Okay for Basic Counting but Awful for Viability Assessment

December 30, 2015

Grambling State University
Biological Sciences
Assistant Professor

Overall

Performance

Ease-of-Optimization

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Company:

Invitrogen

Product Name:

Countess II

Catalog Number:

AMQAX1000

We count cells to set up experiments with a consistent number of input cells. We also count cells after the experiment to assess the impact and to express the data accurately. An automated cell counter makes this a quick, painless, reproducible process. This unit was selected because I liked the compact, all-in-one form factor for my small laboratory space.

Experimental Design and Results Summary

Application

Cell culture

Starting Material

Various cell lines

Protocol Overview

The single cell suspension is diluted 1:1 with 0.4% trypan blue and 10ul of this mixture is loaded into the disposable slide. The counter can automatically adjust focus and light intensity but some manual control may be necessary. It generates a count of live and dead cells and a size graph.

Tips

It may not work well with trypan blue

Results Summary

This counter has some drawbacks compared to other units I've used. Adjusting the focus and zoom through the touchscreen interface (pressing a small + or - button) is a little tricky compared to a manual knob.The counter always assumes that the cells have been diluted 1:1 with trypan blue when counting and the counter does not calculate seeding volumes. If you're not assessing viability you can divide by two and you can calculate seeding volumes by hand but these are basic features that the software really should have. Most troubling is that the counter, when using the trypan blue provided by Invitrogen, cannot count cells. It detects tiny trypan particulate matter as cells. There is an option menu to set gates for size, brightness, and roundness but this has not helped. I have tested this with two separate vials of trypan blue provided by Invitrogen but not with other trypan blue solutions. You can see this in the exported images (top: no trypan blue; bottom: same cell suspension with trypan blue)

Features Summary

Can save and export images and data through USB

Additional Notes

None

Image Gallery

Summary

The Good

Compact

The Bad

Inaccurate with trypan blue

The Bottom Line

I like that it does not need a separate computer. It counts perfectly fine without trypan blue (just divide the cell count by two) but it has some serious issues with trypan blue counting. The limited and inflexible software is annoying. I would not recommend this unit.

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