Patent ID: 8619257
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: A61B,A61K,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A portable device for detecting the presence or amount of a pathogenic bacterium that is a source of a hospital acquired infection comprising: a portable enclosure containing a power source, an optical detector, a signal processor, and a signaling device for emitting a signal upon detection of the pathogenic bacterium in an environment; a connecting device for attaching the enclosure to the clothing or body of a wearer; a fiber optic cable for inserting into the environment, the fiber optic cable being in optical communication with the optical detector, the fiber optic cable extending for a length exterior to the enclosure; and a delivery vehicle on at least a portion of the exterior surface of the fiber optic cable, the delivery vehicle containing a recombinant bacteriophage carrying exogenous genetic material encoding a protein that directly or indirectly produces an optically detectable signal.