sample with an acridine base compound (e.g. acridine orange and/or acridine yellow, etc.) such that the intestinal parasites become differentially stained and detectable by a human eye when viewed through a fluorescence microscope. The apparatus includes a kit or the like which includes at least one vessel or vial. Preferably, two vials are contained within the kit with one vial having an isotonic salt solution including a salt, sodium chloride, potassium phosphate, etc., and the other vial containing an acridine biological staining compound.
Claims10
An apparatus kit for detecting Dientamoeba fragilis in a sample including feces or intestinal mucosa, comprising:
- a centrifugable sample vessel for holding said sample and having therein at least a quantity of isotonic solution, said vessel presenting converging sidewalls defining a region having sediment containing Dientamoeba fragilis and residual material derived from centrifugation of said sample therein;
- a quantity of a staining agent means comprising an acridine compound for contacting and staining said sediment in said sample vessel, said quantity of staining agent means in said kit being present in a container selected from the group consisting of said sample vessel and a staining agent vessel separate from said sample vessel,
- said sample vessel having a sufficient volume to simultaneously accommodate said isotonic solution, said staining agent means and said sediment therein,
- said quantity of staining agent means causing said Dientamoeba fragilis in said sediment to stain a first color and said residual material of the sediment to stain a second color;
- and
- means for viewing a portion of said stained sediment through a fluorescent microscope for detecting said first color as an indication of the presence of the Dientamoeba fragilis in said sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.