Granted Patent B2

US 10,724,067 · App. 15/960,049 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

Inventors: Joerg Martini (San Francisco, CA); Michael Recht (San Carlos, CA); Peter Kiesel (Palo Alto, CA)

Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated

C12Q1/025B01L3/5085C12Q1/04C12Q1/10C12Q1/18G01K11/12

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A method of detecting an increase or decrease in a metabolism of one or more live substances caused by one or more test substances comprising:

culturing the one or more live substances at a plurality of test locations of a test vessel, the test locations including a thermochromic material and one or more test substances, the thermochromic material configured to react in response to heat generated by the one or more live substances;

detecting a spectral shift in light emanating from the thermochromic material of the test locations, the spectral shift occurring in response to an increase or decrease in the metabolism of the one or more live substances; and

determining an effect of the one or more test substances on the metabolism of the one or more live substances based on the detected spectral shift.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring one or more control locations of the test vessel that do not include at least one of the live substances and the test substances;

detecting light emanating from the thermochromic material at the control locations; and

determining the effect of the one or more test substances on the live substances using the detected light from the control locations.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the live substance comprises one or more of prokaryotic microorganisms, eukaryotic microorganisms, bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, plant cells, animal cells, viruses in host cells, phages in host cells, cancer cell culture, and tissue cell culture.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

at least some of the test locations include a different concentration of test substance than other test locations; and

determining the effect of the one or more test substances comprises determining at least one concentration of the test substance that is more effective at inhibiting or promoting growth of the live substances than other concentrations of the test substance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more test substances comprise one or more types of test substances; and

at least some of the test locations include, a different type of test substance than other test locations; and

determining the effect of the one or more test substances comprises identifying at least one type of test substance that is more effective at inhibiting or promoting growth of the one or more live substances than other types of test substance.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more test substances comprises one or more combinations of test substances; and

at least some of the test locations include a different combination of test substances than other test locations; and

determining the effect of the one or more test substances comprises identifying at least one combination of test substances that is more effective at inhibiting or promoting growth of the one or more live substances than other combinations of the test substance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

culturing the one or more live substances comprises culturing a different type of live substance at each test location; and

determining the effect of the one or more test substances comprises determining an effect of one type or one concentration of test substance on the different types of live substances.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more test substances comprise one or more pharmaceuticals;

the test locations include at least one of different types, concentrations, or combinations of the pharmaceuticals; and

determining the effect of the one or more test substances comprises determining at least one of a type, concentration, and combination of the of the pharmaceutical that is effective at inhibiting growth of the live substances.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the spectral shift comprises:

dispersing light emanating from the thermochromic material such that a wavelength of the dispersed light varies with respect to distance;

detecting the dispersed light using a one or more photodetectors, the one more photodetectors generating electrical signals responsive to the detected light; and

determining the spectral shift based on ratiometric analysis of the electrical signals.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing measurement light toward each of the test locations and directing light emanating from the thermochromic material in response to the measurement light at each of the test locations to a photosensing element.

11. A method of detecting an increase or decrease n a metabolism of one or more bacteria caused by one or more antibiotics comprising:

culturing the one or more bacteria at a plurality of test locations of a test vessel, the test locations including a thermochromic material and one or more antibiotics, the thermochromic material configured to react in response to heat generated by the bacteria;

detecting a spectral shift in light emanating from the thermochromic material of the test locations in response to an increase or decrease in the metabolism of the one or more bacteria; and

determining an effect of the one or more antibiotics on the metabolism of the one or more bacteria based on the detected spectral shift.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

monitoring one or more control locations of the test vessel that do not include at least one of the bacteria and the antibiotic;

detecting light emanating from the thermochromic material at the control locations; and

determining the effect of the one or more antibiotics on the live substances using the detected light from the control locations.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

at least some of the test locations include at least one of a different type, concentration and combination of antibiotics than other test locations; and

determining the effect of the one or more antibiotics comprises determining at least one of a type, concentration, and combination of the antibiotic that is more effective at inhibiting growth of the bacteria than other types, concentrations, or combinations of the antibiotics.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the effect of the one or more antibiotics comprises determining a minimum inhibitory concentration of the one or more antibiotics.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

monitoring effects of multiple antibiotics on the bacteria; and

one or more of:

continuously updating a display that shows the effects of the multiple antibiotics; and

generating an alert signal.

Assignments (9)