Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1:~2932~ -
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RAN 4092/4
The present invention is ccncerned with an apparatus
for the detection of microorganisms, for example in body
fluids.
For the detection of microorganisms in body fluids,
especially of bacteria in blood, it is necessary to
inoculate a li~uid nutrient medium and subsequently to
continue the growth on a solid nutrient medium. For years
there has existed a system in which both nutrient media are
combined in the same container in order to avoid the
troublesome and, under certain circumstances, risky
transference of the pre-culture in the liquid nutrient
medium on to a solid nutrient medium outside the container.
Most of the known apparatuses in which a solid and
a liquid nutrient medium are combined are, however, not
satisfactory for many reasons. In particular, because
of the danger of the dissolving-out of constituents of
the solid medium into the liquid nutrient medium, only a
solid nutrient medium which is compatible with the liquid
nutrient medium can generally be used. This has, inter
alia, the considerable disadvantage that no differentiation
of the microorganism is possible.
Klt/15.4.80
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The hitherto proposed solutions for the separation
of the solid nutrient medium and the liquid nutrient medium
during the incubation period and the transport are time-
-comsuming and expensive and/or guarantee a separation
of the two media only during the incubation, but not during
the transpor~.
In DOS No. 28 06 ~02 there is proposed a system
which does not have the aforementioned disadvantages. This
system consists of a first container containing a liquid
nutrient medium and a second container containing a solid
nutrient medium, the interiors of the two containers being
in contact and these containers being connected so that
they can be separated again.
Figure 3 of the aforementioned DOS shows the combination
of the two containers. The apparatus formed in this manner,
which contains at least one solid and one liquid nutrient
medium, is tilted several times in order to guarantee an
optimum contact between the two nutrient media. After
incubating at 20-37C for 1 hour to 10 days, any growth
present on the solid nutrient medium is observed and
evaluated. If no growth is ascertainable, this procedure
can be repeated several times. In the case of longer
incubation periods, the apparatus is tilted at least daily
in order to guarantee an optimum contact between the li~uid
and the solid nutrient medium.
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It can be seen from the aforementioned Figure that the
container containing the solid nutrient medium is connected
with the container containing the liquid nutrient medium by
means of a screw closure. In order to remove the container
containing the solid nutrient medium (e.g. for the subsequent
transport to the laboratory to determine the microorganisms
on the solid nutrient medium), this screw closure must be
unscrewed. In so doing, the danger may exist of liquid
nutrient medium still present in the upper container (as
a consequence of the aforementioned tiltings) running down
the glass wall and wetting the tread. This may have the
consequence that the person who separates the containers
may come into contact with this liquid nutrient medium,
which is to be avoided in all events.
A further critical feature of the apparatus according
to DOS No. 28 06 902 is the inside thread 12 of the upper
container shown in Figure 3. As is indeed known, inside
threads are much more expensive to manufacture than outside
- threads.
In accordance with the present invention there is
provided an apparatus for the determination of microorganisms
which is optimal in every respect.
More particularly, the present invention is concerned
with an apparatus for the detection of microorganisms,
consisting of a first container with closure means for a
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liquid nutrient medium and a transport container with
closure means and carrier fixed thereon for at least one
solid nutrient medium, the closure means of the first
container and of the transport container being interchangeable.
In order that the present invention may be readily
understood, one embodiment of the apparatus provided by the
invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows schematically the first container with
closure means for a liquid nutrient medium;
Figure 2 shows schematically the transport container with
closure means and carrier fixed thereon for at least one solid
nutrient medium;
Figure 3 shows schematically the two closure mea~s.
Figure 4 shows schematically the combination of the
container of Figure 1 with the closure means and solid
carrier rixed thereon of the transport container OL Figure 2.
The first container for the liquid nutrient medium
consists of a flask 1 which is preferably made from a
transparent material such as glass or synthetic material.
The flask is closed by a screw cap 2. The screw cap carries
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the inside thread 3, whereas the container has an outside
thread 4. The screw cap is provided with means which allow
a body fluid such as blood to be introduced into the flask
with a needle (not shown in the Figure). The transport
container 5 consists of a transparent tube of glass or
synthetic material. A carrier 7 (e.g. z slide~
which is provided for at least one solid nutrient medium,
is fixed to the screw cap 6 of the transport container.
The screw cap has an inside thread 8, whereas the transport
container 5 has an outside thread 9.
It will be noted that the inside threads 3 and 8 as
well as the outside threads 4 and ~ are identical.
In use, blood from a patient is conducted into the
container 1 with the aid of a transfer instrument provided
with a needle. The container which is provided with liquid
nutrient medium 10 is under a slight vacuum in order to
facilitate the flow of blood into the container.
When the container contains the desired amount of
blood, incubation is carried out at 20-37C for about 1 hour
to about 10 days.
Subsequently, the screw caps 2 and 6 are interchanged,
whereby the apparatus shown in Figure 4 is obtained. The
apparatus formed in this manner, containing at least one
.
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solid and one liquid nutrient medium, is tilted several
t:Lmes in order to guarantee an optimum contact between the
two nutrient media. After incubation at 20-37C for l hour
to 10 days, any growth present on the solid nutrient medium
is observed. In order to evaluate the growth on the solid
nutrient medium, the screw caps 2 and 6 are again interchanged.
The transport container with the solid nutrient medium can
then be sent without difficulty to the laboratory for
further investigation.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is
not limited to the specific embodiment described hereinbefore.
Thus, for example, in the scope of the present invention the
two containers 1 and 5 can have an arbitrary ~orm and can be
closed in a different manner. It is nevertheless important
that in the apparatus shown in Figure 4 the solid nutrient
medium does not extend into the liquid nutrient medium lO.
It is essential that the closure means of the container for
the liquid nutrient medium and for the transport container
are interchangeable.
Of course, screw closures need not be used exclusively
for the closure of the containers. The two containers can also
be connected, for example, by bayonet closures.
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