Development of low-cost inverted microscope to detect early growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in MODS culture.
BACKGROUND
The microscopic observation drug susceptibility (MODS) assay for rapid, low-cost detection of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis depends upon visualization of the characteristic cording colonies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in liquid media. This has conventionally required an inverted light microscope in order to inspect the MODS culture plates from below. Few tuberculosis laboratories have this item and the capital cost of $5,000 for a high-end microscope could be a significant obstacle to MODS roll-out.


METHODS
We hypothesized that the precise definition provided by costly high-specification inverted light microscopes might not be necessary for pattern recognition.


CONCLUSIONS
In this work we describe the development of a low-cost artesenal inverted microscope that can operate in both a standard or digital mode to effectively replace the expensive commercial inverted light microscope, and an integrated system that could permit a local and remote diagnosis of tuberculosis.
Zimic
Mirko
M
Unidad de Bioinformática y Laboratorio de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, San Martín de Porras, Lima, Perú
Velazco
Abner
A
Comina
Germán
G
Coronel
Jorge
J
Fuentes
Patricia
P
Luna
Carmen G
CG
Sheen
Patricia
P
Gilman
Robert H
RH
Moore
David A J
DA
D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology