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Title: Anaerobic microbe transport assembly and method of using
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. An assembly for maintaining anaerobic microorganisms, which comprises; a. a first tubular container having hermetically sealed ends and which defines a hermetically sealed chamber; b. means disposed in said chamber for removing gaseous oxygen; c. a second tubular container having a closed end and an open end and which defines a compartment, said second container being mounted on said first container so that there is no communication between said chamber and said compartment, said compartment being in open communication with the atmosphere outside of said chamber; d. means of hermetically sealing said open end at will; and e. means of establishing communication between said chamber and said compartment when said open end is hermetically sealed. 2. The assembly of claim 1 which additionally comprises a detector for indicating the presence of oxygen, disposed in said chamber. 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for removing gaseous oxygen comprises gaseous hydrogen and a catalyst which promotes the formation of water from gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen. 4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said catalyst is palladium. 5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said catalyst is palladium on a support carrier. 6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said second tubular container is mounted on an inner wall defining said chamber. 7. The assembly of claim 1 which additionally comprises a swab withdrawably positioned in said compartment. 8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein one of the hermetically sealed ends of said first container comprises an elastomeric, sealing plug having a bore therethrough, said open end of said second container is frictionally held by the walls of said bore and the means for hermetically sealing said open end comprises a rigid closure member slidably mounted in the bore above said open end, said member forming a sliding-seal with the inner walls of said bore. 9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said closure member includes a swab attached to one end thereof, said swab extending into the open end of said second container when said closure member seals said open end. 10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said closure member also additionally comprises said means for establishing communication. 11. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said means for establishing communication comprises a rod communicating between the inside and the outside of said chamber and which when pressed against said second container disengages said second container from its mount on said first container. 12. An assembly for transporting anaerobic microorganisms, which comprises, a. a first tubular container having one closed end and one open end and which defines a chamber; b. an elastomeric plug hermetically sealing said open end, and having a bore therethrough communicating between said chamber and the outside atmosphere; c. means disposed in said chamber for removing gaseous oxygen; d. a second tubular container having an open end and a closed end, the open end of said second container being detachably mounted in the lower end of said bore with the closed end of said second container extending into said chamber, said second container defining a compartment; and e. a rigid closure member engaged in a sliding-seal with the inner walls of the upper end of said bore, said closure being adapted to move downward to displace said second tubular container. 13. A method of maintaining viability in collected anaerobic microorganisms, which comprises; providing an assembly, which comprises: a first tubular container having hermetically sealed ends and which defines a hermetically sealed chamber; means disposed in said chamber for removing gaseous oxygen; a second tubular container having a closed end and an open end and which defines a compartment, said second container being mounted on said first container so that there is no communication between said chamber and said compartment, said compartment being in open communication with the atmosphere outside of said chamber; means of hermetically sealing said open end; and means of establishing communication between said chamber and said compartment when said open end is hermetically sealed; depositing a clinical specimen suspected of harboring anaerobic organisms into said compartment; hermetically sealing the open end of said compartment; and establishing communication between said chamber and said compartment when said open end is hermetically sealed; and activating means for removing gaseous oxygen from said chamber. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said means for removing gaseous oxygen is simultaneously activated by establishment of communication between said compartment and said chamber. 15. The method of claim 13 wherein said organism is Bacteroides melaninogenicus. 16. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Peptostreptococcus anaerobius. 17. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Fusobacterium necrophorum. 18. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Clostridium innocum. 19. The method of claim 13 wherein said organism is Clostridium perfringens. 20. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Clostridium ramosum. 21. The method of claim 13 wherein said organism is Fusobacterium nucleatum. 22. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Peptococcus magnus. 23. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Bacteroides fragilis ss. fragilis. 24. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Bacteroides fragilis ss. thetaiotaomicron. 25. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Eubacterium lentum. 26. The method of claim 13 wherein said anaerobe is Streptococcus intermedius. Other info: Inventors: Wilkins, Tracy Dale (Blacksburg, VA, US) Jimenez-Ulate, Franklin (Blacksburg, VA, US) Application Number: 570641 Filing Date: 1975-04-23 Publication_date: 1976-02-17 Assignee: Virginia Polytechnic Institute Educational Foundation, Inc. (Blacksburg, VA) Primary Class(es): 435/30 435/288.1, 435/304.1, 435/309.1, 600/572 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Tanenholtz, Alvin E. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Kane, Dalsimer, Kane, Sullivan and Kurucz |
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