Microbial Identification
Rapid Identification Service for the Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Markets.
Rapid methods for microbial identification (ID) in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing and packaging environments can be vital to an organization to avoid large periods of production downtime should a contamination event occur.
STERIS offers a range of both traditional and rapid methods of microbial identification. These include Gram stain testing, microscopy, selective media and rapid identification via MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry.
MALDI-ToF (Matrix Assisted Light Desorption Ionisation Time Of Flight)
The MALDI-ToF microbial identification method utilizes mass spectrometry. Within minutes, it can identify bacteria and yeasts to species level by characterizing the unique protein fingerprint for each microorganism, and matching this to an extensive pre-populated database.
This microbial identification method replaces our previous API testing, allowing us to simultaneously improve ID accuracy and speed for our Customers. The MALDI-ToF is also able to undertake other capabilities such as identifying antimicrobial resistance so please contact your local site to discuss if you have other requirements.