Life Sciences Commons^™

An Automated Reflectance Color Meter Instrument For Microbiological And Enzymic Assays, Tsz-Ching Yuan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The development of an automated instrument employing reflectance colorimetry was described. Several models were designed, assembled, and programmed to perform microbial and enzymic tests automatically. Samples were prepared manually or automatically by a Zymate™ II robot. These samples were incubated during the tests to maintain an optimum temperature for reactions and microbial growth. During incubation, color changes of appropriate indicator dyes in the sample/reagent mixtures were measured intermittently, recorded, and compared to previously defined end points. The computer-controlled instrument received data that related time of color changes with the initial numbers of microorganisms or the enzyme activity of the samples. …