Abstract: A system and method is provided for non-invasively measuring changes in a specimen suspected of containing one or more microbes, by monitoring changes in the dielectric constant of the specimen caused by metabolic processes of such microbes.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for non-invasively measuring changes in a specimen suspected of containing one or more microbes, by monitoring changes in the dielectric constant of the specimen caused by metabolic processes of such microbes.

Abstract: The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished using a molecular diagnostics approach, involving comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population who develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated at the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms.

Abstract: Mass spectrometry techniques for determining the status of sepsis in an individual are provided. A biomarker profile resolved from a biological sample, taken from the individual, using a mass spectrometry technique is compared to a reference biomarker profile. A single such comparison classifies the individual as belonging to or not belonging to a reference population. The individual's biomarker profile and the reference biomarker profile comprise a plurality of ions each having a mass-to-charge ratio of about 100 Daltons to about 1000 Daltons. The plurality of ions can be detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive mode. The comparison uses a decision rule, such as a classification tree, that determines the status of sepsis in the individual without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the biomarker profile from the individual and without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the reference biomarker profile.

Abstract: Mass spectrometry techniques for determining the status of sepsis in an individual are provided. A biomarker profile resolved from a biological sample, taken from the individual, using a mass spectrometry technique is compared to a reference biomarker profile. A single such comparison classifies the individual as belonging to or not belonging to a reference population. The individual's biomarker profile and the reference biomarker profile comprise a plurality of ions each having a mass-to-charge ratio of about 100 Daltons to about 1000 Daltons. The plurality of ions can be detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive mode. The comparison uses a decision rule, such as a classification tree, that determines the status of sepsis in the individual without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the biomarker profile from the individual and without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the reference biomarker profile.

Abstract: The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished by comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population that develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated from the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms of sepsis.

Abstract: Mass spectrometry techniques for determining the status of sepsis in an individual are provided. A biomarker profile resolved from a biological sample, taken from the individual, using a mass spectrometry technique is compared to a reference biomarker profile. A single such comparison classifies the individual as belonging to or not belonging to a reference population. The individual's biomarker profile and the reference biomarker profile comprise a plurality of ions each having a mass-to-charge ratio of about 100 Daltons to about 1000 Daltons. The plurality of ions can be detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive mode. The comparison uses a decision rule, such as a classification tree, that determines the status of sepsis in the individual without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the biomarker profile from the individual and without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the reference biomarker profile.

Abstract: Mass spectrometry techniques for determining the status of sepsis in an individual are provided. A biomarker profile resolved from a biological sample, taken from the individual, using a mass spectrometry technique is compared to a reference biomarker profile. A single such comparison classifies the individual as belonging to or not belonging to a reference population. The individual's biomarker profile and the reference biomarker profile comprise a plurality of ions each having a mass-to-charge ratio of about 100 Daltons to about 1000 Daltons. The plurality of ions can be detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive mode. The comparison uses a decision rule, such as a classification tree, that determines the status of sepsis in the individual without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the biomarker profile from the individual and without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the reference biomarker profile.

Abstract: A system comprising one or more sample vessels is provided, the sample vessels comprising a liquid growth medium and a stirrer element, the stirrer element capable of being influenced by a magnetic force, and an incubation and measurement module comprising one or more openings for holding the one or more sample vessels. The incubation and measurement module further comprises at least two drive magnets associated with each of the sample vessels, and a magnet driver adapted to repeatedly move each of the at least two drive magnets toward and away from the surface of the associated sample vessel.

Abstract: A diagnostic microbiological testing system and method for microorganism identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility determinations (AST). The system includes multiple-well test panels capable of performing ID and AST testing on the same test panel. Each test panel is inoculated with reagents, broth-suspended organisms, and placed into the instrument system. The instrument system includes a rotating carousel for incubation and indexing, multiple light sources each emitting different wavelength light, precision calorimetric and fluorometric detection, barcode test panel tracking and a control processor for making determinations based on measured test data. One light source includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a linear array. Each of the LEDs' junction currents are controllable to produce a predetermined illumination profile.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for non-invasively measuring changes in a specimen suspected of containing one or more microbes, by monitoring changes in the dielectric constant of the specimen caused by metabolic processes of such microbes.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a pathogen in a sample is provided, the system capable of measuring the volume of a sample in a container through the use of various measurement technologies, thereby ensuring that a user is aware of volumes not meeting specification and/or allowing correction of results to account for the out-of-specification sample.

Abstract: A test strip reader is provided with an optical mouse integrated circuit sensor that reads the test line, reference line and control line of a lateral flow assay strip by light absorption and determines the position of the test strip beneath the image on the integrated circuit board using digital signal processing algorithms. The digital signal processing algorithms process the imaged surface at a very high rate (e.g., 1500 frames per second) to determine the direction and speed of movement of the lateral strip with respect to the reader optics and image capture components. The sensor outputs this position information in a quadrature pattern format. A microcontroller uses the known position of the strip with respect to the reader to calculate the optical absorption of each colored reagent line, and the diagnostic significance (i.e., either qualitative or quantitative) of the test strip.

Abstract: The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished by comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population who develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated at the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms.

Abstract: The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished using a molecular diagnostics approach, involving comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population who develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated at the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms.

Abstract: The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished by comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population that develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated from the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms of sepsis.

Abstract: The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished using a molecular diagnostics approach, involving comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population that develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated at the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms of sepsis.

Abstract: A diagnostic microbiological testing system and method for microorganism identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility determinations (AST). The system includes multiple-well test panels capable of performing ID and AST testing on the same test panel. Each test panel is inoculated with reagents, broth-suspended organisms, and placed into the instrument system. The instrument system includes a rotating carousel for incubation and indexing, multiple light sources each emitting different wavelength light, precision calorimetric and fluorometric detection, barcode test panel tracking and a control processor for making determinations based on measured test data. One light source includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a linear array. Each of the LEDs' junction currents are controllable to produce a predetermined illumination profile.

Abstract: A diagnostic microbiological testing system and method for microorganism identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility determinations (AST). The system includes multiple-well test panels capable of performing ID and AST testing on the same test panel. Each test panel is inoculated with reagents, broth-suspended organisms, and placed into the instrument system. The instrument system includes a rotating carousel for incubation and indexing, multiple light sources each emitting different wavelength light, precision calorimetric and fluorometric detection, barcode test panel tracking and a control processor for making determinations based on measured test data. One light source includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a linear array. Each of the LEDs' junction currents are controllable to produce a predetermined illumination profile.

Abstract: A diagnostic microbiological testing system and method for microorganism identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility determinations (AST). The system includes multiple-well test panels capable of performing ID and AST testing on the same test panel. Each test panel is inoculated with reagents, broth-suspended organisms, and placed into the instrument system. The instrument system includes a rotating carousel for incubation and indexing, multiple light sources each emitting different wavelength light, precision calorimetric and fluorometric detection, barcode test panel tracking and a control processor for making determinations based on measured test data. One light source includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a linear array. Each of the LEDs' junction currents are controllable to produce a predetermined illumination profile.