	US 7,611,862 B2
	Method and apparatus for detecting and quantifying bacterial spores on a surface
Adrian Ponce, Pasadena, Calif. (US)
Assigned to California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. (US)
Filed on Jan. 12, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/332,788.
Application 11/332788 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/987202, filed on Nov. 12, 2004.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/740805, filed on Nov. 30, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2006/0292664 A1, Dec. 28, 2006
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/06 (2006.01); C12Q 1/04 (2006.01); C12Q 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/34 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 435—34 [435/39; 435/31; 435/4; 435/287.1]

43 Claims

1. A method for detecting and quantifying individual bacterial spores comprising:

capturing the bacterial spores;

transferring the bacterial spores to a test surface;

providing one or more lanthanide ions on the test surface;

releasing aromatic molecules from the bacterial spores on the test surface;

forming a complex of the one or more lanthanide ions and the aromatic molecules on the test surface;

exciting the complex to generate a characteristic luminescence of the complex on the test surface; and

detecting and quantifying the individual bacterial spores by imaging the bacterial spores via luminescence spots surrounding the bacterial spores, said luminescent spots generated on the test surface through lifetime-gated imaging, with a micrometric spatial resolution.