Rapid Micro Biosystems Growth Direct test uses proprietary digital imaging technology that automatically enumerates microcolonies days earlier than the traditional visual plate counting methods. The system captures the native fluorescence (autofluorescence) that is emitted by all living cells. By detecting microcolonies composed of a small number of cells, the Growth Direct test can automatically report the number of microbes in a sample days earlier than the current visual colony counting method.
How Growth DirectTM Works
The sensitivity and efficiency of the test result from imaging microscopic colonies without magnification using large area CCD imaging. Rapid Micro Biosystem's test is accurate and efficient even when the manufacturing sample to be tested contains only a single replicating microbial cell. Because the detection is non-destructive, the system is easier to validate and compatable with all current microbe identification methods.
Work flow for the Growth Direct test
The up-front sample prep for the Growth Direct test is just like that for the current tests. Microbes are applied to membranes and grown on nutrient media - but for this digital imaging method much shorter incubation times are required than for today's visual method.
