The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 28, 1992
Filed:
May. 15, 1989
Zairani Zakaria, Charlotte, NC (US);
Edwin D Neas, Charlotte, NC (US);
CEM Corporation, Matthews, NC (US);
Abstract
A process for rapidly sterilizing biological media, such as broths and gels used as incubation or growth media to test the presence of microorganisms, such as bacteria, includes applying microwave radiation to such an aqueous biological medium contained in a microwave transmissive pressure retaining container, such as a capped cylinder made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which cap is preferably equipped with ports, by directing the microwave radiation responsive to container pressure through the container and onto the medium in such amount that the pressure in the container and the temperature of the medium are raised above ambient pressure and temperature, and maintaining such raised pressure and temperature for a short time, usually less than ten minutes, which is sufficient to sterilize the medium. In a preferred operation the microwave heating at elevated pressure and temperature takes place for about five minutes, the microwave heating of the medium takes place in a radiation confining chamber of a microwave apparatus, a plurality of containers for the biological medium is present in such chamber, which are kept in motion by an oscillating turntable, the pressure is controlled and monitored, and after sterilization is complete the medium is controllably cooled and is poured out into an incubating container, such as a Petri dish, or into a plurality of such containers.