US 12,191,129 B2
Method for identifying microorganisms by mass spectrometry
Grégory Strubel, Manosque (FR); Maud Arsac, Saint Chamond (FR); Denis Desseree, Montluel (FR); and Pierre-Jean Cotte-Pattat, Lagnieu (FR)
Assigned to BIOMERIEUX, INC., Durham, NC (US)
Filed by BIOMERIEUX, INC., Durham, NC (US)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/708,419.
Application 16/708,419 is a continuation of application No. 14/361,794, granted, now 10,541,119, previously published as PCT/IB2012/056860, filed on Nov. 30, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/566,025, filed on Dec. 2, 2011.
Claims priority of application No. 11306610 (EP), filed on Dec. 2, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2020/0111653 A1, Apr. 9, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01J 49/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/68 (2006.01); G16B 40/10 (2019.01); G16B 99/00 (2019.01)
CPC H01J 49/0036 (2013.01) [G01N 33/6848 (2013.01); G16B 40/10 (2019.02); G16B 99/00 (2019.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of providing an identification decision for a microorganism using a processor-based calculation unit and a mass spectrum obtained by mass spectrometry from a mass spectrometer, comprising:
(i) providing at least one mass spectrum of a sample of the microorganism over a predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratios, wherein said mass spectrum was generated by a mass spectrometer;
(ii) for each of said acquired at least one mass spectrum:
(a) detecting, using the processor of the calculation unit, peaks of the mass spectrum in the predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratios;
(b) generating, using the processor of the calculation unit, a list of peaks in intervals of a predetermined subdivision of the predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratios, the width of the intervals of the subdivision increasing along with the mass-to-charge ratio according to relations:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
where
the subdivision intervals are referenced with integers greater than 1, from integer bmin, for the lowest mass-to-charge ratios in the predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratios, to integer bmax, for the higher mass-to-charge ratios in the predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratios,
L(b) is the width of the interval referenced with integer b,
mmin is a lower bound of the predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratios, and
mmax is an upper bound of the predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratios,
wherein, in the list of peaks, the processor of the calculation unit identifies at most one peak in each interval, so as to obtain a vector for each of said at least one mass spectrum,
wherein the vector(s) for the at least one mass spectrum form a matrix representative of the microorganism; and
(iii) providing an identification decision for the microorganism to be identified by comparing the representative matrix with a knowledge base of matrices representative of previously-identified microorganisms and/or types of microorganisms, wherein said knowledge base is stored in a memory.