Patent ID: 8298786

Claim:
A method for the detection of bacterial load, the method comprising: adding a sample to be analysed to an analysis reagent in a suitable reaction container that is appropriately sterilised, wherein the reaction container is at a temperature between about 25 and about 45° C.; verifying a colour change of the analysis reagent; and once the verifying has been completed, adding a sterilising substance in the reaction container without opening the reaction container; wherein the analysis reagent is an aqueous solution comprising: from about 1 to about 100 g/l of at least one source of amino acids chosen from the group consisting of meat peptones, vegetable peptones, casein hydrolysates, tryptose, tryptones, and yeast extract; from about 0 to about 200 g/l of a buffer system suitable for maintaining the overall pH between about 5.5 and about 8.5; from about 0.03 to about 3 g/l of a redox indicator with a potential between about −250 and about +250 mV; a pH indicator with a colour change interval between a pH of about 5.5 and a pH of about 8.5; from about 0 to about 200 g/l of a selective agent for the detection of a specific class of bacteria; and an organic liquid compound that is not miscible with water and having a lower density than water and suitable for separating an aqueous phase from a gaseous phase existing prior to the verifying or formed during a reaction between the sample and the analysis reagent; calculating a time for the colour change to occur; and determining a concentration of the bacteria load present in the sample at least partially based on the time.