Patent ID: 7850908
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for detecting and identifying bacteria in a sample taken from the environment, comprising: (a) a collecting means for collecting a sample from the environment; (b) a means for purifying and concentrating the bacteria in said sample, said purifying and concentrating means connected to said collecting means; (c) a means for separating pili from the purified and concentrated bacteria in said sample, said separating means connected to said means for purifying and concentrating the bacteria; (d) a means for purifying and concentrating the separated pili in the sample based on size, said means for purifying and concentrating the separated pili connected to said means for separating pili from the bacteria; and (e) means for detecting the purified and concentrated pili and thereby detecting said bacteria, wherein the detecting means comprises: an electrospray assembly which receives the output from the purifying and concentrating means for placing a charge on the purified and concentrated pili under the influence of an electric field, a differential mobility analyzer which receives the output from the electrospray assembly for separating the charged pili according to size, and a condensation particle device for counting the number of sized pili received from the differential mobility analyzer, said detecting means connected to said means for purifying and concentrating the separated pili.