SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING

Described herein are systems, methods, and devices for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) directly from blood samples. A system for enriching samples includes a housing configured to receive sample containers, sample preparation cartridges, and AST cartridges, for processing and testing samples using one or more centrifuges, pipetting systems, a controller, AST subsystem, magnet station, microscope, and heater disposed inside the housing. The system is configured to transfer a sample from a blood sample container into a processing tube in a sample preparation cartridge using a septum and needle-based pipetting system. Upon transfer of the sample, the system performs steps to separate, enrich, and concentrate pathogens in the sample for rapid detection. The system then dispenses aliquots of the enriched sample into antimicrobial-containing reaction wells in an AST cartridge, acquires images of each reaction well after incubation, and determines pathogen susceptibility to antimicrobials based on analyzing the acquired images.