Antibiotic susceptibility testing via plasmonic imaging and tracking

A system for antibiotic susceptibility testing using plasmonic imaging for bacterial cells comprising:

• a computer processor;
• a plasmonic imaging and tracking (PIT) system coupled to the computer processor, the PIT including
• an inverted microscope lens,
• a light source located to impinge on the inverted microscope lens,
• a slide, located to receive light from the microscope lens, the slide having a metallic coated surface,
• a mirror, located to receive reflected light from the metallic coated surface through the inverted microscope lens and transmit the reflected light, and
• a detector located to receive the reflected light from the mirror;
• where the metallic coated surface has antibodies attached as tethering molecules;
• bacteria populating the metallic coated surface;
• wherein the bacteria is selected from the group consisting of E. coli and S. aureus;
• a device for adding an antibiotic to the metallic coated surface after it has been populated with bacteria;
• where the computer processor includes and is programmed to execute a computer program for tracking a first set of 3D motion changes of the bacteria before addition of the antibiotic, then tracking a second set of 3D motion values of the bacteria in the presence of the antibiotic;
• and then comparing the first and second 3D motion values to determine changes in the 3D motion of the bacteria after addition of the antibiotic.

A system for antibiotic susceptibility testing using plasmonic imaging for bacterial cells comprising:

• a computer processor;
• a plasmonic imaging and tracking (PIT) system coupled to the computer processor, the PIT including
• an inverted microscope lens,
• a light source located to impinge on the inverted microscope lens,
• a slide, located to receive light from the microscope lens, the slide having a metallic coated surface,
• a mirror, located to receive reflected light from the metallic coated surface through the inverted microscope lens and transmit the reflected light, and
• a detector located to receive the reflected light from the mirror;
• where the metallic coated surface has anti-E. coli antibodies attached as tethering molecules and further has adhesion materials applied to the metallic coated surface, where the adhesion materials are selected from the group consisting of cell-adhesion promoting substances, poly-lysine, and agar matrix;
• E. coli bacteria populating the metallic coated surface;
• a device for adding an antibiotic to the metallic coated surface after it has been populated with the E. coli bacteria;
• where the computer processor includes and is programmed to execute a computer program for tracking a first set of 3D motion changes of the bacteria before addition of the antibiotic, then tracking a second set of 3D motion values of the E. coli bacteria in the presence of the antibiotic;
• and then comparing the first and second 3D motion values to determine changes in the 3D motion of the E. coli bacteria after addition of the antibiotic.