Fig. 7: Rapid clinical pathogen identification using the enrichment system and Raman microscopy. | Nature Communications

Fig. 7: Rapid clinical pathogen identification using the enrichment system and Raman microscopy.

From: Rapid culture-free diagnosis of clinical pathogens via integrated microfluidic-Raman micro-spectroscopy

Fig. 7: Rapid clinical pathogen identification using the enrichment system and Raman microscopy.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

a Our approach achieves “sample-to-report” testing within 20 min for clinical pathogen identification. This method was tested on 305 clinical samples (urine, bile, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), drainage fluid) with photos of collected sample tubes shown: urine sample (top left); bile sample (bottom left); pancreatic drainage fluid (right). It demonstrated over 90% accuracy and 98% sensitivity in identifying negative and positive infections. Representative images show the difference in microscopic appearance between negative and positive samples, with corresponding single-cell Raman spectra used for pathogen identification. b Representative microscopic images from the 305 processed clinical samples, shown before and after processing with the AutoEnricher. Left panels show the original state of the samples, while the right panels illustrate the samples post-enrichment, highlighting the improved visibility and identification of pathogens. CSF and blood culture samples reveal clear pathogen identification after enrichment, with corresponding Raman spectra for pathogens such as E. coli (Eco) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn). A mixed infection in a urine sample shows distinct morphologies of fungal cells (CaAl) and elongated bacterial cells, indicating beta-lactam resistance.

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