NAIST: Antibiotic Sensitivity Device

2022: Device Announcement

On October 21, 2022, the JapaneseNara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) announced the development of a new high-speed test method for antibiotic sensitivity. The proposed method is expected to redefine the approach to microbial screening in clinical and research laboratories.

It usually takes considerable time to determine the drug susceptibility of a bacterial infection. The fact is that bacteria resistant to antibiotics are becoming more common, which complicates treatment. Even routine surgical procedures are associated with risk: without effective drugs, a slight infection of the wound can lead to the most serious consequences. So, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, USA antibiotic-resistant infections kill more than a million people worldwide every year.

A device for determining antibiotic sensitivity has been developed

Obtaining indications about antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria causing problems in a particular patient must be done as quickly as possible so that the person can receive the correct treatment in time. The new technology proposed by Japanese specialists allows you to carry out the necessary procedures in just two hours. And this makes it possible to prescribe optimal treatment as soon as possible and in some cases save human lives.

The method involves the use of impedance cytometry to measure the dielectric properties of bacteria. Since such indications correspond to the bacteria's physical response to an antibiotic, it can be quickly determined whether a particular drug is effective. The developed method involves simultaneous analysis of subjects (treated with antibiotics) and reference (untreated) bacterial cells using machine learning algorithms. It is stated that the error rate when using the method is less than 10%.^[1]

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