Optical Surface Topography for Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostics for determining antimicrobial susceptibility require long incubation times, leading to inappropriate antibiotic use and contributing to drug-resistant bacteria, necessitating a rapid and sensitive diagnostic method.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using optical imaging to determine antimicrobial susceptibility based on surface topography, analyzing metrics such as volumetric and distribution metrics to identify susceptibility, resistance, and heteroresistance through qualitative and quantitative indices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods are used, then accurate susceptibility determination is achieved, but long incubation times are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical/cultural incubation methods with optical interferometric measurement. The system uses optical imaging to detect surface topography changes in the culture medium caused by microbial growth, allowing susceptibility determination without waiting for visible colony formation. This substitution of measurement methodology enables rapid results while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection by monitoring surface topography changes that occur during the incubation process itself. Rather than waiting for final colony formation, the interferometric measurement detects early growth changes that correlate with susceptibility, enabling prediction of final outcomes before traditional reading time points are reached.
2Productivity
If rapid diagnostics are implemented, then treatment time is reduced, but diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces endpoint-based visual assessment with continuous optical interferometric monitoring. This allows the system to capture subtle surface topography changes that occur throughout the incubation period, providing both rapid preliminary results and the ability to confirm accuracy by analyzing the full growth trajectory rather than relying on a single endpoint measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback by continuously monitoring surface topography changes and comparing them against expected growth patterns. The interferometric measurements provide real-time feedback on microbial response to antimicrobial agents, allowing the system to adjust measurements and confirm susceptibility determinations with high confidence even at accelerated time points.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid determination of antimicrobial susceptibility, guiding appropriate treatment and addressing drug-resistant bacteria by identifying effective antimicrobial agents and combinations.
Implementation Method 1
an optical imaging device can be used to rapidly determine one or more antimicrobial agents to which a given sample could be resistant or susceptible
Data Source
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AI summary
In some embodiments, the systems and methods of the disclosure can rapidly and accurately determine the level of susceptibility of a sample to one or more antimicrobial agents using measured topography of that sample. The method may include providing a container including one or more sites having a sample and one or more concentrations of one or more antimicrobial agents. The method may include determining one or more metrics of at least a region of each site using the topographic surface profile for each site. The one or more metrics may include one or more of volumetric, distribution, spatial correlation, among others, or a combination thereof. The method may include determining one or more indices representing a level of susceptibility of the sample to the concentration of the one or more antimicrobial agents provided in each site using the one or more metrics for that site from one or more indices.