Specification
Method for detecting, identifying and enumerating micro-organisms in
a porous support dry-impregnated wit11 a dehydrated reaction medium
5 The present invention relates generally to tlie field of niicrobiological analysis. More
particularly, it relates to a method for the detection, identification and/or enunleration of
microorganisn~s in a porous support dry-imnpregnated throughout its thickness by a
dehydrated reaction medium.
10 In the fields of clinical diagnostics and industrial ~nicrobiological control, foodprocessing,
phar~naceuticals or cosmetics, gelled culture media in petri dishes, no st
frequently agar media, have been an indispensable tool in the detection and
identification of pathogenic microorganis~nss ince the end of the 19"' century.
15 Several products have been made commercially available to replace a petri dish culture
medium. One of these, the petrifilngM system, comprising rehydratable nutrients, is
very widely used. Another system developed by Nissui Pharmaceutical, Compact
~ r y ' ~a,ls o consists of a dehydrated medium. These culture media have the advantage
that they can be preserved for longer than a ready-to-use agar culture medium. They
20 lnay also, as is the case for ~etrifilm'~b, e small in size and thus take up a small amount
of incubation space.
Thus, broadly speaking, there are two \vajrs to obtain a rehydratable culture nledium:
the first consists in placing the culture nledium in liquid for111 in the support, then drying
25 the whole thing, and
tlie second consists in adhering the culture nledium in dehydrated fornl to a support, so
as to immediately obtain a rehydratable culture medium.
The first method, namely obtaining rehydratable nutritive media manufactured
including a phase for wet impregnation of the nutrients, has been the subject of several
30 patent applications. Thus, patent applicatiotl CN102337324 describes a method in
which the nutritive broth is mixed \vitIi a chemical coniponent which evaporates rapidly.
Document W02005/061013 describes a marker dissolved in a solve~a~ntd deposited on
an absorbent layer, so as to detcct vaginitis. Mole recently, -. patellt application
US20130089887 describes a support, namely a thin membrane inipregnated with
clxomogenic andlor fluorogenic substrates dissolved in a solvent, placed in contact with
an agar medium.
5
Nonetheless, this method for dissolving in water or in a solvent has a negative impact
on the length of time for which the rehydratable culture medium can be preserved.
Indeed, placing certain fsagile products such as enzynies or enzy~iiatic or metabolic
substrates or antibiotics in suspension may have a severe impact on their overall
10 stability. The heating required to dry the culture medium may also denature, and render
ineffective, the heat-sensitive components of the reaction medium. This method in
aqueous phase also does not make it possible to control and vary the location of the
reaction medium andlor the various additives required for bacterial visualization.
15 In order to overcome the drawbacks of the culture media obtained by this method, the
second method proposes placing the nutritive powder directly onto the support without
a prior phase of'dissci"tvingsaid.powder.
Thus, 3M propose a dehydrated nutritive medium coated with adhesive and placed on a
film without having gone tlxougl~a prior phase of dissolving the medium. This device
20 consists of two parts, a bottom film and a top film, covered at their surface by certain
components of the dehydrated culture medium. At the time of the analysis, the satnple is
placed between these two films.
This device and the associated detection method, as described in application
WO 2009/082667, have several drawbacks.
25 First of all,-this-device requires,. for its manufacture, a step of adhering the dehydrated
nutrients to the films which have bad to be coated with adhesive beforehand. Following
this, the culhtre medium cannot de facto form a three-dimensional strt~cture with
; variable height and layered concentrations, since it is adhered to a film. Only one small
superficial layer of medium is therefore available. The volume of the liquid sample
30 required for tnicrobiological analysis may therefore not exceed 1 or 2 ml, which i~npacts
the tlxeshold for detection sensitivity. Then, the packaging of the petrifilmTM requires
the manufacturing of the bottom film and the top film together. It also does not make it
possible to have several difrerent culture media on the same device. Morcover, this
device has limited applications and cannot, for example, be used for taking swabs or as
a dressing. Finally, tlie petrifilniT" necessarily requires the input of an external operator
providing the aqueous sample.
5
On the other hand, in an earlier patent application FR1257047, the applicant proposcs a
nletliod for isolation, from a sample to be analyzed, on a culture medium that is
rehydratable in sihc, which makes it possible to obtain isolated colonies. This
rehydratable medium is covered with a membrane enabling colonies to be isolated.
10 Thus, tlie culture tnedium retnains sterile and the colonies develop on the membrane
which is just above said medium.
However, isolation of colonies, on an agar or non-agar support, is sometimes seen as a
constraint and is often incoinpatible with experiments carried out outside the laboratory
and/or by people having little knowledge and know-how in the field of microbiology.
15
In light of all the problems laid out above, the present invention proposes a novel
method for dete&m;fdt!n'Yification arid enumeration of microorganisms liable to be
contained in a sample.
20 Thus, one aim of the present invention is to provide a device comprising a dehydrated
medium improving detection sensitivity.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide a method for detection, identification
and enumeration of microorganisms without having to rely on isolation.
25 -.
Another aim of the present invet~tion is to provide a device and a method enabling
multi-detection, and thus to obtain, from tlie same sample to be analyzed and without
carrying out isolation, isolated, identifiable and countable cultures on different reaction
media present on the same device.
30
One aim of the invention is also to provide a pal-titularly flexible device and method.
The reaction ~nediunml ay be a more or less complex medium, which is chomogenic,
for example, or may be very simple, that is to say solely containing a limited number of
substrates (antibiotics, ~netabolics ubstrates, etc.). The device and the mnethod may also
have very varied modes of use, such as a swab, or an absorbent medium for visualizing
~iiicrobiacl ontaminations in dressings, sanitary pads or food packaging.
5
Another aim of the present invention is to provide a device wliich can be used by people
having little know-how in microbiology. Thus, the device may be rehydrated in one go
by the operator at the time of the analysis of the sample. Rehydration may also be
carried out in sit11 without the input of the operator, especially if the sample to be tested
10 is placed in proximity to the rehydratable reaction medium, allowing its gradual
rehydration. The sample to be analyzed may for example be an exudative \vouud or a
piece of meat and may produce a liquid liable to contain the microorganisms to be
detected.
15 Another aim of the present invention is to provide a device which itself serves for the
collection of the sample, such as a swab.
, ,..
One aim of the present invention is to provide a device, the production and sale of
which are facilitated by the fact that the porous support dry-impregnated by a reaction
20 medium is produced independently of its packaging.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide a device in which a concentration
gradient of the reaction substrates is created, thereby enabling the amount of these
substrates to be limited, and the production cost of the device to be limited.
25
Other aims will become apparent upon reading the present application.
The present invention therefore aims to achieve all or some of the abovementioned
aims.
30
Consequently, a subject of the present invention is a method for the detection and/or
identification and/or enumeration of at least one target microorgat~ismin a sample liable
to contain it, co~nprisingth e following steps:
(a) providing a device for the detection and/or identification and/or enumeration of
microorganisms comprising a porous support conlprising reaction mediunl
powder tlxougl~out its thickness, said porous support having been d~yitnpregnated
throughout its thickness by a dehydrated reaction mediuni,
5 (b) placing a sample in contact with the porous support,
(c) incubating the device,
(d) detecting andlor identifying and/or enumerating the colony or colonies of
microorganistns within the porous support, when the microorganisn~ss ought are present
in the sanlple.
10
According to the invention, the device is dry-impregnated thoughout its thickness by a
dehydrated reaction medium. The incorporation of pulverulent materials into porous
supports may be carried out according to at least four techniques:
- use of a vacuum pump as described in patent US 5,213,843;
15 - mechanically vibrating the potous support itself, on which the powder has been
placed, by any vibrating system, the vibrations making it possible to cause the powder
to penetrate more or'less deeply,
- use of an electrostatic field;
- ultrasonic vibration, sitnultaneous to the application of the powder, using an
20 ultrasound generator which causes a sonotrode to vibrate, as described in patent
application FR 2866578. When the porous product passes tinder the sonotrode, the
action of the latter vibrates the powder pasticlcs, and they then penetrate into the
cavities of the porous substance.
25 Preferentially, -the method for manufacturing the porous support dry-impregnated
throughout its thickness comprises a step of vibrating the powder particles by means of
an electric field. Preferentially, this is an alternating electric field. Patent EP 1.028.836
describes the impregnation of textiles (nonwoven, woven, etc.) by applying an
alternating electric field between two systems of electrodes, between which the powvder-
30 covered textile is located. The powder particles, which become electrically charged,
sta1.t to vibrate at the frequency of the alternating field. Thus, surprisingly, this
teclmiqae may be used to dly-impregnate a porous suppost with a dehydrated reaction
mncdium. The n~ovenlents of the particles therefore enable their penetration into the
pores of the support. The particles have penetrated tlie porous support at depth,
tl~sougl~ootuhte thickness of the support.
Thus, the zones of the support that are impregnated with nlediunl are impregnated
5 throughout tlie thickness of the support, since the powder bas passed through the
thickness of the porous support. Thus, at least all or some of the porous support
comprises a reaction medium in powder form tl~roughouti ts thickness, with some zones
on the support nonetheless being able to be devoid of any medium, such as for example
the perimeter of the support.
10
The degree of impregnation of the particles though the thickness of the support rnay be
controlled, for example homogeneously, in a localized malltier or as a gradient,
depending on the characteristics of the materials present (s~~pposatsn d powders), but
also the characteristics of the method enlployed (intensity of the electric field, treatment
15 time, fsequency, etc.).
The support may be impregnated sequentially over time, which enables better
impregnation. Thus; 'the impregnation with gelling agent may take place before the
impregnation with reaction medium.
20 Dry inlpregnation of a dehydrated mediunl throughout the thickness of a porous support
docs not require the use of water and enables the location of the particles to be
controlled. Moreover, it enables flexibility though the thickness of the impregnated
layer by enabling different zones to be defined through the thich~ess, which are in
different amounts and arc of different natures.
25 Advantageously, .a-.concentration gradient of tlie reaction substrates is created in tlie
porous support, thereby making it possible to limit the amoutlt of these substrates arld to
limit the production cost of the device. It lnay also be chosen to have a porous support
comprising one type of substrate distributed ho~nogcneouslp and another type. of
substrate distributed in a gradient. Advantageoosly, the support is impregnated
30 thoughout its thickness by a nutritive medium and superficially by chomoge~lic
substsates. In another embodiment, the substrates arc encapsulated, enabling their
sequential release after incubation of the device. Thus, this embodiment has the
advantage of limiting the use of the substrates by avoiding their dilution in the
nutritional nledium during rehydration of the medium.
Similarly, a selective agent such as an antibiotic nlay also be encapsulated. This
embodinlent is particularly advantageous since it rnakes it possible to postpone placing
5 the contents (comprising a small amount of target microorganisms, if the latter are
present) in contact with the selective agent intended to orient the growth of the
microorganistns toward that of the rilicroorganisms being sought. Thus, the
n~icroorganismsin the microbial stress phase are not directly placed in contact with the
selective agent, the latter carrying a risk, at this stage, of either slowing down the
10 growth of said microorganisn~sa nd hence increasing the time needed for analysis, or of
completely inhibiting the growth of said microorganisn~s and thus preventing their
detection/identification. This is because the target microorganisn~s are said to be
"stressed" when they are present in the sample to be analyzed. The microorganisms
(including the target microorganisms) need a certain amount of time to adapt to the
15 conditions existing within the porous support. In their "stressed" state, the target
microorgat~isms are particularly sensitive, especially to the presence of selective agents
such as antibiotics.
Thus, the porous support may comprise different reaction media. These reaction media
20 are located in different zones of the support. These zones may co~~espontod veitical
zones and therefore to the thickness of the support, andlor correspond to horizontal
zones of the support. The porous support may therefore have, in one zone, several
reaction media, such as for example a culture medium and a visualization medium. The
device may also have one or more reaction media arranged in different zones of one or
25 more porous suppoltsj. each of these zones having reaction medium distributed
throughout the thickness of the support.
In practice, several parameters may influence carrying out this method, ;such as,
principally:
30 - the texture of the network of fibers or filaments, or generally speaking of the
porous support used;
- the pl~ysicochemicapl roperties of the powders, such as the nature or the pa~ticle
size of the powder;
- the duration of the treatment, tllc intensity of tile electric field and also the
frequency of the electric field.
5 It will therefore be necessary to adapt these parameters so as to enable satisfactory dry
impregnation of the reaction medium in the porous support.
Preferentially, the amount of reaction medium, in powder for~n, impregnated in the
porous support is between 0.01 g/cmn3 and 0.1 g/cmn3, preferably between 0.02 g/c1113 and
0.09 g/cm3, more preferentially between 0.03 g/cm3 and 0.06 g/cm3.
10 Preferentially, when the reaction medium comprises a culture mediutn and optionally a
visualizatioll medium, the amount of impregnated reaction tneditun, in powder form, is
between 0.01 &rn3 and 0.09 g/cm3, more preferentially between 0.03 g/cm3 and 0.06
g/cm3. Thus, an advantage of the present invention is to enable optimized growth,
especially due to the excess amount of culture medium which thereby alleviates
15 of nutsient competition among the ~nicroorganisms.
Preferentially, when the reaction medium comprises a visualization medium without
culture medium,lfre-amaunt Ofimpregnated reaction medium, in powder form, is much
lower and is between 0.10 mg/cm3 and 10 mg/cm3.
20 According to the invention, the porous suppost is placed in contact with the sample.
In one embodiment of the invention, the sa~npleis aqueous and will enable rehydration
of the reaction medium contained in the porous support.
25 According to another embodiment, a suitable volume of liquid is added to the sample
andlor to the porous support in order to rehydrate the reaction medium, when the sample
is not aqueous or is insufficiently aqueous.
In practice, those skilled it1 the a ~wt i ll choose the suitable volume of liquid or of
30 aqueous sample as a function of its viscosity and of the diameter of the porous support,
so as to rehydrate the medium and enable the growth of the microorganisms.
Advantageously, the rehydration of tlie porous support requires a volume of liquid or of
aqueous satnple of greater than 2 1111, preferentially greater than 3 ml, even Inore
preferentially greater than 4 till, which makes it possible to improve detection sensitivity
when the microorganisms are at a low concentration in the sample.
5
According to the present invention, the sample may conlprise a prior step of
preparation, concentration or dilution of the sample.
According to the invention, rehydration of the support rnay be carried out with or
10 without operator intervention.
The aqueous sample may be added manually by means of a pipette or auton~aticallyi nto
the device. It may also be contained in at least one reservoir integrated into the device
and/or in channels enabling rehydration of the porous support. It then spreads through
the support simply by pressing on the reservoir.
15 Advantageously, the sample is placed in contact with the porous support by placing it
under the porous support. Thus, rehydration takes place via the lower and/or lateral
portion, prefei%%iy -.uix-Yhe. lower portion. This operating procedure enables
homogeneous hydration of the whole porous support and especially avoids nutrients
and/or substrates from being drawn, by the liquid or the aqueous sample, into the lower
20 portion of the device. Advantageously, this operating procedure enables the method
according to the invention to be carried out in space by solving the problem linked to
the absence of gravity for the sample and/or the liquid.
In one embodiment, there is no human intervention arid the aqueous sample originates
directly from a zone producing the liquid to be tested. This nlap be, for example, an
25 exudative wound or foodstt~ffsw hich release liquids during their storage. The sample,
by its very nature, will release some of its constituent liquids which will, over tirne,
soak into the porous support. The zone producing the sanlple to be tested may also be a
perineal zone of hutnans or animals excreting urine. The porous support is then placed
in proximity to this zone and is impregnated gradually by the aqaeous sanlple produced.
30 In another embodiment, tlie satnple is placed in contact with the porous support by
taking the sample using the porous support. The porous support is thus used as a swab
and the operator must place the latter in a tube containing a suitable atnount of liquid if
the sample is not aqueous or is insufficiently aqueous.
The device is subsequently incubated in situ (in the case of dressings, sanitary pads,
5 etc.) or in an incubator for a sufficient length of time to enable the detection of
tnicrobial colonies within the porous support.
According to one preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention is a
detection method which may be carried out by visual or optical reading of the porous
support.
10
Tlie invention also relates to a device comprising a porous support dry-impregnated
throughout its thickness with a dehydrated reaction mediuni enabling the visualization
of colonies of microorganisms within said support, said porous support being
calendered.
15 The porous support has been dry-impregnated throughout its thickness, that is to say
that when a reaction medium is present at a location of the support, it is present in this
zone thougho~-thetMcknesosf the support.
The porous support has undergone a calendering operation. Calendering, though the
pressure and heating temperature generated, enables. stable maintenance and retention
20 over time of the dehydrated reaction tnediutn in the porous support by ensuring tlie
retention of the different elements such as nutritive elements in the porous support. It
also makes it possible to obtain a completely smooth and planar upper surface of tlie
porous support,
Preferentially, calendering is carried out at a temperature higher than room temperature,
25 preferentially ata 300
colonies
49/57/61
2 300
colonies
0
0
453
The porotis supports \vere impregnated by the following tnedia:
- MH2 (Muller Hinton 2) + xanthan alliance gum pharnia
- MH2 + xanthan alliance gum phamla + 1.5 mgfl ciprofloxacin
- MH2 + xattthan alliance gum pharma
5 - CPS3 + xanthan alliance gum pharma
- CPS3 + xanthau alliance gun1 pharma + 1.5 mg/l ciprofloxacin
Strains tested:
- Protells nrirnbilis API 8803099, ADM AP3, MIC: 0.125
10 - Protetis ~nirribilisA PI 8803080, ADM JS10, MIC: 0.25
- Protetis nrirubilis API 9406037, bioM6rieux collection, MIC: 4
- Prote~cs~ ~~ilgaArPiIs 8803017, ADM CQ11, MIC: 0.125
- Psezidomonus uerrigiriosn API 9405061, bioM6rieux collection, MIC: 0.125
- Psetidor~ronnns erriginosn AP17509005, ATCC 25853, MIC: 0.5
15 - Pseridorirorias aerrigi~iosuA PI 941 0075, MIC: 16
- Pser~dornonusu erugirioso API 9405063, MIC: 4
Method:
To produce the agar media, a liter of water is added to the test specimen of the d ~ y
20 mediunn, i.e. 38.3 g for Chro~nlD CPS3 and 41.57 g for the Muller Hinton 2 medium.
The dry medium is then dissolved with magnetic stirring, brought to the boil then
sterilized by autoelaving. After cooling the agar tnediutn to 55OC, the ciprofloxacin
sterilized by filtration is added to the agar medium at a concentration of 1.5 mg/l.
To carry out impregnation according to the present itiverltion of the dry media MH2 and
25 Cham ID CPS3, a -test specimen of the dry medium corresponding to the manufacture
of one liter of medium is taken, i.e. 26 g for Clxom ID CPS3 and 26.07 g for the Muller
Hinton 2 medium, to which test specimen xanthan (20 g) and, if appropriate,
ciprofloxacin (1.5 g) are added. The whole thing is theit mixed together in a turbulaB.
The porous supports are then impregnated with the culture nmedia powders as described
30 above and sterilized by gaulnla radiation between 10 and 17 kGy.
Conclusion
In this example, the Muller Hinton and ChrornID CPS3 agar niedia with or without
5 1.5 gll ciprofloxacin were compared to the porous supports acco~ding to the present
invention impregnated with the same lnedia with or without 1.5 gll ciprofloxacin for
three strains of Protells ntirrrbilis, one strain of Proferrs vlilg(iris and four strains of
Psezrdorrtor~rrsc rerrtgil~osaA. ll these strains had an MIC around the value of 1.5 mg/l of
ciprofloxacin. The strains with an MIC of less than 1.5 mg/l (P~.ole~~rs~ i ~ a b iAl iPsI:
10 8803099, Protetis r~rirabilis: API 8803080, Proterrs 1vr1gcn.i~: API 8803017,
Pselrdorrtonas rrerlrgiliosa: AP1 9405061, Psetrdor~tonos rrerllginosa: API 7509005) do
not grow on MH2 agar media + substrates + ciprofloxacin (1.5 mg/l) and ChromID
CPS3 wit11 ciprofloxacin added (1.5 mg/l). Similarly, these "ciprofloxacin-sensitive"
strains, for an MIC of 1.5 n~g/ld, o not grow either on the porous supports impregnated
15 with ChromID CPS3 media and MH2 + substrate in the presence of 1.5 mg/l
ciprofloxacin. The results obtained on agar media and on porous supports impregnated
according to the present invention are therefore consistent with one another. All these
strains grow on MH2 + substrate or Cl~om1DC PS3 agar media and on porous supports
impregnated by MH2 + substrate and ChromID CPS3 media.
20 The strains with an MIC of greater than 1.5 mgll (Proferrs mirobilis: API 9406037,
Pseudor~toliusa ertrginoso: API 9410075, Psetrdornonas aerlrgilzosa: M I9 40506) grow
on all the agar or impregnated media, with or without ciprofloxacin (1.5 dl). These
results confirm that it is possible to produce culture lnedia according to the present
invention containing small amounts of active agents such as chromogenic substrates or
25 antibiotics.
Claims
1 A method for the detection and/or identification and/or ellu~nerationo f at least
5 one target microorganism in a sanlple liable to contain it, comprising the following
steps:
(a) providing a device for the detection and/or identification and/or enumeration of
tl~icroorganisms comprising a porous support comprising reaction medium
powder throughout its thickness, said porous support having been
10 dry-impregnated throughout its thickness by a dehydrated reaction medium,
(b) placing a sample in contact with the porous support,
(c) incubating the device,
(d) detecting andlor identifying and/or enumerating the colony or colonies of
microorga~lisn~wsi thin the porous support, when the microorganisms sought are present
15 in the sample.
2 The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a prior step of preparation,
dilution or concentration of the sample.
20 3 The method as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein step b) is carried
out by placing the sample under the porous support.
4 The method as claimed in either one of claims I and 2, wherein step b) is carried
out by taking the sanlple using the porous snpport.
25
5 The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when the
sample is not aqueous or is insufliciently aqueous, a suitable volume of liquid is added
to the sample andor to the porous support in order to rehydrate the reaction medium.
30 6 A device comprising a porous support comprising at least one dehydrated
reaction medium in powder form distributed throughout the thickness of the porous
support, said porous support having a thickness of between 0.5 and 2 mm and being
calendered.
7 The device as claimed in clairn 6, characterized in that at least one reaction
medium in po~vder form is homogeneously distributed through the thich~ess of the
porous support.
5
8 Tlie device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that at least one reaction
medium in powder form is distributed in a graduated maluler through the thickness of
the porous support.
10 9 The device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that it comprises at least two
different reaction media in powder form distributed in at least two layers, said support
comprising, at a given point through the thickness, one or the other culture medium.
10 The device as claimed in any one of tlie preceding claims, wherein the reaction
15 medium is a visualization medium and/or a culture medium.
11 The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein tlie reaction
medium comprises at least one gelling agent, the amount of which is between 1 mg/cm2
and 2 mg/cm2.
20
12 The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the amou~iot f
reaction medium impregnated in the porous support is between 0.10 tng/cm3 and 0.1
g/c~n3p, referably between 0.01 g/cm3 and 0.09 g/cmn3.
25 13 The device comprising a plurality of porous suppo~tsa s described in claims 6 to
12.
14 The device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 13, \vherein the porous'support
is integrated into a dressing, a bandage, a sanitary pad or an item of food packaging.
30
15 The device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 13 comprising a rod, at the end
of which said porous support is fixed.
16 The device as claimed in any one of clai~ns6 to 15, characterized in that the
medium is a culture medium for detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococci.
17 The use of a device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 16 for detecting andfor
5 identifying andlor enumerating at least one target microorganism in a sample liable to
contain it.
18 . The use of a device as claimed in claim 14 as a dressing.
10 19 Tlie use of a device as claimed in claim 14 as a sanitary pad.
20 The use of a device as claimed in claim 14 as packaging k r foodstuffs.
2 1 The use of a device as claimed in claim 15 as a swab.