240-well modules that are self-contained and include bar
code label readers as well as revised software for data
management. The capacity of the modules was decreased to
accommodate laboratories with a lower volume of blood
cultures. If needed, additional (up to four) 240-well modules
can provide a total of 960 wells while the same data management
system is used.
BacT/Alert, if found reliable and accurate in detecting
microbial growth during clinical trials, may offer significant
advantages over many current commercial microbial detection
systems. The system is nonradiometric, thereby eliminating
the need for disposing of low-level radioactive
wastes. It is entirely self-contained, which not only eliminates
the need for a separate incubator, agitator, and detector
but more importantly eliminates repeated manipulations
of bottles during their incubation and testing. In addition,
bottles need to be visually inspected only when they are
placed in the instrument. These two factors give BacT/Alert
the potential for a significant reduction in workload. Studies
to test this potential are planned. The detector is external to
the bottles and does not require a sample of gas from the
headspace of the bottle. This not only eliminates the possibility
of cross-contamination of bottles during repeated
aspirations of gas from each bottle but also obviates the
separate gas supply to replenish the bottle atmospheres after
sampling. Finally, and most importantly, the frequent and