| CPC G01N 31/226 (2013.01) [A61L 2/28 (2013.01); C12Q 1/22 (2013.01); G01N 21/6428 (2013.01); G01N 2021/6439 (2013.01)] | 7 Claims |
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1. A self-contained biological indicator comprising:
a housing;
a source of biological activity, the source comprising and/or capable of producing an enzyme capable of catalyzing a cleavage of an enzyme substrate; and
an actuatable container comprising a liquid composition, comprising the enzyme substrate, wherein the enzyme substrate comprises a fluorophore component that, when separated from the enzyme substrate by the enzyme, comprises 7-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one or a derivative thereof;
wherein the actuatable container can be actuated to allow the liquid composition to contact a bacterial spore; and
wherein the source of biological activity and/or the liquid composition comprises an effective amount of an acidic component and/or a basic component such that, when the source of biological activity and the liquid composition are combined, a resulting mixture of the source of biological activity and the liquid composition has an initial pH greater than or equal to a pKa of a hydroxyl group of the fluorophore component.
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