Novel Electrical Method for Early Detection of Viable Bacteria in Blood Cultures

We present a novel electrical method for detecting viable bacteria in blood cultures that is 4 to 10 times faster than continuous monitoring blood culture systems (CMBCS) like the Bactec system. Proliferating bacteria are detected via an increase in the bulk capacitance of suspensions, and the threshold concentration for detection is similar to 10(4) CFU/ml (compared to similar to 10(8) CFU/ml for the Bactec system).