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:
Jul. 13, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Robert S Ledley, Silver Spring, MD (US);
Other;
Abstract
Very rapid diagnosis and sensitivity testing can significantly stem the growing Tuberculosis epidemic in the United States, caused by susceptible AIDs patients and the occurrence of antibiotic resistant mycobacilli. Thus I have invented an automated computerized microscope, the ATBD unit, and slide module to diagnose and test patient's sputum by examining individual living mycobacteria from the patient sample with no culturing required. The diagnosis and sensitivity testing is accomplished in minutes or hours, instead of the current weeks to months. The system inserts a plasmid, specific for M. tuberculosis, carrying the luciferase gene into the mycobacteria by improved electroporesis on the slide. Luminescence indicates tuberculosis. Then the mycobacteria are bathed in antibiotics, and if the luminescence is not turned off, the patient's bacteria are resistant. A phage carrying the luciferase gene can also be used to infect the M.TB. Finally, the invention can be applied to any mycobacteriological infection to do diagnosis sensitivity testing even when the species is not known.