Abstract: A portable apparatus for transport and incubation of a medical sample in a blood culture flask includes a sealable container having a thermally insulated compartment for receiving the blood culture flask and a heater for heating the medical sample to a temperature suitable for pre-culturing of the sample. An agitator is provided for agitating the sample in the blood culture flask.

Abstract: A method for detecting and characterizing a microorganism in a clinical sample includes introducing a clinical sample to a first culture vessel containing the culture medium; removing a test aliquot; separating DNA from the test aliquot; and performing nucleic acid tests on the DNA to identify the microorganism and to detect the presence or absence of one or more genetic antimicrobial resistance markers in the microorganism. If a microorganism is identified, an antimicrobial susceptibility test is performed wherein microbial growth in the antimicrobial susceptibility test is monitored by accessing growth or markers for growth and wherein the type and concentration of antimicrobial agents used in the antimicrobial susceptibility test is determined by the identity of the microorganism and the antimicrobial resistance markers detected. A device for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A method for performing a rolling circle amplification (RCA) reaction includes at least two rounds of RCA. The method includes providing a concatemeric first RCA product having a multiplicity of monomer repeats, each repeat representing a complementary copy of a first RCA template, wherein the nucleic acid molecule to be detected and/or analyzed, or its compliment, is contained in the first RCA template. The first RCA product is cleaved into monomer units which are reduced in size compared to the monomer repeat of the first RCA template. Monomer units resulting from the cleavage are circularized to form second RCA templates, which are smaller than the first RCA template. A second RCA reaction is performed on the second RCA template and a primer for the second RCA to form a second RCA product. The second RCA product, or a monomer unit derived from it, is detected or analyzed.

Abstract: A substrate for use in manufacture of a production master plate for production of a detection disc for carrying samples in an apparatus for detection of microscopic objects in a fluid, the substrate having a channel and separate focus structure, wherein the focus structure is a groove.