Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test, based on an analysis of changes in morphology and growth pattern of a microbial cell under different concentrations of various antimicrobial agents, and automated cell image analysis system therefor

An antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) method based on an analysis of changes in morphology and growth pattern of a microbial cell under antimicrobial agents, wherein the AST method comprises the steps of:

• (a) reacting a microbe with an antimicrobial agent;
• (b) imaging a change in morphology and growth pattern of a microbial cell over time;
• (c) inspecting an image obtained in step (b) to observe the change in morphology and growth pattern of the microbial cell;
• and
• (d) determining an antimicrobial susceptibility of the microbe in such a way that, when the microbial cell is observed to be in a state of dividing, the microbial cell is determined to be resistant to the antimicrobial agent, and when the microbial cell is observed to be in a state of no-change, filament formation, or swelling formation, the microbial cell is determined to be susceptible to the antimicrobial agent.

An automated cell image analysis system configured to perform an antimicrobial susceptibility (AST) method based on an analysis of changes in morphology and growth pattern of a microbial cell under antimicrobial agents, wherein the cell image analysis system comprises:

• (a) a culture chip for culture of a microbe and an antimicrobial agent and for an imaging of a change in morphology and growth pattern of a microbial cell;
• (b) an optical image analysis device filming a culturing region of the microbial cell and detecting an image of the microbial cell;
• and
• (c) a reader analyzing the detected image of the microbial cell to obtain information on a total area occupied by microbial cells, the number of microbial cells, and a total length of microbial cells and determining antimicrobial susceptibility of the microbial cell.