Detection of micro-organisms

摘要

The present invention concerns methods for detecting the presence of a micro-organism in a fluid, gaseous and solid samples, together with apparatus for use in same. The invention comprises the use of a plurality of hollow fibers to filter the fluid and the capture of the micro-organisms on the membrane by means of a specific binding pair.

主权项

1. A device comprising:
a sample inlet, an outlet tube, and a plurality of hollow fiber filter membranes each having in inlet in fluid communication with the sample inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the outlet tube, and a removable plug that is selectively insertable into an opening of the outlet tube, wherein the fiber filter membranes have attached to them a first member of a specific binding pair, a second member of said specific binding pair being displayed by a given micro-organism, said membranes having first and second ends, an outer surface and an inner surface defining a lumen, said first end of each of said membranes being open and communicating with said sample inlet, and flow through said second end of each of said membranes being selectively restricted by selective insertion of the removable plug into the opening of the outlet tube such that, 1) when the plug is inserted into the opening of the outlet tube, said flow occurs only through said first end and the pores of said membranes, such that a sample mixture passed into said device through said sample inlet is filtered through the pores of said membranes, leaving a filtrand in said lumen of said membranes, and 2) fluid flows out of the second end—only when the plug is not inserted into the opening of the outlet tube.