Millipore launches new handheld cell counter

Millipore has released a new handheld automated cell counter to customers worldwide, stating that the device can offer benefits in a number of fields of research.

The new Scepter device incorporates miniaturised Coulter cell counting technology, delivering the capabilities of a standard-sized instrument in a unit the size of an automated pipette.

It can deliver cell count and average cell volume data within 20 seconds of insertion into a sample and can also be used to provide insights into cell health, by techniques such as monitoring the transformation of stem cells.

Shipments of the unit are to increase over the course of the year, with Millipore expecting the Scepter to prove useful to researchers in diverse sectors such as forensic analysis and ink production.

John Sweeney, vice-president of Millipore’s life science business, said: “With the introduction of the Scepter instrument, we now have a range of tools that help life scientists simplify tedious, repetitive tasks and improve the reproducibility of their experiments.”

Earlier this month, the company introduced ChemiBrite Luminescent GPCR Reporter Frozen Cells, which are designed to make it easier to test G-protein coupled receptors.