An automated detection apparatus for rapid non-invasive detection of microorganism growth in a test sample, comprising: (a) a housing enclosing an interior chamber; (b) a holding structure having a plurality of wells for holding one or more sealable specimen containers having an internal chamber with a culture medium disposed therein for culturing any microorganisms that may be present in said test sample, wherein said holding structure further comprises a retention feature operable to hold the specimen container in one of the plurality of wells, the retention feature comprising a canted coiled spring and a v-shaped holding plate, and wherein said holding structure further comprises an agitation assembly; (c) a detection unit located within said interior chamber for the detection of microorganism growth in said specimen container; (d) an automated loading mechanism for automated loading of said specimen container into said interior chamber, wherein said automated loading mechanism comprises a first end and a second end, said automated loading mechanism further comprising a container loading station located at said first end, one or more guide rails, and a container entrance location located at said second end, and a conveyor belt for transporting said specimen container from said loading station to said container entrance location, and subsequently through said entrance location, wherein said one or more guide rails guide the specimen container into a single file line at the second end of the automated loading mechanism; (e) a container locator device located within said housing, said container locator device comprising a rotatable disk containing one or more locator wells each capable of holding a single specimen container and a pusher arm attached to a pusher motor via a pusher support structure, said rotatable disk configured to rotate in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis and thereby locate said specimen containers among a plurality of work-flow stations comprising a container imaging station, a container pick-up station, and a container transfer station, wherein the pusher arm rotates around a vertical axis through the pusher support structure to advance the single specimen container to a downstream instrument when the single specimen container reaches the container transfer station; and wherein said conveyor belt is configured to place one of said specimen containers into one of said locator wells. (a) a housing enclosing an interior chamber; (b) a holding structure having a plurality of wells for holding one or more sealable specimen containers having an internal chamber with a culture medium disposed therein for culturing any microorganisms that may be present in said test sample, wherein said holding structure further comprises a retention feature operable to hold the specimen container in one of the plurality of wells, the retention feature comprising a canted coiled spring and a v-shaped holding plate, and wherein said holding structure further comprises an agitation assembly; (c) a detection unit located within said interior chamber for the detection of microorganism growth in said specimen container; (d) an automated loading mechanism for automated loading of said specimen container into said interior chamber, wherein said automated loading mechanism comprises a first end and a second end, said automated loading mechanism further comprising a container loading station located at said first end, one or more guide rails, and a container entrance location located at said second end, and a conveyor belt for transporting said specimen container from said loading station to said container entrance location, and subsequently through said entrance location, wherein said one or more guide rails guide the specimen container into a single file line at the second end of the automated loading mechanism; (e) a container locator device located within said housing, said container locator device comprising a rotatable disk containing one or more locator wells each capable of holding a single specimen container and a pusher arm attached to a pusher motor via a pusher support structure, said rotatable disk configured to rotate in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis and thereby locate said specimen containers among a plurality of work-flow stations comprising a container imaging station, a container pick-up station, and a container transfer station, wherein the pusher arm rotates around a vertical axis through the pusher support structure to advance the single specimen container to a downstream instrument when the single specimen container reaches the container transfer station; and wherein said conveyor belt is configured to place one of said specimen containers into one of said locator wells.