Automated cell counters & analyzers

The NucleoCounter® range of automatic cell counters and image analyzers are the most precise instruments on the market. They are easy to use, and the automated process makes for safe sample handling. With a NucleoCounter®, you can eliminate human error and obtain fast and consistent results. Find out how book a free demo now.

How Do You Use NucleoCounter® Instruments?

It’s very easy to use the NucleoCounter® instruments through three simple steps:

With NucleoCounter® instruments, the counting remains consistent because of the advanced algorithms that the automated cell counting platform is based on.

This is designed to exclude debris from the data, accurately count aggregates and sets the focus automatically, so you don’t need to waste your time fiddling around with settings.

Also, no calibration is needed except for the initial setup which allows for user-friendly cell counts that can be performed by anyone with the click of a button.

The cassettes that are compatible with these instruments eliminate pipetting errors since they have a built-in pipette to standardize the size of the sample. A broad range of cell concentrations can be handled, thus minimizing the need for dilution.

All these contribute to high performance and high precision, which is reflected by a low coefficient of variance (CV) percentage (See performance data). A bonus is that manual data processing is avoided because the software calculates parameters for you, such as cell viability.

How Do You Count Cells Accurately?

Our NucleoCounter® technology is leading-edge technology that helps you count cells accurately without lifting a finger. All instruments are pre-calibrated to a reference instrument, ensuring each instrument delivers robust data.

This rigorous qualification testing makes certain that you will obtain reliable data you can trust, regardless of who performs your cell analysis or where it is carried out.

NucleoCounter® software is compatible with 21 CFR Part 11 (EU Annex 11) and can be integrated into any GMP setup with the Secure Mode software package. Data from multiple instruments can be stored securely for full operator management and transparency.

With the NC-View™ software for the NucleoCounter® NC-202™, your data is traceable in a secure audit trail format.

For accurate identification of living and dead cells, the instruments use fluorescent-based image analysis. This is based on the stains acridine orange (AO) and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) that allow for the counting of fluorescent cells.

The dyes are contained within the unique Via2-Cassette™, making them safe to work with. This enclosed system eliminates exposure to reagents as opposed to manual cell counting where trypan blue (toxic) is often used. By using a cassette for simultaneous loading and staining of your cell sample, you also eliminate human error from your cell counts.

Note: These speeds are the average speeds you can expect when using computer processors that are recommended for each instrument

Our NucleoCounter® instruments count any eukaryotic cell regardless of the cell size—from mammalian cells in suspension, in aggregates and on microcarriers—to insect, yeast and sperm cells . Some instruments are optimized for a specific cell type (NucleoCounter® SP-100™), and others can count cells from all eukaryotes (NucleoCounter® NC-202™).

This technology also enables you to precisely count nucleated cells in whole blood samples. The hemoglobin of erythrocytes (non-nucleated blood cells) is known to interfere with the fluorescent signals that many cell counters rely on. If these are lysed, with for example Solution 17, the NucleoCounter® instruments can quantify nucleated cells with unprecedented precision.

How Do You Count Cells in a Cell Counter?

The cell sample is loaded into a Via-Cassette which has been preloaded with the fluorescent stains AO (stains all cells) and DAPI (stains dead cells) or onto an NC-Slide.

The NucleoCounter® instruments take two pictures of the cells – one in the green channel (AO) and one in the blue channel (DAPI). These can be viewed in the accompanying software where the cells have been identified and counted using advanced cell counting algorithms. The user-friendly software interface allows you to double-check the counts, further visualize the results and export them as needed.

To give the NucleoCounter® the best possible conditions for accurate cell counts, make sure you take a representative sample for analysis. Also, confirm that your instrument and software are qualified, validated and up to date.

Why Avoid Manual Cell Counting?

Doing a manual cell count often gives you poor reliability of data and the quality and output of your products suffer proportionally. Furthermore, it is time-consuming and very prone to human error as each person has slightly different protocols.

Trypan blue is most commonly used with manual cell counting, and this is generally considered a poor choice of staining reagent for dead cells, as it negatively affects the viability of cells in culture.

In life science industries and cell culture maintenance in general, accurate and reliable cell counts are crucial. The use of automatic cell counters from ChemoMetec will eliminate all of the challenges experienced when counting cells manually.

References

1. Johnson, S., Nguyen, V. and Coder, D. (2013), Assessment of Cell Viability. Current Protocols in Cytometry, 64: 9.2.1-9.2.26
2. Electron Microscopy Sciences: Neubauer Haemocytometry
3. Vembadi A, Menachery A, Qasaimeh MA. Cell Cytometry: Review and Perspective on Biotechnological Advances. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2019;7:147
4. Sarkar S, Pierce L, Lin-Gibson S, Lund S (2019). Standards Landscape in Cell Counting: Implications for Cell & Gene Therapy. Cell and Gene Therapy Insights. 5. 117-131. 10.18609/cgti.2019.016.
5. Butler M, Spearman M, Braasch K (2014). Monitoring Cell Growth, Viability, and Apoptosis. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 1104. 169-92. 10.1007/978-1-62703-733-4_12.
6. Niepel M, Hafner M, Mills CE et al. A Multi-center Study on the Reproducibility of Drug-Response Assays in Mammalian Cell Lines. Cell Syst. 2019 Jul 24;9(1):35-48.e5