Method for classifying a microorganism in a biological sample
AssigneeCharles River Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsNorman R. Wainwright, Dana M. Nutter
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Abstract
The invention provides a method using a hemocyte preparation, for example, Limulus amebocyte lysate, for detecting in a single assay the presence of at least one of a Gram negative bacterium, a Gram positive bacterium, and a fungus in a sample of interest. The method exploits the differential reactivity of Gram negative bacteria, Gram positive bacteria, and fungi with the hemocyte preparation to produce measurable changes in a property, for example, an optical property, of the mixture. Because the Gram negative bacteria, Gram positive bacteria and fungi each produce different changes in a given property, for example, an optical property, it is possible to classify the type of microorganism present in the sample of interest.
Claims20
A method of classifying a microorganism in a test sample between a Gram negative bacterium, a Gram positive bacterium, or a fungus, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) combining the test sample, which contains a standardized amount of the microorganism, with a hemocyte preparation to produce a mixture;
- (b) measuring either (i) an optical property of the mixture at a preselected time or (ii) a time in which a preselected change occurs in an optical property of the mixture;
- wherein the optical property is selected from the group consisting of absorbance, transmittance, optical density, and turbidity;
- and
- (c) using the optical property of step (b)(i) or the time value of step (b)(ii) to determine whether the microorganism in the test sample is a Gram negative bacterium, a Gram positive bacterium, or a fungus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.