BACTERIA IDENTIFICATION OF OTITIS-MEDIA WITH FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY

We have investigated the fluorescence profiles of four common pathogen s: S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, M. catarrhalis, and H. influenzae. The st eady-state auto fluorescence spectra of bacteria are measured as a fun ction of the incident light from 200 to 700 rum. The spectra for each bacterium are combined into a fluorescence profile or fluorescence fin ger print. Each bacterium produces a unique in vitro fluorescence prof ile when measured in a saline suspension. The profiles are reproducibl e. Suspensions of a bacterial strain, where the identification is not known, can be correctly matched to a small library of previously measu red fluorescence profiles using a linear least-squares fitting algorit hm. In addition, we have measured the fluorescence and absorption spec trum of the tympanic membrane removed from a chinchilla. The optical p roperties of the tympanic membrane and the least-squares identificatio n process form precept for a non-invasive, fluorescence based bacteria l diagnosis technique to be used in otitis media. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.