Open AccessGeometrical-optics approach to measure the optical density of bacterial cultures using a LED-based photometer
Author(s) -
Massimiliano Lucidi,
Marco Giuseppe Ajmone Marsan,
Francesco Pudda,
Mattia Pirolo,
Emanuela Frangipani,
Paolo Visca,
Gabriella Cincotti
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
biomedical optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.362
H-Index - 86
ISSN - 2156-7085
DOI - 10.1364/boe.10.005600
Subject(s) - optics , photometer , stray light , measure (data warehouse) , light emitting diode , attenuation , physics , computer science , database
We develop a suitable geometrical-optics approach and demonstrate that it is possible to measure the optical density (OD) of bacterial cultures using a light emitting diode (LED)-based photometer. We measure both attenuation and spot-size variation, and we compensate for diffraction and stray-light impairment related to the incoherent source and large detection area. The approach is validated for different concentrations of two bacterial species, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , that present different shapes and clustering organization.