Antimicrobial susceptibility

The World Health Organisation has identified the growth of antimicrobial resistance as one of the Top 10 global health threats and released a Global Action Plan to increase antimicrobial stewardship awareness.¹

It’s an important issue

Millions of antimicrobial susceptibility tests (ASTs) are performed around the world each day.

Clinical laboratories provide a critical role in informing clinicians of the most appropriate treatment options.

Disc diffusion testing provides accurate and flexible reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility.

Challenges for microbiology labs

Despite its importance, there has been little advance in the standard disk diffusion method for identifying antimicrobial susceptibility. These challenges remain:

Variability of results

Measurements of zone of inhibition are subject to human error

Inefficient use of resources

High demand on expert microbiologist time

Time-consuming

2-3 minutes are spent per plate for reporting

High impact

AST results are often the most critical result reported by the laboratory

The APAS Independence solution

APAS Independence Zone Reading Analysis Module

The APAS Zone Reading Analysis Module employs Clever Culture Systems’ artificial intelligence image analysis software to read the disc on the plate and provide a zone diameter measurement.

Zone Reading Analysis Module from APAS Independence

Benefits of the APAS system

Speed of result

Process culture plates over 5 times faster than manual handling

Accuracy of result

Digital workflows reduce variability and subjectivity of results

Traceability

Reports results directly to your LIMS and provides a digital record

Features of the APAS Independence Zone Reading Analysis Module

Accurate measurement of zone of inhibition

Quality control features (lawn quality, isolates, zone edge)

Digital workflow to review results and adjust zones as required

Automatic detection of D-Zone and Keyhole effects

High-throughput and automatic culture plate reading

Ability to integrate with existing LIMS

APAS Web User Interface

The APAS Web User Interface provides a digital platform to review zone size measurements, allowing users to adjust results as required.

High quality digital plate images

Simple annotation of results

Digital zone measurement tools

Mueller Hinton plate showing measurement of zones of inhibition in antibiotic susceptibility testing.