1. 1  Sometimes, gimbal. a contrivance, consisting of a ring or base on an axis, that permits an object, as a ship's compass, mounted in or on it to tilt freely in any direction, in effect suspending the object so that it will remain horizontal even when its support is tipped.
Phage typing is a method used for detecting single strains of bacteria. It is used to trace the source of outbreaks of infections. The viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriophages (phages for short) and some of these can only infect a single strain of bacteria. These phages are used to identify different strains of bacteria within a single species. A culture of the strain is grown in the agar and dried. A grid is drawn on the base of the petri dish to mark out different regions. Inoculation of each square of the grid is done by a different phage.
Test Overview. Your esophagus is the tube that connects your throat to your stomach. It moves food and liquid down to the stomach. Esophagus tests can check how well the muscles in the tube work, how strong the tube is, and the pH (acid content) of the tube. They also can find out how much gas, liquid, and solid move through the esophagus and how well they pass through. The most common tests include: pH monitoring (acidity test). This checks the acid content (pH) in the esophagus. A low pH for long periods may mean that you often have abnormal backflow (reflux) of stomach acid into the esophagus (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD). Esophageal manometry. This checks the strength and pattern of muscle contractions in the esophagus. This test can find: A weak lower esophageal sphincter. This may cause reflux. Weak muscle contractions when you swallow. This could slow the rate at which food or stomach acid is cleared from the esophagus.