System and method for monitoring bacterial growth of bacterial colonies and predicting colony biomass
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12039795-B2
Publication Date
2024-07-16
Expiration Date
Abstract
An imaging method for earliest microbial growth detection. The method uses images to determined colony biomass, and the colony biomass determines when the colony can be picked for analysis for identification or antibiotic susceptibility testing. If the sample source is not a pure sample source additional incubation may be required to permit an increase in biomass of the colonies prior to pick.
Core Innovation
The invention describes automated evaluation of microbial growth on plated media through comparison of aligned digital images of inoculated culture media acquired over incubation. Changed pixels are assessed against background pixels to identify contrast-defined objects, which are correlated with biomass. The method assesses sample purity and uses biomass area to determine whether biomass is picked for further analysis or incubation continues for a non-pure sample.
The background section is not included in the provided content, so the problem the patent addresses is not explicitly described in the patent. The available description presents automated microbial-colony monitoring, depicting image capture and alignment, spatial and temporal contrast generation, thresholding, segmentation, connected-component labeling, candidate-colony identification, evaluation of nearby object maxima, timed growth classification, and no-growth reporting.
Claims Coverage
The provided relevant claims identify one independent claim directed to automated evaluation of microbial growth on plated media, comprising four inventive features, alongside dependent claim refinements.
Time-based image comparison and object identification
The method obtains first and second digital images, aligns corresponding pixels, and identifies changed pixels against background pixels. Objects are identified as pixels having a predetermined level of threshold contrast that are not separated from one another by background pixels.
Biomass correlation and sample-purity assessment
The identified objects are correlated with biomass, and the method determines whether the biological sample is pure. Dependent claim summaries identify objects as colonies of microorganisms and describe alignment based on a fiducial mark on the container.
Threshold-based biomass handling
For a pure sample, the area of an identified object is compared with a first threshold, and at least a portion of the biomass is picked for further analysis when the area exceeds the threshold. If the sample is not pure, the inoculated culture media receives further incubation. A dependent claim summary adds a greater second threshold with criteria based on area for a pure sample or diameter for a non-pure sample.
No-growth classification and illumination refinements
Dependent claim summaries describe flagging the container and culture media as a no-growth plate when no objects are identified within a predetermined period, and illumination sources that emit red, green, and blue wavelengths.
The independent claim covers time-based image comparison to identify contrast-defined objects, correlate them with biomass, assess sample purity, and apply threshold-based handling. Dependent claims add image-alignment, illumination, colony-identification, threshold, and no-growth refinements.
Stated Advantages
Automated evaluation can begin after about 12 hours, enabling earlier colony picking.
The described workflow may allow identification or antibiotic susceptibility testing to finish in about 24 hours, compared with up to 48 hours manually.
Documented Applications
Automated evaluation of microbial growth on plated media, including assessment of sample purity and identification of biomass for further analysis.
No-growth reporting by classifying and flagging culture media as a no-growth plate when no objects are identified within a predetermined period.
Picking microbial biomass for further analysis, including downstream microorganism identification by MALDI.
Downstream antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST).
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