Patent ID: 7312071

Claim:
A cartridge for detecting microorganisms, comprising: an intake or receptacle through which a fluid or a gas enters said cartridge or is added to said cartridge; a filtering means through which said fluid or gas passes and retains microorganisms present in said fluid or gas; an exhaust chamber, wherein said filtering means is interposed between said intake or receptacle and said exhaust chamber; a medium reservoir on a side of said filtering means opposite said retained microorganisms, comprising a microbial growth medium and a reservoir breakable seal; a plunger means, wherein pressure placed on said plunger means: (i) engages a hermetic seal between said medium reservoir and filtering means; (ii) breaks said reservoir breakable seal and forces growth medium through said filtering means in a direction opposite of flow of said fluid or gas; and (iii) backwashes said microorganisms from said filtering means and suspends said microorganisms in said growth medium; an incubation chamber for incubating and growing said microorganisms; a thermally conductive surface for controlling the temperature of said incubation chamber; an incubation chamber breakable seal through which said growth medium passes into a test chamber for detecting said microorganisms; a detection means within said test chamber; wherein said detection means determines the presence or absence of said microorganism without killing said microorganisms or inhibiting said growth; and a transmission means; wherein said presence or absence of said microorganism is reported via said transmission means to an assay analyzer.