System, method and interface for parallel processing of antimicrobial susceptibility tests using different samples

Abstract

An improved system, method and interface for automated rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is disclosed which includes, in one aspect, a carrier population station comprising a workstation having a graphic user interface (GUI). The GUI accepts information from a lab technologist, including information related to a scope of testing to be performed on a microorganism containing sample. The GUI controls intelligent assignment of microorganism containing samples to test panels in a manner that maximize utilization of the test carrier by grouping together samples of similar tests scopes and advantageously testing those samples using one multiplexed test panel. Customizing workflow in accordance with test scope to facilitate parallel processing of multiple samples advantageously reduces laboratory waste, decreases test latencies, increases AST system throughput and efficiency, and thus lowers the costs to the AST lab.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An AST cartridge for performing automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing comprising at least 150 reservoirs and 8 or more different antimicrobials in dried form, each present at 4 or more different concentrations, wherein a plurality of antimicrobials at a plurality of concentrations are replicated in two or more reservoirs, wherein a plurality of antimicrobial concentration ranges are present in a dilution series, wherein the dilution series of different antimicrobials are present in geometric reservoir blocks on the cartridge, wherein antimicrobial replicates are present across the geometric reservoir blocks such that the AST cartridge comprises multiple antimicrobial blocks, and wherein at least one reservoir per antimicrobial block comprises no antimicrobial agent. 
     
     
         2 . The AST cartridge of  claim 1 , comprising 384 or 1536 reservoirs. 
     
     
         3 . The AST cartridge of  claim 1  comprising at least 4 replicates of the plurality of antimicrobials at the plurality of concentrations. 
     
     
         4 . The AST cartridge of  claim 3 , wherein antimicrobial replicates are present at the block level such that the AST cartridge comprises multiple antimicrobial blocks. 
     
     
         5 . The AST cartridge of  claim 4 , wherein antimicrobial blocks are grouped spatially into spatial blocks. 
     
     
         6 . The AST cartridge of  claim 5 , wherein within each spatial block, the like dilution series are in like positions. 
     
     
         7 . The AST cartridge of  claim 6 , wherein within each spatial block, the like wells comprising no antimicrobials are in like positions. 
     
     
         8 . The AST cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein each replicate of each antimicrobial dilution series comprises a clinical range suitable for determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). 
     
     
         9 . The AST cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein one or more replicates of each antimicrobial dilution series comprises a quality control (QC) range suitable for performing instrument QC. 
     
     
         10 . The AST cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial dilution ranges of at least 5 antimicrobials exceed the clinical range necessary for determining MICs by at least one antimicrobial concentration. 
     
     
         11 . The AST cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein each reservoir comprises a reservoir wall and a reservoir base, and wherein the reservoir walls for a plurality of reservoirs are opaque. 
     
     
         12 . A method for populating a carrier that supports a plurality of antimicrobial test panels and a plurality of samples to be tested by an antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) system which comprises
 receiving a test scope;   selecting, in response to the test scope, a workflow from among a plurality of different workflows for operating the AST system, each workflow comprising a carrier map particular to the workflow and a prompt; and   displaying the carrier map of the workflow to a user;   displaying one or more prompts of the workflow to the user to control population of the carrier with panels and samples using the carrier map;   collecting association information related to the assignment of different samples to one or more panels;   repeating the steps of displaying and collecting for each panel of the carrier; and   forwarding the carrier to the AST system, including forwarding the association information to the AST system.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the test scope relates to the number of different antimicrobials provided by a test panel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the test scope relates to an architecture of the test panel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein displaying one or more prompts comprises prompting the user to assign at least one sample to a panel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein displaying one or more prompts comprise prompting the user to assign at least two samples to a panel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the test panel is a multiplexed test panel. 
     
     
         18 . A carrier population station of an antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) system for controlling the population of a carrier with a plurality of test panels and a plurality of test samples for AST processing, the carrier population station comprising:
 a processor;   a storage device storing user interface instructions for controlling the AST system;   a display, coupled to the processor and storage device, for displaying a user interface controlled by the user interface instructions during operation of the carrier population station, the user interface comprising input mechanisms for receiving information related to test scopes, test carriers, test panels, and test samples; and   a workflow, stored in the storage device and associated with a test scope, the workflow operable when executed to display a carrier map and a prompt set to a user, the prompt set controlling selection of a multiplexed test panel and assignment of at least two test samples to the multiplexed test panel.   
     
     
         19 . The carrier population station of  claim 18 , which further comprises
 a plurality of different workflows, stored in the storage device, each workflow associated with a test scope and comprising a carrier map and a prompt set, the prompt set controlling the assignment of samples to one or more test panels of a carrier; and   wherein the user interface is operable when executed to display a workflow associated with a received test scope to a user, including displaying a carrier map and a prompt set to control the population of a carrier with panels related to the test scope and the assignment of one or more samples to one or more test panels for AST processing.