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Spinoff story
A New Tool for the Hospital Lab
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
AutoMicrobic System, marketed by Vitek Systems, Inc., is automatic time saving system for detecting and identifying disease producing microorganisms in the human body. Specimens are exposed to microbe nutrients for the nine most common pathogens. During a 4 to 13 hour incubating cycle, an electro-optical scanner studies each specimen once an hour. Changes in cell growth on each culture are monitored by computer. When growth reaches predetermined level, it indicates presence of pathogens. System automatically enumerates pathogens and specifies the type. On push button command, information is displayed in video or reported on a printout.