JP2006343272A - Filter for microorganism inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a filter for microorganism inspection, capable of carrying out a high-accuracy observation or counting. <P>SOLUTION: The filter is equipped with a membrane filter 4 for catching microorganisms and a support screen 5 having small pores for filtration. A filter guide 11 having a large number of projections is positioned on the surface of the support screen 5 having the small pores for filtration, such that the tip or a portion of each projection is in contact with or proximity to the support screen 5 of the filter for microorganism inspection. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a microorganism testing apparatus capable of coloring microorganisms and measuring microorganisms at a time from a sample in which a plurality of types of microorganisms, that is, microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi may be attached or mixed. The present invention relates to a filtration device for collecting water and a filtration method thereof.

As a filtration apparatus for extracting microorganisms, an apparatus configuration as shown in FIG. 5 is known (Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-52850).
Details of the filtration unit 2 are shown in FIG. The membrane filter 4 is connected between the funnel 1 for pouring liquid and the branch flask 3 by a fixed scissors 8 (FIG. 5). For example, a support screen 5 made of SUS304 is fixed to the branch flask 3, and the membrane filter 4 is filtered. The support screen 5 has a structure having a large number of small holes in a disk so that vacuum filtration is possible.

The liquid containing microorganisms poured into the funnel 1 is sucked from the branch flask 3 with a vacuum source such as a vacuum pump, and the microorganisms are collected on the membrane filter 4.
When filtration is performed with such a filtration device, the liquid to be filtered passes through the membrane filter 4 and the support screen 5 and is dropped into the branch flask 3 but is not completely eliminated, as shown in FIG. The liquid 7 remains on the back surface of the support screen 5.
When the filtration is completed, an attempt is made to return from the reduced pressure state to the atmospheric state, so that air flows from the branch flask 3 to the funnel 1 and at the same time, the remaining liquid 7 returns to the membrane filter 4. is there.
JP-A-5-52850

  In a microbiological inspection device that can collect microorganisms on a membrane filter, add a reagent, and measure the microorganisms at once by fluorescence development, if the filtration when collecting on the membrane filter is insufficient, , Because the liquid remains on the membrane filter, the excitation light that causes the bacteria to fluoresce can not be sufficiently irradiated, and the counting performance deteriorates, making it difficult to focus on the automatic focusing mechanism (later, autofocus). In addition, since the fluorescent image is blurred, there is a problem in that the counting performance of microorganisms is deteriorated.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention relates to a filtration apparatus using a membrane filter for collecting microorganisms and a filtration method. In order to improve autofocus performance, the liquid drainage of filtration is improved. The device for sucking and filtering a microorganism detection filter composed of a membrane filter and a support screen is provided with a needle-like protrusion so that the liquid is sucked along the needle.

  That is, in the main embodiment, the present invention relates to a membrane filter for collecting microorganisms in a filtration device for microorganism testing for filtration treatment performed in a pretreatment step of a microorganism counting device that performs image analysis of microorganisms. A support screen having a small hole for filtration, and a filtration guide having a large number of protrusions on the surface of the support screen having a small hole for filtration, and a tip or a part of the protrusion Is configured to be in contact with or in the vicinity of the support screen of the filter for detecting microorganisms.

  According to the present invention, liquid remaining due to filtration can be prevented, and the membrane filter fixed on the support screen can be flattened to eliminate blurring and focus shift of a fluorescent image due to autofocus, so that the accuracy is high. There is provided a filtration apparatus for microbiological examination that enables observation or counting.

  Hereinafter, the filtration device for microorganism testing according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiment thereof.

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a filtration device for microorganism testing according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the positional relationship, and FIG. 2 shows the assembled state.
The same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 indicate the same components and perform substantially the same functions, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  Reference numeral 11 denotes a filtration guide, which has a structure in which a large number of needle-like bars 11 a protrude from the surface of the support screen 5, for example. A detailed view is shown in FIG. The filtration guide 11 is located between the microorganism detection filter and the branch flask 3, and when the funnel 1 and the branch flask 3 are sandwiched between fixed scissors, the needle 11a of the filtration guide 11 is used as a microorganism detection filter. The support screen 5 is fixed in contact with the back surface. However, these needles have dimensions that pass through the support screen 5 and do not reach the membrane filter 4.

With such a configuration, when vacuum filtration is performed and suction is performed, the liquid remains on the back surface of the support screen 5 as in the apparatus of FIGS. 5 to 7. However, as shown in FIG. Is drawn into the flask side.
Since the suctioned liquid does not go up when the filtration ends and the pressure rises from the reduced pressure state to the atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the liquid on the support screen 5 from remaining.
Further, in the first embodiment, the needle shape is used. However, it is sufficient that the support screen is in contact with a point or a line, and the tip may be spherical, or the tip may be deformed onto a bow.

  By using the filtration device according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the liquid due to filtration from remaining, and the membrane filter fixed on the support screen can be flattened, thereby eliminating blurring and focus shift of the fluorescent image due to autofocus. Highly accurate observation or counting becomes possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view for explaining the positional relationship between components in an embodiment of a microorganism testing filtration device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual cross-sectional view illustrating each constituent element in a use state (assembled state) in the embodiment of the microorganism testing filtration device according to the present invention in FIG. 1. It is a perspective view explaining the support screen employ | adopted with the filtration apparatus for microorganisms tests which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual sectional view explaining an operation and a function about an embodiment of a filtration device for microbe inspection concerning the present invention of Drawing 1. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the conventional filtration apparatus. It is sectional drawing explaining the filtration part of the conventional filtration apparatus. It is sectional drawing explaining the conventional filtration apparatus for extracting microorganisms.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Funnel 2 Filtration part 3 Branched flask 4 Membrane filter 5 Support screen 7 Liquid 11 Filtration guide

Claims (1)

In the filtration device for microorganism inspection for the filtration treatment performed in the pretreatment step of the microorganism counting device for performing the image analysis of the microorganisms,
A membrane filter for collecting microorganisms;
With a support screen with small holes for filtration,
Position a filtration guide with a number of protrusions on the surface of the support screen having small holes for filtration,
A filtration apparatus for microbiological examination, characterized in that a tip or a part of the projection is in contact with or in the vicinity of a support screen of a microbe detection filter.

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