Microbial detection system and process

Apparatus for detecting the presence and an indication of the quantity of a specific microorganism in an agar culture, comprising:

• a plurality of culture cells each containing a quantity of nutrient broth containing an agar concentration in the range of 0.10% to 0.40% agar and inoculated with, a culture from a known or suspected microorganism source;
• retention means for retaining said plurality of culture cells in a spaced vertical arrangement;
• an incubator for housing said retention means and said plurality of culture cells;
• camera means in optical alignment with said retention means for photographing the culture growth in each of said plurality of culture cells at selected time intervals,
• means for interpreting photos of the culture growth pattern taken by said camera means which relates culture growth patterns to organism types and quantifies cell numbers in the original inoculum;
• each of said plurality of culture cells being provided with a substantially rectangular configured housing;
• each said rectangular configured housing having a vertical partition disposed substantially intermediate the width thereof and serving to divide said housing into first and second vertically disposed chambers;
• a separate cover for each of said first and said second vertically disposed chambers to permit sealing of each chamber and to provide access to each chamber for supplying nutrient agar to, and for removing microbial growth from, each said chamber;
• and
• hinge means securing each of said separate covers to a side of a said rectangular configured housing.