I like the system very much and have used it a few years ago in an R & D OTC
drug/microbiology laboratory. It is much better than API in terms of
setting up the test panel and the studies that I have seen show it is as
good or better. By coincidence, I contacted BBL yesterday to check on the
status of the automated Crystal reader. They are working on this to
eliminate the need to compare the color card with the reactions in the
individual wells. The system also contains a computer database which is
very user friendly and can be installed on your laboratory computer. If you
are interested in trying out the system, I suggest you contact your local
VWR Scientific representative. He are some articles for you to check out:
BBL Crystal ID ASM Abstracts (1994) Presented at ASM Annual Meeting, Las
Vegas, NV, pp. 1-22.
Wauters, G. et al. (1995) "Evaluation of a New Identification System,
Crystal Enteric/Non-Fermenter, for Gram-Negative Bacilli", J. Clin.
Microbiol., Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 845-849.
Holmes, B. et al. (1994) "Evaluation of Two BBL Crystal Systems for
Identification of Some Clinically Important Gram-Negative Bacteria", J.
Clin. Microbiol., Vol. 32, No. 9, pp. 2221-2224.
Robinson, A. et al. (1995) "Comparison of Crystal Enteric/Nonfermenter
System, API 20E System, and Vitek Automicrobic System for Identification of
Gram-Negative Bacilli", J. Clin. Microbiol., Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 364-370.
Peele D. et al. (1997) "Comparison of identifications of human and animal
source gram-negative bacteria by API 20E and crystal E/NF systems", J Clin
Microbiol., Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 213-216.
Varettas K. et al. (1995) "A comparative study of the BBL crystal
enteric/nonfermenter identification system and the biomerieux API20E and
API20NE identification systems after overnight incubation", Pathology Vol.
27, No. 4, pp. 358-361
Micklewright I.J., and D.P. Sartory (1995) "Evaluation of the BBL Crystal
Enteric/Nonfermenter kit for the identification of water-derived
environmental Enterobacteriaceae", Lett. Appl. Microbiol., Vol. 21, No. 3,
pp. 160-163.
Robert R. Friedel
Quality Assurance Manager
Laboratory Research & Analysis Groups
Perritt Laboratories, Inc.
rfriedel at perrittlab.com
LeoTJ <leotj at aol.comspamsux> wrote in message
news:19990928090605.03282.00001989 at ng-co1.aol.com...
> Does anybody have any opinions good or bad on the BBL Crystal ID systems.
We
> are looking for an alternate biochemical identification system to the one
we
> are currently using. We would be using it for INDUSTRIAL bacteria
isolates as
> opposed to clinical.
>> Sincerely,
> Leo Johnson
> Microbiologist
> Biosan Laboratories, Inc.
