US 12,129,509 B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods for determining the susceptibility of infectious agents to anti-infectives
Oren S. Knopfmacher, San Francisco, CA (US); Meike Herget, Woodside, CA (US); Nitin K. Rajan, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Ashraf M. Wahba, Hayward, CA (US)
Assigned to Avails Medical, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Avails Medical, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/241,991.
Application 17/241,991 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2019/058043, filed on Oct. 25, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/752,982, filed on Oct. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0262003 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/18 (2006.01); G01N 27/30 (2006.01); G01N 27/327 (2006.01)
CPC C12Q 1/18 (2013.01) [G01N 27/3275 (2013.01); G01N 27/302 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of determining a susceptibility of an infectious agent to an anti-infective, the method comprising:
introducing an inoculum solution comprising the infectious agent into a sample receiving space of a diagnostic device through a sample inlet port,
wherein the sample receiving space comprises a plurality of wells comprising a plurality of pH electrode wells and a plurality of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) electrode wells,
wherein each of the pH electrode wells comprises a pH electrode and each of the ORP electrode wells comprises an ORP electrode,
wherein at least one of the pH electrode wells and at least one of the ORP electrode wells are growth control wells devoid of the anti-infective;
wherein at least two of the pH electrode wells and at least two of the ORP electrode wells are active electrode wells comprising the anti-infective at differing concentrations,
introducing a reference buffer into a buffer receiving space of the diagnostic device through a buffer inlet port, wherein the buffer receiving space comprises a plurality of reference electrode wells, wherein each of the reference electrode wells comprises a reference electrode, and wherein each of the reference electrode wells is in fluid communication with one of the pH electrode wells and one of the ORP electrode wells;
introducing a water immiscible liquid into the sample receiving space through the sample inlet port;
incubating the diagnostic device comprising the inoculum solution and the water immiscible liquid for a predetermined time period;
monitoring one or more solution characteristics of the inoculum solution within the active electrode wells and the growth control wells over the predetermined time period; and
comparing the one or more solution characteristics of the inoculum solution within the growth control wells with the one or more solution characteristics of the inoculum solution within the active electrode wells to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the anti-infective on the infectious agent.