Abstract: A sanitary control back pressure diaphragm valve employed in a sanitary control system wherein the sanitary valve controls the pressure applied to a fluid in a sanitary contained system, which valve comprises: a valve body having an upper and lower valve member defining a generally conical fluid passageway and a valve seat, the members adapted to move between an open position and a closed position; a diaphragm support between the upper and lower members and a resilient diaphragm on the members on the diaphragm support to provide a seal between the upper and lower members and to provide for relative movement of said valve members between the open and closed valve position, the upper and lower valve members defining a generally conical valve passageway between the valve members, and the valve including a pressurized air inlet to provide controlled air pressure of one member; a sanitary fluid inlet extending in a straight line at an angle into the fluid passageway and a sanitary fluid outlet for the discharge of

Abstract: A rapid method for the detection of beta-lactamase in body fluids which method comprises contacting a sample of a body fluid with charcoal, removing the charcoal and recovering an essentially charcoal free supernatant, adding a labeled beta-lactam compound such as C.sup.14 penicillin to the supernatant for a defined period of time, adding a antibiotic sensitive microorganism, incubating and thereafter removing the microorganism cells from the incubation broth, measuring the amount of C.sup.14 bound-labeled penicillin and comparing the measured amount with a controlled sample or standard data or graph to determine the amount of any beta-lactamase in the body fluid sample.

Abstract: A process for rapidly detecting as little as 0.001 I.U. ml of antibiotic in a sample of liquid such as milk. The process comprises the steps of incubating the sample together with a tagged antibiotic or antibiotic precursor and antibiotic sensitive cells under conditions which allow antibiotic molecules to attach to receptor sites in or on the cells, separating the cells with immobilized antibiotic from the remainder of the reaction mixture, and determining the quantity of tagged antibiotic on the cells. The amount of tagged antibiotic on the cells is a function of the quantity of antibiotic present in the sample. The process is well suited for detecting penicillin-type antibiotics and may be practiced using peroxidase-tagged 6-amino penicillanic acid and sonicated, penicillin supersensitive Bacillus stearothermophilus immobilized on a support.

Abstract: A process for rapidly detecting as little as 0.001 I.U./ml of antibiotic in a sample of liquid such as milk. The process comprises the steps of incubating the sample together with a tagged antibiotic or antibiotic precursor and antibiotic sensitive cells under conditions which allow antibiotic molecules to attach to receptor sites in or on the cells, separating the cells with immobilized antibiotic from the remainder of the reaction mixture, and determining the quantity of tagged antibiotic on the cells. The amount of tagged antibiotic on the cells is a function of the quantity of antibiotic present in the sample.

Abstract: A method of removal of penicillin from penicillin-contaminated milk, which method comprises contacting the contaminated milk with activated charcoal and recovering a penicillin-free milk product.