Method and apparatus for detecting and quantifying bacterial spores on a surface
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorAdrian Ponce
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for detecting and quantifying bacterial spores on a surface. In accordance with the method: a matrix including lanthanide ions is provided on the surface containing the bacterial spores; functionalized aromatic molecules are released from the bacterial spores on the surface; a complex of the lanthanide ion and the aromatic molecule is formed on the surface; the complex of the lanthanide ion and the aromatic molecule is excited to generate a characteristic luminescence of the complex on the surface; and the bacterial spores exhibiting the luminescence of the complex on the surface are detected and quantified.
Claims31
A method for detecting and quantifying individual bacterial spores on a test surface comprising:
- providing a matrix including one or more lanthanide ions on the test surface containing the bacterial spores;
- releasing functionalized aromatic molecules from the bacterial spores onto the surface;
- forming a complex of the lanthanide ion and the aromatic molecule on the test surface;
- exciting the complex of the lanthanide ion and the aromatic molecule to generate a characteristic luminescence of the complex on the test surface;
- and
- detecting and quantifying, through lifetime-gated imaging, the individual bacterial spores exhibiting the luminescence of the complex on the test surface.
A method for detecting and quantifying individual bacterial spores on a surface comprising:
- transferring the bacterial spores from the surface containing bacterial spores to a test surface;
- providing a matrix including lanthanide ions on the test surface;
- releasing functionalized aromatic molecules from the bacterial spores on the test surface;
- forming complexes of the lanthanide ions and the aromatic molecules on the test surface;
- exciting the complexes of the lanthanide ions and the aromatic molecules to generate a characteristic luminescence of the complexes on the test surface;
- and
- detecting and quantifying through lifetime-gated imaging, the individual bacterial spores exhibiting the luminescence of the complexes on the test surface.
An apparatus for detecting and quantifying individual bacterial spores on a surface including lanthanide ions and aromatic molecules released from the bacterial spores on the surface comprising:
- a test surface having thereon bacterial spores, lanthanide ions and aromatic molecules released from the bacterial spores, wherein the aromatic molecules have been released on the test surface by germination of bacterial spores by the addition of L-alanine, inosine or mixtures thereof or the lysis of bacterial spores by means of one selected from autoclaving, microwaving, heating and sonication;
- a UV-light radiation device for exciting a complex of lanthanide ion and aromatic molecule to generate a characteristic luminescence of the complex on the test surface;
- a microscope for detecting and quantifying bacterial spores exhibiting the luminescence of the complex on the test surface;
- and
- a lifetime-gated imaging device for imaging bacterial spores exhibiting the luminescence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.