Methods and compositions for the detection of microbial contaminants

A cartridge for determining the presence or amount of a microbial contaminant in a sample, the cartridge comprising:

• (i) a housing defining a fluid inlet port, an optical cell located downstream of the fluid inlet port, a first conduit having a fluid contacting surface for providing fluid flow communication between the fluid inlet port and the optical cell, a pump port located downstream of the optical cell, and a conduit connecting the optical cell and the pump port;
• (ii) a hemocyte lysate dried on a first region of the fluid contacting surface of the first conduit;
• and
• (iii) a chromogenic substrate dried on a second, different region of the fluid contacting surface of the first conduit,
• wherein, when a sample is applied to the fluid inlet port, the sample traverses the first and second regions and solubilizes the hemocyte lysate and chromogenic substrate during transport to the optical cell.

A cartridge for determining the presence or amount of a microbial contaminant in a sample, the cartridge comprising:

• (i) a housing defining
• a first fluid inlet port, a first optical cell, and a first conduit having a fluid contacting surface for providing fluid flow communication between the first fluid inlet port and the first optical cell, and
• a second fluid inlet port, a second optical cell, and a second conduit having a fluid contacting surface for providing fluid flow communication between the second fluid inlet port and the second optical cell;
• (ii) a first hemocyte lys ate dried on a first region of the fluid contacting surface of the first conduit, so that when a sample is applied to the first fluid inlet port, the sample traverses the region and solubilizes the first hemocyte lysate during transport to the first optical cell;
• (iii) a second hemocyte lysate dried on a first region of the fluid contacting surface of the second conduit, so that when sample is applied to the second fluid inlet port, the sample traverses the region and solubilizes the second hemocyte lysate during transport to the second optical cell, and
• (iv) an agent representative of a microbial contaminant dried on the fluid contacting surface of the first conduit.