Self-Contained Membrane Filter Bacterial Assay System

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案涉及一种创新分析系统的设计和制造，以显着改善微生物样品分析的膜过滤（MF）方法。MF方法广泛应用于卫生保健相关检测，用于鉴定和枚举作为集落形成单位的培养生物。我们的方法减少了样品制备时间，最大限度地降低了偶然样品污染或多个样品设置之间交叉污染的风险，并减少了与每次分析相关的一次性塑料的体积。这种新颖的检测方法利用一个封闭的过滤筒，通过该过滤筒抽取液体样本，捕获生物体，冲洗，培养基引入，孵育，并在生长后分析菌落形成单位（cfu）。-所有这些步骤都无需打开设备，或涉及任何操作，将收获的膜样品从过滤装置转移到另一个容器进行培养和分析。新的MF分析方法是通过特殊的药筒设计与创新的真空系统结合使用，以克服当前膜过滤装置的局限性。这种基本方法已经用小型滤筒进行了演示。总体研发任务是开发实际应用的方法，在更大格式的MF分析设备，以符合目前的做法，即47毫米过滤器在一个清晰可见，易于检查的膜表面。该研究计划调查将分析系统扩大到更大设备的方法。新的原型将被制造出来并进行性能评估。它们将与传统的MF检测制剂进行比较，以确认微生物生长和菌落鉴定和计数的效率与现有方法相当。公共卫生相关性：本项目开发了一种改进的实验室方法，用于使用膜过滤（MF）技术进行微生物分析。MF法广泛用于公共卫生相关的细菌鉴定和枚举检测。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal addresses the design and manufacture of an innovative assay system to markedly improve the Membrane Filtration (MF) approach to microbiological sample analyses. The MF method is widely used in healthcare-related testing for identification and enumeration of cultured organisms as colony-forming-units. Our approach reduces the sample preparation time, minimizes risks of incidental sample contamination or cross-contamination between multiple sample setups, and reduces the volume of plastic disposables associated with each assay. The novel assay approach utilizes an enclosed filter cartridge through which a fluid sample is drawn, organisms captured, rinsed, media introduced, incubated, and colony forming units (cfu) analyzed after outgrowth. - All these steps are performed without opening the device, or involving any manipulations to transfer the harvested membrane sample from a filtration unit to another vessel for its culture and analysis. The new MF assay approach is enabled by a special cartridge design used in conjunction with an innovative vacuum system to overcome limitations of current membrane filtering devices. The fundamental approach has been demonstrated with small filter cartridges. The overall R&D task is to develop the approach for practical application in a larger format MF assay device to be consistent with current practice, i.e. 47 mm filters in a clearly visible, easily examined membrane surface. The research plan investigates means to scale up the assay system to larger devices. New prototypes will be fabricated and evaluated for performance. They will be compared with conventional MF assay preparations to confirm that microbial growth and the efficiency of colony identification and counting is equivalent to existing methodology. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project develops an improved laboratory method for conducting microbial assays using the Membrane Filtration (MF) technique. The MF method is extensively used in public healthcare-related testing for identification and enumeration of bacteria.