Development of a real-time system of monitoring bacterial colony growth and registering the forward-scattering pattern

Early detection and classification of pathogenic bacteria species is crucial to food safety. The previous BARDOT (BActeria Rapid Detection by using Optical light scattering Technology) system is capable of classifying the bacterial colonies of around 1∼1.5mm diameter within 24∼36 hours of incubation. However, in order to further reduce the detection time and synchronize the detection operation with the bacterial cultivation, a micro-incubator is developed that not only grows bacteria at 37°C but also enables forward scatterometry. This new design feature enables us to continuously characterize the light scattering patterns of the bacterial colonies throughout their growing stages. Some experimental results from this new system are demonstrated and compared with the images obtained from phase contrast microscopy and a confocal displacement meter to show the possibility of earlier identification of bacteria species. Moreover, this paper also explains the updated optical and mechanical modules for the beam waist control to accommodate the smaller bacteria colony detection.