Method and systems for increasing the capacity of flow cytometter bacteria detection and antibiotic susceptibility testing systems

A system for automated testing of a sample of a body fluid for the presence of bacteria, the system comprising:

• a fluid handling device comprising a fluid handling system, wherein the fluid handling system comprises an automated pipetting system configured to distribute a plurality of fluid samples within a well plate comprising a plurality of wells;
• an incubator configured to culture the plurality of fluid samples in the well plate;
• a flow cytometer configured to enumerate cell counts in the plurality of fluid samples;
• at least a processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively connected to the at least a processor, the memory containing
• instructions configuring the at least a processor to:
• distribute a portion of the plurality of fluid samples to at least a first well;
• divide the portion of the plurality of fluid samples from the at least a first well into at least two wells, wherein the at least two wells comprise:
• a time zero (T0) well;
• and
• a time one (T1) well;
• obtain a T0 enumerative baseline bacterial value relating to fluid samples in the T0 well at time T0;
• culture the fluid samples in the T1 well using the incubator;
• obtain a T1 enumerative control bacterial value relating to fluid samples in the T1 well at time T1;
• and
• determine a presence of bacteria as a function of the T0 enumerative baseline bacterial value and the T1 enumerative control bacterial value.