Granted Patent B2

US 8,877,818 · App. 11/804,879 · Granted Nov 4, 2014

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. A method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in a flow path of a microfluidic device, comprising:

a) flowing an amount of an antimicrobial composition within said flow path, wherein said antimicrobial composition includes:

i. an antimicrobially active agent of an alcohol between about 10% and about 55% by volume selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, N-propanol, isopropanol, 2-butanol, n-butanol and isobutanol, and a ketone between about 2% and about 35% by volume selected from the group consisting of acetone, 2-butanone, cyclohexanone, 2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, 2-hexanone, 3-hexanone, methyl isobutyl ketone, cyclobutanone, and cyclopentanone, said alcohol and said ketone being the only effective antimicrobially active components in said antimicrobial composition; and

ii. an inactive agent comprising water, wherein said alcohol and said ketone remain miscible in said water; and

b) contacting said viable microorganisms in said flow path of said microfluidic device with said antimicrobial composition; and

c) killing viable microorganisms in said flow path by greater than a 2-log 10 order within a time period of fifteen minutes of contacting said viable microorganisms with said antimicrobial composition.

2. The method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in the flow path of claim 1 , wherein said amount of alcohol is between about 30% and about 50% by volume, and wherein said amount of ketone is between about 10% and about 30% by volume.

3. The method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in the flow path of claim 1 , wherein said antimicrobial composition is selected from the group consisting of:

a) methanol about 50%, acetone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

b) methanol about 50%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

c) methanol about 50%, cyclohexanone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

d) ethanol about 50%, acetone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

e) ethanol about 50%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

f) ethanol about 50%, cyclohexanone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

g) isopropanol about 50%, acetone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

h) isopropanol about 50%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

i) isopropanol about 50%, cyclohexanone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

j) N-propanol about 50%, acetone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

k) N-propanol about 50%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

l) N-propanol about 50%, cyclohexanone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

m) 2-butanol (SBA) about 50%, acetone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

n) 2-butanol (SBA) about 50%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

o) 2-butanol (SBA) about 50%, cyclohexanone about 10%, and water 40% v/v;

p) methanol about 30%, acetone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

q) methanol about 30%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

r) methanol about 30%, cyclohexanone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

s) ethanol about 30%, acetone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

t) ethanol about 30%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

u) ethanol about 30%, cyclohexanone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

v) isopropanol about 30%, acetone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

w) isopropanol about 30%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

x) isopropanol about 30%, cyclohexanone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

y) N-propanol about 30%, acetone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

z) N-propanol about 30%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

aa) N-propanol about 30%, cyclohexanone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

bb) 2-butanol (SBA) about 30%, acetone about 30%, and water 40% v/v;

cc) 2-butanol (SBA) about 30%, 2-butanone (MEK) about 30%, and water 40% v/v; and

dd) 2-butanol (SBA) about 30%, cyclohexanone about 30%, and water 40% v/v.

4. The method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in the flow path of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

a) flowing a first fluid within said flow path prior to flowing a second fluid within said flow path, said second fluid being said antimicrobial composition;

b) displacing said first fluid by flowing a sufficient amount of said antimicrobial composition through said flow path; and

c) flushing the flow path with said antimicrobial composition for a period of time between about 30 seconds and ten minutes.

5. The method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in the flow path of claim 4 , wherein said period of time of contacting said viable microorganisms with said antimicrobial composition is less than five minutes.

6. The method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in a flow path of a microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said microfluidic device comprises a flow cytometer.

7. The method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in a flow path of a microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said step of flowing an amount of an antimicrobial composition within said flow path comprises the step of flowing an amount of an antimicrobial composition, comprising:

i. 2-butanol between about 5% and about 70% by volume;

ii. 2-butanone between about 1.7% and about 35% by volume; and

iii. water, wherein said alcohol and said ketone remain miscible in said water.

8. The method of reducing a number of viable microorganisms in a flow path of a microfluidic device of claim 7 , wherein said antimicrobial composition is selected from the group consisting of:

a) 2-butanol about 5%, 2-butanone about 5%, and water 90% v/v;

b) 2-butanol about 7.5%, 2-butanone about 7.5%, and water 85% v/v;

c) 2-butanol about 8.3%, 2-butanone about 1.7%, and water 90% v/v;

d) 2-butanol about 10%, 2-butanone about 10%, and water 80% v/v;

e) 2-butanol about 12.5%, 2-butanone about 2.5%, and water 85% v/v

f) 2-butanol about 16.5%, 2-butanone about 3.5%, and water 80% v/v;

g) 2-butanol about 30%, 2-butanone about 30%, and water 40% v/v; and

h) 2-butanol about 50%, 2-butanone about 10%, and water 40% v/v.

Assignments (10)