AUTOMATED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING AND PREPARING MICROORGANISM SAMPLE FOR BOTH IDENTIFICATION AND ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTS

A method and automated apparatus for locating and selecting a colony of microorganisms on a culture dish and subjecting the obtained sample to a plurality of downstream tests including a test to identify the microorganism and a test to identify the susceptibility of the microorganism to antibiotics. The method includes the automated steps of locating and selecting a colony of microorganisms on a culture dish; obtaining a sample of the selected colony of microorganisms; preparing a suspension of a sample of microorganisms automatically by submerging the pick tool with the sample in a suspension, after which the pick tool is vibrated in at least the vertical direction to release the sample from the pick tool in the suspension. The turbidity of the suspension is monitored to ensure that the concentration of microorganism in suspension is sufficient so that the suspension is used a source for sample for both identification and antibiotic susceptibility of the microorganisms in the sample. The apparatus and system optionally provides for downstream processing of samples prepared for antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). Such apparatus includes further processing after inoculation of an AST panel for the AST test. Such further processing includes capping and transferring inoculated panels to AST instrument.