Non-enzyme based method for electronic monitoring of biological indicator

A sterilization indicator and microbial technology, applied in the direction of biochemical equipment and methods, chemical instruments and methods, microbial measurement/inspection, etc., can solve problems such as shortening incubation time

CN105143460AActive Publication Date: 2015-12-09AMERICAN STERILIZER CO
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2015-12-09

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Abstract

A sterilization indicator system and method of using the system to determine efficacy of a sterilization process. The system may include a vial having an optional first compartment and a second compartment comprising a growth medium comprising one or more of a disaccharide, an oligosaccharide or a polysaccharide capable of conversion to a monosaccharide by germinating spores of the one or more species of microorganism, the vial being free of the monosaccharide prior to use; a strip including two or more electrodes to oxidize the monosaccharide and to carry a resulting electrical signal, and an apparatus to detect and measure the electrical signal resulting from the oxidation. Spores of a suitable biological indicator may be disposed in the first compartment and / or on the strip.
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Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to biological indicators for testing the efficacy of sterilization treatments, and more particularly to non-enzyme-based methods of monitoring such biological indicators in which such monitoring can be performed electronically. Background technique

[0002] Biological indicators (BI) are one of the most important types of indicators. Biological indicators provide the highest degree of assurance that the conditions for sterilization are met within the processor or by the load being processed itself. This type of biological indicator is intended to represent a worst-case scenario for a treatment system by providing within or on the indicator a very large number of organisms that are highly resistant to the particular treatment in question. Often bacterial spores are the organism of choice for monitoring sterilization systems.

[0003] Biological indicators usually consist of microorganisms inoculated onto a carrier materia...

Examples

Embodiment approach

[0087] Accordingly, in one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method of determining the efficacy of a sterilization treatment. According to this embodiment, the method comprises the steps of:

[0088] exposing the sterilization indicator system of any preceding claim to a sterilizing agent in a sterilization process;

[0089] combining the contents of the first and second compartments and incubating the combined contents;

[0090] Expose the strip to the pooled contents before and / or during the incubation and oxidize any monosaccharides with two or more electrodes;

[0091] connecting the device to two or more electrodes;

[0092] Detecting and measuring any electrical signal produced by oxidation of two or more electrodes by means of a device connected to the two or more electrodes; and

[0093] The effectiveness of the sterilization treatment is determined by the presence or absence of an electrical signal.

[0094] The aforementioned methods can be implem...