Patent ID: 8409850

Claim:
A microorganism testing device for measuring a microorganism included in food, said microorganism testing device comprising a measurement chip for holding a specimen including bacteria and a dyeing reagent in said chip, a holder for holding said measurement chip, and a delivery device for delivering said specimen and said dyeing reagent through a chip connecting tube connected to said measurement chip, which testing device irradiates a specimen in said measurement chip with excitation light to detect said bacteria as an electric signal, wherein said measurement chip is held in a standing state by said holder, and wherein said measurement chip includes: a specimen container for holding said specimen; a reaction container for mixing said specimen and a dyeing reagent for reaction into a liquid mixture; a bacteria detection portion including a flow path being irradiated with said excitation light; a detection liquid waste container into which said liquid mixture which has passed said bacteria detection portion enters; a solution flow path which connects said specimen container, said reaction container, and said bacteria detection portion, and in which said specimen and said liquid mixture flow; and a ventilation port which is connected to said specimen container, said reaction container, and said detection liquid waste container through a air flow path and is connected to said chip connecting tube, wherein the highest point of said solution flow path connecting said specimen container and said reaction container is configured to be higher than a water level of the specimen in said specimen container, wherein the highest point of said solution flow path connecting said reaction container and said bacteria detection portion is configured to be higher than a water level of the liquid mixture in said reaction container, and wherein said microorganism testing device is configured such that a portion of the specimen is flowed continuously through said bacteria detection portion so that bacteria in said specimen are detected in said bacteria detection portion by applying pressure to said specimen container, said reaction container, and said detection liquid waste container from said delivery device through said ventilation port, by switching of the states of said specimen container, said reaction container, and said detection liquid waste container between a sealed state and a state open to the atmospheric pressure, by moving said specimen to said reaction container to mix said specimen and said dyeing reagent in said reaction container, and by moving of said liquid mixture to said detection liquid waste container through said bacteria detection portion.