Method and apparatus for identification of bacteria

A system for testing a biological sample comprising:

• a) a first module for detecting for presence of microorganisms in a sample, a second module comprising a mass spectrometer for detecting a type of bacteria in a sample and a third module comprising an antibiotic susceptibility testing instrument for determining an antibiotic susceptibility of the microorganism;
• b) a data management module comprising a controller wherein the data management module receives data regarding the sample from the first, second and third modules and, in response to the received data controls preparing and handling of the sample in the system;
• and
• c) an automated sample preparation module comprising:
• i) a nephelometer adapted to receive a tube containing a suspension;
• and
• ii) a pipette apparatus
• wherein the automated sample preparation module is capable of preparing the biological sample for testing in the second module and the third module in response to a determination by the first module of the presence of microorganisms in the sample wherein the automated sample preparation module is adapted to communicate with the data management module and wherein the automated sample preparation module obtains a single isolated inoculum of the sample for testing in the second or third modules only if the sample meets a predetermined criteria indicating the presence of microorganisms in the sample in the first module and deposits the single isolated inoculum in the tube received by the automated sample preparation module to create a suspension in the tube, wherein a portion of the suspension in the tube is provided to both the second and third modules, wherein the nephelometer in the automated sample preparation module receives the tube carrying the suspension to determine a suspension concentration, wherein, when the nephelometer determines that the suspension is at the suspension concentration for AST testing the pipette apparatus of the automated sample preparation module dispenses a less concentrated sample from the tube containing the suspension made from the single isolated inoculum for testing in the third module and, the pipette apparatus dispenses a more concentrated sample from the tube containing the suspension onto a Maldi plate for testing in the second module, wherein, after the automated sample preparation module removes a portion of the suspension in the tube for used in the second module, the automated sample preparation module causes the pipette apparatus to dilute the concentration of the suspension in the tube for use in the third module to a predetermined concentration measured by the nephelometer.