Patent ID: 9605294
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: C12Q,G01N

Claim:
1. A system for determining the presence of a microorganism in a sample by concentrating the microorganism in the sample and culturing the sample with the increased microorganism concentration, the system comprising: a container adapted to receive a sample in a reservoir having a plunger-defined volume, the container having a first end and a second end; a sensor inside the container near the second end configured to detect a change in the sample indicative of at least one of the presence or absence or response of a microorganism in the sample; a retractable plunger defining within the container the plunger-defined volume of the reservoir between an end of the plunger and the second end of the container, the plunger being configured to move from the first end of the container toward the second end of the container thereby reducing the volume of the plunger-defined reservoir in which the sample is disposed, the plunger adapted to maintain a seal between the inside of the container and the outside of the container as the plunger moves from the first end of the container toward the second end of the container, the first and second ends of the container being in fluid communication with one another when the plunger is at the first end of the container; a channel extending through the plunger configured to allow for a top portion of the sample to be forced through the channel as the plunger moves from the first end of the container toward the second end of the container, thereby reducing a volume of the sample and increasing the concentration of the microorganism in the sample remaining in the reduced volume reservoir; a reagent mixture introduced in the container, the reagent mixture including a lysing reagent to selectively lyse cells in the sample other than the microorganism; a waste reservoir coupled to the channel; a nutrient reservoir coupled to the channel; and a pump operably coupled to the nutrient reservoir, the pump configured to drive fluid flow from the nutrient reservoir into the container thereby causing the plunger-defined volume to increase by adding nutrients to the sample volume; wherein the reagent mixture is present in the container and in fluid communication with the sensor and the sample as the plunger is advanced from the first end of the container toward the second end of the container.