EP0405480A2 — Method of and apparatus for detecting microorgani…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 152 words

An apparatus for detecting microorganisms comprising: a fluorescence microscope section which is furnished with a motor-driven stage for placing thereon a microorganism sample subjected to fluorescent staining, and light source means for projecting excitation light of predetermined wavelength on the sample; detection means for detecting and photoelectrically converting fluorescence of specified wavelength from the microorganism sample at a position posterior to said microscope section; means for limiting a band of frequencies ascribable to noise in relation to an electric signal from said detection means; signal processing means for reading an output value of the band-limited signal from said detection means and processing the read signal output value; and automatic inspection means for driving said stage so as to permit the microorganism sample to be scanned over its whole area, and for storing each signal detection part in the sample so as to permit a fluorescent substance at the part to be verified.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 152 words

An apparatus for detecting microorganisms comprising: a fluorescence microscope section which is furnished with a motor-driven stage for placing thereon a microorganism sample subjected to fluorescent staining, and light source means for projecting excitation light of predetermined wavelength on the sample; detection means for detecting and photoelectrically converting fluorescence of specified wavelength from the microorganism sample at a position posterior to said microscope section; means for limiting a band of frequencies ascribable to noise in relation to an electric signal from said detection means; signal processing means for reading an output value of the band-limited signal from said detection means and processing the read signal output value; and automatic inspection means for driving said stage so as to permit the microorganism sample to be scanned over its whole area, and for storing each signal detection part in the sample so as to permit a fluorescent substance at the part to be verified.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

An apparatus for detecting microorganisms according to Claim 1, wherein said detection means for detecting the fluorescence from the microorganisms includes a photomultiplier tube as means for the photoelectric conversion.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 37 words

An apparatus for detecting microorganisms according to Claim 1, wherein the microorganism sample is a sample in which the microorganisms in an object to-be-inspected are caught on a membrane filter and then subjected to the fluorescent staining.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 80 words

A method of detecting microorganisms wherein the microorganisms contained in a microorganism sample subjected to fluorescent staining are sensed by microphotometry, comprising: the step of measuring fluorescences emitted by projecting excitation light of at least one wavelength on the microorganism sample, and the step of discriminating the fluorescent-stained microorganisms and any auto-fluorescent foreign matter by utilizing a discrepancy in obtained values selected from the group consisting of spectra, intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of the fluorescences.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 80 words

A method of detecting microorganisms wherein the microorganisms contained in a microorganism sample subjected to fluorescent staining are sensed by microphotometry, comprising: the step of measuring fluorescences emitted by projecting excitation light of at least one wavelength on the microorganism sample, and the step of discriminating the fluorescent-stained microorganisms and any auto-fluorescent foreign matter by utilizing a discrepancy in obtained values selected from the group consisting of spectra, intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of the fluorescences.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 100 words

A method of detecting microorganisms according to Claim 4, wherein B excitation light having a wavelength of about 490 nm is employed as said excitation light, and the emitted fluorescences are respectively measured by individually passing them through two sorts of interference filters whose pass bands are respectively centered at wavelengths of 500 - 600 nm and at longer wavelengths of 550 - 700 nm, whereby the values selected from the group consisting of the intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of both the fluorescences are found so as to utilize the discrepancy in the fluorescence spectra.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 100 words

A method of detecting microorganisms according to Claim 4, wherein B excitation light having a wavelength of about 490 nm and G excitation light having a wavelength of about 545 nm are employed as the excitation lights of two wavelengths, and the emitted fluorescences are respectively measured by passing them through interference filters whose pass bands are respectively centered at wavelengths of 500 - 600 nm and at longer wavelengths of 550 - 700 nm, thereby to find the values selected from the group consisting of the intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of both the fluorescences.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 196 words

A method of detecting microorganisms according to Claim 4, wherein B excitation light having a wavelength of about 490 nm and V excitation light having a wavelength of about 405 nm are employed as the excitation lights of two wavelengths, and the fluorescences emitted in the B excitation are respectively measured by individually passing them through two sorts of interference filters whose pass bands are respectively centered at wavelengths of 500 - 600 nm and at longer wavelengths of 550 - 700 nm, whereby the values selected from the group consisting of the intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of both the fluorescences are found so as to utilize the discrepancy in the fluorescence spectra, while the fluorescences emitted in the V excitation are respectively measured by individually passing them through two sorts of interference filters whose pass bands are respectively centered at wavelengths of 480 - 530 nm and at longer wavelengths of 510 - 560 nm, whereby the values selected from the group consisting of the intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of both the fluorescences are found so as to utilize the discrepancy in the fluorescence spectra.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 78 words

A method of detecting microorganisms according to Claim 5, wherein after or before the fluorometry, the fluorometry in the detecting method defined in Claim 6 is carried out to find the fluorescence spectra and the values selected from the group consisting of the intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of the fluorescences, and the fluorescent-stained microorganisms and the auto- fluorescent foreign matter are discriminated by utilizing the discrepancies in the spectra and the found values.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method of detecting microorganisms according to Claim 4, wherein the microorganism sample is a sample in which the microorganisms in an object to-be-inspected are caught on a membrane filter and then subjected to the fluorescent staining.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 111 words

A apparatus for detecting microorganisms comprising: microphotometric means for sensing the microorganisms contained in a microorganism sample subjected to fluorescent staining; light-source projection means for projecting excitation light of at least one wavelength on the microorganism sample; detection means for detecting and photoelectrically converting fluorescences emitted from the microorganism sample; and signal processing means for reading output values of signals from said detection means so as to find values selected from the group consisting of spectra, intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of the fluorescences, and for measuring the fluorescent-stained microorganisms in discrimination from any auto-fluorescent foreign matter on the basis of a discrepancy in the found values.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 111 words

A apparatus for detecting microorganisms comprising: microphotometric means for sensing the microorganisms contained in a microorganism sample subjected to fluorescent staining; light-source projection means for projecting excitation light of at least one wavelength on the microorganism sample; detection means for detecting and photoelectrically converting fluorescences emitted from the microorganism sample; and signal processing means for reading output values of signals from said detection means so as to find values selected from the group consisting of spectra, intensities, intensity differences, intensity ratios, and intensity ratio differences of the fluorescences, and for measuring the fluorescent-stained microorganisms in discrimination from any auto-fluorescent foreign matter on the basis of a discrepancy in the found values.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 46 words

An apparatus for detecting microorganisms according to Claim 10, wherein said detection means includes a photomultiplier tube as means for the photoelectric conversion, and means is further comprised for limiting a band of frequencies ascribable to noise in relation to electric signals from said detection means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 55 words

An apparatus for detecting microorganisms according to Claim 10, wherein a plurality of optical paths along which the fluorescences emitted from the microorganism sample are passed as to wavelength regions differing from each other are provided, and the detection means for detecting the fluorescences of the respective wavelength regions are included in said optical paths.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 37 words

An apparatus for detecting microorganisms according to Claim 10, wherein the microorganism sample is a sample in which the microorganisms in an object to-be-inspected are caught on a membrane filter and then subjected to the fluorescent staining.

Method of and apparatus for detecting microorganisms

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