US 12,215,307 B2
Culture device and methods for enumerating mold colonies
Kurt J. Halverson, Lake Elmo, MN (US)
Filed by NEOGEN FOOD SAFETY US HOLDCO CORPORATION, Lansing, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/304,185.
Application 17/304,185 is a division of application No. 16/196,564, filed on Nov. 20, 2018, granted, now 11,066,634.
Application 16/196,564 is a division of application No. 14/889,054, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2014/036730, filed on May 5, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/819,690, filed on May 6, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0317398 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. C12M 1/34 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/04 (2006.01); C12M 1/12 (2006.01); C12M 3/00 (2006.01); C12Q 1/04 (2006.01); C12Q 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC C12M 41/36 (2013.01) [C12M 23/04 (2013.01); C12M 23/20 (2013.01); C12M 23/22 (2013.01); C12M 23/24 (2013.01); C12M 23/28 (2013.01); C12M 23/48 (2013.01); C12M 25/02 (2013.01); C12M 25/06 (2013.01); C12Q 1/045 (2013.01); C12Q 1/06 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
 
1. A thin-film culture device, comprising:
a water-resistant first substrate;
a water-resistant second substrate;
a growth region disposed between the first and second substrates,
wherein the growth region comprises:
(a) an effective amount of calcium-chelating compound,
(b) a nutrient medium capable of supporting growth of a mold microorganism,
(c) a dry coating comprising ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, and
(d) a dry, cold-water-soluble gelling agent;
wherein, when the growth region is hydrated with a predetermined volume of aqueous liquid and inoculated with a colony-forming unit of a mold species, the effective amount of calcium-chelating compound is capable of reducing a rate of lateral enlargement of the colony-forming unit growing in the culture device relative to the rate of lateral enlargement of a colony of the same mold species growing in an otherwise identical culture device that does not contain the effective amount disposed in the growth region;
wherein reducing the rate of lateral enlargement of the colony-forming unit does not substantially delay detection of the colony.