Method for the rapid detection of microorganisms in samples

A method for the rapid identification of microorganisms in a sample, comprising the steps of:

• a) applying the sample to a surface of an essentially solid culture carrier, in a dilution which enables growth of microorganisms in locally separate microcolonies,
• b) incubating the sample of step a) for at least 6 generation times to form locally separated microcolonies of 50 to 4,000 microorganism cells,
• c) transferring a region of the surface of the culture carrier having microcolonies to a surface of an optical carrier stamp without changing relative geometrical locations of the transferred microcolonies with respect to each other, the stamp surface being at least one of transparent and reflective in a desired spectral region,
• d) positioning the optical carrier stamp under an infra-red microscope,
• e) detecting the transferred microcolonies using an optical mode of the infra-red microscope,
• f) determining the relative geometrical locations of the transferred microcolonies on the stamp,
• g) sequentially recording IR spectra of the transferred microcolonies using the infra-red microscope in at least one of a transmission and a reflection mode, the microscope having apertures in a diameter range of 10-200 .mu.m,
• h) comparing the recorded IR spectra with each other and with a spectra reference file to rapidly identify the microorganisms.